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.

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.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

'American Graduate Day' Addresses Dropout Issue
ABC News, Los Angeles, CA – September 28, 2013
The nation's school dropout problem is the subject of a day of public TV programming.  Actors including Patrick Stewart and Brian Stokes Mitchell, Olympic medalist Shannon Miller and other celebrities and journalists will take part in "American Graduate Day 2013."

Harrisburg one of four Pa. school districts in dropout prevention pilot
Penn Live, Harrisburg, PA – September 26, 2013
The capital city’s public school district is one of four in Pennsylvania picked to test a data-driven dropout prevention program, state officials announced Wednesday. Harrisburg stands to benefit greatly, given the cash-strapped district graduates just about half of its students.

Childhood health linked to high school completion
Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO – Septemebr 25, 2013
Each year in the St. Louis region, thousands of African American students drop out of high school. According to a newly released policy brief — “How does health influence school dropout?”— health and education are closely related, and there are patterns related to health that increase the risk of high school dropout.

Juvenile Justice

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.

Commonwealth Looking at Juvenile Justice Reform
WTVQ, Commonwealth, KY – September 25, 2013
State lawmakers say they want to lower the number of juveniles that the State locks up every year.  State Senator Whitney Westerfield says many of the state's juvenile inmates are in for committing offenses that are not even crimes for adults, offenses like skipping school or running away from home.

Bar Association sees hope in reform of juvenile justice system
McCook Daily, McCook, NE – September 26, 2013
Nebraska State Bar Association officials said they support changest to the state's juvenile justice system created by LB 561, passed in May. "The legislation changes the focus of our juvenile system, away from punishment and towards diversion programs," said Marsha Fangmeyer, president of the NSBA executive council, during a visit to McCook on Tuesday.

Foster Care

Fixing WA foster care, one bill at a time
Crosscut, Washington – September 30, 2013
Six foster care-related bills went into the Washington State Legislature's hopper last session. Three passed. Two were set aside because they were duplicative. The sixth stalled, but has a chance at passing in 2014. "We're making progress,” says Rep. Ruth Kagi, D-Seattle, a longtime advocate for at-risk kids. “But we still have a long way to go."

Pritzker Family Foundation supports foster youth at UCLA with $3 million gift
UCLA Newsroom, Los Angeles, CA – September 26, 2013
The charitable foundation of Los Angeles philanthropists Anthony and Jeanne Pritzker has donated $3 million to UCLA to establish an endowment to support students who are or were in foster care.

Teen Pregnancy

State Health Department Spends $1.2 Million on Abstinence-Only Project
Observer, Texas – September 25, 2013
In September the Texas Department of State Health Services launched a new website, www.ourtown4teens.org, that will cost $1.2 million over the next year. The agency blitzed the radio and TV with ads for the site, claiming that it will help local communities reduce teen pregnancies. Although the site offers reminders why adolescent pregnancy is to be avoided—girls don’t finish school, babies have worse health outcomes, taxpayers foot the bill—it seems primarily to be a home for buzzwords like “community mobilization,” “strategic action” and “conceptual framework.”

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Magic Johnson launches movement to combat high school dropout rate
Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago, IL – September 18, 2013
Listening to 18-year-old Haman Cross speak, you’d never know he was a dropout.  “I enrolled at MJBA because I needed the bridge to cross the gap between traditional schooling and a diploma,” the North Lawndale teen told an audience held rapt, drawn to the West Side by the star power of Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

PUSD Campaign Focuses on High School Dropout Prevention
Altadena Patch, Pasadena, CA – September 17, 2013
Pasadena Unified School District students who haven't been to class yet for the 2013-14 school year will get a visit from city and district volunteers tomorrow in an effort to discourage dropping out.  The student-recovery effort is part of the district's "I'm In!" campaign to encourage school attendance, targeting students who have been "chronically absent" since August or have not been to class at all.

Windham High School Recognized for Being Dropout Free
Windham Patch, Windham, NH – September 21, 2013
Windham High School hasn't had a student drop out in the last two years.  Now, WHS has been recognized by the New Hampshire Department of Education for the rare and commendable achievement.

Juvenile Justice

New Mass. Law Puts 17-Year-Olds In Juvenile Court
WBUR 90.9, Boston, MA – September 18, 2013
Gov. Deval Patrick on Wednesday signed into law a bill placing 17-year-olds accused of crimes under the jurisdiction of the state’s juvenile courts.  Currently in Massachusetts, 17-year-olds are treated as adults, regardless of the circumstances or severity of the offense.

Georgia Funds At-Home Juvenile Treatment Program in Rural County
Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, Georgia – September 19, 2013
Georgia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) recently awarded the Rockdale County Juvenile Court $150,000 to fund a Functional Family Therapy (FFT) program, a form of evidence-based, at-home treatment for juvenile offenders.

Foster Care

New law aims to help kids aging out of foster care
WDDE 91.1, Delaware – September 18, 2013
Delaware is extending care for foster kids as they transition to adulthood. Governor Jack Markell (D-Delaware) signed a bill Wednesday that enhances existing independent living services for young adults up to age 21.

'Short Term 12' movingly explores plight of teens in foster care
Detroit Free Press – September 20, 2013
Don’t be put off by its forgettable title. “Short Term 12” is a deeply memorable film.  This modest, low-budget feature, which is set in a foster care facility, is well-written, terrifically acted and compelling. It deftly avoids sentimentality and offers a window into the lives of believable, multidimensional characters.

Teen Pregnancy

Federal grant for teen pregnancy resources focuses on Grant County
KXLY, Washington – September 18, 2013
Washington state has received a $6 million federal grant that will help connect expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families with health, education, and social services. The grant money will primarily be spent on programs in the state’s four-county region of Yakima, Franklin, Grant and Adams.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

New bill would change school drop out age to 18
Bay News 9, Florida – September 12, 2013
Every year in Florida, thousands of kids drop out of school.  Under a newly proposed bill the age to legally drop out of school would go up from 16 to 18 years old.  The goal is to take away an easy way out, which many high school students say has become way too popular.

Study bolsters argument linking graduation rates to cutting crime
Las Vegas Sun, Nevada – September 12, 2013
Nevada could save $215 million annually in crime-fighting costs if it could raise its male high school graduation rate by 5 percentage points, according to a new report released today.  The Alliance for Excellent Education, a Washington, D.C., education policy group, analyzed crime rates and graduation rates in 50 states and Washington, D.C., for its report, “Saving Futures, Saving Dollars: The Impact of Education on Crime Reduction and Earnings.”

On-time graduation up, dropouts down
Suffolk News-Herald, Suffolk, VA – September 13, 2013
Improvements almost across the board in on-time graduation and other measures this year are “good news,” the district’s chief of operations told a School Board meeting Thursday.  “They have shown marked improvement in on-time graduation … completion … and the dropout rate,” Kevin Alston said.

