Education
Schools adjust to help kids who can't drop out
Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, SD – February 23, 2009
A change in state law will shut the door on would-be high school dropouts this summer, and Sioux Falls public school officials are exploring ways to better serve hundreds of students who don't fit the conventional classroom model.
Freshman academies appear to be helping new high school students
Naples Daily News, Naples, FL – February 22, 2009
It’s easy to spot Naples High School freshmen. Look for the blue T-shirts with “Success: Live It!” written in gold on the back. It would appear freshmen across Collier County are taking that motto to heart. When the Collier County School District began the freshman academy program last fall, the goal was to see fewer freshmen fail their first year of high school.
Fighting the high school drop out problem
WNCT News, North Carolina – February 21, 2009
Convincing students to get their high school diploma seems to be getting more difficult and schools systems continue to fight the dropout problem. The threat of not being able to get a job isn’t enough, so one school system in the east is put together a campaign to try to keep teenagers in the classroom.
Juvenile Justice
Group wants to raise age limit for juvenile offenders
WRAL, Raleigh, NC – February 19, 2009
In North Carolina, you have to be 21 to drink alcohol and 18 to vote and to have full driving privileges. But the state is one of the few in which a 16- or 17-year-old is considered an adult in the eyes of the law. Some child advocacy groups are lobbying state lawmakers to consider increasing the age in which a person can be criminally charged as an adult to 18 years old.
L.A. County pushes for more money for juvenile justice
Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA – February 19, 2009
Los Angeles County officials joined U.S. Rep. Robert "Bobby" Scott (D-Va.) at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar this morning to promote federal legislation that would earmark billions of dollars to prevent youth violence and crime, which are expected to increase as the economy worsens.
Foster Care
Defying the odds: Foster child turned college grad breaks family cycle and gives back to youth
Lufkin Daily News, Lufkin, TX – February 22, 2009
Most children who age out of the foster care system at 18 eventually end up in prison, pregnant and/or without a college degree, statistics show. However, one Tyler woman has defied those odds, becoming one of the less than 2 percent of foster care children who go on to earn a college degree. At 22, Jennifer England now works as a Region 4 Youth Specialist for Child Protective Services to help others in the system succeed too.
Santa Clara County foster youth will have a changed experience in court when new lawyers take over
Mercury News, Silicon Valley, CA – February 18, 2009
The court experience for children in Santa Clara County's foster care system will shift dramatically in the coming months, when a team of young lawyers from a scrappy nonprofit agency takes over the cases of abused and neglected kids from the district attorney's office. In a departure from long-standing local practice, lawyers with Legal Advocates for Children and Youth will meet their clients wherever the vulnerable children end up — in foster care or group homes, with relatives or on the streets. Children who have been removed from home will soon have one lawyer representing them over the life of their case, a person they can grow to trust and confide in over time.
United Way Grant to Help Foster Children Further Their Education
Inside Indiana Business, Indianapolis, IN – February 19, 2009
United Way of Central Indiana (UWCI) has been awarded a $423,600 grant from Lumina Foundation for Education to help more youth leaving the foster care system complete high school, then enroll and complete postsecondary education. The effort is part of the community’s Connected by 25 partnership --managed by UWCI -- which helps young people ages 14-25 get the support they need to succeed after being emancipated from the child welfare system.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
This Week's News: Youth in Transition
Education
At-risk students rethink leaving school
El Paso Times, El Paso, TX – February 14, 2009
An urge to drop out of school has always nagged Stephanie Hernandez. But on Friday the freshman from Bowie High School changed her mind. About 150 students from a handful of campuses participated in the YWCA's "Don't Drop" conference at Andress High School.
Bills would give students options
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta, GA – February 14, 2009
Georgia’s high school students could face new graduation requirements, learn skills in different careers and take more college courses through three different bills filed in the state House. The bills overhaul high schools to give students more options so they are more likely to stay in school. Education leaders say they have mixed feelings about the bills. While some could benefit students, they said, others could weaken graduation requirements.
