Achievers For Life - United Way of Northeast Florida

What Matters: Helping Children and Youth Achieve Their PotentialAchievers For LifeA report by United Way of Northeast Florida

Table of ContentsHelping At-Risk Students Achieve Focus Issue PartnershipNancy Snyder, ChairRetired, Duval County Public SchoolsMartha BarrettBank of AmericaJeff BlountThe Haskell CompanyNancy BronerRetired, Duval County School BoardDarby BrowerMontoya Brower and AssociatesBill DavisFlorida Community College of JacksonvilleNancy DreicerDepartment of Children and FamiliesJohn GieseJohn Giese Operations, LLCDr. Kareem JordanUniversity of North FloridaDoris LeachCity of JacksonvilleBea LewisDuval County Public SchoolsEdgar MathisDepartment of Juvenile JusticeJay PlotkinState Attorney’s OfficeChief David L. StevensJacksonville Sheriff’s OfficeJane VanceDuval County Public SchoolsNina WatersThe Community Foundation in JacksonvilleChuck WodehouseRetired, CSX TechnologyUNITED WAY STAFFConnie Hodges, PresidentMelanie Patz, Vice President of Community ImpactJan Morse, Director of Childhood and Youth StrategiesDr. Laura Lane, JCCI Researcher2 Community Impact Journey8 The Focus Issue Process12 The Dropout Crisis17 Achievers For Life - United Way Strategy ForGreater Community Impact24 In-Depth Research Findings24 Parent Engagement25 Violence in the Family and Community26 Mental Health30 Educational Expectationsand a Culture of Learning32 Mobility33 Retention35 Truancy and Chronic Absenteeism37 Out-of-School Time38 Role Models41 Conclusion41 A Call to ActionSpecial Thanks to Our Partnership Volunteers

Introduction“The Universe loves nothing so much as to changethe things which are and to make new things.”–Marcus AureliusThe world thrives on change. And it is those who change soonest who reach their destinationfastest. Six years ago, United Way of Northeast Florida took a close look at how its fundingaffects the good of the community and saw that change was needed. Indicators showed thatthe community’s efforts toward resolving complex social problems were not producing theresults needed for improved conditions. Of 23 community indicators closely watched by UnitedWay, only 10 were improving, 2 were static and 11 were regressing. United Way adopted a newdirection—a direction that addresses the root causes of the symptoms all around us. After anintensive study to uncover the most important root causes of social ills, United Way found thathelping students at-risk for dropping out of high school was one of three areas that held out thepossibility of doing the most good for the greatest number of people.In creating a focus on helping students achieve success, United Way developed a plan thatis described in this document. It is an ambitious plan with many aspects. But United Way isdetermined to work alongside its partners to bring it to fruition. And we need the help of thoseconcerned about the current situation in our community:• The high school dropout rate for Duval County is twice the overall Florida rate• High school dropouts earn $270,000 less in their working lives than graduates, on average• More than sixty percent of accused murderers in Jacksonville are high school dropouts• Our public schools graduate less than two-thirds of those who began high school fouryears earlier• Florida dropouts cost taxpayers an estimated $12.1 billion in lost wages each yearIf these facts worry you, if they shock you, you have the power to change them. You can joinUnited Way. You can stand beside countless others determined to change the very course of ourcommunity’s future. You can become…What Matters904.390.3200 | aboutunitedway.org

Community Impact JourneyUnited Way of Northeast Florida is the oldest United Wayorganization in the state of Florida. Since its inception morethan 82 years ago, its focus has been on changing lives for thebetter. What began in 1924—when 1,000 Duval County citizensassembled at Hemming Plaza in downtown Jacksonville tohelp care for vulnerable fellow citizens—is now a regionalmovement involving people from all walks of life in Baker,Clay, Duval, Nassau and northern St. Johns Counties. While ourstrategies have changed through the years, our commitmenthas not. We continue to reach for our ultimate goal: to build astronger, healthier community.From its earliest days until the present, United Way hasresponded to the increasing severity and complexity of healthand human-service issues affecting Northeast Florida residents.United Way’s founders understood that addressing communitysocial problems could not be completed by any singleorganization on its own. Building on this vision, United Way ofNortheast Florida has formed partnerships with volunteers,community organizations, business leaders and government totackle critical issues facing children, youth and families.United Way investments in critical human-service issues inNortheast Florida have successfully improved the lives ofcommunity members during its 82-year history, and in thepast ten years have averaged $15 million annually, given tomore than 70 United Way-Certified agencies and their 100programs as well as donor designations to other non-UnitedWay agencies. In 2006, thanks to the generosity of more than100,000 donors, United Way invested $19.9 million in thecommunity. During 2001 and 2002, United Way examinedNortheast Florida’s indicators of health and social wellbeingand determined that our community had, not made significantprogress, due to changing demographics and the increasingcomplexity of social issues. Therefore, United Way determinedthat it needed to review its investment model in an effort toidentify opportunities to help Northeast Florida improve thehealth and wellbeing of all members of our community. Duringthe same time, United Way of America began changing thenational United Way movement toward a community impactmodel. Brian Gallagher, then the new President of United Wayof America, appointed a national task force that studied waysto strengthen the United Way system. This task force concludedthat United Way needed to use its comparative advantage tohelp communities solve the issues they face locally, movingto a focus on measurable community impact with fund raisingas a strategy within that effort. The United Way movementtoward community impact is a transformation from fundingprograms that provide intervention to developing strategiesthat holistically address the root causes of problems.Beginning in 2003 and concluding in 2004, local communityleaders volunteered their time to review other communities’funding strategies and their progress in addressing socialissues of concern. This was done to determine if a differentprocess could be more effective in Northeast Florida. Theculmination of more than 1,000 hours of research was the

ecommendation that United Way become more focused inits investment of Community Fund dollars raised through thecampaign. This decision to focus on improved results meantthat United Way would exchange breadth for depth in itsfunding strategy.The recommendation to focus funding on critical issues wasapproved by United Way’s Board of Trustees and Directorsin January 2005. A committee of community and United Wayleaders selected three initial focus issues for United Wayenhanced investment in July 2005. This selection was based on• Staff-compiled etiological research that discussed theprimary cause-and-effect relationships among health andpsychosocial issues, such as early brain development,poverty and dysfunctional families• A five-year trend analysis of 37 key communityindicators—such as first-to-second grade schoolpromotions, births to teen mothers, dropout rates, childabuse, unemployment and the waiting list for homedeliveredmeals—to identify current critical issues,emerging issues and root causesthe following:

Community Impact Journey continued…• United Way’s current investments, and those of other local and state funders, identifying issues wherelack of community leadership, lack of flexibility in funding, or importance of an issue warranted UnitedWay’s focus.Focus #1 Early Childhood SuccessFocus #2 Helping At-risk Students AchieveFocus #3 Senior Independence and Engagement

Focus #1Early Childhood SuccessAdvances in technology have enabled recent discoveries inthe knowledge of brain development. Children are literallyborn learning. Every experience they have, both negative andpositive, affects the development of their brains physically andphysiologically. Brain scans of children who have been abusedor neglected show smaller-sized brains and significantlydecreased activity. 1The benefits of quality child care for low-income children arenumerous: twenty percent higher graduation rates, $5,000more in annual earnings and twenty percent fewer arrests—all leading to a $17 return for every $1 invested in qualityearly learning. 2First-to-second grade school promotions in Northeast Florida,a community indicator of a child’s readiness for school, havebeen gradually declining over the past decade. 3Results of the 2005 Florida School Readiness UniformScreening System indicates that 18 percent of NortheastFlorida kindergarteners were either not ready yet or stillgetting ready for kindergarten. 4

Focus #2Helping At-risk Students AchieveStudents “at-risk” are defined as children who might drop out of school due to social obstacles. Manystudents at risk live in neighborhoods that are poor or low income, have witnessed or experienced abuse,exhibit mental-health problems, or have family and social problems. Poverty is not a cause of dropping out orof poor academic achievement, but it is closely correlated to these outcomes. This is because of somefamilies’ inability to access additional support for struggling students and because of stressful situations thatoften exist in homes where food is scarce and frequent moves occur due to lack of money for rent.Of the Duval County Public School ninth graders enrolled in 2001-02, 3,706 failed to complete high school infour years; that number could fill the Florida Theater twice. The high school dropout rate for Duval County wasdouble the state rate in both 2004-05 and 2005-06. 5 Of 11 primary community indicators tracked in this area,only two have positive trend lines greater than two years: births to teen parents and youth alcohol use.This report describes in detail our Helping At-Risk Students Achieve focus and its Arlington pilot projectnamed Achievers For Life.

Focus #3Senior Independence and EngagementSeniors are the fastest-growing segment of the population,with a growth rate of four percent expected between nowand 2011. Agency budgets have not kept pace with demandfor senior services; waiting lists for core services such ascase management and in-home support are growing. Thereare significant quality-of-life issues and economic benefitsassociated with seniors’ ability to live in their homes asopposed to assisted-living facilities. The cost of maintaininga frail senior in her or his home averages $700 per monthcompared to about $5,000 per month for a nursing home.The growth in the senior population also brings opportunitiesto engage them in meaningful volunteer, employment andphilanthropic activities. Seniors represent a resource for ourcommunity that is in need of further development.United Way has been working in this area for the past threeyears through the United Way-led Life: Act 2 collaboration.Through the award of a Robert Wood Johnson grant, UnitedWay has leveraged nearly $1 million dollars to address theconnection between hospitals and long-term care providersfor frail seniors.Strategies include educating seniors and caregivers aboutservices and how to access them, decreasing unnecessaryhospital stays, engaging seniors in volunteerism andemployment opportunities, and broadening NortheastFlorida’s perception of seniors’ abilities.Focused ImpactBy focusing on these three issues, United Way is impacting thecontinuum of life for Northeast Florida residents, capitalizingon the best opportunity to generate significant returns onUnited Way donors’ investment.Partnerships were developed consisting of local experts in thefocus issues and concerned community citizens to researchspecific strategies for achieving measurable success in each ofthe focus issues. Strategies for Early Childhood Success andHelping At-risk Students Achieve were completed by spring2007 for implementation to begin in fall 2007.United Way expects that its capacity to identify additionalissues for a future focus will increase, based on nationalresearch of United Ways that have revised their investmentmodels to focus on the resolution of community issues.

