Young Males of Color Achievement Initiative
by admin — last modified 2006-08-11 03:10 PM
CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS: A National Strategy to Raise High School Graduation Rates for Young Males of Color
Here are the Facts:
Graduation Rates for African American Boys:
Chicago - 39% (Univ. of Chicago Consortium 2/2005)
Indianapolis - 25% (Indianapolis Star 5/2005)
Los Angeles - 45% (R. Smith; American School Board Journal, 9/2005)
Ohio - 39.6% (Harvard’s Civil Rights Project, et. al. (3/2004))
Nevada - 40.5% (Harvard’s Civil Rights Project, et. al. (3/2004))
Florida - 41.0% (Harvard’s Civil Rights Project, et. al. (3/2004))
Dramatic and urgent action is required to address the abysmally low high school completion rates of minority children, particularly African American and Latino boys. The development of a national strategy is imperative and long overdue.
CBM, in collaboration with the CHILDREN AND YOUTH INVESTMENT TRUST CORPORATION (CYITC), foundations and other community based groups in the District of Columbia, Baltimore, MD and Philadelphia, PA, will launch the Young Males of Color Achievement Initiative to devise strategies to raise the educational attainment of young boys of color and increase high school graduation rates in the three (3) pilot cities. Solutions developed in these cities will form the basis of an action plan to be implemented nationally with help from funding sources and partners.
CBM Wants to:
NOW!
Focus on 3 pilot cities: District of Columbia; Baltimore, MD; and Philadelphia, PA
Develop Leadership Councils in each City that can cut through red tape
Develop a Forum for the Best Experts in the Country and use their research
Identify, recruit and train Black Men to Volunteer and Mentor
Identify Best Practices and Encourage Replication in each City
Convince City and National leaders to incorporate proven youth development models and get rid of failed truancy and suspension policies
Target boys who research shows are not likely to graduate
Develop a Plan to focus on Black Boys to Improve High School Graduation Rates
SOON!
Get these Young Men into Colleges and Universities
Create Leadership, Training and Career Institutes specifically for Boys
Develop a National Strategy to raise graduation rates