Monday, November 26, 2012

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Communities in Schools program aims to prevent dropouts in East Nashville
The Tennessean, Nashville, TN – November 26, 2012
A national dropout prevention program is setting up shop in Nashville in hopes of helping some the city’s poorest kids graduate from high school.  The 30-year-old national Communities in Schools program is the only nonprofit drop¬out prevention organization in the nation to show both an increase in graduation rates and progress made on reading and math scores during a five-year study, said Francie Hunt, the group’s Nashville liaison.

System warns educators of dropout risk
The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – November 23, 2012
A data system launched this fall in Spokane Public Schools puts each child’s academic and behavioral information at educators’ fingertips, helping educators address problems at an earlier stage.

Gadsden City Schools launches FOCUSED program
The Gadsden Times, Gadsden, AL – November 25, 2012
Gadsden City Schools will launch a new program in January focused on graduation intervention and dropout prevention through community support.

Juvenile Justice

Report Says Teen Neurology Should Shape Juvenile Justice Reform Efforts
Corrections.com – November 21, 2012
A new report from the National Research Council suggests that juvenile justice reform efforts should be grounded in the emerging understanding of adolescent development.  “Reforming Juvenile Justice: A Developmental Approach,” sponsored by the federal Department of Justice, draws strong connections between the neurological development of teens and their environmental influences as factors in juvenile delinquency.

Legislature to review mandatory sentencing for juvenile offenders
Wicked Local, Newton, MA – November 20, 2012
With the pending murder trail of a former Newton North High School student raising questions about the incarceration of juveniles and the distinction between state and federal law, a local state legislator is spearheading an effort to address the broader issue of certain mandatory sentences for juveniles.

Foster Care

Ohio AG Wants To Make It Easier For Foster Children To Make It On Their Own
10TV.com, Columbus, OH – November 19, 2012
A recent state report said many foster children "lack skills for independent living and often end up homeless."  A Wisconsin study found that half had no jobs, and a third ended up homeless and victims of crime.  Next month, the Attorney General's task force will recommend some ways to help them.

Memphis-based program gives Tennessee's most vulnerable teens needed support system
The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN – November 25, 2012
Nineteen-year-old Marquez Hardaway's earliest memory is of his father bleeding and running to get into the family's car.  As a foster care kid who was about to "age out" of the child welfare system without being adopted, he is among the population most likely to end up in jail, without a job, abusing drugs or alcohol, impoverished or even homeless.  But Hardaway was paired with a mentor, James Caldwell, 27, a specialist with the Transitional Living program at Youth Villages.

Teen Pregnancy

High school dropout effort is yielding results, say officials
Wrangler News, Tempe, AZ – November 19, 2012
Becoming a parent at a young age doesn’t necessarily mean dropping out of high school, and the Tempe Union High School District’s Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting Program appears to be proving the point.

Study: Pregnant teens need better school support
Bradenton Herald, Miami, FL – November 22, 2012
When 15-year-old Kali Gonzalez became pregnant, the honors student considered transferring to an alternative school. She worried teachers would harass her for missing class because of doctor's appointments and morning sickness.  Instead, her counselor set up a meeting with teachers at her St. Augustine high school to confirm she could make up missed assignments, eat in class and use the restroom whenever she needed.

Monday, November 19, 2012

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

6 area high schools improve graduation rates
The Herald, South Carolina – November 13, 2012
Six area high schools – Nation Ford, Clover, Indian Land, South Pointe, Northwestern and Chester – saw their graduation rates improve noticeably in 2012 over the previous year, according to South Carolina’s 12th annual school report cards released Tuesday.  Indian Land Principal David Shamble credited the increase to better record-keeping and an effort to reach potential dropouts early.

Hybrid High Schools Help Kids Imagine Their Futures
Alaska Public Radio, Alaska – November 12, 2012
Alaska’s high school graduation rate lags behind the nation – and Alaska Natives are more likely to drop out of school than others. In rural Alaska, high school students who have their sights set on graduation may not be sure what to do next. In the next installment of our “Being Young in Rural Alaska” series, from the producers of Kids These Days, reporter Mark Arehart looks at an idea designed to keep kids in high school, by giving them a glimpse of their possible futures.

Addressing disparities among Minn. American-Indian students
MPR Radio, Minnesota – November 13, 2012
When it comes to discussing education, Dennis Olson has a few statistics memorized; numbers he says are 'unacceptable.' In Minnesota, the statewide high school graduation rate is 76 percent. Among American Indians it's 42 percent. The dropout rate for all students in Minnesota is 4.8 percent. For American Indians it's 18.8 percent.

Juvenile Justice

National Report Says Teen Neurology Should Shape Juvenile Justice Reform Efforts
Youth Today – November 16, 2012
A new report from the National Research Council suggests that juvenile justice reform efforts should be grounded in the emerging understanding of adolescent development.  “Reforming Juvenile Justice: A Developmental Approach,” sponsored by the federal Department of Justice, draws strong connections between the neurological development of teens and their environmental influences as factors in juvenile delinquency.

6 facts about the adolescent brain, risky behavior
MPR News, Minnesota - November 15, 2012
Laurence Steinberg, professor of psychology at Temple University, has spent his career studying adolescent brain development and his findings have led him to believe that our society needs to rethink the way we discipline teenagers.

