Return-Path: <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h9TJblV25648; Wed, 29 Oct 2003 14:37:48 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2003 14:37:48 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <00E1270D-0A47-11D8-996E-00039381D39E@comcast.net> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: David Rosen <djrosen@comcast.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FOBASICS:845] Youth in ABE X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.552) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 4199 Lines: 87 NIFL-FOB Colleagues, In an earlier message (below,) I referred to "the good kids" and the "other kids." The "other kids" (young adults who have left school) are called "disconnected youth" now. In an October 20th New York Times Article, Locked Out at a Young Age [ http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/20/opinion/20HERB.html?th ] Op-Ed Columnist, Bob Herbert, says: "The latest data coming out of Chicago, which is roughly representative of conditions in other major urban areas, is depressing. The city's dropout rate is reportedly at an all-time high. And 22 percent of all Chicago residents between the ages of 16 and 24 are both out of school and out of work." "An incredible 45 percent of black men in Chicago aged 20 to 24 are out of work and out of school. That is not a condition that should be ignored." "There are nearly 100,000 people aged 16 to 24 who are out of school and out of work in Chicago, and about 5.5 million across the U.S. Instead of sending them a lifeline, we are making it ever more difficult for them to reconnect to the educational establishment and the job market." and "The recent increased federal involvement in the nation's public schools is having the perverse effect of driving up dropout rates as school administrators try to pump up their high-stakes test results by getting rid of struggling students." He also notes that Dr. Neeta P. Fogg, a senior economist at Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies has done a study of the youth labor market in Illinois. She says '"Failure to complete high school is almost equivalent to economic suicide.' Perhaps Dr. Fogg would write something for Focus on Basics. David J. Rosen On Sunday, October 19, 2003, at 12:46 PM, David Rosen wrote: > In Massachusetts, so far, we don't appear to have large numbers of > school dropouts entering publicly funded ABE programs. The > explanation isn't clear, but here are some possibilities: > > 1) It may be too soon to know. Our state MIS data on this are from > last year's enrollments. It might change this year; > 2) The dropouts might be enrolling in small programs which do not > receive state education department funds -- and are not counted in the > state Management Information System; > 3) They may be dropping out and not enrolling in education programs > (yet, or at all;) > 4) The public schools don't measure dropouts before 9th grade (and > apparently there are some.) Maybe these numbers are growing. > > My interpretation of what I see happening in Boston: High stakes > testing is having a big impact, both positive and negative. High > school students are being described in two categories: the "good kids" > who may not pass the tests the first time but who are coming to > school, trying, who have been getting more educational support > (tutoring and encouragement) and who are eventually -- in most cases > -- passing the tests and graduating. They have doors to > post-secondary education and training open to them, and they are very > likely better prepared to succeed in getting jobs and in persisting in > training and college. > > The other kids (no one calls them "bad kids,") are the growing > underclass of youth -- eventually adults -- on the other side of the > high stakes testing gate, and their opportunities are greatly > diminished. Perhaps they get entry-level jobs, but not the jobs which > offer high wages, benefits, or education opportunities. It's hard, > without at least a high school diploma, to get on a career ladder. For > them, the underground economy may offer the most appealing choices. > This often leads to drug use and sales, and theft. (Heroin use is now > high again in Massachusetts, and house break-ins are rising in > Boston.) Underground employment often leads to jail. Some of the jails > in Massachusetts have (or have had) excellent education opportunities. > So maybe, under the circumstances, crime and jail are the best choices > for the "bad kids." But these aren't good choices for them, their > families, or for communities or taxpayers. I don't see much attention > being paid to this underclass. > > David J. Rosen
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Mar 11 2004 - 12:16:59 EST