The Focus Issue ProcessMembers of the Partnership included local education experts,corporate partners and community stakeholders from acrossNortheast Florida. Members came together for the first timeon March 8, 2006 to meet one another and to learn aboutUnited Way’s Community Impact model. The agenda for thatmeeting also included a current research overview conductedby the chairperson, Dr. Nancy Snyder, retired Duval CountySchool Superintendent, and Dr. Laura Lane, a United Wayresearcher employed by the Jacksonville Community Council,Inc. (JCCI). The research overview outlined the compellingstory of Duval County’s high school dropout problem andUnited Way’s commitment to developing a targeted fundingstrategy that would partner with social-service agencies andthe Duval County Public Schools. The initial meeting set thestage for members regarding the commitment of their timeand the expectation that any strategy developed would needto be measurable and founded in sound research. Partnershipparticipants were encouraged to share their work withcolleagues in the community and to work in collaboration withother concerned citizens.

Partnership Members:Martha Barrett• Current employment: Vice President of Market Development,Northeast Florida Market for Bank of America, Duval CountySchool Board member• Past employment: Assistant to U. S. Senator Richard Stone,Press Secretary for Mayor Jake Godbold• Community Service: United Way Women in Local Leadership,United Way Leadership Circle member, Leadership JacksonvilleBoard of Directors, Museum of Science and History Board ofDirectors, Chairperson of the FCCJ Foundation BoardJeff Blount• Current employment: Director of Project Development,Haskell Company• Native of Jacksonville, graduate of Englewood High School• Community Service: United Way Atlantic Circle member, UnitedWay Leadership Circle memberNancy Broner• Current employment: Duval County School Board member;Business Manager, Podiatry Associates of Florida• Past employment: English teacher, Duval County Public Schools;Associate Assistant Professor of English, Jacksonville University• Community Service: Board of Directors, Jacksonville Chamberof Commerce; Board of Directors for the Alliance for World ClassEducation; Board of Directors for the Jacksonville Symphony;President, Beaches Educational FoundationDarby Brower• Current employment: Financial planner, Montoya Browerand Associates• Community Service: United Way Tocqueville member;Toqueville mentor for United Way Stein Fellow; Communityyouth sports coachBill Davis• Current employment: Dean of Student Success, FloridaCommunity College at Jacksonville• Past employment: Assistant Dean, Lipscomb University,Nashville, TN• Community Service: mentor with Take Stock in Children; trainingconsultant with Kesler Mentoring Connection; conductor ofgospel meetings and workshops throughout the SoutheastNancy Dreicer• Current employment: District Administrator, Department ofChildren and Families in Northeast Florida, serving Duval,Baker, Clay, St. John’s and Nassau Counties• Past employment: Chief Operating Officer for LucentTechnologies’ GSM business, headquartered in Great Britain;Vice President in the areas of human resources, shareownerservices, and direct marketing for American Transtech• Community Service: Inroads, Communities in Schools, FCCJFoundation Board, Vice President of the Jacksonville Mayor’sCommission on the Status of Women; 2005 and 2006 UnitedWay Campaign Cabinet member; United Way LeadershipCircle memberJohn Giese• Current employment: President/Chief Executive Officer, JohnGiese Operation, LLC.• Community Service: Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce; Design-Build Institute of America; NAASCO; United Way of NortheastFlorida Board of Directors; Alexis de Tocqueville memberDr. Kareem Jordan• Current employment: Assistant Professor, Department ofCriminology and Criminal Justice, University of North Florida• Community Service: Faculty Advisor for the University of NorthFlorida Student Criminal Justice Association; Mentor with BigBrothers Big Sisters.Doris Leach• Current employment: Community Relations, Parks, Recreation,Entertainment and Conservation Department, City of Jacksonville• Community Service: United Way donorBea Lewis• Current employment: Hearing Officer, Duval CountyPublic Schools• Past employment: Exceptional education teacher, Lake ShoreJunior High School; Assistant Principal for Student Services,Lakeshore Middle School; Vice Principal, Alfred I. DuPontMiddle School• Community Service: SACS/CASI Southern Association ofColleges and Schools

Partnership Members continued…Edgar Mathis• Current employment: Chief Probation and Circuit Manager,Department of Juvenile Justice• Community Service: Human Services Council, ExecutiveCommittee; United Way donor; past President of JCCIJay Plotkin• Current employment: Chief Assistant State Attorney, FourthJudicial Circuit serving Duval, Clay, and Nassau Counties• Past employment: Attorney, Smith and Hulsey• Community Service: United Way Campaign Cabinet; Florida StateEmployee Charitable Campaign Steering Committee; LeadershipJacksonville; Vice President, Board of Directors for Communitiesin Schools; Duval County Juvenile Justice Council; JacksonvilleHousing AuthorityDr. Nancy Snyder, Chairperson• Current employment: Retired• Past employment: Superintendent, DCPS; Principal, DCPS;Elementary teacher, Pinellas County• Community Service: Arlington Rotary, United Way LeadershipCircle, Dreams Come True, Jacksonville Community Council,Jacksonville Women’s NetworkChief David Stevens• Current employment: Community Affairs/Special Events,Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office• Past employment: Patrol officer, detective, traffic-divisionmotorcycle officer, vice squad• Community Service: President, Jacksonville Fraternal Order ofPoliceJane Vance• Current employment: Duval County Public Schools• Past employment: Safety Net for primary grade students in theDuval County Public Schools, Implemented a family literacyprogram for Learn to Read• Community Service: American Heart Association Board ofDirectors, PACE Center for Girls Board of Directors, WolfsonChildren’s Hospital Women’s Board, United Way Leadership CircleNina Waters• Current employment: President, The Community Foundation inJacksonville• Past employment: Executive Director, PACE Center for Girls• Community Service: Community CoachChuck Wodehouse• Current employment: Retired• Past employment: President, CSX Technology• Community Service: United Way Tocqueville member; Board ofDirectors, Jacksonville UniversityConnie Hodges, President, United Way of Northeast FloridaMelanie Patz, Vice President of Community Impact, UnitedWay of Northeast FloridaJan Morse, Director of Childhood and Youth Strategies, UnitedWay of Northeast FloridaDr. Laura Lane, United Way researcher, JCCIMembers of the Partnership met monthly from March 2006through January 2007 to discuss research findings; to listento and learn from local, state and national experts; and toengage in rich dialogue regarding social-service best practicesfrom across the country. Prior to each meeting, Partnershipmembers received selected research articles about thatmonth’s topic. Additional information was provided by theexpert speakers in order to further illuminate the issues. Aftereach Partnership meeting, a research brief was producedthat captured key issues and information gleaned from thereadings, speakers and the group discussion. These researchbriefs were distributed to Partnership members to assist themin retaining essential information.Study topics were selected by United Way staff based on thefindings of national research into the issue of high schooldropouts.Research Topics and Speakers:Dropping Out – Research Review: An overview of local andnational research literature on the school drop-out issue.Presenters Included:• Dr. Nancy Snyder, retired Duval County Public SchoolSuperintendent• Dr. Laura Lane, researcher, United Way of NortheastFlorida/JCCI• Melanie Patz, Vice President of Community Impact, UnitedWay of Northeast Florida10

Research Topics and Speakers continued…Retention and truancy: Determined how retention and truancyimpact students’ ability to complete school.Presenters Included:• Janice Hunter, General Director, Academic Programs,Duval County Public Schools• Shelley Grant, Bill Hodges and Jay Plotkin, StateAttorney’s Office, Truancy Arbitration Program (TAP)Youth and family violence/Community mental health:Examined the impacts of mental disorders, and family andcommunity violence on students’ engagement in school.Presenters Included:• Susan Byrne, President, Mental Health America ofNortheast Florida• Dr. Veronica Valentine, CEO, Child Guidance Center• LaTresa Henderson, Lead Child Victim Advocate,Hubbard HouseMobility/Role models and authority figures/Child Abuse:Examined how residential moving and the impact of childabuse effects students’ performance and whether role modelsand authority figures mitigate the conditions for at-riskstudents.Presenters Included:• Dr. Phil Grise, Professor of Instructional Design, FloridaState University• Judy Cromartie, Director of Student Services, DuvalCounty Public Schools• Nancy Dreicer, Administrator, Department of Children andFamilies, District 4Culture of learning: Investigated links between thecommunity-wide value of education and high schoolcompletion.Presenters Included:• Dr. Joseph Wise, Superintendent, Duval County PublicSchools• Cheryl Grymes, Executive Director, Alliance for WorldClass EducationOut-of-school time/Program Inventory: Explored the roleof after-school programs in the lives of at-risk students. Dr.Lane presented an inventory of major child-serving agenciesin Duval County with a general description of their activities,scope of services, and outcomes.Presenters Included:• Linda Lanier, Executive Director, Jacksonville Children’sCommission• Dr. Laura Lane, researcher, United Way of NortheastFlorida/JCCI (program inventory)Parent engagement: Defined the community support for atriskstudents and their families and explored best practices.Presenters Included:• Ken Seeley, Chief Executive Officer, The ColoradoFoundation for Families and Children• Dr. Judy Martinez, Executive Director, National Center forSchool EngagementAn important element of the focus-issue process was UnitedWay staff’s survey of individual Partnership members tounderstand their thoughts about the study topics and focusissueprocess. The interviews were conducted at the mid-pointof the study and offered members an opportunity to discussnot just what they had learned but also the surprises andchallenges that were presented in the studies. Afterward, thestaff was able to make modifications to the meeting formatas well as understand which research issues were deemedimportant and should become areas of concentration for thepartnership members. The Partnership collectively indicatedthat the strategy developed should include Full ServiceSchools of Jacksonville to leverage the infrastructure andinvestment in this successful community collaboration ledby United Way. The Partnership also indicated that due to thebreadth of the research reviewed, United Way staff shouldtake the lead in developing a strategy for their review andrecommendation to United Way’s leadership volunteers.At the conclusion of the research-and-study process, thePartnership engaged in a strategy-development session ledby a knowledgeable facilitator. The Partnership began byreviewing the focus-issue purpose statement and the researchbriefs as preparation for the task of selecting a fundingstrategy. United Way staff presented supporting documents toassist in visualizing important data. The goal of the facilitatedsession was to come to a consensus on which programelements needed to be included in the focus-issue finalstrategy. Details of the final strategy are found on the pages 17through 23.11

