California County Data Book, 2001: Factors for School Success.

This Kids Count data book examines trends in the well-being of California's children, focusing on factors for school success. The statistical portrait is based on trends in 32 indicators of well-being in 4 areas: (1) education, including reading and mathematics achievement, high school dropout rates, and student-teacher ratios; (2) family economics, including child poverty rates, median household income, fair market rent values, and child and infants receiving WIC; (3) health, including first trimester prenatal care, low birthweight infants, teen birth rates, and infant mortality; and (4) safety, including child abuse rates, foster care rates, incarcerated juveniles, gun injuries and deaths, and motor vehicle injuries and deaths. The data book's introduction summarizes findings, noting that there were considerable differences in educational outcomes across and within California counties, that low family income is a common experience for Californian children, and that there continue to be improvements in the proportion of pregnant women receiving timely prenatal care and the survival rates of infants past the first year. Recommendations to improve children's chances for school success are made in the areas of early care and education, family economics, child health, safety, and community action. Part 1 of the report provides county level data for each of the indicators, as well as rankings comparing each county with others in the state. Following information on the indicators and data sources, part 2 of the report provides tables of demographic information and for each indicator at the state and county level. (KB)