Juvenile Justice

Reforming the Juvenile Justice System
YNN, New York, NY – September 13, 2013
Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to reform New York's juvenile justice system. As part of that effort, he's established eight regional youth justice teams across the state. The teams bring together key partners working to improve outcomes and reduce the number of youths in the system.

Visual analytics help Florida tell the story of juvenile justice reform
GCN, Florida – September 13, 2013
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice is using visual analytics to present a clearer picture of children in the justice system and the effectiveness of the state’s innovative reform efforts.

Foster Care

A Clever Campaign to Help Aged-Out Foster Youth
The Chronicle of Social Change – September 9, 2013
The Camellia Network, a multi-state organization that seeks and identifies resources for youths aging out of foster care, kicked off it first annual “Great Fall Rally” this week to push for donors willing to support former foster youth early in the academic calendar.

'Short Term 12' has long-term depth, meaning
USA Today – September 12, 2013
Don't be put off by its forgettable title. Short Term 12 is a deeply memorable film.  This modest, low-budget feature (* * * ½ out of four; rated R; expands Friday to select cities) set in a foster care facility is well-written, terrifically acted and compelling.

Teen Pregnancy

Getting past ideological differences to reduce teen pregnancy
The Baltimore Sun – September 13, 2013
Hal and Chuck Donofrio deserve the praise they received for their innovative  media program to reduce unwanted teen pregnancy ("Abstinence with an attitude," Sept. 9).  Their efforts began with an ideologically bipartisan effort of state legislators.  Two pro-life lawmakers, state Sen. Frank Kelly and Del. Timothy Maloney, joined two pro-choice members, Sen, Catherine Riley and myself, to advocate for increased funding for family planning and counseling services, expanded adoption efforts and a television ad campaign  that tells teens "it's OK to say no."

Teen pregnancy rates at historic lows
Delaware Online – September 10, 2013
Not since 1940 when the Tom and Jerry cartoon debuted to the delight of the nation’s children has the teenage pregnancy rate in the United States been as low as it is currently tabulated. The rates are down in all 50 states, and among all racial and ethnic groups.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Study Up For ‘Think’: Recovery For High School Dropouts
Kera News, Texas – September 4, 2013
Dropout prevention programs focus on keeping students in school, but what about the ones who have already left?  That’s where dropout recovery programs come in.

Among recent high school grads, Hispanic college enrollment rate surpasses that of whites
Pew Research Center – September 4, 2013
A new U.S. Census Bureau report shows that after several years of gains, college enrollments in the U.S. fell between 2011 and 2012. But for one group—Hispanics—college enrollments were up, reflecting Hispanic population growth along with a growing share of young Latinos prepared for college. The new Census Bureau data also shows Hispanic students reached other milestones in 2012, continuing recent upward trends in educational attainment and college attendance.

Vicki Phillips' Plan To Keep High School Students From Dropping Out
Forbes, September 3, 2013
Vicki Phillips was born on a small farm in rural Kentucky. She was the first in her family to go to college and, today, she’s working to ensure thousands of other students have that same opportunity.  As Director of Education (College Ready) for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Vicki helps U.S. high school students graduate ready to succeed.

Juvenile Justice

Proposal would return 17-year-olds to juvenile justice system
Star Tribune, Madison, WI – September 5, 2013
Non-violent 17-year-old offenders in Wisconsin would no longer be treated as adults in the justice system under a bipartisan proposal introduced Thursday in the Legislature.

Courts Split Over Ruling on Juvenile Life Sentences
The Wall Street Journal – September 4, 2013
Jeffrey Ragland, sentenced to life without parole in 1986 for his involvement in the killing of a fellow teen with a tire-iron blow to the head, could soon be a free man.  That outcome is the result of a ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court last month that found the sentence handed down to Mr. Ragland, now 44 years old, unconstitutional.

Juveniles are now being locked up less
The Kansas City Star – September 7, 2013
Juvenile justice authorities across the country are learning a lesson that took hold in Jackson County years ago. Most troubled kids don’t get better the more time they spend locked up. They usually get worse. And that’s why authorities are locking up fewer kids.

Foster Care

DCF Talks Logistics Of Expanding Foster Care
WFSU, Florida– September 3, 2013
Department of Children and Families officials Tuesday held the first of what may become a series of rule-making workshops concerning a new law that allows young adults to stay in foster homes until they’re 21. But, many officials had the same question –what happens to kids who CAN’T stay in those homes?

At-risk youth providers rally at first-ever fest
Star Tribune – September 3, 2013
Youth intervention workers say their work is as critical as early childhood services and their programs should receive the same respect from lawmakers.  The success stories of early childhood education are often touted, and lawmakers are loath to trim its budget. Paul Meunier, director of services for the nonprofit Youth Intervention Programs Association (YIPA), is out to change that.

Teen Pregnancy

Teen pregnancy program awarded federal grant
GreenvilleOnline.com, Columbia, SC – September 5, 2013
The Children’s Trust of South Carolina has been awarded a multi-million-dollar grant to develop programs and services for pregnant and parenting teens in South Carolina.

Teen births hit historic low, half of 1991
USA Today – September 6, 2013
Teen births have continued to drop, reaching a historic low in 2012 and hitting half of what they were in 1991, says a government report out Friday.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Proposed tax levy may combat high school dropout rates
Herald and News, Klamath Falls, OR – August 28, 2013
Part of the tax levy that Klamath Community College is seeking will go toward solving a problem that President Roberto Gutierrez views as a major issue in the community — students dropping out of high school.

Charter school for homeless, dropout and at-risk youth hosting open house in renovated building
MLive.com, Grand Rapids, MI – August 29, 2013
The new year-round charter high school working with homeless, dropout and at-risk youth is hosting an open house on Sept. 19 for more than 300 community and business leaders, supporters, and students.

Hudson schools look to increase graduation rates
Register-Star, Hudson, NY – September 2, 2013
With the 2013-14 school year starting next week, the Hudson City School District is looking to reverse a drop in graduation rates seen in recent years.  At Monday’s board of education meeting at the high school library, Hudson City School District Superintendent of Schools Maria Suttmeier laid out the plan to help students achieve to school board members. That plan is being called “Destination Graduation.”

Juvenile Justice

Consensus Building to Reform WV Juvenile Justice System
Public News Service, Charleston, WV – August 28, 2013
West Virginia is moving toward comprehensive juvenile justice reform that lawmakers and citizen groups say is badly needed. A judge this summer ordered the state to take young offenders out of West Virginia's only high-security juvenile facility because of serious problems there. Since then, momentum has been building around the idea of intensive monitoring and treatment at home for some young offenders instead of locking them up.

A court to give juveniles a chance
Tampa Bay Times, Hillsborough County, FL – August 30, 2013
“Boutique courts" we called them, back when it seemed all the rage to set up a specialized court under one judge to deal exclusively with sex offenders, or domestic violence or drugs.  When a new one would come up, some at the courthouse would roll their eyes. What next? A special animal court to handle dog bites and barking dogs and such?  Well, yes. And turns out it's not a bad idea.