The Dropout Crisis: National ContextNearly one-third of all ninth graders in the U.S. fail to finishhigh school within four years. 6 While it is not known howmany will go on to earn a General Equivalency Diploma(GED), it is clear that their lifetime earnings will be less thanthose of students who graduated from high school. Accordingto 2002 data provided by the U.S. Census, dropouts will earn$270,000 less than high school graduates over their workinglives. 7 A young adult without a high school diploma or GEDcannot continue his or her education, or enter the military.Chart One shows the estimated mean lifetime earnings of18-64 year-old men in the U.S. using 2005 data.Chart One - All men in the U.S., 2005Source: Center for Labor Market Studies, Northeastern University Many students drop out with less than two years remainingbefore graduation. They give up because school lacksmeaning in their lives; it does not interest them. Also, adult-likeresponsibilities and freedoms conflict with school.Research shows that dropping out of high school is the endpoint of a long process of disengagement from school; itstarts in middle school. Adolescents who disengage fromschool frequently lack a vision for their future, a problemoccurring in all schools and all neighborhoods. The reasonsfor disengagement vary according to the specific conditions inwhich students live and work.Researchers have isolated predictors of dropping out. Missingmore than eighteen days of middle school in a year (a littlemore than three weeks) is an indicator of risk. Middle schoolstudents who miss eighteen or more days and do not receiveassistance have only a 25 percent chance of graduatingon time. 8 Also, being held back a grade predicts droppingout. According to research performed by Robert Balfanz inPhiladelphia middle and high schools, “ninth-grade retentionis a major risk factor for dropping out of high school.” 9 Manyresource speakers observed that Jacksonville dropouts are12

The Dropout Crisis: Regional And Local Contextfrequently overage for their grade, which is due to the fact thatthey were held back at some point in their academic careers. InJacksonville, students are most frequently retained in 3rd, 6thand 9th grades. These critical grade transitions pose specificobstacles to students at risk for dropping out.The Florida Times-Union published results from a study ofeducational data on 178 of 265 people accused of murder fromJune 2003 through June 2006. They found that more than sixtypercent of the accused murderers did not finish high schooland one out of seven failed to reach ninth grade. 10of excessive absence. When a student is withdrawn due toexcessive absence, his or her parents are informed. Manyfamilies intervene and re-enroll their students.The 1,791 “not graduating” students were still enrolled butcould not meet graduation requirements within four years.Some of these students might take five years to graduate,some might be involved in a juvenile-justice program, andothers might enroll in the Pathways Academy of FloridaCommunity College at Jacksonville (FCCJ). Others mightearn a GED.In 2006, Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) graduated lessthan two-thirds of its seniors who had been ninth graders fouryears earlier.Chart Two - A Look at 9th Graders Four Years LaterIn 2003, 553 seniors had not passed either FCAT math orreading tests before the summer. During the summer, seniorswho have not graduated can re-take the FCAT, but many remainunable to pass.Harvard University estimates that Florida dropouts costtaxpayers $12.1 billion in lost wages in 2002-03. 10 According toSource: Florida Department of EducationThe Manhattan Institute, 46 percent of African-American malesin Florida public schools do not graduate on time.A majority of students at six Jacksonville high schools areengaged in a slow-motion struggle against the odds. In 2005-06, just 47.7 percent of ninth graders at Terry Parker HighSchool could expect to graduate four years later. At DouglasOf the 1,915 who dropped out, more than half were droppedfrom attendance rolls on their sixteenth birthday becauseAnderson School of the Arts, the odds were much higher—82percent of ninth graders could expect to graduate.13

The Dropout Crisis: Regional And Local Context continued…Table One - Duval County Public High Schools, 2005-06Douglas Anderson School of theArtsStanton College PreparatorySchoolPaxon School for AdvancedStudiesDropoutRate0.6% 82.30.9% 78.01.2% 76.4Baldwin Middle-Senior 2.8% 72.8Mandarin 4.0% 77.2Duncan U. Fletcher 4.2% 71.6Andrew Jackson 4.7% 51.7Samuel W. Wolfson 5.9% 61.3Frank H. Peterson Academies 6.0% 55.First Coast 6.8% 61.9Sandalwood 7.3% 52.1Robert E. Lee 7.3% 40.3A. Philip Randolph Academies 7.8% 51.1Englewood 7.9% 43.7Terry Parker 8.6% 47.7Jean Ribault 9.0% 40.0Edward H. White 9.0% 50.8William M. Raines 10.1% 42.7Nathan B. Forrest 10.8% 37.5GraduationRateSource: Florida School Indicators Report, http://data.fldoe.org/fsir/Earning a high school diploma is not commonly understoodin terms of odds or chance. Rather, chance suggests collegeadmissions, in which applicants compete for a seat. Beloware the six Jacksonville high schools in which a majority ofstudents will not graduate in four years, compared to theadmission rates of three large U.S. public universities. Theodds that a Terry Parker ninth grader will earn a diploma infour years are worse than those of an applicant being admittedto Florida State University.Table TwoName of SchoolFlorida State University 62%University of Texas at Austin 51%Terry Parker High 48%Englewood High 44%Raines High 43%Lee High 40%Ribault High 40%Forrest High 38%University of Virginia 37%Percent 2004/05 applicantsadmitted/Percent 2002 9thgraders who graduate on timeSource: 2006 Peterson’s Undergraduate Database, www.infoplease.com;Florida School Indicators Report, http://data.fldoe.org/fsir/Research into the causes of dropping out shows that there isno single factor responsible. In fact, the failure of students isdue to interrelated factors: social and economic issues thatinterfere with a student’s ability to learn. These obstacles tolearning represent the failure of our community to provide safeand secure environments in which Jacksonville’s children grow.For too many low-income youth, the teen and early-adult yearsbecome a struggle with the substance abuse and violenceof family members. They experience sexual exploitation andfamily food insecurity. Financial instability, lack of role modelsand poor mental health affect large numbers of students.In some schools, the majority of the student body strugglesagainst these barriers, and many students lose the struggle.The Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development has statedthat “school systems are not responsible for meeting everyneed of their students. But when the need directly affectslearning, the school must meet the challenge.” 1314

The Dropout Crisis: Regional And Local Context continued…Consequently, communities provide school-based socialservices to students and their families. The goal of theseservices is to remove the specific obstacles to learningthat students face. Removing obstacles before studentsdisengage is necessary in order to prevent dropping out.A student doesn’t become a dropout until after he or shestops attending school. Duval County Public Schools partnerswith youth-serving agencies to identify students who lack acommitment to school. The interventions include but are notlimited to:• Case management services for up to 450 students at twomagnet schools offering work-related education• Two alternative schools (PACE Center for Girls andJacksonville Marine Institute)• Therapeutic and behavioral supports through theneighborhood-based Full Service Schools of JacksonvilleStudents who are at-risk of dropping out in their senior yearare frequently offered a state-sanctioned GED Exit Option.These students might be enrolled in an alternative school, acommunity juvenile-justice program, or they may participatein the Graduation Initiative at a neighborhood high school.The GED Exit Option allows students who are overage fortheir grade to earn a Performance-Based Diploma or a GEDwith fewer course credits. However, they must pass boththe FCAT and GED tests. If a student passes both the GEDand FCAT tests, then he or she earns a Performance-BasedDiploma, which is recognized by FCCJ and the military. If thestudent fails the FCAT after six tries and passes the GED test,she or he earns a GED, but not the diploma. The GraduationInitiative allows overage students to study for the GED andFCAT tests in the morning while leaving the afternoon forwork at a part-time job.DCPS also operates a credit-recovery program calledAccelerated Learning Centers. Students who have alreadydropped out can return to school as long as they are not overeighteen years old. The Accelerated Learning Centers offer aself-paced, computer-aided program for catching up. Unlikestudents in the Graduation Initiative, those participating inthe Accelerated Learning Centers earn a standard diplomaupon completion—provided they pass the FCAT.In 2004-05, 677 students participated in the GraduationInitiative and attended Accelerated Learning Centers.Of those, 449, or 66 percent, graduated with a highschool diploma. 14Graduation Initiative and Accelerated Learning CentersParticipants Source: Alternative Education Programs and Behavioral Support, DCPS15

United Way’s role is to support Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) by convening andinforming the community on critical educational issues, identifying resources, and investingin measurable strategies that strengthen the ability of families and students to achievesuccess in school and in life.Clearly, the dropout crisis is complex and affects the entirecommunity, not to mention thousands of Jacksonville studentseach year. In determining the best method for investing UnitedWay Community Fund resources to address this issue, UnitedWay staff and Partnership members reviewed research for11 months, reminding themselves that school reform is theresponsibility of the school system.United Way’s role is to support Duval County Public Schools(DCPS) by convening and informing the community on criticaleducational issues, identifying resources, and investing inmeasurable strategies that strengthen the ability of families andstudents to achieve success in school and in life.The complexity of the issue means there is no magic wandthat can be waved over Jacksonville. There is no single, specificprogram or solution that will ensure all students completeschool and grow into socially successful young adults. Instead,several dimensions and components of the problem must beaddressed at the same time.The foremost community-wide commitment that must be madeis to the belief that all students can learn. One of DCPS’s CoreBeliefs states, “All DCPS children can be academically preparedto reach their dreams.” This belief is translated into academicrigor and supports at all schools, as well as data-drivendecision-making at both the student and school levels. Underthe guidance of Dr. Joseph Wise, Superintendent of Duval CountyPublic Schools, Duval schools are committed to providing theacademic resources necessary to help all students graduate.The second critical component to reducing dropouts is offeringsocial services that help families resolve the home-life issuesthat lead students to drop out of school. These services includecase management and counseling. The third dimension isincreased attention to the development of students’ goals andthe critical role that education plays in reaching those goals.Students surveyed for The Silent Epidemic report indicatedthat they needed a push to stay motivated to complete highschool. They all had the academic capability to finish, but theyneeded some additional motivation from someone who caredand who connected with them at school. This person could havebeen a guidance counselor, teacher or mentor. The key wasa commitment to helping the child reach the goal of highschool completion.The final and most-important component is parentalinvolvement in students’ academic lives, particularly inestablishing an expectation of high school completion. Researchindicates that parents’ roles can be as simple as having a dailyconversation to talk about what happened at school and aboutsetting the family’s expectation for graduation from high school.16The foremost community-wide commitment that must be madeis to the belief that all students can learn.

