• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • COVID-19
  • Find A Doctor
  • Subscribe
Home / Health Conditions / Eye and Vision / How Free Glasses Are Boosting Test Scores In Baltimore

How Free Glasses Are Boosting Test Scores In Baltimore

(Dr. Bernard Harris, Sr. Elementary School third-grader Rashad Solomon, 9, shows off his new glasses-Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun/TNS via Getty Images)

Who knew that a simple fix could be the solution for low-income students to perform better in school? Well, Johns Hopkins had an idea.

(article originally featured here.)

Three years ago, Johns Hopkins University researchers in Baltimore wondered if the gap in reading performance between poor students and wealthier ones be closed if they gave the poor students eyeglasses?

They knew that poorer students were less likely to have glasses than wealthier white children, but data were limited on whether simply helping children better focus on the page in front of them might improve their ability to master a skill essential for early learning. They screened several hundred second- and third-graders, gave two pairs of eyeglasses to the ones who needed them (about 60 percent of the group, based on a uniquely liberal prescribing standard) and then they tracked their school performance over the course of the year. The outcomes were notable even with the small sample size—reading proficiency improved significantly compared with the children who did not need eyeglasses.

You May Also Like
9 Things that Happen to Your Body When You Drink Pineapple Water

In May 2016, the Baltimore Health Department assembled a public-private coalition made up of the city’s public school system, Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Education, eyeglass retailer Warby Parker, and a national nonprofit called Vision To Learn.

The three-year program, called Vision for Baltimore, plans to visit 150 schools over the course of the study and screen 60,000 students, making it the biggest study of its kind.

As of mid-August, Vision for Baltimore (V4B) has performed nearly 18,000 screenings and distributed nearly 2,000 pairs of glasses for free. That’s on schedule of the program’s goal to give out 8,000 glasses before the end of the study. They estimate that just 20 percent of screened children who need glasses subsequently get them, leaving as many as 20,000 children citywide staring fuzzily at the board in their classrooms.

Experts attribute the glasses gap to Maryland law, which requires screening only or pre-K, first-and eighth-graders. A child who develops eyesight issues in second grade could wait years before being examined again, falling further behind peers. But even with mandatory screening, parents may not follow through. Parents might not be able to afford the glasses if they don’t qualify for Medicaid. (Maryland’s Medicaid system covers one pair of eyeglasses for minors per year, and will replace them in some cases.) The consequences of not addressing eyesight problems early can be dire and compounding. Studies over the past decade suggest that students who perform badly in school are misdiagnosed with behavioral disorders or special education needs when the culprit was their poor eyesight.

You May Also Like
13 Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar that will Change Your Life!
(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)

The solution was pretty simple: If kids can’t get to the doctor, bring the doctor to the kids. Under the Vision for Baltimore program, a mobile clinic shows up to the school for about a week during the school year to determine whether a child may need glasses. In Baltimore, the city health department conducts the screening, which requires checking distance vision, depth perception and eye alignment. If the child fails the screening test, he is given a parental consent form for an optometry exam on the school campus. Two weeks later, an optician comes to the school to fit the glasses, which the child picks himself. Each student gets one pair.

Shandra Worthy-Owens, principal of Dr. Bernard Harris Sr. Elementary School, said V4B has been a success at her school. The project clinicians communicated weekly to make sure the school had the necessary forms and knew when the clinic would arrive on campus for screenings. “They just supported us throughout the whole process,” Worthy-Owens said. Her school staff conducted home visits, made extra phone calls and stayed late on campus to accommodate with parents’ work schedules.

“When the kids are wearing glasses and they’re doing better, the attendance is higher, and the standardized test scores have improved, then you can really make the argument for why this needs to be built into what schools do,” said Megan Collins, a lead researcher in the study.

About 100 students, a fourth of Worthy-Owens’ school’s total, received the glasses in March and have improved in the classroom. The glasses have even boosted student self-esteem: Her school spotlights the students for…

Continue Reading

The Latest In Eye and Vision

Best Blue-Light-Blocking Glasses you should get in 2021

There is no doubt we spend significant amounts of time fixated on screens. Either you are drooling over your friend’s latest cuisine on Instagram or watching Kevin Hart do stand-up on Netflix.   Inevitably, your eyes are sustainably exposed to read more about Best Blue-Light-Blocking Glasses you should get in 2021
man eating a salmon salad for lunch

What Omega-3 Can Do For You…Right NOW!

Most research on omega-3 focuses on heart health benefits. But, new research is showing that eating plenty of fish and great sources of Omega-3, or taking Omega-3 Supplements, can do so much more for you. The three main forms of read more about What Omega-3 Can Do For You…Right NOW!
black man eye doctor

See Clearly: 5 Tips For Healthy Vision

African Americans are at higher risk for eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma, which can lead to vision loss and blindness unless detected early. To help increase eye health awareness and promote early detection of eye disease, the National read more about See Clearly: 5 Tips For Healthy Vision

7 Things Every Contact Lens Wearer Needs To Know

Whether worn to improve your vision or change your eye color, contact lenses have become extremely popular in the eye wear department. No matter what reason you choose to wear them, it is important to know how to care for read more about 7 Things Every Contact Lens Wearer Needs To Know
African American woman with headache on laptop

Have A Headache? Check Your Eyes!

Headaches occur pretty often. In fact, the National Headache Foundation notes that 45 million Americans suffer from headaches which are chronic and recurring. Migraine headaches affect 28 million of the 45 million who suffer from headaches. Since headaches are common, read more about Have A Headache? Check Your Eyes!

Normal Signs Of Aging Or Diabetes? 5 Sneaky Symptoms

You’re getting older and can’t help but notice the signs of aging – your vision and hearing aren’t what they used to be, and it seems your cuts and bruises take longer to heal. But before you write off those read more about Normal Signs Of Aging Or Diabetes? 5 Sneaky Symptoms

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • 7 Bad Sleep Habits That Cause Weight Gain7 Bad Sleep Habits That Cause Weight Gain
  • Method Man and wife Tamika Celebrate 20 Years Married!Method Man and wife Tamika Celebrate 20 Years Married!
  • 10 Cities With The Highest HIV Rates10 Cities With The Highest HIV Rates
  • This Exercise Gets Rid of Mucus in Your ChestThis Exercise Gets Rid of Mucus in Your Chest
  • 5 Things That Stops Your Hair From Breaking Ever Again5 Things That Stops Your Hair From Breaking Ever Again

Podcast

Diabetes prevention and management podcast

Dr. LeNoir is joined by Dr. Lenore Coleman, a Pharmacist and Founder of Healing Our Village, as they offer you the tools you need to prevent and manage diabetes.

Listen Now

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2021, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.