More Girls than Boys Get Diplomas
Do girls just buckle down and do their work more readily, or do they have a stronger will to succeed than boys? Whatever the reason, they are earning their diplomas at a much higher rate. A study from the Manhattan Institute found that not only are girls in the nation's 100 largest school districts graduating at a 72% rate versus 65% for their male counterparts, but that the gender gap is even wider among minority students.
Overall graduation rates varied across the country, with New Jersey winning the highest marks (88%), followed by Iowa, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, with 85% each. Bringing up the rear with the lowest overall graduation rates were South Carolina (54%), Georgia (56%) and New York (58%).
Limiting Junk Food in School
Federal lawmakers are considering an amendment to the farm bill in order to limit junk food that children eat in school: this would amount to a national ban on selling candy, sugary soda, and salty, fatty food in school snack bars, vending machines, and cafeteria lines. The nutrition standards would allow only plain bottled water and eight-ounce servings of fruit juice or plain or flavored low-fat milk to be sold in elementary and middle schools. High-school students could also buy diet soda or sports drinks. Food for sale would have to be limited in sodium, saturated and trans fat, and have less than 35% sugar. However, the bill faces stiff competition from food activists, who want vending machines out of schools completely. And they are fighting the leaders in the food and beverage industry, who have had a hand in creating the new standards. “This pits ideals about what children should eat at school against the political reality of large food corporations,” said Marion Nestle, a professor at New York University and the author of two recent books on food politics and diet.