The Effects of Lead Exposure student achievement

Elevated blood lead levels are having a significant impact on the educational achievement of students in Detroit Public Schools. At least 25% of the current active student population of Detroit Public Schools has tested positive for elevated blood lead levels in their early development, between birth and 5 years of age!

At the same time students identified with special education needs have significantly higher blood lead levels than other students.

This information and more was shared Thursday, Oct. 29th at Michigan's Premier Public Health Conference, by Ms. Harolyn Tarr, MPH Principal Epidemiologist, Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion; Ms. Margaret Tufts, Environmental Epidemiologist, Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion; and Randall E. Raymond, Geographic Information Specialist, Detroit Public Schools. This information presents for the first time current research findings of an on-going investigation about "The Effects of Lead Exposure on school outcome among children living and attending Public Schools in Detroit, MI."

“This is an educational problem in every urban center in the eastern United States,” wrote Raymond in an email to MASA. Raymond believes that since Detroit Public Schools have been identified as "ground Zero" in education, a National Level Roundtable should be convened in Detroit to bring together individuals from the U.S Department of Education, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Michigan Department of Education, Public Health Agencies and Urban Public School agencies to understand the types of education interventions that might be required for Pre-school and Early Intervention Students to assist them with the development of skills that could help them offset the identified damages of elevated blood lead levels on educational outcomes.

View a copy of the "The Effects of Lead Exposure on school outcome among children living and attending Public Schools in Detroit, MI" presentation…

Contact the researchers to discuss their findings:

Harolyn Tarr: 313.876.4340, tarrh@detrotmi.gov
Margaret Tufts: 313.870.0675, tuftsm@detroitmi.gov
Randall E. Raymond: 248.910.7830, randall.raymond@detroitk12.org