WHATEVER IT TAKES:
How Twelve Communities Are Reconnecting Out-of-School Youth
Whatever It Takes: How Twelve Communities Are Reconnecting Out-Of-School Youth documents what committed educators, policymakers, and community leaders across the country are doing to reconnect out-of-school youth to the social and economic mainstream. It provides background on the serious high school dropout problem and describes in-depth what twelve communities are doing to reconnect dropouts to education and employment training. It also includes descriptions of major national program models serving out-of-school youth.
Hugh B. Price, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and former President/CEO of the National Urban League, says of the report:
By shining a spotlight on effective programs for reconnecting out-of-school youth, Whatever It Takes serves as a beacon of hope that we can indeed turn around the lives of young people who've lost their way and slipped off of society's radar screen. The authors of this emgrossing report, Nancy Martin and Samuel Halperin of the American Youth Policy Forum, provide compelling examples of community initiatives that successfully route these young people back to the mainstream.
Downloads
The Dropout Problem in Numbers
Every Nine Seconds in America a Student Becomes a Dropout
Individual Case Studies Packaged With Report Introduction, Recommendations:
Montgomery County (Dayton), Ohio
A county-led recovery effort centered on charter schools for out-of-school youthJefferson County (Louisville), Kentucky
A large school district with 80 options to retain and graduate its students; advanced use of student data to ensure accountabilityAustin, Texas
An alternative public high school and community-based organization charter schools providing multiple options for out-of-school youthSalt Lake City, Utah
A public high school that transcends definitions of dropout prevention and recovery and continuing education to serve 9,000 youth and adults annuallyPortland, Oregon
A school district, community-based-organizations, and a community college working together for at-risk and out-of-school youth; state legislation facilitating dropout reconnection and funding of alternative educationOakland, California
Two veteran, entrepreneurial community-based organizations approaching out-of-school youth with different perspectivesTrenton, New Jersey
A nontraditional public high school graduating large numbers of out-of-school youth and young adultsBaltimore, Maryland
A mayoral commitment to out-of-school youth leading to partnerships with the private sector and many community-based organizationsPima County (Tucson), Arizona
Arts and horticulture employment training programs and a county-wide public campaign to support dropout recoveryCamden, New Jersey
An education and job-readiness youth service and conservation corps with a strong emphasis on youth developmentMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Pioneer state legislation and school board innovation offering multiple educational options for at-risk and out-of-school youthPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Mayoral and school district leadership supporting city-wide youth service planning and funding mechanisms for community-based organizations; innovation in juvenile justice reintegration
Whatever It Takes In the News
Nancy Martin interview on Long Island Radio
"Helping Dropouts Break the Cycle of Poverty"