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.