Targeting dropouts
The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, LA – February 11, 2009
About 35 percent of freshmen who enter ninth grade in Louisiana do not graduate four years later. Those students might take five years to graduate, enter a pre-General Education Degree program or - most likely - dropout, State Superintendent Paul Pastorek told about 100 area educators on Tuesday. Louisiana has the fifth lowest graduation rate in the country. In four years, Pastorek's goal is to raise the Louisiana graduation rate from 65 percent to 80 percent.
Juvenile Justice
Bipartisan Crime Prevention Bill Takes Smart Approach to Juvenile Justice
CommonDreams.org, Washington, DC – February 13, 2009
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced H.R.1064 and S. 435, identical House and Senate bills to fund prevention and intervention programs that are comprehensive, community-centered and evidence-based efforts to combat gangs and youth violence.
Juvenile justice system striving to address needs of at-risk youth
Plainview Daily Herald, Plainview, TX – February 10, 2009
Austin-based child advocacy lobby Texans Care for Children noted in the 2009 edition of its Children's Campaign Report that 38 percent of youth sent to TYC facilities in 2006 were diagnosed as having "serious mental health problems," including substance abuse or addiction. Texans Care advocates a variety of "wrap-around" services that are available to juveniles after they exit the TYC facilities. Texans Care Director of Communications Christine Sinatra defines wrap-around services as "all the support a young person needs to cope with the circumstances that put him or her at-risk.
Foster Care
Woman combines love of cooking with youth work
Examiner, Frederick, MD – February 13, 2009
For Elin Ross, cooking came first. Ross has combined a lifetime of cooking and with a career in youth advocacy to create a unique program in downtown Frederick. In the spring, Ross plans to open a cafe named Moxie, all called Cakes for Cause. Cakes for Cause, a nonprofit, will provide job training and support to vulnerable local youth, 16 to 21 years old, growing out of the foster care system.
Congressional Care Package Day Rallies Support for America’s Foster Youth
The Earth Times, Washington, DC – February 12, 2009
At the 15th annual Orphan Foundation of America (OFA) Congressional Care Package Day yesterday on Capitol Hill, members of Congress and Jett Williams, country music star, OFA spokesperson and daughter of the legendary Hank Williams, assembled gifts of encouragement for foster youth attending colleges and trade schools across the country. Foster students from 11 states also participated.
Comprehensive Legislation to Help foster Youth Filed Today
Alaska Report, Palmer, AK – February 11, 2009
The statistics are sobering. Forty percent of foster youth in Alaska end up homeless after leaving foster care. The foster youth high school drop out rate is twice as high as that of their peers in stable homes, and their college attendance rates are less than half the national average. Today two legislators, Rep. Les Gara and Sen. Bettye Davis (both D-Anch.) filed bills to fix the major problems faced by Alaska's foster youth.
At-risk students rethink leaving school
El Paso Times, El Paso, TX – February 14, 2009
An urge to drop out of school has always nagged Stephanie Hernandez. But on Friday the freshman from Bowie High School changed her mind. About 150 students from a handful of campuses participated in the YWCA's "Don't Drop" conference at Andress High School.
Bills would give students options
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta, GA – February 14, 2009
Georgia’s high school students could face new graduation requirements, learn skills in different careers and take more college courses through three different bills filed in the state House. The bills overhaul high schools to give students more options so they are more likely to stay in school. Education leaders say they have mixed feelings about the bills. While some could benefit students, they said, others could weaken graduation requirements.
Targeting dropouts
The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, LA – February 11, 2009
About 35 percent of freshmen who enter ninth grade in Louisiana do not graduate four years later. Those students might take five years to graduate, enter a pre-General Education Degree program or - most likely - dropout, State Superintendent Paul Pastorek told about 100 area educators on Tuesday. Louisiana has the fifth lowest graduation rate in the country. In four years, Pastorek's goal is to raise the Louisiana graduation rate from 65 percent to 80 percent.
Juvenile Justice
Bipartisan Crime Prevention Bill Takes Smart Approach to Juvenile Justice
CommonDreams.org, Washington, DC – February 13, 2009
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced H.R.1064 and S. 435, identical House and Senate bills to fund prevention and intervention programs that are comprehensive, community-centered and evidence-based efforts to combat gangs and youth violence.
