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Census in Schools and the 2010 Census
For educators, September is similar to January when people make resolutions for new, exciting, and challenging goals. To help you plan for this school year, we are rolling out the free Census in Schools program called “2010 Census: It’s about us.” As a part of this, you will soon see materials for your school. We are in the process of mailing materials to principals and posting all of the free lessons and printables on the Census in Schools Web site <www.census.gov/schools>.
Superintendents and principals will soon receive:
Educational materials for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Materials include maps displaying population counts and other demographic information, and lesson plans grouped by grade and correlated to national standards for math, geography, and language arts.
Everything we send to the principals will be available on the Census in Schools Web site. The Web site also will include new ideas and materials to assist you in teaching your students about the importance of the 2010 Census.
Check back to this newsletter for highlights about new materials and for additional teaching ideas.
Printing of 2010 Census Questionnaires Under Way — New 10-Question Survey Among Shortest Since First Census in 1790
The U.S. Census Bureau has begun printing 2010 Census questionnaires in preparation for next year's count of the U.S. population. The questionnaire, which every residential address will receive, is designed to be one of the shortest since the first census in 1790, asking 10 questions and takes about 10 minutes to complete.
Beginning in mid-March 2010, more than 120 million questionnaires will be delivered to U.S. residential addresses. To meet the goal, the Census
Bureau will print more than 1.5 million documents every day.
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For the first time, more than 13 million questionnaires will be bilingual (English –
Spanish). This new questionnaire design is based on tests that show mailing the bilingual questionnaires to areas with high concentrations of Spanish-only speakers will improve response rates. Questionnaires also are available on request in Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Korean, Vietnamese, and Russian. Language guides, which provide instructions on how to complete the questionnaire, will be available on-line in nearly 60 languages at <www.census.gov>.
Complete Count Committees are Forming Nationwide for the 2010 Census — Local Volunteer Committees Driving Participation in Their Communities
Complete Count Committees (CCC) are forming across the country to spread the word about the importance of the 2010 Census and to motivate every resident in their community to complete and return their 2010 Census questionnaire.
Made up of state, local and tribal governments, and/or community leaders, CCCs often include a cross section of community representatives — including government agencies, education, business, faith-based organizations, and the media — and aim to address the various racial, ethnic, cultural, and geographic considerations of their communities.
Using local knowledge, expertise, and influence, CCCs plan and implement census awareness campaigns that address the special characteristics of their communities. Local campaigns are designed to reach traditionally undercounted populations by stressing the importance of an accurate census count, including how data are collected and used.
We’ve Got You Covered!
You are hearing a lot about the census these days – and you are going to be hearing more, too! Educators will be reading about the Census in Schools program in their professional journals, in the electronic newsletters of their professional organizations, and at conferences and meetings of their professional groups. You’ll find us on the Web at <www.census.gov/schools> and on Web site links of many partner professional groups and Scholastic, Inc.
Well-Deserved Praise
Are your students doing something special for the 2010 Census? Here’s your chance to let us know. You can write the article or just send us the details, and we’ll write it for you. We’ll use electronic photos, too, if you send them. That way you and your students can get the recognition you deserve. Send your information to: <Census.in.Schools@census.gov>
About the 2010 Census
The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data are used to distribute Congressional seats to states, to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year and to make decisions about what community services to provide. The 2010 Census questionnaire will be one of the shortest in history and consists of 10 questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete. Strict confidentiality laws protect the confidentiality of respondents and the information they provide.
Back to School Facts: 2009-2010
76 million
The number of children and adults enrolled in school throughout the country in October 2007 — from nursery school to college. They comprised 27 percent of the entire population 3 and older.
50%
Percentage of kindergarten through 12th-grade students in California who had at least one foreign-born parent. California led the nation, followed by Nevada with 36 percent. New York, Florida, Texas, Arizona, New Jersey, and Hawaii also had at least one-quarter of students this age with at least one foreign-born parent.
67%
Percentage of children 6 to 17 whose parents reported that their kids often like school.
98,793
Number of public schools in 2006-07. In 2007-08, there were 28,218 private schools.
7.2 million
Number of teachers in the United States in 2008. Some 2.9 million teach at the elementary and middle school level. The remainder includes those teaching at the postsecondary, secondary, and preschool and kindergarten levels.
$9,138
The per-pupil expenditure on public elementary and secondary education nationally in 2007. New York ($15,981) spent the most among states or state equivalents, followed by New Jersey ($15,691) and the District of Columbia ($14,324). Utah ($5,683) spent the least per student, followed by Idaho ($6,625) and Tennessee ($7,113).
For more information, visit www.census.gov and click on “Facts for Features.”
Contact Census in Schools
If you would like to share any thoughts or ideas about ways to introduce the 2010 Census to your students, please call 1-800-396-1167 or e-mail us at: <Census.in.Schools@census.gov >.
Additional information about Census in Schools can be found at our Web site:
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