Achievers For LifeUnited Way Research Leads To A Strategic Pilot Project In ArlingtonIn recognition of these facts, the Partnership determined thatthe most effective first step toward addressing the dropoutcrisis will be a comprehensive pilot project in one Jacksonvilleneighborhood. That project is called Achievers For Life.With the research indicating that school transitions are critical,and with the Partnership’s determination that waiting untilhigh school is too late, the Partnership decided to direct UnitedWay resources to the fifth-to-sixth grade transition in twoArlington schools. The Arlington area was identified becausethe graduation rate at Terry Parker High School has decreasedin recent years, with a little more than half of its studentsgraduating within four years of entering high school.This means that 44 percent of Terry Parker students whoentered in 2001 did not complete the requirements forgraduation by 2005. In Arlington, two out of five ninth gradersare at risk of not earning a diploma or GED.This progressive loss of workforce potential is seen in ChartFour, below, which shows student enrollment at Terry Parkerfor successive grades.The final and most-important component is parental involvement in students’ academic lives,particularly in establishing an expectation of high school completion.17

Achievers For Life continued…Chart Four - Losing Terry Parker Students, 2003-06 Source: Learning to Finish Graduation Rate WorksheetThe dropout rate at Terry Parker has ranked the highest,or among the highest, in the district for the past fouryears, and the rate has increased consistently afterreaching a low point in 2001-02.Another consideration of the Partnership entailedcommunity resources already present. Arlington isserved by Full Service Schools of Jacksonville and is aSeeds of Change neighborhood. Seeds of Change isan initiative of the City of Jacksonville to ensure thatArlington thrives. Arlington is also a focus of Learningto Finish, a community collaboration addressingthe transition from eighth to ninth grade, led by TheCommunity Foundation in Jacksonville and includingDuval County Public Schools, The JacksonvilleChildren’s Commission and United Way. Both Fort18

Caroline and Arlington middle schools have TEAM UP, an afterschoolstudent enrichment program proven effective. One isfunded by the Jacksonville Children’s Commission and theother is funded by Duval County Public Schools. The StateAttorney’s Office runs a prevention program that is effectiveat reducing truancy.Finally, Terry Parker is the only high school in Jacksonvillethat is fed by just two middle schools. This “closed” feederpattern makes it possible to assist a relatively stable group ofmiddle school students through to graduation. It also makesevaluation of their progress more feasible.The Partnership identified Arlington middle school students,especially sixth graders, for the Achievers For Life pilotprogram. Three grades are considered critical transitions, orgate grades: third, sixth and ninth. More students are heldback in these grades, compared to other grades.• In third grade, Duval County Public School studentsare not promoted to fourth grade if they cannot readproficiently, according to the FCAT.• In sixth grade, students start in a new school, having justChart Six - Non-promoted students by grade level,DCPS, 2000-2006 Source: “Non-Promotions in Florida’s Public Schools,” Florida Departmentof Education, http://www.firn.edu/doe/eias/eiaspubs/briefs.htm ; FloridaSchool Indicators Report, http://data.fldoe.org/fsir/As mentioned earlier, sixth grade is a point at which studentsbegin disconnecting from school. In Arlington, the numberof disconnected middle school students is reflected later inthe number of students who eventually disappear from TerryParker before graduating or who take more than four yearsto graduate. left elementary school. They have a locker, a scheduleof classes to follow and new classmates. A grade-pointaverage (GPA) of at least 1.5 is required for promotion tothe seventh grade.• Ninth graders are entering high school and are required topass all their classes for promotion to tenth grade.19

Achievers For Life continued…Chart SevenChart NineSource: DCPS, Data WarehouseChart EightSource: Learning to Finish Graduation Rate Worksheet; FloridaDepartment of Education.Achievers For Life Target Population: Research shows thatthe factors contributing to students’ long disengagementfrom school include low attendance, low academicachievement and poor classroom behavior. Based on thisSource: DCPS, Data Warehouseresearch, the Partnership concluded that students whoseattendance is poor, who do not see themselves as successfulin school, or who consistently misbehave should be offeredextra assistance. With that in mind, sixth grade studentsmeeting any of the qualifications listed below will be eligiblefor assistance:• 21 or more unexcused absences in a school year• Grade-point average of 1.5 or below• Three or more Level Two (or higher) discipline referrals• Principal recommendation20

Information on absences, GPAs and behavior referrals will begathered at the end of the students’ fifth-grade year so thestruggling students can be identified early. Participation inthis program, which will begin in the sixth grade at Arlingtonand Fort Caroline Middle Schools, will not be required; rather,families will be invited to participate during the first monthof the students’ sixth-grade year. Based on 2006-07 data onsixth-grade middle school students, United Way anticipatesserving approximately 155 students and their families duringthe first year of strategy implementation.Research-based services that are successful in addressingcontributing factors, such as chronic absenteeism or behaviorproblems, will be provided to students whose families indicatetheir desire to participate in the program. United Way servicesare described below.Family AdvocatesFour Family Advocates will work with students and theirfamilies to address obstacles to excelling in school, such asmental-health or behavioral problems, financial instability,employment, and housing. The Family Advocates will connectfamilies to existing social-service resources and will facilitatecommunication between families and their schools. Mentaland behavioral-health counseling will be provided through theFull Service School located in Arlington. The Family Advocateswill meet initially with the families to determine which servicesmight be most effective in assisting them and to establishsocial goals for the family to work toward. The Family Advocatewill meet regularly with the families to help them progresstoward their goals and to offer any additional services thefamily needs to be successful.21

Achievers For Life continued…Achievement AdvocatesA combination of paid and volunteer Achievement Advocateswill work one-to-one with participating Fort Caroline andArlington Middle School sixth-grade students. Paid advocateswill work with students who meet all three of the criteria forprogram participation: a 1.5 GPA or below, excessive absences,and a high number of behavioral referrals or suspensions. TheAchievement Advocates will maintain information regardingtheir assigned students’ grades, classroom behavior andattendance. With the assistance of the Family Advocates andschool faculty, the Achievement Advocates will also helpstudents reach mutually established goals. AchievementAdvocates will be asked to make a multi-year commitment.Parent-Engagement ActivitiesPrincipals of Arlington and Fort Caroline middle schools willbe afforded financial resources to develop research-based,measurable, school-wide strategies for keeping students andtheir families engaged in learning. Potential initiatives include:• A parent-resource center• Family orientation to middle school• Parent tips for helping students at home• Parent-literacy programs• Homeroom teachers who serve as family liaisonsthroughout middle school• Parent-leadership development• Welcoming front offices• Any other research-based parent engagementmodels neededActivities and initiatives will be identified by a schoolleadershipteam consisting of principal, lead teachers, parentsand Full Service School oversight committee members.Measurement/EvaluationUnited Way of Northeast Florida will measure the effectivenessof this strategy using performance measures as well asindicators of community improvement. The performancemeasures will gather data from the students participating inthe Achievers For Life program. These measures will showwhether the specific conditions contributing to the dropoutcrisis have, in fact, improved. For example, United Way ofNortheast Florida will measure:• Number and percentage of students earning an improvedGPA compared to the previous year, measured at the endof the year• Number and percentage of students who are promoted toseventh grade, measured at the end of the year• Number and percentage of students who miss fewerthan 21 days in the school year, measured at the endof the year• Percentage of surveyed parents whose involvement intheir children’s education has increasedThe performance of students included in two of the abovemeasures will be compared against an historical baseline. It isexpected that the percentage of students missing fewer than21 days and the percentage of students retained in sixth gradewill begin to move in a positive direction as a result of thisintervention.22

United Way of Northeast Florida allocates more than one-million dollars for the provision ofservices to Jacksonville youth at risk of dropping out of school.United Way of Northeast Florida expects that improvementsin the academic lives of struggling students will increasethe academic odds for all Arlington students. Consequently,neighborhood-wide measures of student success will bereported as well. These include:• Number and percentage of struggling students who makea successful transition to Terry Parker High School, asevidenced by the fact that they do not fail a course in theirninth-grade year• An increase in the graduation rate and a decrease in thedropout rate for Terry Parker High SchoolAs illustrated in Charts Three and Four, these rates have beentrending negatively since the beginning of this decade. UnitedWay expects to see a future reversal of this trend as a result ofits work with sixth-grade students.The above measures will be calculated for a demographicallycomparable group of middle school students attendingcomparable schools. The students at Arlington and Ft. CarolineMiddle Schools are expected to transition to high school withmore success than the students at a middle school lackingthe same support.This strategy does not duplicate services, rather itcomplements other efforts: Full Service Schools ofJacksonville, the Mayor’s Seeds of Change: GrowingGreat Neighborhoods initiative, the Truancy ArbitrationProgram, Learning to Finish, and other local supportsfor struggling students.United Way of Northeast Florida allocates more than onemilliondollars for the provision of services to Jacksonvilleyouth at risk of dropping out of school; however, the AchieversFor Life program is unique in that it engages the family,provides more significant student supports than currentfunding, and is targeted to a geographically specific groupof students.Following a pilot year of implementation in the Arlingtoncommunity, United Way plans to expand this strategy toanother community with a high dropout rate and Full ServiceSchool services. This expansion will be funded through dollarsraised by United Way from community members committed tohelping all students achieve academic and social success.23

In-Depth Research FindingsUnited Way’s in-depth research into the challenges ofimproving student achievement revealed many insights thathave been valuable in formulating strategy. The findings ofthat research are summarized here.Parent Engagement: National ContextAs students progress through school, there is a markeddecrease in family and community involvement. In elementaryschool, parents more easily engage in their children’seducation because children require more frequent dailysupport that brings parents to school. In middle and highschool, parent involvement decreases as students becomemore self-sufficient and parents are not expected to visit theschool as frequently. Some parents do not engage in theirchild’s education because of their own bad experiences inschool or because they fail to identify with school personnel.Researchers have isolated family involvement as a predictorof student success. 15 One particular study suggests that whenparents and teachers work together to ensure a successfultransition through fifth grade, students perform better.In 2000, researchers studied 62 African-American familieswith children transitioning from fifth to sixth grades, acritical point. For each child, the study tracked GPAs and fourprotective factors that might or might not affect GPA. The fourprotective factors were perceived teacher support, parentinvolvement, perceived academic skill and feelings of schoolbelonging. Students experienced either high or low levels ofeach. Although all factors contribute to success, no one factorcan be shown to cause success.The students were asked questions about how theyperceive themselves, their teachers and their parents. Thenresearchers correlated those survey results with the students’GPAs as they transitioned to sixth grade.The study found that, “a combination of parent involvementat home and supports at school… had a significant positiveeffect on student grades.” 16 Furthermore, it suggested that“the combination of school and family factors may be mosteffective in supporting the academic achievement of poorAfrican-American students during the transition to middlelevelschools.” 1724