Juvenile justice system striving to address needs of at-risk youth
Plainview Daily Herald, Plainview, TX – February 10, 2009
Austin-based child advocacy lobby Texans Care for Children noted in the 2009 edition of its Children's Campaign Report that 38 percent of youth sent to TYC facilities in 2006 were diagnosed as having "serious mental health problems," including substance abuse or addiction. Texans Care advocates a variety of "wrap-around" services that are available to juveniles after they exit the TYC facilities. Texans Care Director of Communications Christine Sinatra defines wrap-around services as "all the support a young person needs to cope with the circumstances that put him or her at-risk.
Foster Care
Woman combines love of cooking with youth work
Examiner, Frederick, MD – February 13, 2009
For Elin Ross, cooking came first. Ross has combined a lifetime of cooking and with a career in youth advocacy to create a unique program in downtown Frederick. In the spring, Ross plans to open a cafe named Moxie, all called Cakes for Cause. Cakes for Cause, a nonprofit, will provide job training and support to vulnerable local youth, 16 to 21 years old, growing out of the foster care system.
Congressional Care Package Day Rallies Support for America’s Foster Youth
The Earth Times, Washington, DC – February 12, 2009
At the 15th annual Orphan Foundation of America (OFA) Congressional Care Package Day yesterday on Capitol Hill, members of Congress and Jett Williams, country music star, OFA spokesperson and daughter of the legendary Hank Williams, assembled gifts of encouragement for foster youth attending colleges and trade schools across the country. Foster students from 11 states also participated.
Comprehensive Legislation to Help foster Youth Filed Today
Alaska Report, Palmer, AK – February 11, 2009
The statistics are sobering. Forty percent of foster youth in Alaska end up homeless after leaving foster care. The foster youth high school drop out rate is twice as high as that of their peers in stable homes, and their college attendance rates are less than half the national average. Today two legislators, Rep. Les Gara and Sen. Bettye Davis (both D-Anch.) filed bills to fix the major problems faced by Alaska's foster youth.
Monday, February 09, 2009
This Week's News: Youth in Transition
Education
Fewer student dropouts reported in Lenoir County
ENCToday.com, North Carolina – February 6, 2009
For three consecutive years, Lenoir County Schools' student dropout rate has declined, a recent state Department of Public Instruction report showed. "We have a hands-on approach," Harvey said. "The students see the statistics about what happens to students when they drop out of school. It's usually a big eye-opener for the students." Dropout prevention efforts start early with elementary school students. Before starting his current position, Harvey was the school district's dropout prevention coordinator. Many of the same programs he ran are implemented today.
Dropout numbers fall in Gaston for first time in 5 years
Gaston Gazette, Gastonia, NC – February 6, 2009
For the first time in five years, Gaston County Schools saw a drop in the number of times students dropped out. "The numbers are still higher than we'd like them to be but we're headed in the right direction," said Gaston County Schools Superintendent Reeves McGlohon. McGlohon credited the decrease in dropouts to a combination of things - small learning communities and graduation coaches in high schools, an attendance campaign last year, principals emphasizing the need to stay in school and more.
Why drop out? Youths say what's wrong, what's needed
The Modesto Bee, Modesto, CA – February 6, 2009
Joseph Cox went from straight F's to straight A's in school. Before that turnaround, the teenager spent his time stealing cars instead of going to school. But the Modesto High School sophomore was steered into a mentor program.
Juvenile Justice
Minnesota law enforcement authorities meet with Klobuchar; urge reform of juvenile system
HometownSource.com, MN – February 5, 2009
A delegation of top law enforcement leaders from Minneapolis, St. Paul and across Minnesota recently met with U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in Washington, D.C. to discuss reforms to the juvenile justice system that will cut crime, reduce juvenile violence and save taxpayers far more than they cost. The Minnesotan law enforcement leaders discussed with Sen. Klobuchar the value of evidence-based intervention programs for juvenile offenders as well as increased federal funding for early childhood education and care.
