This Weeks's News: Youth in Transition

Education

In Many Classroom, “Honors” in Name Only
Washington Post
19 September 2006
In an American education system full of plans for better high schools, more and more courses have impressive labels, such as “honors,” “advanced,” “college prep,” and “advanced placement.” But many researchers and educators say the teaching often does not match the title. They call it course-label inflation.

GRPS tries a new approach for dropouts
WOOD-TV, MI
21-September
In an effort to lure high school drop outs back to school, Grand Rapids Public Schools are trying a new approach that uses hip hop and flexible school schedules.

Juvenile Justice

Families Can Open Their Homes to Troubled Teens
Miami Herald
14 September 2006
A new program in West Kendall funded by the state’s juvenile justice system is recruiting families to host troubled youth in their homes. Using a proven behavioral system, host parents and a group of clinical therapist encourage teenagers with serious delinquency or behavioral problems to develop skills and positive habits to become model citizens.

Is Adult Prison Best for Juveniles?
USA Today
21 September 2006
Get-tough laws that have put more teenagers in adult prisons since the early 90’s jibe poorly with new research on how children can be set straight and society protected at the same time. There is firm evidence that teens prosecuted as adults are much more likely to commit crimes when they get out than those tried as juveniles.

Foster Care

The Oldest Foster Kids Risk Falling To Failure
Tennessean
24-September 2006
This is a group of kids who are more likely by a factor of several times to end up homeless, to end up dependent, to experience a youth adulthood or unemployment, underemployment and poverty. The leading predictor of success for a youngster in foster care, especially an older one, is a caring adult.