According to the Colorado Foundation, three strategies shouldbe incorporated into efforts to increase family involvement:education, leadership and family strengthening. 18 Parenteducation is a matter of helping parents help their childrensucceed. Many parents, from a range of backgrounds, struggleto understand how best to help their children in school. Parentleadership is cultivated through Parent/Teacher Associations(PTAs) and School Advisory Councils. While some schoolsare afforded well-organized parent support that providesfinancial and volunteer resources, other schools lack any kindof support from students’ families. Family strengthening,the third strategy, entails support offered through manysocial-service agencies working on and off school campuses.Nonprofit social-service agencies often serve as a link betweendisengaged parents and their children’s schools because socialworkers have earned relational trust in neighborhoods.A 2002 synthesis of 51 studies of family involvement foundthat, “students with involved parents, no matter what theirincome or background, were more likely to:• Earn higher grades and test scores, and enroll in higherlevelprograms;• Be promoted, pass their classes, and earn credits;• Attend school regularly;• Have better social skills, show improved behavior, andadapt well to school;• Graduate and go on to postsecondary education.”An important finding of the research synthesis is that allfamilies are “equally involved at home, although the forms ofinvolvement varied somewhat by culture and ethnicity.” 20 Allparents are involved in their children’s lives, but some parentsare not able to provide a level of academic support equal toother parents.Parent Engagement: Regional and Local ContextParent education is conducted in Jacksonville throughprograms such as Healthy Families funded by the JacksonvilleChildren’s Commission and operated by multiple agencies andParents as Teachers operated by Community Connections.Parent leadership is cultivated through PTAs and SchoolAdvisory Councils. While it is not known how many parentsare members of Duval County Public School PTAs, it is certainthat involvement in PTAs varies greatly from school to school.Family strengthening and supports are offered through manysocial-service agencies working on and off school campuses;however, these efforts are often disconnected and not alwayswell attended.Violence In The Family And Community:National ContextFamily violence falls into two main categories: domesticviolence and child abuse. Researchers have found that abused25

In-Depth Research Findings continued…children performed significantly worse and had worse gradesthan their counterparts who were not abused. 21 While researchdoes not conclusively show that abuse in a child’s life affectsintellectual functioning, it does demonstrate that, as a group,“both neglected and physically abused children tend to dopoorly in school, as evidenced by low grades, low standardizedtest scores, and frequent retention in the same grade, butneglected children fare the worst.” 22 Some low-incomefamilies live in neighborhoods that experience more violence,leaving children to recover from grief and loss. A 1995 studyof urban areas found that “in reaction to witnessing violence,youth may present symptoms of Post-Traumatic StressDisorder, Separation Anxiety and Depression… and showdeclines in academic performance.” 23 Children living in violenthomes frequently suffer from sleeplessness, increased anxiety,post-traumatic stress disorder and decreased concentration.Adolescent witnesses of domestic violence are at increasedrisk for delinquency and truancy. 24Violence In The Family And Community:Regional And Local ContextThe Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) received 7,878 reportsof domestic violence in 2005, a reporting level that has heldfairly steady since 2001. 25 In 2005, JSO listed approximately4,000 children as witnesses on reports of domestic violence.Estimates suggest that one-in-three to one-in-four victimsreport domestic violence, which means approximately 12,000to 16,000 Jacksonville children live with domestic violence.In 2005, there were 1,853 verified reports of child abuse orneglect. 26 Relatively few of the thousands of Duval Countychildren who witness domestic violence each year receiveformal support services to teach them that domestic violenceis not their fault and is not acceptable. In 2005, ten percentof children reported to JSO as having witnessed domesticviolence received counseling and assistance. This assistancecame from Helping At-Risk Kids (HARK), a Hubbard Houseprogram designed for children living with domestic violence.An analysis of more than 10,000 JSO crime reports madebetween 1995 and 2003 revealed that 43 percent ofJacksonville children who witnessed three acts of violencewere subsequently arrested as juveniles. Only .06 percent ofchildren are arrested as juveniles in the general population. 27Mental Health: National ContextAccording to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General,at any given time, twenty percent of U.S. children suffer from amental disorder. 28Children living in stressful environments are four times aslikely as other children to have high levels of behavioral andemotional problems. 29 According to the Urban Institute, halfof all children living in families with incomes below the federalpoverty level live in stressful family environments. 30Stigma attached to mental illness prevents adults andchildren with brain disorders from accessing help. In addition,most health insurance does not provide parity in services,which means family doctors pay less attention to the brainin comparison to other organs. Mental disorders are rarelyidentified by pediatricians, yet those occurring before theage of six can interfere with critical emotional and cognitivedevelopment, causing problems at home and school. 3126

Communities generally regard children’s mental health asa public-health concern or a social service. It often is notconsidered a health issue that affects the overall developmentof all children.Mental Health: Regional And Local ContextLocal prevalence of mental and emotional disorders canbe estimated by looking at indicators of stressful livingconditions. For example, the U.S. Census estimates that in2005, 9.3 percent of Duval County families lived below thepoverty level. 32The Surgeon General’s estimates suggest that twenty percentof children suffer from a mental-health disorder at any giventime, so if Duval County is typical of the nation, approximately26,700 Duval County Public School (DCPS) students sufferfrom a mental health disorder during an academic year.Chart 10 - Duval County Public School Students, 2004-05Duval County Public Schools cannot provide adequateservices to meet the mental-health needs of its students.In 2006, the ratio of DCPS guidance counselors in middleschools is 1:430 students. In high schools it is 1:405 students.Guidance counselors provide a comprehensive set of servicesthat create the conditions for academic progress with anemphasis on closing the achievement gap. The servicesprovided vary from school to school. At some elementaryschools, grief counseling is offered to students who havelost a family member. In addition, the guidance counselors atmost elementary, middle, and high schools offer success skillsclasses for students scoring below grade-level on the FCAT. Atanother school, the guidance counselor might offer substanceabuseclasses at night and provide career explorationopportunities during the day.In 2006, the ratio of school psychologists to students was1:2,500. Eighty-five percent of the workload of DCPS schoolpsychologists consists of evaluation and re-evaluation ofstudents receiving Special Education services, including 6,871students who are severely emotionally disturbed, emotionallydisturbed or at-risk for these diagnoses.Poor school behavior is one of the outcomes of insufficientservices to identify and assist with students’ emotionalproblems, especially in middle school. And an indicatorof poor school behavior is suspensions from school.In Duval County, these middle-school suspensions aremore frequent than in Orange (Orlando) or Hillsborough(Tampa) schools.Estimates based on Mental Health: a Report of the Surgeon General27

In-Depth Research Findings continued…Chart Eleven - Middle-school suspensions, 2005-06 Chart Twelve - Middle School Students in Arlington, 2005-06Source: Florida Department of EducationSource: DCPS, Data WarehouseMiddle school out-of-school suspensions—disciplinaryactions that might take a student out of school for up to tendays—also indicate the number of students disengaging fromacademic work.Data on behavior problems in Arlington schools give aglimpse at the number of students for whom behaviorproblems interfere with their school work. According toDCPS, in 2005-06:• 38 percent of ninth graders at Terry Parker were served anout-of-school suspension• Fifty percent of middle school students in Arlington wereserved an out-of-school suspension• 42 percent of middle school students in Arlington wereserved an in-school suspensionA student who repeatedly disrupts the classroom or threatensschool safety is moved to an alternative school for a ninety-dayperiod. The transfer is triggered by a level-three violation ofthe student code of conduct—a violent act, threat of violenceor possession of drugs. A student who commits five or moreviolations at level two, which includes pushing or striking astudent and possession of tobacco, will be transferred to analternative school, as well.In response to the lack of support for students with mental andemotional disorders, DCPS partners with the community toprovide school-based services for a portion of at-risk students.In 2005-06, 47,542 Duval County Public School students intargeted neighborhoods, or 37 percent of all students, wereeligible for no-cost mental and behavioral health servicesthrough Full Service Schools of Jacksonville, a communitycollaboration led by United Way. Begun in 1992, Full Service28

Schools of Jacksonville provides case management, mentaland behavioral health counseling, and access to health carethrough a partnership with St. Vincent’s Health System.Substance-abuse counseling and other services are identifiedannually through a needs assessment. Seven Full ServiceSchools are located in Duval County, each identified based onChart Thirteenneighborhood demographics and social indicators. The maincollaborative partners of Full Service Schools of Jacksonvilleare the Jacksonville Children’s Commission, Duval CountyPublic Schools and the Duval County Health Department.Each Full Service School serves approximately tenneighborhood schools, including the local highschool, middle schools feeding into the high school, andapproximately seven elementary schools feeding intothe middle schools. Each Full Service School is advisedby an oversight committee consisting of school faculty,local residents, business people and other communitystakeholders. The oversight committees conduct annualneighborhood needs-and-assets assessments and allocateapproximately $32,000 in neighborhood grants to help meetthe neighborhood needs.Based on the Surgeon General’s estimate that twenty percentof children suffer from a mental disorder, of the 47,542students eligible for mental-health services through FullService Schools, 9,508 are likely to need assistance. Of thosewho likely need assistance, 28 percent, or 2,654, received nocostmental or behavioral-health services through Full ServiceSchools of Jacksonville in 2005-06.Source: Full Service Schools of JacksonvilleOn average, one-third of the students who were assisted byFull Service Schools had committed two level-two or levelthreeviolations during their first marking period. They werecaught with drugs, vandalizing school property, stealing orstriking another student. In an evaluation of students whotook advantage of therapy or behavioral help, it was foundthat there was a significant decrease in offenses in 2005-06.On average, students who were served by Full Service Schoolscommitted 52 percent fewer serious offenses by the fourthmarking period. A sample of 300 students who receivedservices in 2005-06 demonstrates that more than half werepaying better attention in class; 43 percent improved theirability to complete assignments on time; and more than halfwere following rules better, as observed by the teacher orguidance counselor who referred the student for services.29