Foster Care

Professor’s book shines light on plight of children in foster care
Columbia Daily Spectator, Columbia, NY - September 3, 2013
Foster care doesn’t always have a happy ending. At least, not according to Cris Beam, a foster parent and professor of creative writing at Columbia. In her new book, “To the End of June: The Intimate Life of American Foster Care,” Beam offers an honest, personal perspective on a troubled system by following a handful of foster families. Spectator’s Rachel Dunphy caught up with Beam about the project.

Teen Pregnancy

TPS proposes teen pregnancy prevention program
Tulsa World, Tulsa, OK – September 3, 2013
Sex education could soon be expanding in Tulsa Public Schools.  On Tuesday, the school board will be asked to approve a comprehensive pregnancy prevention curriculum for students in grades seven, nine and 11 that would be provided beginning this fall by Youth Services of Tulsa, the Tulsa Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and the Tulsa City-County Health Department.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Pittsburg High School implements JAG Program to curb dropout rate
KOAM, Pittsburg, PA – August 19, 2013
The Jobs for America's Graduates program or JAG helps ensure students who are at risk of dropping out or failing, successfully transition into the workplace or post-secondary education.  Pittsburg High School's JAG coordinator, Nidia Lopez meets with students and their parents or guardians to make sure they are on track to succeed in school and make that transition.

Dubuque's dropout re-engagement program marks one year and big successes
KWWL, Dubuque, IA – August 21, 2013
Recent high school dropouts in Dubuque, beware. There's a program that wants to get you back on the track to success, and two men have made it their personal mission to see that happen.

Davenport schools work to tackle Iowa's highest urban dropout rate
Omaha.com, Davenport, IA – August 20, 2013
It started in ninth grade when she began skipping classes here and there at Davenport Central High School. The skipping became more and more frequent to the point that Lobdell was barely in school.  Lobdell, now 20, spoke about her experiences recently during Graduation Destination-Take the Journey: Finish it, a collaborative effort between the Davenport Community Schools and the City of Davenport to reach out to students who are struggling in school or have already dropped out.

Juvenile Justice

Juvenile court gets grant for family therapy program
Times-Herald.com, Coweta County, GA – August 25, 2013
Coweta County Juvenile Court has been awarded $150,000 from the state of Georgia to go toward exploring new and innovative ways of dealing with juvenile offenders.  The $150,000 is part of $5 million Georgia is giving to help local juvenile systems. The funding is in light of the "juvenile justice reform" laws that take effect on Jan. 1.

Hillsborough considering special court for juveniles charged as adults
Tampa Bay Times, Tampa, FL – August 24, 2013
In a state known for its courts' tough treatment of children, Tampa holds what some view as a dubious distinction: more juvenile defendants are criminally charged here as adults than in any other jurisdiction in Florida.  With the support of the Hillsborough Public Defender's Office and a collection of local child advocates, Stoddard has floated a proposal he thinks could be a first step toward greater fairness in the criminal courts' handling of juveniles.

With $15M in grants, MacArthur establishes 4 juvenile justice reform centers
ABAJournal – August 21, 2013
A longtime supporter of juvenile justice reform, the MacArthur Foundation has committed an additional $15 million to the effort, including the development of four juvenile justice reform centers as part of its as part of its Models for Change Resource Center Partnership.

Foster Care

Movies and TV Shows Examine Issues in Foster Care
The New York Times, Los Angeles, CA – August 23, 2013
Early on in the new movie “Short Term 12,” teenagers living in a group home gather, as Nate, a neatly dressed young counselor with a nervous smile, introduces himself.

Teen Pregnancy

Grants issued to fight teen pregnancy
The Business Journal, Fresno, CA – August 20, 2013
Nearly $500,000 in grants issued by the Fresno Regional Foundation were given to 13 local organizations to address teen pregnancy prevention and capacity building needs.  The grants will be recognized on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the K Jewel Studios, located at 1415 Fulton St. in downtown Fresno.  Six organizations specifically addressing teen pregnancy prevention were given $400,000 of those grants.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Campaign to get dropouts to return to school
KPTRTV.com, Kennewick, WA – August 16, 2013
Getting our most at-risk teens back in school. It was the goal of Kennewick School District this morning.  School officials knocked on the doors of dozens of high school dropouts.

$3.2 mil grant for program to encourage kids to stay in school
Beatrice Daily Sun, Lincoln, NE – August 19, 2013
Kids with emotional and behavioral disorders are more likely to miss school, fail classes and drop out than any other group of students with disabilities. With support from a $3.2 million grant, University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers are evaluating a unique new program that uses parent-to-parent support to encourage families to get the help they need to keep kids in school.

Texas high school graduation rate sets another all-time high
North Texas e-News, Austin, TX – August 14, 2013
Commissioner of Education Michael Williams announced today that the Texas high school on-time graduation rate has set an all-time high, reaching 87.7 percent for the Class of 2012. The graduation rate for the Class of 2012 is 1.8 percentage points higher than the previous record set by the Class of 2011 and marks the fifth consecutive year the rate has increased.

Juvenile Justice

Initiative aims to improve Hawaii's juvenile justice system
Hawaii News Now, Honolulu, HI – August 14, 2013
The goal of a new initiative launched today is to improve Hawaii's troubled juvenile justice system by reducing crime while cutting costs. Roughly 5,000 youth are currently incarcerated in Hawaii. According to experts, about 80% of them have a substance abuse problem.

MacArthur Pledges New $15 million to Juvenile Justice Reform
Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, Atlanta, GA – August 14, 2013
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced it will increase its juvenile justice reform funding by some $15 million, a major part of which will be used to establish the new Models for Change Resource Center Partnership.

Foster Care

Adoption numbers rising for kids in foster care
USA Today – August 12, 2013
The percentage of kids adopted from foster care is swinging upward, a new report suggests.  Last year, 13.1% of children in foster care were adopted, an increase from 12.6% in 2011, according to statistics released today by the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families. The report highlights data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System.

Mentor program helps teens aging out of foster care
Fox 19, Ohio – August 15, 2013
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) has teamed up Ohio Job and Family Services to help foster children who have aged out of the system make a more successful transition into adulthood.  Ilon, 18, is a test case. He's the first foster child to be matched with a mentor in a brand new Connecting the Dots program. Ilon says it's a program that will give him a better chance at success.

Teen Pregnancy

LPSS Teen Pregnancy Center Already Keeping Students On Right Path
KATC, Louisiana – August 15, 2013
Northside High School may have started classes today, but in January they will be offering a very unique class. The school will offer a teen pregnancy course for expecting and current teen mothers and fathers.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Montgomery schools look for dropout indicators early on
The Washington Post, Montgomery County, MD – August 11, 2013
Students could show signs of becoming high school dropouts as early as first grade, according to a Montgomery County schools study that officials hope will provide a road map for shrinking dropout rates and improving academic achievement.

