An alarming number of America’s young people are ill prepared to carry out their civic duties and compete in the 21st century. This report, entitled Reclaiming our Nation’s Youth, brings attention to a population of young people referred to as “”disconnected youth.””
The report reveals that 5.2 million American youth between the ages of 18 to 24 do not have a high school diploma, and millions more are not attending school and not working. This report also identifies 4.4 million young people within the same age span that are not attending school, not working, and possess no degree beyond high school. In addition, 1.4 million American teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 are neither in school nor working.
In addition to providing a state-by-state breakdown of these numbers, the report also includes information about the RAISE UP Act (Reengaging Americans in Serious Education by Uniting Programs). This piece of legislation calls for broad local partnerships to integrate existing, often disparate services into the dropout recovery system at the local level.