In-Depth Research Findings continued…Educational Expectations And A Culture OfLearning: National ContextIn many U.S. cities and communities, parents make possiblethe conditions for their own and for other people’s childrento “do better” in the next generation. In those communities,parents expect their children and other people’s children toattain more education, whether that means attending collegeor earning a professional degree.Adults’ expectations determine the importance that studentsplace on excelling in school. Research demonstrates acorrelation between family environment and students’expectations. “Adolescents from families with a highersocioeconomic status, whose parents have attained a higherlevel of education, and who have two parents living in thehome have all been documented to have higher educationalexpectations and aspirations.” 34 Expectations of parents areespecially important. “Adolescents whose parents hold higherexpectations… tend to have higher educational expectationsof themselves.” 35Educational Expectations And A Culture OfLearning: Regional And Local ContextPrevious generations of Florida students were required topass a test of minimal skills in order to graduate. With theFlorida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT), studentsmust improve their academic skills each year, demonstratingmastery of skills that were not required of previous generationsThis move away from social promotion and toward promotionbased on performance on high-stakes tests has revealed alarge portion of students who cannot perform at grade level.Table Three, below, shows the percentage of middle schoolstudents in Arlington, by grade level, who fail to perform atgrade level on the FCAT. It reveals that in 2006 nearly 1,000Arlington middle school students were not performing at gradelevel, according to the FCAT.Table ThreeStudents below grade level according to FloridaComprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) Reading, 2006# of studentsbelow grade levelFt. Caroline6th 173 56%7th 151 49%8th 194 65%School total 518 57%Arlington6th 149 54%7th 128 49%8th 179 73%School total 456 58%Total 975 57%% of studentsbelow grade levelSource: Florida Department of Education, http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatscor.aspIn 2005-06, 975—or 57 percent—of middle school studentsin Arlington, were not performing at grade level according tothe FCAT.of students. This increased expectation has meant that socialpromotion, or the passing of students lacking academic skills,has ended and retention is more common.30

Chart FourteenThe above measures of student performance indicate thenumber and percentage of Arlington middle school studentswho do not meet expectations, and the story does not stopthere. Many students meet the minimal expectations that theirfamilies and community hold for them. However, they lack avision for their future—how college or vocational educationfits within a vision of providing for a family.Source: Florida Department of Education, http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatscor.aspThere is another community expectation for Arlington sixthgraders. Duval County requires its sixth graders to maintain a1.5 GPA for promotion. Chart Fourteen shows that 119 Arlingtonsixth graders, or 21 percent, earned a GPA of 1.5 or lower in2005-06.Chart FifteenOne indicator of a community’s expectations for educationalattainment is the percentage of residents who have earned abachelor’s degree. For example, in 2005 29.5 percent of Tamparesidents had earned a bachelor’s degree. In Jacksonville,27.2 percent of residents had done the same. 36 Table Fourlists selected Southern cities and the percentage of residentsholding a bachelor’s degree.Table FourPercentage of residents 25+ years holding a bachelor’sdegree or higher, 2005CityAtlanta, GA 42.4%Charlotte, NC 38.8%Nashville, TN 31.7%Tampa, FL 29.5%Jacksonville, FL 27.2%Memphis, TN 22.2%Birmingham, AL 20.2%Percent residents holdingbachelor’s degree or higherSource: American Community Survey, http://factfinder.census.govSource: DCPS, Data Warehouse31

In-Depth Research Findings continued…The State of Florida surveys public school graduates sixmonths after graduation. In 2004-05, 85 percent of graduateswere surveyed. In Duval County, 69 percent of respondentsreported they were enrolled in college. This rate has increasedsince 1992, when the survey began.Disparities exist when it comes to attending college. Accordingto the Jacksonville Community Council’s Race RelationsProgress Report, there is a growing gap between races andethnicities, especially between white and black students.These indicators of educational attainment paint broad brushstrokes: Just over one-quarter of all residents had earned a bachelor’s degree, and while nearly two-thirds of whitestudents continue to college, just over one-half of blackstudents pursue higher education.Mobility: National ContextU.S. residents are mobile to begin with; however, theinstability of urban schools suggests a different kind ofmobility. Neighborhood poverty causes families to move tosafer areas and seek better housing. Also, student mobilitydue to financial crises contributes to absenteeism. 37 Besidesresidential moves, students from low-income neighborhoodsmight seek better schools and move for that reason. 38 Studiesof high school students have “found that school mobilitybetween the first and eighth grades increased the oddsof dropping out of school during high school even aftercontrolling for… other factors.” 39 While the community cannot prevent residential moves, it can help families and teachersmitigate the effects on students and classrooms.32

Mobility: Regional And Local ContextResearch by Educational Services and the University of Floridafound that mobile DCPS elementary students averaged 22unexcused absences in a year. That amounts to more thana month of school. Nearly half (47 percent) of students whomoved twice in a year failed at least one grade. 40In 2005-06, 16,000 DCPS students in kindergarten throughtwelfth grade moved in and out of schools more than sixtimes. 41 This means that one-eighth of all DCPS students areconsidered highly mobile. 42 In elementary schools, the facultyand school personnel are expected to form bonds with theyoung students over the course of an academic year. In highlymobile elementary schools, this expectation is compromised.For example, in 2005-06, 62 percent of students at Arlington’sJustina Road Elementary School who started in August werenot present in May. 43Retention: National ContextBeing held back a grade is a predictor for dropping out ofschool because students who are overage for their grade aremore likely to disengage from school. The Silent Epidemic, a2006 report on dropouts across the U.S., surveyed recent highschool dropouts. Thirty-two percent of dropouts in this surveyhad been required to repeat a grade. In addition, 57 percentof the dropouts reported that it was difficult to pass from onegrade to the next. 44 This research suggests that students whoare retained in high school are more likely to drop out thanthose who are promoted.One reason for this is that overage students frequently failto conceive of themselves as competent students. Whenfaced with academic challenges, they are less likely toovercome them.Some recent studies have begun to ask what the benefits areof retaining more students. A 2004 study of all Chicago PublicSchool third and sixth graders, Ending Social Promotion:The Effects of Retention, found that third graders “whoexperienced a full year of retention had a small boost inperformance the year after the retention decision with nosubstantial positive effects two years after.” 45 This studylooked at the performance of students two years after thedecision to retain them in order to describe the effects ofretention on their progress. It also looked at sixth gradersand found that retention has a more negative effect onthem as opposed to third graders. “Achievement growth ofretained sixth graders was 6 percent lower [as measured bythe Iowa Tests of Basic Skills] than that of their low-achievingcounterparts that were promoted.” 46A 2006 study of Florida’s low-performing third graders alsoasked about the effects of retention. Rather than analyzing testscores two years after the retention, the researchers examinedscores just one year after. They found that low-performing thirdgraders who were subject to a new retention policy achievedhigher levels on FCAT, compared to low-performing thirdgraders who were not retained. “At first glance our findingsseem inconsistent with [the] evaluations of Chicago’s program33

In-Depth Research Findings continued…of ending social promotion,” suggest the researchers. 47 Theywarn that because their study does not track students intotheir second year following the retention decision, it isimportant to follow “the progress of retained students inFlorida over time.” 47Retention: Regional And Local ContextA state policy requires all third graders to score at least one(out of five) on the FCAT for promotion to the fourth grade.A grade-point average (GPA) of at least 1.5 is required forpromotion to the seventh grade. Ninth graders are required topass all their core classes for promotion to tenth grade.In 2006, 2,380 DCPS students repeated third grade. 49 Unlessthey catch up to their peers, all of these students are at riskof not completing high school because they are overage fortheir grade.In May 2006, 3,763 students were repeating ninth grade. 51Of those, 2,220, or 59 percent, were repeating the grade forthe first time. 52 Ninth-grade students who are retainedbecause of failing one course repeat the failed course andattend ninth-grade homeroom, while moving ahead in theremainder of their subjects.Many students who fail a course attend summer school inorder to recover those credits. In 2003, summer school waseliminated, a move made by fifty other Florida school districtsthat year. As a result, thousands of students began payingfor summer school through private services. In summer2007, DCPS will offer credit-recovery opportunities to 720students who will use computer-aided instruction to re-takea course. They can work at any computer that has an Internetconnection. Since 720 slots do not meet the need for summerschool, priority will be given to eighth graders who failed oneIn 2005-06, 3,748 middle school students were retainedin DCPS. This amounts to thirteen percent of all middleschool students. 50In Florida, students younger than sixteen are violating thelaw if they do not attend school. Put another way, studentssixteen and older do not have to attend school. Many ninthand tenth graders who have been retained in middle schoolfind themselves retained again in high school, and rather thanstruggle through another year, they stop attending when theyturn sixteen.34

class that is holding them back from entering ninth grade.Seniors who lack just one credit in order to graduate will alsobe given priority. 53Ninth grade becomes a major obstacle for approximately 800students every year. In May 2006, 646 were in ninth gradefor the third time, and 154 were repeating ninth grade for thefourth, fifth, or sixth time. 54In Arlington, a little more than one quarter of all middle schoolstudents were retained in 2005-06. All of these 467 studentsare at risk of not completing high school. 55 Chart NineteenTruancy And Chronic Absenteeism:National ContextThe Silent Epidemic also found that eighty percent of therespondents described the reason for dropping out as “realSource: DCPS, Data Warehouselife events got in the way of school.” For many dropouts, aseries of seemingly uncontrollable family crises prevent themfrom attending school. As they miss more class time and find itmore difficult to catch up, they lose interest in completing highschool. The crises might be loss of a parent, a job, violencethat erupts in the home or neighborhood, or chronic illness inyounger siblings or adult family members.Most communities in the U.S. offer assistance to families incrisis. They might be assisted with short-term counseling andIn the past, more than a quarter of sixth graders in Arlingtonmiddle schools were retained. In 2006, Arlington MiddleSchool retained a smaller percentage than Fort CarolineMiddle School.therapy, substance-abuse treatment, transitional housing,economic benefits, or job training. However, access to helpcomes slowly in most cases. Waiting lists and eligibilityprocedures take time, so families frequently resolve their35