Dropout age raised by legislator who dropped out
StarTribune, Minnesota – August 10, 2013
If state Sen. Chuck Wiger needs fuel for his crusade to keep teen¬agers in school, he can summon distant memories of the glamour of the Big Top.  His experiences gave him a soft spot for the “nontraditional” student’s path. It is the unspoken back story behind his single-minded focus on raising the state’s compulsory attendance age to halt Minnesota’s drift toward graduation-rate mediocrity.

Local, state high school graduation rates on the rise
Port City Daily, North Carolina – August 9, 2013
High school graduation rates are on the rise across the Cape Fear region and the state, according to recent data from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

Juvenile Justice

Summit Rallies Young People to Become Juvenile Justice Advocates
Youth Today, Washington, D.C. – August 5, 2013
As a teen, Miguel Rodriguez used graffiti to express himself and “to prove to the world that he existed,” the now 20-year-old told Youth Today. But, at age 13 his interest in graffiti turned into a vandalism arrest, where he spent several weeks in detention and 18 months on probation.  Since then, Rodriguez has used graffiti to engage his peers on social justice issues, as program director for the Graffiti Zone, a Chicago-based after-school program and as a member of the youth advisory board of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission.

Department of Justice seeks reform of youth arrest practices
Palm Coast Observer, Florida – August 9, 2013
Florida’s rate of youth incarceration is among the highest in the country, something the state’s Department of Justice is trying to change.  “We have spent more time and resources on children that we didn't really need to do that with, and with the unintended consequences of driving them deeper into the system,” Walters said.

Foster Care

Volunteer program aims to point foster care alumni toward success
The Kansas City Star, Kansas – August 6, 2013
Once you know Darryl Hinojos’ background, it’s hard to imagine that today he is studying at North Carolina Central University and playing football for the NCAA Division I school.  It’s not that — at 6 feet 5 inches tall and 255 pounds — the Kansas man isn’t qualified to play tight end. It’s just that after he got into his teen years, he wasn’t on a path toward college, mainly because he was dealing with anger issues, home displacement and a few scuffles with the law.  But the former foster child, now 21, found a guardian angel in Raeann Rose, a social worker in the state foster care program who offered the support and advice that has helped carry him to North Carolina.

SD man turns business resort into training academy
San Francisco Chronicle, Sioux Falls, SD – August 11, 2013
A South Dakota wind power entrepreneur has transformed a resort for business retreats into a training academy for former foster children.

Facing a New Life After Aging Out of the Foster Care System
WESA 90.5, Pittsburgh, PA – August 6, 2013
Several years before he was a Youth Quality Improvement Specialist at the University of Pittsburgh, Christopher Nobles faced the same challenges experienced by roughly 1000 Pennsylvania youth each year: the prospect of aging out of the state’s foster care system and facing a new life.

Teen Pregnancy

Miss. law requires cord blood from some teen moms
Pittsburgh Courier, Jackson, MS – August 5, 2013
If a girl younger than 16 gives birth and won't name the father, a new Mississippi law — likely the first of its kind in the country — says authorities must collect umbilical cord blood and run DNA tests to prove paternity as a step toward prosecuting statutory rape cases.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Dropout Rates Decline for Berkeley County High Schools
Goose Creek Patch, Berkeley, SC – July 31, 2013
Fewer high schoolers dropped out in the 2011-2012 school year than the previous year in Berkeley County — following the statewide trend.  State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais said reducing dropoutrates are a critical step toward improved on-time high school graduation rates, which he views as a key measurement of success for the entire K-12 system.

One More Reason To Stay In School: Dropouts More Likely To Lead Lives Punctuated By Crime, Substance Abuse
Medical Daily – July 30, 2013
School  attendance at a young age is crucial for an individual's social and emotional development. It allows children to be around peers, form friendships and connections, and work toward their future.   In a new study of 1,300 teens in 7th through 11th grade, researchers found that those who disengaged from school were more likely to lead lives punctuated by substance abuse and crime.

New alternative program C3 aims to reduce drop-out rate
IndependentMail.com, Pickens County, SC – July 31, 2013
Beginning in the 2013-2014 school year, the School District of Pickens County will begin C3, a new drop-out prevention program for 8th-12th grade students.  The goal of C3 is to offer a safe, engaging learning environment to students who need an instructional approach that is different from traditional high school programs.

Juvenile Justice

Calls For Juvenile Justice Reform Grow In Florida
WJCT News, Florida – July 29, 2013
The calls for juvenile justice reform in Florida are  growing, as advocates turn to research to prove that more robust juvenile diversion programs for first-time offenders can prevent kids from dropping out of school.  The local interfaith coalition ICARE is one of the local advocates pushing diversion, not jail, for juvenile first-time offenders.

N.J. Distinguishing Itself as it Reforms Juvenile Justice System
NewsRoomJersey.com, Trenton, NJ – August 2, 2013
A fourteen-person delegation from the state of Washington including a Supreme Court Justice, Superior Court Judges, three State Legislators, Juvenile Court Administrators and leaders from Washington State’s Office of Juvenile Justice, Administrative Office of the Courts, Prosecutors Association and the Sheriffs and Police Chiefs Association are in New Jersey to attend a two-day working session focusing on statewide implementation of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI).

Foster Care

Ohio program prepares foster children to live independently after they age out of the system
Daily Journal, Akron, OH – August 3, 2013
To try to improve the oftentimes bumpy transition, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Big Brothers Big Sisters and eight counties, including Summit, have launched a pilot program called "Connecting the Dots from Foster Care to Employment and Independent Living."

Twenty-Something ... and Ready to be Adopted
City Limits, New York – July 31, 2013
When Denise Royal met her adoptive 23-year old son, Elijah, two years ago, he had recently aged out of the foster care system. His life was falling apart.  After his release Elijah had nowhere to go. Desperate, he reached out to a friend who had recently been placed with a representative for You Gotta Believe, the only adoption agency that finds permanent homes for young adults aging out of foster care.

Foster youth band together for change
Orland Press Register, California – July 30, 2013
No child chooses to be taken from their home, separated from their siblings or ask to become of victim of their unwanted circumstances.  But the once-silent and nameless youth who are in — or recently aged out of — foster care are finding their voices and the power they've never had before by uniting as a group to transform the California foster-care system through policy and legislative change.

Teen Pregnancy

ISU teen pregnancy prevention program wins award
Ames Tribune, Ames, IA – August 1, 2013
An Iowa State University sex education program with a unique approach to preventing teen pregnancy is getting some national recognition.  The Virginia-based National Child Support Enforcement Association is awarding the project, called Parenting: It’s a Life, the organization’s 2013 excellence award for program awareness. The group plans to acknowledge the program at its annual conference held Aug. 5 in Baltimore.

