A journal of ideas for the world of after school and beyond

Vol. 1 no. 8 May 2006

Supporting Teens

Stephen M. Pratt, President

Dear Friends:

One can't argue with anyone who cries out in anger, in shame, or in plain distress over the rising tide of violent crime affecting teens in our city. But that particular crisis, which directly involves a relatively small percentage of the city's teen population obscures a far deeper and more alarming crisis for teens. We are condemning at least a third of the teens in our city to the living death that is persistent poverty by failing to offer them a reliable path to high school graduation. Since 2001, the high school drop out rate has risen in Boston and nationally, driven by the use of the MCAS as a graduation requirement, the elimination of bilingual education (the Latino dropout rate rose by 17% since 2003), and other factors.

This crisis cannot be laid solely at the door of the public schools. Indeed, thanks to significant funding from the Gates and Carnegie Foundations, a dramatic restructuring of the high school experience is well under way in Boston. But these reforms will be of little value to teens who are already disengaging from the system. For example, the number of teens dropping out of school before the 9th grade, increased five-fold between 1995 and 2000.

How can we keep a generation of Boston teens from slipping away? The answer, in part, lies in the supportive adult-child relationships that are forged in out-of-school settings. A wide range of evidence supports our belief that struggling students stay engaged when they benefit from adult mentors and from activities that allow them to find a sense of personal success that they can bridge into the school day. In the face of a sharp reduction in school-based sports and arts activities, the out-of-school time field becomes a vital resource for teens.

In this issue, we share voices of those who work with teens, those who fund them, and teens themselves. We know what works for teens, even the most challenged. Our job--the entire city--is to find a path to a system that allows every teen to benefit from what works.

Thanks for reading,