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.