Teen Pregnancy Task Force Gets Results
NBC 6, Council Bluffs, IA – July 30, 2013
A Teen Pregnancy Task Force, created in 2009, is seeing great success in Council Bluffs.  "Well, it's no longer just about me," said Jordan DeSantiago. Her entire world changed her senior year of high school . She found out she was pregnant.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Dropout numbers decline, according to state report
MyrtleBeachOnline.com, Myrtle Beach, SC – July 24, 2013
The percentage of students dropping out of Horry County Schools has fallen, mirroring a similar trend across the state, according to a report from the S.C. Department of Education.

Trenton superintendent prepares for district reconfiguration, new initiatives
The Times of Trenton, Trenton, NJ – July 29, 2013
Superintendent Francisco Duran is preparing to begin his second year overseeing the district’s 12,000 students with a major reconfiguration of the schools and raft of new initiatives, including new supports for struggling middle schoolers, high school academies aimed at lowering the dropout rate, bilingual elementary classrooms and new efforts to reach out to parents.

Dropout Indicators Found for 1st Graders
Education Week, Maryland – July 29, 2013
As tracking data on students grow ever more extensive, some Maryland educators are finding that the early-warning signs of a student at risk of dropping out may become visible at the very start of their school careers.

Juvenile Justice

Alternative detention program could come to Allen County
Wane.com, Fort Wayne, IN – July 25, 2013
An Allen County judge wants to bring a program to town that reduce the number of teenagers in jail and reduce crime in the community.  On Wednesday afternoon, Allen County Superior Court Judge Dan Heath signed a letter of intent for Allen County to join the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI).

Grant going to juvenile justice reporting center
ForsythNews.com, Forsyth County, GA – July 25, 2013
Forsyth County has accepted a grant from the Georgia Governor’s Office for Children and Families for about $80,000.  The funding will go toward a day and evening reporting center for youths in the juvenile justice system.  The grant assists with a requirement of juvenile justice reform to provide alternatives to detention centers.

Foster Care

Summit County attempts to smooth transition for foster kids aging out of the system
Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio – July 26, 2013
To try to improve the oftentimes bumpy transition, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Big Brothers Big Sisters and eight counties, including Summit, have launched a pilot program called “Connecting the Dots from Foster Care to Employment and Independent Living.”

The Program Helping Texas Foster Care Youth Go to College - For Free
News 90.5, Texas – July 25, 2013
Heading to college is confusing under the best of circumstances. But for many young people aging out of foster care, the challenges can be almost impossible to overcome.  Some schools in Texas host programs each year aimed at trying to help foster kids make the transition.  At Austin Community College in Round Rock yesterday, a group of about 10 prospective students toured the campus.  Each had been through the foster care system in Texas.

Teen Pregnancy

Plain talk for parents with pregnant teens
Las Cruses Sun-News, Las Cruses, NM – July 22, 2013
A unique program pairing adolescents and parents to discuss honest and accurate information about teen pregnancy and sexual health has swept the Southwest and is changing the meaning behind the phrase, "it takes a village to raise a child."

Latina Leaders: Empowering young Latinas with L.O.V.E. mentoring
NBC Latino – July 29, 2013
Claudia Espinosa used to daydream of becoming an FBI agent when she was a teen in her native Cali, Colombia. At 20, she came to the U.S., by herself, to study forensic psychology at John Jay College in New York City in pursuit of that dream. However, 14 years and a few other degrees later, she finds herself on a new path — empowering other young Latinas.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Liberation High School founder, principal April Leong helps would-be dropouts
New York Daily News, Brooklyn, NY – July 16, 2013
April Leong is living proof that a young, single mom growing up in Brownsville in Brooklyn, N.Y., doesn’t have to drop out of high school.  The founding principal of Liberation Diploma Plus High school, an alternative school in Coney Island, which enrolls overage and undercredited students at risk of dropping out, uses her own life story to motivate students — making her a candidate for a Hometown Heroes in Education award.

National Guard program gives Forest Grove, Hillsboro High dropouts a second shot at education
The Oregonian, Oregon – July 16, 2013
Through the Oregon Youth Challenge Program, funded by the United States Department of Defense and administered by the Oregon National Guard, high school dropouts were given a second chance at educational success. OYCP graduated 133 cadets on June 19 from the residential phase of the program, five of them from Cornelius and Forest Grove.

School board increases dropout age to 18
The Winchester Sun, Clark County, KY - July 19, 2013
The Clark County Board of Education voted to raise the compulsory dropout age from 16 to 18 at its regular meeting earlier this week.  The decision brings the district in line with more than 100 other districts in Kentucky. The school districts are voting to increase the dropout age as part of a statewide implementation of Senate Bill 97.

Juvenile Justice

New law classifies 17-year-old offenders as juveniles
The News-Gazette, Illinois – July 22, 2013
A bill signed by Gov. Pat Quinn earlier this month will keep 17-year-olds who commit serious crimes in the juvenile court system.

Youth Promise Act/Lelia Gowland/Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana
ABC WGNO, Oklahoma – July 22, 2013
Anne Cutler talks to Lelia Gowland about the YPA bill introduced by Senator Mary Landrieu & U.S. Senator James Inhofe from Oklahoma designed to help prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity through prison reduction, opportunities, mentoring, intervention, support and education.

Foster Care

Free Academy Helps Veterans, Former Foster Kids
Keloland.com, Gary, SD – July 18, 2013
Returning veterans and teens "aging out" of the South Dakota foster system are among the largest homeless populations in the state.  But a group of private companies work together to help give them an education, a job and a place to call home in Gary, South Dakota.

Grant to keep YouthBuild going
The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, PA – July 16, 2013
YouthBuild Johnstown will continue to help young people rebuild their lives.  Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley Inc., which operates the program, received a three-year grant for $864,000 from the U.S. Labor Department to continue and expand its efforts.

Teen Pregnancy

California Teen Birth Rates Drop 60 Percent Thanks To Sex Education
Huffington Post – July 19, 2013
California’s teen birth rate has dropped nearly 60 percent as a result of expanded sex education programs, according to a report released by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on Wednesday.  The report –- which was based on data collected until 2011 -- revealed that the California teen birth rate reached a 20-year low that year. While in 1991, there were 70.9 births for every 1,000 teens aged 15-19, in 2011 this number decreased to 28 births per 1,000 teens.

Teens learn pregnancy prevention and other valuable lessons
NBC 40, New Jersey – July 16, 2013
With wide smiles on their faces, kids in Bridgeton may not look like they are receiving a lesson in teen pregnancy prevention.  But after a five million dollar federal grant and use of the Carrera Model, the Partnership for Healthy Teens Program through Inspira Health Network is takinga broad approach to a specific issue.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

All Kentucky schools must increase dropout age to 18 by 2017
Lexington Herald Leader, Frankfort, KY – July 10, 2013
Kentucky will abandon a generations-old policy that allows minors as young as 16 to drop out of school, a move being heralded by Gov. Steve Beshear as an important step for a state that has strived to improve its economy and educational standing.

