YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICANS MALES HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT

Young African Americans Males High School Dropout

TABLE OF CONTENT

INTRODUCTION3

PART I: FACTORS AFFECTING YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT5

Young African Americans Males and Grade Failure/Retention7

Young African Americans Males and Special Education Referrals8

Young African Americans Males and Behavior9

Young African Americans Males and Poverty11

Young African Americans Males and Foster Care12

Young African Americans Males, Peers, and Gangs12

Young African Americans Males and Crime13

Young African Americans Males and Suicide15

School-Community-Student Related Factors17

PART II: REMOVING BARRIERS TO YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICANS MALES EDUCATION COMPLETION18

High Quality and Individualized Instruction19

Responsive Schools20

Teacher Training and Professional Development21

Involving Parents21

Safe Schools22

Curricular and Extracurricular Activities23

CONCLUSION24

REFERENCES25

Young African Americans Males High School Dropout

Introduction

One of the greatest risks to high school dropout today is being male (Bozo, 2002; Bushnik, 2003; Bushnik et al., 2004, Kipnis, 1999), for young men face difficult and troubled existences in today's society. Statistics indicate that Young African Americans Males are three to five times more likely than girls to have learning and/or reading disabilities (Levine, 2003b; Smale, 2001; Smith & Wilhelm, 2002). Of the estimated 500,000 to 1 million Young African Americans Males who annually dropout of US high schools, over 55% are Young African Americans Males (Brozo, 2002). Although about the same percentage of males and Young African Americans Males return to school after dropping out, given the fact that there are more males dropping out, the proportion of males without a high school diploma is still higher (Bushnik et al., 2004). Young African Americans Males have higher rates of substance abuse (Brozo, 2002; Kipnis, 1999; Littky, 2004; Smale, 2001; Smith & Wilhelm, 2002), are assaulted more (Kipnis, 1999; Samuelson & Antony, 2003; Smale, 2001), and receive more Young African Americans Males suspensions, expulsions, grade failures, and special education referrals (Brozo, 2002; Kipnis, 1999; Smale, 2001; Smith & Wilhelm, 2002). The bulk of children in foster care are male (Daniels et al., 2003; Kipnis, 1999; Smith & Wilhelm, 2002), as are the majority of children abused, neglected, or murdered (Kipnis, 1999). Problems are compounded when more than one risk factor is present in a young boy's life, such as a broken home, abuse and neglect, child poverty, parental substance abuse, corporal punishment, father absence, lack of male mentors, ineffectual education, and criminality (Brozo, 2002; Kipnis, 1999; Reid, 2000; Smale, 2001; Smith & Wilhelm, 2002; Wotherspoon & Schissel, 2001). “Society has largely pursued ineffective strategies for care and restoration of young men at risk” (Kipnis, 1999, p. 5). Addressing adolescent Young African Americans Males' needs is urgent because males commit all but a small percentage of homicides, are more likely to be victims of violent crime, commit suicide at an alarming rate, and make up the majority of drug addicts and homeless (Kipnis, 1999; Levine, 2003b; Reid, 2000; Smale, 2001).

In section one of this part of the literature review, the literature on local school and community demographics and characteristics will be further examined as it relates to the risk-factors for African American males described in Part ...