In-Depth Research Findings continued…immediate crises before community assistance is madeavailable. As a result, the problem is temporarily addressed,Chart Twenty-Onewhile the root causes of the family problems remain untreated.The families rarely perceive themselves as unstable orchronically troubled because they view their crises as partof life’s struggles. School personnel and social workers, onthe other hand, view these crises as episodes in a chronicproblem, such as substance abuse, domestic violence or both.Truancy And Chronic Absenteeism:Regional And Local ContextAccording to guidance counselors and truancy officers at EdWhite and Raines High Schools, students miss school formany reasons, including working a job, caring for chronicallyill family members (adults and children), caring for youngersiblings, being homeless, feeling embarrassed and ashamedthat they cannot read well enough to pass ninth grade, havingno alarm clock, and being bored with classes.Enforcement of attendance policy is left to the discretionof school leaders, allowing for variation in the method ofcontacting parents (i.e., postcard, phone call and letter) and inthe number of absences that triggers action.Middle schools in Duval County have higher percentages ofchronically absent students (those missing 21 or more days)when compared to elementary or high schools. Fourteenpercent of middle-school students missed more than a monthof school in 2004-05. Comparable percentages for elementaryand high school students are 8.6 and 9.6, respectively. 56 Source: DCPS, Data WarehouseDuval County has a nationally recognized intervention programtargeted to chronically-absent students. It is led by the StateAttorney’s Office. The Truancy Arbitration Program (TAP)has been found effective by the National Center for SchoolEngagement, in research funded by the Colorado Foundationfor Families and Children. 57 Of 44 cases studied, the meannumber of unexcused absences decreased from ten to two as aresult of participation in TAP. 58TAP involves social workers who inform parents of theirstudents’ absences and arrange meetings between parentsand school personnel. Attendance contracts are frequentlydrawn up to make students accountable as well. For casesin which parents of elementary-aged students fail to bringtheir children to school regularly, the parents are arrested.In the past eleven years, 141 parents have been arrested fortheir child’s lack of school attendance. When arrests make the36

news, attendance improves. Seventy-seven percent of parentsparticipating in TAP said that the possibility of arrest affectedtheir motivation to improve their child’s attendance.Out-Of-School Time: National ContextResearch demonstrates that:• Students who work more than twenty hours perweek during the academic year have lower levels ofachievement• Adolescents who participate in extracurricular activitieshave higher levels of achievement• Time spent watching television has little effect onlong-term academic achievementOut-Of-School Time: Regional And Local ContextOver 67 percent of Duval County mothers with minor childrenwork outside the home, and lack of supervision betweenthe end of the school day and the time parents arrive homecan have serious consequences. 60 It is directly after school,at approximately 3:00 p.m., that youth are most likely to bearrested or to engage in risky behaviors such as drinking,using drugs, fighting or becoming sexually active. 61According to the Jacksonville Children’s Commission (JCC),8,000 low-income children attended an after-school programwith a subsidy in 2006. This amounts to just twenty percentof all low-income children who could benefit from such aprogram. A 2005 JCC analysis of the gaps in after-schoolprogramming found that in ZIP Code 32210 (on the city’sWestside) 93 percent of low-income children were not in a free,five-day academic after-school program. Similarly, 99 percentof low-income children in Mayport are not in a similar afterschoolprogram.In 2005-06, 5,267 elementary and middle school studentsattended TEAM UP after-school programs at 24 schools. Mostof the students enrolled in TEAM UP are from low-incomefamilies and in need of extra academic help. Eighty-onepercent are academically challenged and 83 percent areeligible for free and reduced-price lunch.For many parents of elementary-aged students, after-schoolcare is a priority, and they make needed arrangements. As aresult, TEAM UP is offered at many, but not all, elementaryschools. All DCPS middle schools have a TEAM UP programbecause parents have fewer opportunities for after-school carefor children ages twelve to fourteen, and they are less likelyto provide quality supervised care. By the time students reachhigh school, many of them choose to work after school orpursue other interests such as sports. There are no TEAM UPprograms in DCPS high schools.JCC provides TEAM UP and also funds agencies that operatevarious after-school programs at an additional 24 communitysites (e.g. apartment complexes, community centers andagencies). In 2005-06, the Jacksonville Children’s Commissionspent $7 million to fund 72 after-school programs for lowincomeyouth. The Commission estimates that it would cost$50 million to enroll all low-income youth in a quality afterschoolprogram.37

In-Depth Research Findings continued…In 2002-04, the National Institute of Out of School Timeconducted a three-year study of JCC’s TEAM UP program. Thestudy compared students in the same school who did notattend TEAM UP against those who did attend for at least thirtydays. Those who attended TEAM UP:• Achieved higher FCAT scores in math and reading• Had better attendance records• Were more likely to be promoted to the next grade• Earned higher grade-point averages• Had fewer discipline referralsRole Models: National ContextPsychologists and sociologists have long wondered why somechildren overcome a dangerous and difficult childhood whileothers are scarred by it. To answer the question, experts lookfor intangible forces within and around a child who succeeds.These intangibles are termed assets, social capital andprotective factors.The mentoring movement has seized upon the convergenceof research on assets, social capital and protective factors.A 1996 finding that “perhaps the single most importantprotective factor for development among at-risk children is apositive relationship with at least one caring adult” has alsostrengthened the mentoring movement. 6238

At-risk youth live in neighborhoods where high rates ofincarceration and divorce reduce the available social capital.Teachers work in their schools for three years or less and thenmove on to schools where teaching is less demanding. Highrates of faculty turnover increase the likelihood that studentsin low-performing schools will fail to bond with a caring,supportive adult other than a parent.A synthesis of evaluations and results from ten differentmentoring programs across the U.S. found thatmentoring produces:• Significant reductions in absences• Higher college participation• Better school attitudes and behavior• Less drug and alcohol use (especially amongminority youth)• Less likelihood of hitting others• Less likelihood of committing misdemeanorsor felonies and major offenses• More positive attitudes toward elders• Improved parental relationships and support from peers. 63Role Models: Regional And Local ContextResearchers at Florida State University (FSU)havedemonstrated links between mentoring services andacademic achievement by matching Big Brothers Big Sistersand Take Stock in Children mentees with student-data recordskept by the Florida Department of Education. However,the study did not find that mentoring produces significantacademic gains in all students. Between 2000-2002, of theseven grade levels included (fourth through tenth), only fourthand seventh graders who were mentored through Big BrothersBig Sisters showed greater academic gains on the FloridaComprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) than the control group. 64The study did find that the school attendance and behavior ofmentees did improve. Between 2001 and 2004, the averageattendance of students mentored by Big Brothers Big Sistersincreased from 84 percent to 93 percent. The rate of mentoredstudents who served an out-of-school suspension decreasedfrom nine percent to six percent. 65Mentor Jax, an initiative of the City of Jacksonville, was recentlyestablished as the city’s clearinghouse for volunteers seekinga youth mentee. Mentor Jax is a coalition of 22 agenciesthat prepares and matches mentors with children who needand want one. The coalition is committed to increasing thequality, quantity and retention of mentors in our communityas well as to sharing best practices and standards with oneanother in order to strengthen all youth-serving agencies.Kesler Mentoring Connection (KMC), a local nonprofitorganization, supports 47 mentoring programs by performingbackground checks, providing mentor orientation and training,and raising awareness of mentoring throughout Jacksonville. In2005-06, KMC trained and screened 1,223 volunteer mentors.According to KMC, 1,841 youth are being mentored by their47 partner agencies, including Take Stock in Children andBig Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida, which togethermanage the majority of mentors. By contrast, in 2004-05,12,671 students in DCPS missed more than 21 days of school—an indicator of disengagement from school and a predictor ofdropping out.39

In-Depth Research Findings continued…The actual number of youth being mentored is higher becauseKMC data do not include Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and othersorganizations including many religious institutions. Moreover,it is not known what percentage of the total amount ofmentoring is actually documented by KMC.While every mentoring agency or program can identify youthResearch suggests that positive results obtain when amentoring program ensures continuous monitoring of programresults, ongoing training of mentors, structured activities formentors and youth, clear expectations for frequent contact,mechanisms to support parents’ involvement, and longerrelationships (twelve months or more). 66who could benefit from a mentor, only some maintain a waitinglist of youth. Big Brothers Big Sisters reports 200 youth on itswaiting list.40

ConclusionIncreasing the rate of high school graduation is critical toour community’s wellbeing. Dropping out of high schoolresults in cyclical poverty, increased community violenceand lack of family stability. Completing high school is ofcritical importance for the future of individual studentsin Northeast Florida and for our community’s ability toattract and retain high-paying employers. Just as there isno magic wand to resolve this issue, no organization willbe successful working alone. United Way is committed totargeted collaboration with Duval County Public Schools, citygovernment, the Jacksonville Children’s Commission, TheCommunity Foundation in Jacksonville, the State Attorney’sOffice, and other community partners working in this area ofvital importance.United Way’s commitment to this critical issue is long-term. Theproblems our community faces today developed over decades.A Call To ActionThe causes of low student achievement in our area are nowclearer than ever. And the path to helping students achieve isbeing mapped out daily by countless people with a selflessdedication to our children, our community and our future. UnitedWay of Northeast Florida is determined to stand shoulder-toshoulderwith all those who hold out the torch of hope.We need you to stand with us. The challenges are enormous,but the will to succeed far surpasses them. Our plan is clear, andour confidence is high. But without your generous contributionof time, talent and gifts, little will be accomplished. TheUnited Way motto is What Matters. And the thing thatmatters most is pulling together as one to conquer andprevail over our challenges.To learn more about United Way’s work on this critical initiativeand how you can help, please call 904-390-3200.United Way will report to the community the results of its workand share the knowledge gained through implementation ofthis pilot project with community stakeholders, increasingthe success of all efforts. As additional resources are secured,United Way will implement this strategy in more high-dropoutrateneighborhoods until the day when we achieve ourcollective goal of seeing all students graduate from high school.This community dream can be achieved, and United Way iscommitted to working with critical community partners andinvesting significant resources to make this dream a reality.41

