High School Dropouts
From LiteracyTentWiki
From: newswire@jff.org (Jobs for the Future e-newsletter)
Subject: JFF Newswire
Date: September 9, 2005 11:18:54 AM EDT
High School Dropouts: The Silent Crisis
"Nationally, over 30 percent of students do not complete high school in a timely way. In some inner-city neighborhoods, the odds of graduating are 50-50. In response to this crisis, the Youth Transition Funders Group launched The Strategic Assessment Initiative to support struggling students and out-of-school youth. This national effort enables communities to build systemic strategies and cross-sector partnerships that reduce high school dropout rates and reconnect students not on track for graduation with educational opportunities.
In June, JFF, the national intermediary for the initiative, organized a Learning Institute for the five participating cities. The meeting enabled the initiative sites--Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland (OR), and San Jose--to share and acquire strategies related to four focus areas: using data; increasing the supply and deepening the quality of learning environments; assessing and addressing policy and funding conditions; and building support among key stakeholders.
JFF will produce a final report in January 2006 that looks at lessons learned and documents ongoing barriers at the conclusion of the first phase of the Youth Transition Funders Group investment. The report will include recommendations and tools for improving options for struggling students and out-of-school youth.
To download EARLY LESSONS FROM THE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT INITIATIVE OF THE YOUTH TRANSITIONS FUNDERS GROUP, prepared by JFF for the June meeting, go to: http://www.jff.org/jff/kc/library/0260
To read more about THE INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT STRUGGLING STUDENTS AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH, go to: http://www.mott.org/news/detail.asp?newsid=355
For related resources, including an ACTION AGENDA FOR IMPROVING AMERICA'S HIGH SCHOOLS, prepared by the National Governors Association and Achieve, go to: www.achieve.org "
