early
detection and early interventions that forestall problems instead
of merely reacting to them after the fact;
willingness
to recognize the interrelated nature of such problems as leaving
school, teen parenthood, unemployment, and welfare dependency;
positive
incentives and life-option counseling, so that young people have
personal reasons to succeed in school and work;
private-sector involvement in educational and
employment programs, together with adequate funding of
public-sector programs.
We
recommend that every community consider establishing a committee
composed of school, job training, and business representatives.
Such a committee should be charged with assessing the state of the
community's resources and opportunities for young people and
developing an action plan to deal with the deficiencies.
Conclusion
The problems
explored in this chapter are most concentrated in inner-city areas
and among the poor, but they are certainly not confined to those
areas or groups. The educational achievement of all young Americans
has deteriorated in recent years. A depressingly high proportion
finish high school only marginally literate and wholly unprepared
for the labor markets of the future.
We have not
discovered any sure bets or easy strategies for addressing the
cluster of problems that include teen pregnancy, school dropout
rates, and deficient basic skills. There are promising models in
selected communities, but they cannot and should not be transformed
overnight into national programs. What works in Baltimore may not
work in Phoenix. Nevertheless, models can be emulated and adapted
to varied local circumstances.
In a recent
publication issued by this project , Gordon Berlin and Andrew Sum
offered a simple litmus test to gauge the need to invest in young
people. "If your child were falling behind in school, would you
think it important to get him or her