ResourcesAdams, Afesa. Mentoring Design and Effectiveness. Presentation to JCCI studycommittee, December 2003.Adelman, Howard S. and Linda Taylor. Mental Health in Schools and PublicHealth. Public Health Reports. May-June 2006. Vol. 121. http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/publications/56 Mental Health in Schools and PublicHealth.pdfBalfanz, Robert and Lisa Herzog. “Keeping Middle Grades Students on Trackto Graduation: Initial Analysis and Implications.” PhiladelphiaEducation Fund. 2006. http://www.philaedfund.org/powerpoint/dropoutresearch_4.06.ppt#256,1,Keeping Middle Grades Students OnTrack to GraduationBarton, Paul. One-Third of a Nation: Rising Dropout Rates and DecliningOpportunities. Educational Testing Service, 2005. www.ets.org/Media/Education_Topics/pdf/onethird.pdfBridgeland, John M., John J. Dilulio, Jr., and Karen Burke Morison. The SilentEpidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts. Civic Enterprises,LLC. March 2006. http://www.civicenterprises.net/pdfs/thesilentepidemic3-06.pdfChalk, Rosemary, Alison Gibbons, and Harriet J. Scarupa. “The MultipleDimensions of Child Abuse and Neglect: New Insights into an OldProblem.” ChildTrends Research Brief. May 2002. http://www.childtrends.org/files/ChildAbuseRB.pdfConfronting the Graduation Rate Crisis in the South. The Civil Rights Project atHarvard University. May 2005. http://www.civilrightsproject.harvard.edu/research/dropouts/dropouts_south05.pdfCotton, Kathleen and Karen Reed Wikelund. “Parent Involvement in Education.”School Improvement Research Series (SIRS) Northwest RegionalEducational Laboratory. http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/3/cu6.htmlData Warehouse, Duval County Public Schools.Dryfoos, Joy. Adolescents at Risk: Prevalence and Prevention. New York: OxfordUniversity Press, 1990.Eckenrode, J. et al. “School Performance and Disciplinary Problems AmongAbused and Neglected Children.” Developmental Psychology. Vol. 29.1993.Florida School Indicators Report. Florida Department of Education. http://data.fldoe.org/fsir/Florida School Readiness Uniform Screening System. State Report ofDistrict Results. Fall 2005. http://firn.edu/doe/sas/pdf/srussreportdistrictresults05.pdfGreene, Jay P. and Marcus A. Winters. Leaving Boys Behind: Public High SchoolGraduation Rates. Table 1. http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/cr_48.htmGrise, Phllip, et al. Mentoring in Florida: School Year 2003-04. Florida MentoringPartnership. January 2006.http://www.flamentoring.org/pdfs/Full_Report_2003_2004.pdfGutman, Leslie Morrison and Carol Midgley. “The Role of Protective Factorsin Supporting the Academic Achievement of Poor African-AmericanStudents During the Middle School Transition.” Journal of Youth andAdolescence. 29.2 (April 2000).Henderson, Anne T. and Karen L. Mapp. A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact ofSchool, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement.Annual Synthesis 2000. Southwest Educational DevelopmentLaboratory. www.sedl.org/connectionsJekielek, Susan, Kristin A. Moore, and Elizabeth C. Hair. Mentoring Programs andYouth Development: A Synthesis. ChildTrends. 2002. http://www.childtrends.org/what_works/clarkwww/mentor/mentorrpt.pdfKerbow, David. Patterns of Urban Student Mobility and Local School Reform.Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk.University of Chicago, October 1996.Learning to Finish Graduation Rate Worksheet. Community Foundation ofJacksonville. 2007.Martinez, Judith and Ken Seeley. Presentation to HARSA Partnership. December4, 2006.McGillivray, Heather and Krystina Finlay. “Comprehensive Truancy InterventionSpells Success for Jacksonville Students.” National Center for SchoolEngagement. September 2005. http://www.schoolengagement.org/TruancypreventionRegistry/Admin/Resources/Resources/45.pdfMental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. 1999. United States Departmentof Health and Human Services. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/home.htmlMitchell, Tia. “Summer School’s Back, Sort of, Students Will Make up Classes viaComputers, not Classrooms.” Florida Times-Union. April 28, 2007.Moore, Kristin Anderson and Sharon Vandivere. Stressful Family Lives: Childand Parent Well-Being. Urban Institute. http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/anf_b17.pdfNagaoka, Jenny and Melissa Roderick. “Ending Social Promotion: The Effects ofRetention.” Consortium on Chicago School Research. March 2004.http://ccsr.uchicago.edu/content/publications.php?pub_id=12Non-Promotions in Florida’s Public Schools. Florida Department of Education.http://www.firn.edu/doe/eias/eiaspubs/briefs.htmO’Keefe, Maura and Shirley Lebovics. “Adolescents from Maritally ViolentHomes.” The Prevention Researcher. Vol. 12(1). 2005. http://www.tpronline.orgPerry, B.D. Effects of Traumatic Events on Children. The Child Trauma Academy.2003.Pinkham, Paul and Jeff Brumley. “Did the System Fail?” Florida Times-Union.January 16, 2007. www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/011607/met_day3_system.shtmlPresident’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. U.S. Department ofSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services. 2003. http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov/reports/FinalReport/FullReport-05.htmRedd, Zakia, Jennifer Brooks, and Ayelish McGarvey. “Background forCommunity-Level Work on Educational Adjustment, Achievementand Attainment in Adolescence: Reviewing the Literature onContributing Factors.” ChildTrends. http://www.childtrends.org/files/KEducationES.pdfReducing Murder: A Community Response. Jacksonville Community Council Inc.2006. http://www.jcci.org.Rumberger, Russell W. “Student Mobility and Academic Achievement.” ERICDigest. June 2002 EDO-PS-02-1.Schweinhart, Lawrence J. The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study through Age 40:Summary, Conclusions, and Frequently Asked Questions. High/ScopeEducational Research Foundation. http://www.highscope.orgSum, Andrew, et. al. The Educational Attainment of the Nation’s Young BlackMen and Their Recent Labor Market Experiences: What Can Be Doneto Improve Their Future Labor Market and Educational Prospects?Center for Labor Market Studies, Northeastern University, MA: 2007.http://www.clms.neu.edu/publication/documents/Ed_Attainment_of_Black_Males.pdfU.S. Census. American Community Survey. American FactFinder. http://factfinder.census.govU.S. Census 2000. Summary File 3, Table 45. http://www.census.govWarner, Beth S. and Mark D. Weist. “Urban Youth as Witnesses to Violence:Beginning Assessment and Treatment Efforts.” Journal of Youth andAdolescence. Vol. 25, No. 3. June 1996.What You Need to Know and Do to Truly Leave No Child Behind: An ActionGuide. 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Endnotes1Perry.2p. 3. Schweinhart.3JCCI 2006.4SRUSS 2005.5JCCI 2006.6Barton.7p.19. Confronting the Graduation Rate Crisis.8Balfanz.9Balfanz.10Pinkham and Brumley.11p.20. Confronting.12Greene and Winters.13Adelman and Taylor, p.296.14Alternative Education Programs, DCPS.15Cotton and Wikelund.16p.116. Gutman and Midgley.17p.118. Ibid.18Rodriguez and Seeley.19p. 7. Henderson and Mapp.20p.61. Ibid.21Eckenrode, J. et al.22p. 4. Chalk, et al.23p. 361. Warner and Weist.24p.3. O’Keefe.25p.26. JCCI 2006.26JCCI 2005.27p.30. Ibid.28Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General.29p.3-4, Ibid.30p.1, Moore and Vandivere.31President’s New Freedom Commission.32American Community Survey. 2005.33DCPS, Data Warehouse.34p. 5. Redd.35Ibid.36American Community Survey. 2005.37Dryfoos.38Kerbow.39Rumberger.40Wilburn41DCPS Data Warehouse.42Ibid.43Ibid.44p.7. Silent Epidemic.45p.3. Nagaoka and Roderick.46Ibid.47p.69, Greene and Winters.48Ibid.49DCPS, Data Warehouse.50Non-Promotions.51Ibid.52Ibid.53Mitchell.54DCPS, Data Warehouse.55Non-Promotions.56Florida School Indicators Report.57McGillivary and Finlay.58p. 4. Ibid.59p.7. Redd.60U.S. Census, Table P45.61p. 42. State of Jacksonville’s Children.62Scales and Gibbons cited in Jekielek, et.al. p.1-2.63Jekielek, et.al. p. 21.64Grise, et. al. p.50.65Ibid.66Adams.43

United Way of Northeast Florida Volunteer LeadershipBoard of TrusteesCyrus M. Jollivette, ChairBlue Cross and Blue Shield of FloridaMike CasconeBlue Cross and Blue Shieldof Florida, RetiredE. Gary CookIntegrated EnvironmentalTechnologies, LLCStephen GoldmanBank of AmericaA. Hugh GreeneBaptist HealthSteven T. HalversonThe Haskell CompanyDonna HarperSystems Logistics Company, LLCRobert HelmsWachovia Bank, N.A.Eric HolshouserCoffman, Coleman,Andrews & Grogan, P.A.R. Travis StoreyKPMG, LLPKevin M. TwomeyCommunity VolunteerRobert M. WaltersMayo ClinicDelores Barr WeaverJacksonville Jaguars FoundationEx-Officio Members:Michael J. Korn, Board of DirectorsKorn & ZehmerJon Heymann, UWADA RepresentativeCommunities in Schools of JacksonvilleBoard of DirectorsMichael J. Korn, ChairKorn & ZehmerVickie P. CaveyJEAJan CottaveState Farm Insurance CompaniesBarbara DrakeCommunity VolunteerCynthia FitzgeraldFidelity National FinancialJohn GieseJ. R. Giese Operations, LLCSusan GoldenParkwood Heights ElementarySusan GreeneNemours Children’s ClinicLynn JarrettCSX Transportation, Inc.Paul G. JenningsSt. Vincent’s Health SystemAllison LyonsMayo ClinicOday MickelOMSYS Services, Inc.Fred McGinnisMcGinnis & AssociatesJames E. MurphyCitiStreetKathy OrrOrr & AssociatesDeborah PassATS Services, Inc.David PizzoBlue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida44

Jim ShurlingTeamsters Local Union 512Dwaine StevensPublix Super Markets, Inc.Mark SwinkFirst Coast Service OptionsCharlene Taylor HillJacksonville Human Rights CommissionJohn ThomasCommunity VolunteerJudith T. WalzVyStar Credit UnionEx-Officio Members:Community Impact CouncilSusan Golden, ChairParkwood Heights Elementary SchoolMike CasconeRetired, Blue Cross Blue Shield of FloridaBarbara DrakeCommunity VolunteerPaul JenningsSt. Vincent’s Health SystemMichael KornKorn & Zehmer, PAPat SamsCommunity VolunteerA. Hugh Greene, 2006 Campaign ChairBaptist HealthJon Heymann, UWADA RepresentativeCommunities in Schools of Jacksonville45

Uniting people and resources in buildinga stronger and healthier community.904.390.3200 | aboutunitedway.orgThank you to our generous United Way donors for helping makelasting changes for children and families across Northeast Florida.That’s what matters.