East Palo Alto poised to launch youth court
Palo Alto Daily News, Palo Alto, CA – February 3, 2009
Fed up with a juvenile justice system they say doesn't do enough to keep kids out of jail, East Palo Alto leaders are turning to those same kids to provide an alternative. The vehicle is a youth court, staffed almost entirely by teens trained as legal advocates and jurors. The court met last week for a final test run before it starts receiving actual cases of young people who vandalize, steal and smoke pot, among other similar crimes.
Foster Care
Cafe training gives Oakland foster kids a fresh start
Oakland Tribune, Oakland, CA – February 4, 2009
Tony Montoya is looking forward to earning his food-handling certificate in a couple of weeks from his job at the new Fresh Start Cafe. "It's sort of like a diploma," said Montoya, 19, who recently aged out of the Alameda County foster care system and now is working in the vocational training program through the cafe.
Programs available for emancipated foster youth
The Santa Ynez Valley Journal, Santa Ynez, CA – February 5, 2009
The county offers services for emancipated foster children — those who have reached the legal adult age of 18 and are not wards of the court any more. Starting when the children turn 16 years old, social workers from the Independent Living Program — ILP — begin working with them to determine what their plans will be when they graduate high school or emancipate.
4 friends have 1 cause — helping foster kids moving out on their own
Sun Sentinel, South Florida – February 8, 2009
Alli Weiss, 15, of Weston and Alex Rubin, 16, of Weston are part of a group of 4 high school girls who've started an organization that collects and donates luggage and other goods for foster kids who age out of the system when they turn 18 and go to live on their own. It began when four friends read about a girl in foster care turning 18. Aging out, as it's known to the state bureaucrats. Freaking out, is how the friends figured they'd react if they were in her shoes.
Fewer student dropouts reported in Lenoir County
ENCToday.com, North Carolina – February 6, 2009
For three consecutive years, Lenoir County Schools' student dropout rate has declined, a recent state Department of Public Instruction report showed. "We have a hands-on approach," Harvey said. "The students see the statistics about what happens to students when they drop out of school. It's usually a big eye-opener for the students." Dropout prevention efforts start early with elementary school students. Before starting his current position, Harvey was the school district's dropout prevention coordinator. Many of the same programs he ran are implemented today.
Dropout numbers fall in Gaston for first time in 5 years
Gaston Gazette, Gastonia, NC – February 6, 2009
For the first time in five years, Gaston County Schools saw a drop in the number of times students dropped out. "The numbers are still higher than we'd like them to be but we're headed in the right direction," said Gaston County Schools Superintendent Reeves McGlohon. McGlohon credited the decrease in dropouts to a combination of things - small learning communities and graduation coaches in high schools, an attendance campaign last year, principals emphasizing the need to stay in school and more.
Why drop out? Youths say what's wrong, what's needed
The Modesto Bee, Modesto, CA – February 6, 2009
Joseph Cox went from straight F's to straight A's in school. Before that turnaround, the teenager spent his time stealing cars instead of going to school. But the Modesto High School sophomore was steered into a mentor program.
Juvenile Justice
Minnesota law enforcement authorities meet with Klobuchar; urge reform of juvenile system
HometownSource.com, MN – February 5, 2009
A delegation of top law enforcement leaders from Minneapolis, St. Paul and across Minnesota recently met with U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in Washington, D.C. to discuss reforms to the juvenile justice system that will cut crime, reduce juvenile violence and save taxpayers far more than they cost. The Minnesotan law enforcement leaders discussed with Sen. Klobuchar the value of evidence-based intervention programs for juvenile offenders as well as increased federal funding for early childhood education and care.
East Palo Alto poised to launch youth court
Palo Alto Daily News, Palo Alto, CA – February 3, 2009
Fed up with a juvenile justice system they say doesn't do enough to keep kids out of jail, East Palo Alto leaders are turning to those same kids to provide an alternative. The vehicle is a youth court, staffed almost entirely by teens trained as legal advocates and jurors. The court met last week for a final test run before it starts receiving actual cases of young people who vandalize, steal and smoke pot, among other similar crimes.