Foster Care

Michigan foster care kids may qualify for extended benefits and a better chance at success
MLive.com, Michigan – November 19, 2012
Josie Brown had no place to call home after leaving the state’s foster care system at age 18.  Now Brown has an apartment of her own because of the program financed primarily through federal sources. She gets support from a caseworker. She’s continuing to take classes at Lansing Community College, with a goal of possibly becoming a nurse someday. And fresh off her 20th birthday, she’s lining up interviews for part-time jobs.

Teen Pregnancy

NC teen pregnancy rate falls
News & Observer, Durham, NC – November 13, 2012
North Carolina’s teen pregnancy rate fell 12 percent last year – the single largest drop in state history – according to data released Tuesday by the N.C. State Center for Health Statistics.  In 2011, less than 5 percent of females 15 to 19 in the state got pregnant.  “Cultural shifts have made it easier for our young people to avoid pregnancy,” said Kay Phillips, CEO of the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina.

Teen parents get education, support at pregnancy conference
WATE TV, Knoxville, TN – November 13, 2012
Pregnant teens and teen parents got a little extra help Tuesday.  The Teaching Teens Outstanding Parenting Skills (T-TOPS) program returned for its 12th year, helping educate young parents about rearing children and helping them get their high school diplomas.

Monday, November 12, 2012

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Lanier High School to participate in dropout prevention research project
Montgomery Advertiser, Lanier, AL – November 11, 2012
Sidney Lanier High School isn’t the only school in the state working on improving its graduation rate, but the local high school is one of only 10 recently selected to participate in a dropout prevention research project.

Harbor College opens high school dropout center
Daily Breeze, California – November 8, 2012
After his sophomore year at Banning High in Wilmington, Oscar Natividad pretty much stopped attending, opting to stay home and draw - or do a little tagging, truth be told.  This summer, the 17-year-old found a second chance in the Harbor YouthSource Center, a new entity located on the Los Angeles Harbor College campus whose small staff of tutors and counselors helps high school dropouts ages 14-21 get back on track.

Juvenile Justice

New initiative seeks to keep Philly juveniles out of jail
PoliceOne.com, Philadelphia, PA – November 6, 2012
With the number of juveniles arrested in Philadelphia dropping to its lowest point since 2007, the city and youth advocates are working to ensure that children who commit minor offenses are helped back on the right path.

Foster Care

Ex-foster kids get a place to call home
My San Antonio, Texas – November 6, 2012
When Cindy Rodriguez turned 18 and “aged out” of the foster care system — something about 1,300 youth in Bexar County do each year — she found herself living on the streets, addicted to drugs and alcohol.  But seven months ago, she learned about a new housing program called Lexi's Place, a cozy, brick-and-stucco home nestled on a shady street near Churchill High School.

Teen Pregnancy

New organization targets teen pregnancy
MS News Now, Jackson, MS – November 10, 2012
A new organization in the Capital City hopes to prevent local teens from becoming parents.  Teenagers and adults met tonight at the King Edward Hotel for the gathering of Mississippi Youth Incorporated.

Monday, November 05, 2012

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

State’s high school on-time graduation rates on the rise
The Washington Post, Virginia – October 31, 2012
Virginia education officials say on-time high school graduation increased under the Class of 2012.  According to Virginia Department of Education data released Oct. 23, 88 percent (85,359 of 97,023) of state public school students who entered ninth grade in fall 2008 got a diploma within four years.

Moss Point schools roll out plan to reduce dropout rate
WLOX Channel 13, Moss Point, MS – November 2, 2012
t is one of the top five priorities for the Moss Point School District this year--reduce the dropout rate. A new initiative launched Thursday aims to do just that.

Meeting focuses on future of Graduation Matters Missoula
Missoulian, Missoula, MT – November 1, 2012
When Missoula County Public Schools administrators talk about Graduation Matters Missoula, they don’t just talk about how to get more diplomas in the hands of students.

Juvenile Justice

Holistic reform takes root in Mississippi
The Chicago Reporter, Mississippi – November 1, 2012
For a few years now, Mississippi’s juvenile justice system and the U.S. Department of Justice have been close acquaintances for all the wrong reasons.  One key ingredient in this effort is an amendment to a state law that gives 17-year-olds charged with felonies a second chance at rehabilitating their lives.

King County's new approach tries to steer kids away from trouble
The Seattle Times, Seattle, WA – October 28, 2012
A few days ago I watched a young woman named Morgan regain custody of her two young children.  She and her family are among the many beneficiaries of a better way of dealing with juvenile-justice and family-court issues.

Foster Care

Youth Villages seeks enough funding to help all TN foster kids who age out
The Tennessean, Tennessee – November 4, 2012
Tennessee tries to take care of former foster youth in ways that few other states do, yet only half of teens who age out of custody have access to services.  Now, the state’s largest provider of transitional living assistance — Memphis-based non-profit Youth Villages — says it has a way to reach everyone.

Funding fuels project for at-risk youth in Olmsted County
The Post-Bulletin, Rochester, MN – October 30, 2012
Workers in Olmsted County's Child & Family Services division are about to embark upon a three-year project to expand and enhance the way the county helps kids who are in foster care or at risk of being placed outside their homes.

Teen pregnancy

Poor Reading Skills Linked to Teen Pregnancy Risk
U.S. News – October 31, 2012
Preteen girls' reading skills can strongly predict whether they'll get pregnant when they're teens, a new study suggests.  University of Pennsylvania researchers looked at the reading skills of more than 12,000 girls when they were in grade 7 (average age 11.9 years) in Philadelphia public schools and then checked to see how many of them gave birth when they were teens.