The Last Dropout A Model for Creating Educational Equity

by Milliken, Bill; Carter, Jimmy; Carter, Rosalynn

• ISBN13: 9781401919030
• ISBN10: 1401919030
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-09-18
• Publisher: Hay House Inc.

Summary

The Last Dropout offers nine key principles proven to prevent high-school students from dropping out. Communities In Schools--which reaches more than one million at-risk students and their families annually-- has tested these principles over three decades. Interwoven are the dramatic life stories of CIS founder Bill Milliken and his colleagues, a journey that began in the turbulent 1960s as youth workers with a spiritual mission struggled to turn around the lives of dropouts and addicts. It traces the evolution of the CIS movement from a handful of groundbreaking "street academies" to a national network of hundreds of local affiliates. The Last Dropout also features stories about how CIS leaders have adopted these principles in their own communities, with stunning results.

Author Biography

Bill Milliken has been a tireless advocate for disenfranchised youth and one of the foremost pioneers in the movement to connect schools with community resources to help troubled students graduate and succeed in life. In 1977, he and others developed a model organization, now known as Communities In Schools, for which he served more than 20 years as national president and currently is vice chairman of the board. Bill has advised four U.S. Presidents of both parties and has received numerous awards, including the Edward A. Smith Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership, the Champion for Children Award from the American Association of School Administrators, the National Caring Award from the Caring Institute, the Temple Award for Creative Altruism from the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and an honorary doctorate from Bard College.

Table of Contents

What Is Communities In Schools?	p. xvii
Foreword	p. xix
Introduction: Dropout Nation	p. xxi
It All Starts with Relationships
Programs Don't Change Kids-Relationships Do	p. 3
Why the Dropout Crisis Isn't Just an Education Issue	p. 17
Before the Three R's...the Real Basics	p. 39
In Search of Community
Bureaucratic, Fragmented, and Duplicative-or Personal, Accountable, and Coordinated?	p. 55
The "Magic Eyes" of a Champion for Children	p. 81
The Third Side of the Triangle	p. 103
From Charity to Change
A New Way of Thinking about Schools	p. 129
Going to Scale-the Evidence Is In	p. 143
From Awareness to Advocacy to Action-Stop the Epidemic!	p. 175
Prepared for Life...CIS Student Success Stories	p. 201
Communities In Schools-State and Local Locations	p. 211
How to Get Involved	p. 215
Research on Asset-Based Approaches	p. 227
Endnotes	p. 231
In Recognition	p. 235
Acknowledgments	p. 239
About the Author	p. 241
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