Foster Care
Cafe training gives Oakland foster kids a fresh start
Oakland Tribune, Oakland, CA – February 4, 2009
Tony Montoya is looking forward to earning his food-handling certificate in a couple of weeks from his job at the new Fresh Start Cafe. "It's sort of like a diploma," said Montoya, 19, who recently aged out of the Alameda County foster care system and now is working in the vocational training program through the cafe.
Programs available for emancipated foster youth
The Santa Ynez Valley Journal, Santa Ynez, CA – February 5, 2009
The county offers services for emancipated foster children — those who have reached the legal adult age of 18 and are not wards of the court any more. Starting when the children turn 16 years old, social workers from the Independent Living Program — ILP — begin working with them to determine what their plans will be when they graduate high school or emancipate.
4 friends have 1 cause — helping foster kids moving out on their own
Sun Sentinel, South Florida – February 8, 2009
Alli Weiss, 15, of Weston and Alex Rubin, 16, of Weston are part of a group of 4 high school girls who've started an organization that collects and donates luggage and other goods for foster kids who age out of the system when they turn 18 and go to live on their own. It began when four friends read about a girl in foster care turning 18. Aging out, as it's known to the state bureaucrats. Freaking out, is how the friends figured they'd react if they were in her shoes.
Monday, February 02, 2009
This Week's News: Youth in Transition
Education
Luna stresses education
Idaho Press-Tribune, Nampa, ID – January 31, 2009
Education is more important then ever in a bad economy, Idaho Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna told a gathering of about 400 people, Friday at Idaho's Summit on Dropout Prevention. Alternative schools, flexible learning and Internet classes are some of the keys to keeping students from dropping out of school, educators told participants at Idaho's Summit on Dropout Prevention Friday.
Summit seeks to stop high school drop outs
KPLC, Lake Charles, LA – February 2, 2009
In rural Beauregard Parish they graduate 88 per cent of their high school seniors. That's number one in the state. Superintendent Wayne Savoy says fighting truancy is a major part of their success in keeping kids from dropping out in Calcasieu. Dale Bayard who serves on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education says another key part of the solution is programs that address workforce needs.
NISD encouraging dropouts to return
The Daily Sentinel, Nacogdoches, TX – January 28, 2009
Representatives from the Nacogdoches ISD will host a meeting tonight to encourage students who have recently dropped out to return to school and complete their education. The question-and-answer session will be the first of its kind for NISD in that it is specifically seeking to hear directly from both students and parents as to why children drop out of school. Hutto said that he wants to find out if the district is inclusive enough for students, adding that further training for faculty might help to address student needs in the future.
Juvenile Justice
Act aims to reform juvenile justice laws
Tuscaloosa News, Tuscaloosa, AL – January 31, 2009
During his 30 years representing children charged with crimes, Gary Blume has just about seen it all. Children as young as 10 charged with sex offenses. An 11-year-old who fired gunshots at a bus filled with elementary schoolchildren. The two 10-year-olds who joined forces to steal cars — one sat in the floor and operated the brake and gas pedals while the other steered. These kids weren’t hardened criminals who needed to be locked up in a prison. They needed guidance and diversion to prevent them from becoming too far entrenched in the juvenile justice system.
Advocates push to raise juvenile age in court
The Telegraph, Macon, GA – January 28, 2009
Seventeen-year-old lawbreakers in Georgia would be treated as juveniles instead of adults under a proposal being pushed by a coalition of children’s advocates. The change would mean that fewer teens would be prosecuted as adults. It faces an uphill fight in the Republican-led state Legislature, which has moved in recent years to toughen criminal penalties.
Foster Care
Sisters Making Changes to Foster System
OzarksFirst.com, Springfield, MO, January 30, 2009
Some of Missouri's foster care policies recently changed, and it’s thanks in part to some former foster children we introduced you to in October, 2007. You may remember Lacy and April Kendrick, sisters placed in separate foster homes ten years ago. The difference in their care had a direct impact on where they ended up when they aged out of the system.
