Youth Out of the Education Mainstream

• NCJ Number: 163386
• Date Published: October 1996
• Length: 30 pages
• Publication Series: OJJDP Teleconference Videotapes
• Grant Number(s): 95-JN-MU-0001
• Agencies: OJJDP-Sponsored; OJJDP
• Publication Type: Program Description (Model)

Annotation

This two-part video of a teleconference profiles programs designed to meet the needs of youth out of the education mainstream, with attention to truancy initiatives, drop-out initiatives, and juvenile reintegration initiatives.

Abstract

The teleconference first summarizes the problem of truancy, drop-outs, and reintegration of juvenile offenders back into the school system. It reviews community program objectives and strategies aimed at reducing the impact of the problems that undermine educational achievement. Further, the teleconference promotes the availability of relevant publications and initiatives sponsored by the Federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Various promising programs designed to combat truancy, dropping-out, and facilitate the reintegration of juvenile offenders into the educational enterprise are described. A truancy program described is the Truancy Abatement and Burglary Suppression Program in Milwaukee, Wis. Using a comprehensive processing approach, this program involves truants, their parents, and the assigned school in a complete support and intervention system. One of the drop-out programs profiled is the Communities in Schools, Inc., of Laredo, Tex. The philosophy underlying this nonprofit, multiservice, multisponsored program is that services to in-school youth can be best provided in the school setting and that an array of service agencies and organizations must cooperate and collaborate to provide comprehensive services to these groups. One of the juvenile reintegration initiatives is the Pathfinder/Success School Program in Arizona. This is an alternative school program for students who are experiencing failure in the traditional school classrooms. After completing the core curriculum, the student may be enrolled in traditional education courses, consistent with transitional planning to return to public or private school. The teleconference also includes a question-and-answer session that involves teleconference participants and a panel of experts. A participant guide is included.