Cut Alabama dropout rate and save $69 million in Medicaid spending, report says
AL.com, Birmingham, AL – July 12, 2013
Alabama would save $69 million per year in Medicaid spending by cutting the state's number of high school dropouts in half, according to a report released this week by the advocacy group Alliance for Excellent Education.

Beyond Wyoming's rates: More to graduation than just a percentage
Star-Tribune, Wyoming – July 14, 2013
Many educators across the state say the method of calculating graduation rates doesn't tell the whole story.  One part the official 78.9 percent Wyoming graduation rate for 2012 leaves out is the students who graduate later than their senior classes.

Juvenile Justice

Task Force Wants To Reduce Racial Disparities in Juvenile Justice
Fox 27, Charlottesville, NC – July 9, 2013
African American youth in Charlottesville and Albemarle County are one and a half times more likely to be placed in juvenile detention compared to Caucasian youth.  Community residents and a Charlottesville task force discussed how to change that, and similar statistics, Tuesday night, at the first of a series of meetings on racial disparity in the juvenile justice system.

Juvenile law change forbids minors from being held in adult prison
The Times-Tribune, Pennsylvania – July 8, 2013
Juvenile justice advocates are applauding a rule change recently enacted by the state Supreme Court that precludes authorities from holding juveniles in adult prisons pending their appearance in juvenile court.

Foster Care

CASA launches new program to help kids connect
Porterville Recorder, Visalia, CA – July 10, 2013
Children in the foster care system due to abuse or neglect can lose contact with extended family, friends and neighbors. They feel isolated and lost when their world, as they know it, seems to disappear.  Court Appointed Special Advocates of Tulare County is launching a new program to train volunteers to help children remain connected with their history, in partnership with Tulare County Child Welfare Services and funded through a planning grant from First 5 Tulare County.

Teen Pregnancy

Logan students talk teen pregnancy with lawmakers
Herald-Dispatch, Washington, D.C. – July 12, 2013
Two seniors at Logan High School recently meet with the West Virginia congressional delegation to discuss the issue of teen pregnancy.  Ciara Campbell and Jimetta Early met with Sens. Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin, both D-W.Va., as well as Rep. Nick Rahall, all D-W.Va., during the Human Rights Summit hosted by the American Friends Service Committee.

Program aimed at reducing teen pregnancies and STDs gets funds
Pacific Daily News – July 12, 2013
Federal funding for the Department of Education's new Personal Responsibility Education Program, or PREP, will total $1.2 million at the end of three years.  The goal of the program is to teach students and teachers strategies to decrease the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Summer camp at UNLV looks to prevent school dropouts
ABC 13, Las Vegas, NV – July 8, 2013
It's a week-long summer camp that can make a lifelong difference.  80 teenagers from around the Valley have been invited to attend CampUs Las Vegas at UNLV, which focuses on the transition from middle school to high school and dropout prevention.

JCPS raises dropout age to 18; entire state could follow suit
WDRB, Louisville, KY – July 8, 2013
In two years, you'll have to be 18 years old and an adult to drop out of high school, legally, in Louisville.  The rule could reach statewide, too.  School boards across the state are rushing to raise the dropout age from 16 to 18, to keep students in school.

Graduation rate boosted
Branson Tri-Lake News, Missouri – July 5, 2013
Missouri saw a 9.5 percent increase in graduation rates over the last decade, a trend that was also seen locally, with one district recording 98.9 percent last year.  According to area superintendents, one contributing factor is alternative school programs.

Juvenile Justice

Change forbids holding minors in adult prison
Citizens Voice – July 8, 2013
Juvenile justice advocates are applauding a rule change recently enacted by the state Supreme Court that precludes authorities from holding juveniles in adult prisons pending their appearance in juvenile court.

Texas Passes 50 Justice Bills, Covering Death Row to Juvenile Hall
KUT News, Texas – July 5, 2013
The 2013 regular session ended with  50 new criminal and juvenile justice bills passed and signed into law.  House Bill 1479 addressed truancy and other "disruption of class" offenses. House Bill 1952 individualizes the needs of special education students in order to prevent undeserved punishment.  According to the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, nearly 100,000 children are placed in the Texas juvenile justice system every year.

Foster Care

Lone Star College, a leader in foster care youth education, hosts Texas Reach Conference Your
Houston News, Texas – July 2, 2013
Lone Star College-University Park recently hosted the fourth annual Texas Reach Conference in early June to empower Texans to champion post-secondary success for foster youth and alumni.  The two-day conference entitled, “From Foster Care to College” attracted more than 200 registrants from colleges and agencies throughout the nation, in addition to foster care alumni (former foster youth) and foster parents.
   
Program aims to keep kids safe in homes and out of foster care
Michigan Radio, Michigan – July 3, 2013
More than 400,000 children are currently in foster care in the U.S. Once a child has entered the system, they remain there on average for nearly two years, according to a federal report. Our State of Opportunity team looked into a unique program that’s working to prevent kids in Michigan from even entering foster care in the first place.

Teen Pregnancy

Catching Up: Cumberland teen program working well
Press of Atlantic City, Cumberland, NJ – July 4, 2013
In October 2010 officials at South Jersey Healthcare - now called Inspira Health Network - unveiled a comprehensive plan to help Cumberland County's teen pregnancy problems.  The county has long led the state in teen pregnancy, with the rate reported at 16 percent at the time the program was announced.  But local officials unveiled a plan to work with current sixth-graders and their families on a nearly daily basis and make sure they have everything they needed to stay in school, and for their families to have proper counseling and support for their children.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Schools for Dropouts: A Promising New Education Trend
TakePart.com, Chicago, IL – June 28, 2013
In the past year, the Chicago school district has experienced severe budget cuts that led to school closures and, in turn, protests.  That’s not stopping the district, however, from creating new opportunities for hundreds of high school dropouts.

Camden high school dropouts make good on second chance
South Jersey Times, Camden, NJ – June 28, 2013
Nearly 50 city high school dropouts celebrated second chances Thursday, as they finally received their diplomas thanks to a program sparked two years ago to help Camden youths further their education.

Mass graduation celebrates young Black men
ABC 7, Chicago, IL – June 29, 2013
There was a special show of support and congratulations Saturday for young men in Chicago's African American community.  They are all high school graduates getting ready for college.

Juvenile Justice

Trial Run for Revised Juvenile Justice System
The New York Times, Travis County, TX – June 27, 2013
In Travis County, juvenile justice officials have decided that they can do a better job than the state in dealing with the most troubled local offenders, considering Texas’ history of scandal and violence in youth lockups.

Examiners to take broader look at W.Va. juvenile justice system
The Charleston Gazette, Charleston, WV – June 28, 2013
A commission studying West Virginia's juvenile justice system says it will broaden its focus to look at all out-of-home placements for troubled kids, not just detention centers.