More housing for female teens leaving foster care
Camarillo Acorn, Camarillo, CA – January 30, 2009
Six young women set to leave Ventura County's foster care system this year will have a place to call home because of a $30,000 grant from the United Women's Leadership Council. The council, a volunteer humanitarian group formed two years ago, earlier this month awarded a one-year grant for housing and support services to PathPoint, a Santa-Barbara based nonprofit that also runs Ventura County's Independent Living Program.
Cottages for Foster Kids Open in Escondido
The CW, San Diego, CA – January 27, 2009
Officials Tuesday marked the opening of six residential cottages at the San Pasqual Academy for foster children in Escondido. The 23,856-square-foot cottages, which each sleep up to eight, will allow for an additional 48 teens to live on the campus, which now houses 136 foster youth, according to the county.
Luna stresses education
Idaho Press-Tribune, Nampa, ID – January 31, 2009
Education is more important then ever in a bad economy, Idaho Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna told a gathering of about 400 people, Friday at Idaho's Summit on Dropout Prevention. Alternative schools, flexible learning and Internet classes are some of the keys to keeping students from dropping out of school, educators told participants at Idaho's Summit on Dropout Prevention Friday.
Summit seeks to stop high school drop outs
KPLC, Lake Charles, LA – February 2, 2009
In rural Beauregard Parish they graduate 88 per cent of their high school seniors. That's number one in the state. Superintendent Wayne Savoy says fighting truancy is a major part of their success in keeping kids from dropping out in Calcasieu. Dale Bayard who serves on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education says another key part of the solution is programs that address workforce needs.
NISD encouraging dropouts to return
The Daily Sentinel, Nacogdoches, TX – January 28, 2009
Representatives from the Nacogdoches ISD will host a meeting tonight to encourage students who have recently dropped out to return to school and complete their education. The question-and-answer session will be the first of its kind for NISD in that it is specifically seeking to hear directly from both students and parents as to why children drop out of school. Hutto said that he wants to find out if the district is inclusive enough for students, adding that further training for faculty might help to address student needs in the future.
Juvenile Justice
Act aims to reform juvenile justice laws
Tuscaloosa News, Tuscaloosa, AL – January 31, 2009
During his 30 years representing children charged with crimes, Gary Blume has just about seen it all. Children as young as 10 charged with sex offenses. An 11-year-old who fired gunshots at a bus filled with elementary schoolchildren. The two 10-year-olds who joined forces to steal cars — one sat in the floor and operated the brake and gas pedals while the other steered. These kids weren’t hardened criminals who needed to be locked up in a prison. They needed guidance and diversion to prevent them from becoming too far entrenched in the juvenile justice system.
Advocates push to raise juvenile age in court
The Telegraph, Macon, GA – January 28, 2009
Seventeen-year-old lawbreakers in Georgia would be treated as juveniles instead of adults under a proposal being pushed by a coalition of children’s advocates. The change would mean that fewer teens would be prosecuted as adults. It faces an uphill fight in the Republican-led state Legislature, which has moved in recent years to toughen criminal penalties.
Foster Care
Sisters Making Changes to Foster System
OzarksFirst.com, Springfield, MO, January 30, 2009
Some of Missouri's foster care policies recently changed, and it’s thanks in part to some former foster children we introduced you to in October, 2007. You may remember Lacy and April Kendrick, sisters placed in separate foster homes ten years ago. The difference in their care had a direct impact on where they ended up when they aged out of the system.
More housing for female teens leaving foster care
Camarillo Acorn, Camarillo, CA – January 30, 2009
Six young women set to leave Ventura County's foster care system this year will have a place to call home because of a $30,000 grant from the United Women's Leadership Council. The council, a volunteer humanitarian group formed two years ago, earlier this month awarded a one-year grant for housing and support services to PathPoint, a Santa-Barbara based nonprofit that also runs Ventura County's Independent Living Program.
Cottages for Foster Kids Open in Escondido
The CW, San Diego, CA – January 27, 2009
Officials Tuesday marked the opening of six residential cottages at the San Pasqual Academy for foster children in Escondido. The 23,856-square-foot cottages, which each sleep up to eight, will allow for an additional 48 teens to live on the campus, which now houses 136 foster youth, according to the county.
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