Teen Fathers

Topic: Ending the Cycle of Poverty

 Ending the Cycle of Poverty

Problem:

Over 50% of Male Students from the three largest minority populations live in single-parent households (especially, African-American, were our report’s statistics show over 80% live in fatherless households). Which, exposes them to non-tradition family development patterns.

National Average Single-Parent Households: 35%
White American: 25%
African-American: 66%
Asian American: 16%
Hispanic American: 42%
Native American: 52%

Causes:

Family Planning (Unprotected Sex)

Non Career Planning (Poor Money Management Skills)

Negative Peer Pressure (Poor Social Skills)

How the 100% Graduation Rate Program Address the Problem:

  1. We met with the student and their parent to sign a 4-year agreement to graduate on time.
  2. We held 12 after-school training sessions on Economics and the US Legal System for 9th graders.
  3. We held 18 after-school training sessions on Academic Preparation, Social Skills and Job Readiness for 10th graders.
  4. We help place students in summer job programs or help find them summer jobs from 9th grade to 11th grade.
  5. We developed an after high school plan with our students in the 11th grade.
  6. We conducted monthly in-school sessions on Career Planning, College Readiness, Family Development, and Money Management with guest speakers for 11th and 12th graders.
  7. We brought in State Child Support Officers to speak with our junior class.
  8. We developed a self-evaluation chart for each graduation class.

100% Graduation Rate Program Results:

Camden, New Jersey – **Program Participants Group B (105) compared to Program Sample Group A (105)

The Male Program participants had a 8% lower Teen Father Rate. Compared to the City’s sample group of males – 2% (2 out of 105) to 10% (10 out of 105).

**Selection Process:
Each year, the City’s two largest high schools – Camden High and Woodrow Wilson – Guidance Departments selected 15 incoming high school freshmen for the program. These students were classified as at-risk, based on having grades below C in Math and/or Reading, or had a poor student behavior problem.

The students were then randomly assigned to a Program Group- A (Non-treatment) or Group B (Program Treatment) – based on their seating during the program’s orientation.

Our Recommendations:

School Districts should improve their health, sex-education training, by:

  • including money management training with their sex-education course.
  • working with state and local health departments in conducting child support workshops.
  • allowing students to have access to safe-sex materials, with parental consent forms, signed at the parent’s home.