Foster Care

Ebby House in Lakewood to help young women transition out of foster care
The Dallas Morning News, Dallas, TX – June 26, 2013 A Dallas nonprofit announced a new component of its services Wednesday: a home for young women transitioning out of foster care, to be named after real estate icon Ebby Halliday.

New bill will allow Florida children to stay in foster care until 21
WFTV, Orlando, FL – June 24, 2013
Gov. Rick Scott was in Orlando Monday to sign a bill that will help teenagers who age out of foster care.  The Independent Living Bill will allow state foster children to remain in the system until they're 21 years old.

Teen Pregnancy

Teen pregnancy rates see ‘monumental’ drop
Observer, Florida – June 27, 2013
Teen pregnancy rates are declining in Central Florida, and educators at Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando said their programs are one reason for the decrease.  The downward trend is a nationwide one, and since 2006 teen birth rates in Osceola, Seminole and Brevard counties are down.

Lock-in to educate girls on pregnancy prevention
 My Journal Courier, Morgan County, FL – June 25, 2013
For the 20 teenage girls taking part in a unique overnight camp this weekend, the experience of parenthood will last just 12 hours.  Organizers hope the message it brings will last a lot longer.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Large increase in NYC Latino high school grads, but numbers still lag for English language learners
NBC Latino, New York, NY – June 18, 2013
More Latino students are graduating from high school in New York City than ever before, but the number of English Language Learner graduates in the city continues to lag, with a near 5-point drop in graduation rates this year alone.

City Boasts Strong Graduation Rate Among 5 Largest Districts Statewide
CBS, New York, NY – June 17, 2013
The high school drop-out rate in New York City has hit an all-time low and the graduation rate remained steady, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and schools chancellor Dennis Walcott announced Monday.

Mesa schools work to bring back dropouts; state graduation rate below U.S. average
East Valley Tribune, Mesa, AZ – June 19, 2013
Mesa Unified School District, the largest in the state, tops the national average in graduation rates, according to a report issued in early June.

Juvenile Justice

Washington one of nation's 'comeback states' on juvenile justice
King5.com, Washington – June 18, 2013
Washington’s juvenile detention population dropped 40% between 2001 and 2010, according to a new report released Tuesday by the National Juvenile Justice Network.  The analysis puts Washington among nine “comeback states” on the issue of juvenile justice.

Fewer Wisconsin juveniles being locked up, study shows
Green Bay Press Gazette, Wisconsin – June 23, 2013
A national study cites Wisconsin as one of just nine states that have drastically cut the incarceration rate for youth offenders, a trend the study claims helps reduce crime.

Foster Care

Texas foster kids find transitional support, housing before ‘aging out’ of system
The Dallas Morning News, Texas – June 19, 2013
In some ways, Charles Pruitt has been an adult for much of his childhood.  The teenager cared for his three youngest sisters when their parents neglected them and they missed two years of school. In his Waxahachie foster home, his graceful acceptance of chores and rules makes him a leader among the eight other teens.  Now 19, Pruitt officially became an adult about a year ago. Every year, there are 1,500 just like him in Texas who “age out” of foster care.

Project Aims to Help Teens Transition Out of Foster Care
CBS KUTV, Utah – June 19, 2013
Volunteers are working on a project aimed at helping teens trying to transition out of foster care.  Every year hundreds of Utah teens "age out" of the foster system and try to start a new life. Christmas Box International worked with dozens of volunteers to prepare Life Start Kits. They are 30 gallon plastic bins filled with essential items such as dishes, pots and pans, bedding and other items needed to help get young adults on their feet.

Lubbock Transition Center students shop for life after foster care
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Lubbock, TX – June 21, 2013
In Lubbock’s pioneer days a 15-year-old was often able to independently live outside the family.  In the 21st century, except for minimum-wage jobs, even an 18-year-old still is in urgent need of support from somewhere.

Teen Pregnancy

Study shows slight decrease in teen pregnancy
Charleston Daily Herald, West Virginia – June 21, 2013
West Virginia is seeing slight decreases in teenage pregnancy, according to a recent report released by a pro-choice nonprofit group.  Margaret Chapman Pomponio, executive director of WV FREE, a reproductive rights organization, said since the group began reporting on teenage pregnancy and childbearing in 2010, there has been a small decrease.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Be Lab helps high school dropout focus on passion for learning
Reporter-Herald, Loveland, CO – June 10, 2013
Fifteen-year-old Sierra Goldstein dropped out of high school two years ago and joined the Be Lab because school, she believes, held her back.  "I felt I could so much more," Sierra said.  The unschooler wanted to do school in a way that would fast-track her learning and propel her career forward.

C-M to participate in pilot program to reduce dropout rate
Observer-Reporter, Pennsylvania – June 11, 2013
Canon-McMillan School District is one of five in Pennsylvania chosen to participate in First Lady Susan Corbett’s program to increase high school graduation rates across the state.

Juvenile Justice

New York Brings Juvenile Justice ‘Close to Home’
Corrections, New York, NY – June 13, 2013
New York’s juvenile justice system is slowly being overhauled by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Close To Home initiative, a set of proposals designed to keep youth close to their communities and facilitate their return to society.

Juvenile justice system overhaul now law
The Banner-Press, Lincoln, NE – June 10, 2013
Reform of the state's juvenile justice system was passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor May 29.  LB561, introduced by Sen. Brad Ashford of Omaha, transfers responsibility for the state's roughly 3,000 juvenile offenders from the Department of Health and Human Services to the Office of Probation Administration.

Foster Care

Nixon Signs Bills Allowing Older Youth to Re-Enter Foster Care
Ozarks First, Columbia, MO – June 13, 2013
Gov. Jay Nixon signed two bills into law Thursday aimed at helping strengthen the state's foster care system.  Senate Bills 205 and 208, the Governor says, allow older youth who have exited foster care to return to foster care if reentry would be in the young person's best interests.

Foster care kids need help as they age out of system
News-Press, Florida – June 11, 2013
Setting up a new apartment and living independently is challenging for a new graduate with a new job, but if you’re one of the roughly 113 children a month aging out of the foster care system in Southwest Florida the challenge can be even more daunting.  The Children’s Network of Southwest Florida provides independent living training each month for 100 to 125 people turning 18 and preparing to leave the foster care system, according to Aimee McLaughlin.

Teen Pregnancy

School health centers seen as way to reduce teen pregnancy
Gazette-Mail, Charleston, WV – June 16, 2013
West Virginia can lower its teenage pregnancy rate by adding more school-based health centers, getting parents more involved, teaching comprehensive sex education in schools and by reducing its poverty rate, the head of a reproductive rights group said Friday.

Conference Held to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
WLTX, Columbia, SC – June 13, 2013
The South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is holding their annual conference  this week in Columbia.  The two day conference is designed for  teen pregnancy prevention professionals, and others who work with young people.

