Monday, October 14, 2013

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Massachusetts Debates Raising School Dropout Age to 18
Stateline, Massachusetts – October 10, 2013
Massachusetts is the latest state to consider raising the dropout age for students to 18 in an effort to improve graduation rates.  A bill, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, would also standardize use of an early warning system that would alert school administrators when a student might be at risk for dropping out.

50 Cent says Sundance's 'Dream School' about high school dropouts is fresh for reality TV land
Star Tribune, New York, NY – October 8, 2013
50 Cent said he's excited to be part of the new Sundance series "Dream School" because the reality show focuses on uplifting people.  "Dream School," which debuted Monday (10 p.m. EDT), follows a group of high school dropouts who are trying to graduate.

Students join call to raise minimum dropout age to 18
LowellSun.com, Boston, MA – October 9, 2013
Friends hugged and congratulated Hayley Cannon, a former Lowell High School student at risk of dropping out, who says smaller classes and more attention have helped her succeed in her studies.

Juvenile Justice

State seeking major overhaul of juvenile justice system
Corrections.com, Florida – October 11, 2013
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice is proposing a major overhaul of its mission, emphasizing prevention while keeping the most dangerous offenders from committing more crimes.

Nearly Half of U.S. States Enact Juvenile Justice Reforms
Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, Washington, DC – October 9, 2013
Nearly half of U.S. states have made great strides in the past eight years toward reducing the prosecution of juveniles in the adult criminal justice system or preventing youths from being placed in adult jails and prisons, a report released Thursday found.

Foster Care

New foundation needs your help to put foster kids on the right path
Orlando Sentinel, Orlando, FL – October 9, 2013
Some see the hole. Others are swallowed by it.  Denise Burry has seen it for years, and in her own small way she has tried to steer teens around it. Now she's reaching out to help in a more meaningful way.  The hole is a yawning gap in the road that a teenager in foster care must travel to successful adulthood.  The group, on the web at forwardpaths.org, seeks to help teenagers who don't choose to go on to school and are thrust into the world without an income and those who simply don't know how to manage money and live in the world alone.

Saving lives through Foster Care and Adoption Is both challenge and reward: Phillip Morris
The Plan Dealer – October 8, 2013
As a young man, he found wealth, fame, respect, purpose. But that wasn’t his luck. Not by a long shot.  McDaniels found the right parents – or rather they found him in a maternity ward. It all could have easily turned out much different.  The program, Nurturing Independence & Aspirations, provides housing and support services for 23 young adults, who have aged out of foster care.

Teen Pregnancy

Teen pregnancy drops as Planned Parenthood vanishes
WND.com – October 12, 2013
Communities looking to reduce their teen pregnancy rates perhaps should consider one move before all the others: closing down any Planned Parenthood business.  That’s because a new study of one region of the country shows that as Planned Parenthood operations shut down and moved out, the teen pregnancy rate plunged by almost half.

Teen Pregnancy Rates Reach Historic Low
KJZZ 91.5, Arizona – October 11, 2013
Teen pregnancy rates have reached an all-time low, according to the Centers For Disease Control. Arizona has the sixth highest teen pregnancy rate in the country according to a national study.  One teenager is dealing with the realities of pregnancy.

Monday, October 07, 2013

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

School District of Lancaster to take part in dropout prevention program
Lancaster Online, Lancaster, PA – October 1, 2013
Jack Blackman walks through the hallway looking for red flags.  As the coordinator of counseling and dropout prevention programs for the School District of Lancaster, he needs to be on the lookout for students at risk of dropping out of school.

NASD officials preventing dropouts with extended school day program
Natchez Democrat, Natchez, MS – October 6, 2013
The traditional school model wasn’t working anymore for Cortez Ford in March 2012 when he stopped attending Natchez High School.  The Natchez native grew up as an honor roll student in the Natchez-Adams School District but admitted he began veering off course in seventh grade.

R.B. school official stars in new reality TV show about dropouts
The Beach Reporter, Los Angeles, CA – October 5, 2013
Imagine walking into class on the first day of high school and learning that your teacher is 50 Cent. Or Oliver Stone. Or Suze Orman. Or David Arquette. Or Jesse Jackson.  That’s what really happened to a group of high school dropouts from around Los Angeles in “Dream School.”

Juvenile Justice

New Massachusetts law places 17-year-olds in juvenile courts
The Berkshire Eagle, Massachusetts – October 6, 2013
Nearly every day, 17-year-olds from around Massachusetts end up in District Court after being arrested for disorderly conduct, trespassing, theft, illegal possession of alcohol or other minor crimes. But as of Sept. 18, when Gov. Deval Patrick signed the so-called "Raise the Age" bill into law, 17-year-olds who commit crimes no longer go to adult court. Their cases will be heard in juvenile court.

Bies urges returning 17-year-olds to juvenile justice system
Door County Advocate, Wisconsin – October 5, 2013
A bipartisan group of legislators has introduced a bill that would return 17-year-olds to the juvenile justice system if they are first-time offenders charged with non-violent crimes.

Hall aims to help repeat offenders with juvenile justice reforms
Gainesville Times, Hall County, GA – September 29, 2013
As the first deadline rapidly approaches, Hall County is gearing up for sweeping juvenile justice reforms that take effect Jan. 1.  Hall County Juvenile Judge Cliff Jolliff wrote a grant proposal for a counseling program that, after getting funding in July, and months of preparation, will start taking referrals on Tuesday.

Foster Care

Class teaches cooking skills to foster teens
Jewish News, Arizona – October 2, 2013
Each month, teens and young adults who are in the foster care system – or aging out of it – are learning about healthy alternatives to fast food by attending cooking classes through the Jewish Family & Children’s Service Real World Job Development program.

Teen Pregnancy

First Steps to offer program on preventing teen pregnancy
The Hartsville Messenger, Hartsville, SC – October 4, 2013
Darlington County First Steps is initiating a community-based teen pregnancy prevention program to be taught to 11- to 13-year-old youth, male and female, in Darlington County as part of the South Carolina Campaign Prevent Teen Pregnancy program.