Friday, January 05, 2007

This week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

'No Child' Law on Track, Spellings Says
Washington Post – January 4, 2007
U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said yesterday that she welcomed proposals to "perfect and tweak" the No Child Left Behind law as Congress prepares for what could become a divisive debate on renewal of the landmark education initiative.

Poverty, low graduation rates share strong link
Indianapolis Star – January 3, 2007
New graduation rates released Tuesday for individual Indiana high schools show once again the divide between affluent and poor schools, state officials and academic experts agree. An Indianapolis Star analysis of the statewide numbers shows a strong relationship between low graduation rates and the number of students in poverty. Among the lowest-performing schools, two-thirds also had the poorest students in the state.

Schools, Programs Work To Provide For Homeless Youth
The Morning News – December 24, 2006
Lynisa Morrow's deep brown eyes dart around with nervous energy as she talks of leaving home at 12, sleeping on a park bench and in shelters. The look steadies and intensifies when she describes her hope of getting custody of her son and making a home for him. She fidgets and rubs her nose while explaining she hasn't attended school since the 10th grade but calmly looks off in the distance and describes a plan for the future that might include becoming a pediatrician.
Charter schools 'not a panacea,' report says
Miami Herald – December 20, 2006
Charter schools are filling a unique niche in the state's public school system, but their academic results don't differ much from those of traditional public schools, says a report issued Tuesday by the Florida Department of Education. ''The charter school movement continues to hold great promise for many students,'' says the report, which marks the 10-year anniversary of Florida's charter school movement. ``However, a decade of progress makes it clear that charter schools are not a panacea; they are not for everyone.''

Report says poor students do not get fair share of education dollars
Boston.com – December 20, 2006

Community colleges -- doing the most with the least
Boston.com – December 20, 2006

Panel: Revamp U.S. high schools: Experts call for 10th-grade test
Chicago Tribune – December 15, 2006

Juvenile Justice

Young Justice - In A Manhattan Youth Court, Teenagers Judge Each Other For Real
New York Resident – January 2, 2007
At the Harlem Courthouse late one Wednesday afternoon, jurors chatted amiably behind the bar while the prosecuting attorney went over her opening statement. Everyone was waiting for the judge, who had been called to fill in at the last minute and was rushing over from a previous engagement: cheerleading practice.

Leaders plan forum on youth crime
Morning Sentinel – December 21, 2006
Skowhegan is suffering from a spike in teen crime, but that should not be seen as an indictment of all youth, say community leaders. "It is a select few," said Davida Barter, chairman of the Board of Selectmen. "But we need to address the problem and I'm glad we are here."

Tough truancy rules sought
Baltimore Sun – December 17, 2006
A small team of Howard County legislators, litigators and school system officials will work in the coming weeks to draft a bill that would create the county's first truancy court that places harsher penalties on students.

Foster Care

State to offer transitional housing to foster kids
Chicago Defender – January 3, 2007
Becoming an adult can be a particularly daunting task for foster children who turn 18 and find themselves alone in the world with no family and little or no help from the state. With little or no resources, those first steps into adulthood can be tough, but the state's housing authority and local human services agencies plan to launch a transitional housing program next year for youth 18 to 21 to make those first few steps a little easier.

Credit union to offer foster care children savings accounts
Orlando Business Journal – January 2, 2007
The Central Florida Educators Federal Credit Union is partnering with the City of Life Foundation to offer savings accounts to children in foster care in Central Florida and waive the requirement of an adult co-signer.

Lost And Found- Lesley Stahl On Efforts To Place Foster Children Back With Their Families
CBS News – 60 Minutes – December 17, 2006
They've been called some of the loneliest people on earth: children who were taken away from their parents due to neglect or abuse, but were never adopted by new families. Stranded in the child welfare system, they move from foster homes to group homes. There are tens of thousands of these children. They have no one – not a single relative to visit on Christmas or their birthday.

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