New Mississippi law address teen pregnancy
Clarion Ledger, Mississippi – June 11, 2013
Starting in July, healthcare providers will be required to comply with a new Mississippi law targeting teenage pregnancy prevention.  In an effort to address Mississippi’s high teenage pregnancy rates, lawmakers have passed House Bill 151 which mandates that umbilical cord blood be collected from some mothers under the age of 16.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

High School Graduation Rate Hits 40-Year Peak in the U.S.
The Atlantic – June 6, 2013
The nation's high school graduation rate is approaching 75 percent, its highest rate in 40 years, according to a new report from Education Week. Of course, that good news must be tempered with a sobering statistic -- an estimated 1 million students will fail to graduate this year, a loss of 5,500 students for every day on the academic calendar.

Goodwill to open four more dropout recovery schools
Indianapolis Business Journal, Indiana – June 6, 2013
Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana will nearly double its number of adult education schools in August and thinks it has only scratched the surface of the potential market for this new breed of schools.

Region sees dramatic decline in dropout rates
The Exponent Telegram, Clarksburg, WV – June 8, 2013
ED options programs, credit recovery, meetings with superintendents and graduation coaches are being credited for helping some area school districts reduce their dropout numbers by more than 50 percent, officials say.

Juvenile Justice

Lawmakers debate dropping age for trying some accused as adults
BlueRidgeNow.com, North Carolina – June 9, 2013
When Johnathan Brunson was an impressionable 14-year-old, police nabbed him for stealing a watch and CD player from the local mall in Wilson. The petty theft changed his life.  North Carolina is one of only two states in the nation that treats those 16 and above as adults in the eyes of the courts. Teenagers as young as 13 can be tried as adults too, but only if a judge finds reason.

In Illinois, a Season of Restorative Justice
Corrections.com, Illinois – June 5, 2013
It has been a good spring for juvenile justice in Illinois. In a year of great fiscal challenge, the General Assembly approved Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposal to double funding for Redeploy Illinois, a successful program helping teens get services in their communities instead of behind sent away to distant prisons. Legislators also passed a bill to customize Redeploy programs for Cook County neighborhoods and bring the diversion program to the state’s largest county for the first time.

Foster Care

Foster kids start new life after 'aging out' of program
The Eagle, Texas – June 7, 2013
LeBrone Foster, 18, has lived in at least five homes over the past five years.  But now that the teen has graduated and is officially transitioning to adulthood, he has "aged out" of foster care.  On Thursday, Voices for Children, a local nonprofit organization that advocates for neglected and abused children, held an "Emancipation Shower" to help ease 10 foster teens' move toward independence with gifts that will be useful in starting a home of their own.

New law offers support for young people who age out of foster care
Real Change, Washington – June 5, 2013
About 550 people age out of the state’s foster care system every year. Some of them, after being dropped from state services, end up homeless.  A new law passed by the Washington Legislature will help ensure that many young people who are too old for foster care will remain housed.

Coming of Age: Preparing Ohio's Older Foster Youth for Life
Public News Service, Columbus, OH – June 4, 2013
The years spent coming of age are a critical time in a youth's life, especially for those who must face this time without the support of a stable home environment. In Ohio, the "Connecting the Dots" initiative is helping teenagers and young adults who have been in foster care make a successful transition into adulthood.

Teen Pregnancy

WV youth participate in teen pregnancy prevention campaign
The State Journal, West Virginia – June 4, 2013
West Virginia historically has had a high teen birth rate. But last month, youth across the state and country took steps to increase awareness about the consequences of teen pregnancy.  As part of National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy's month-long campaign, The Leadership to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Taskforce of West Virginia organized a video contest for middle and high school students.

Black teen birth rate falls 60 percent in 10 years
The Cincinnati Herald, Washington, D.C. – June 1, 2013
A new report by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention shows that the teen birth rate for African Americans has declined by 60 percent between 1991 and 2011 – a rate 10 percent greater than the overall dip in teen birth rates.

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Edinburg high school dropout recovery program hits milestone
ValleyCentral.com, Edinburg, TX – May 30, 2013
A group of former high school dropouts received their diploma in Edinburg.  “The Vision Academy,” a recovery program created by the superintendent of Edinburg CISD, gives dropouts a second chance at a high school diploma.  Today, the school graduated its 500th student.

How to Cure the College Dropout Syndrome
The New York Times – June 2, 2013
Jeffrey Selingo, the former editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education and currently an editor at large there, is the author of a new book, “College (Un)Bound.” In it, he argues that the higher-education system is both vital to the American economy and “broken.” (An essay adapted from the book was published in the Education Life section of The Times last month.) My exchange with him, edited slightly, follows.

Cobb, Marietta high school graduation rates increase
The Marietta Daily Journal, Marietta, GA – June 2, 2013
High schools in both the Cobb and Marietta school systems reported increases in the number of students who graduated compared to last year, but only Cobb’s rates were higher than the state’s overall rate.

Juvenile Justice

Gov. Heineman signs juvenile justice reform into law
Omaha World Herald, Nebraska – May 30, 2013
The state embarked on a new approach in dealing with troubled juveniles Wednesday.  Gov. Dave Heineman signed into law a major reform bill that shifts the focus from incarceration to treatment for youthful offenders and puts state probation officers in charge of that rehabilitation work instead of state social workers.

Juvenile Justice Dept. Brings Reform Plans to Fort Myers
WGCU, NPR News, Fort Meyers, FL – May 28, 2013
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice has been taking its plans for reform on the road since last fall, making presentations and soliciting feedback.  The DJJ’s Roadmap to System Excellence tour comes to Fort Myers Tuesday evening.  The Roadmap reforms involve placing less emphasis on detention of juvenile offenders and more emphasis on community based intervention programs to keep kids out of the system.

Foster Care

New law extends foster age to 21
The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Florida – June 2, 2013
Soon after blowing out the candles on his 18th birthday cake, Calub Short left his Deltona group foster home and entered the real world.  With no safety net to fall back on, Short used his savings to buy a car and secure an apartment. But he went through those savings fast.

Aging Out: Gaining a voice
Great Bend Tribune, Great Bend, KS – May 29, 2013
Memorial day weekend is here.  Families are getting together for cookouts and camping trips, taking trips to the cemetery to honor their ancestors and loved ones.  We often take these ties for granted.  In a perfect world, after a child is taken from their family and placed in the foster care system, a loving and understanding foster family would be found to take the child and provide a stable home, and they would remain there until they are reunited with their family or adopted by another.  They would also be able to remain in their own community, attend the same school they always had.  Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world.  In recent years, initiatives by several non-profit have focused on bringing these inequities to the attention of members of Congress.
   
Teen Pregnancy

Education can help prevent teen pregnancy
Billings Gazette, Montana – June 2, 2013
In Montana, we saw 5,272 teen pregnancies in 2011. And Montana is one of only three states whose teen birth rates did not decrease from 2007-2010. Teen pregnancy is typically affected by a range of factors, including access to accurate, comprehensive information on sexual health from parents, teachers, doctors and other adults, access to birth control, what they hear from friends, media and the Internet, and other risky choices.