Title: Panel Pushes For Increasing Mandatory School Age To 18

" This is the WBUR news podcast for Wednesday October 21 disservice of WBUR. Boston's NPR news station I'm Bob -- coming up. The impact of FaceBook and other social networks on the investigation into a gruesome murder recently in tiny mount Vernon New Hampshire. And first today. Students must stay in school through age eighteen. That's the key recommendation of a new report due out today from a state panel that's looking to reduce the dropout rate in Massachusetts. The graduation and dropout prevention and recovery commission as it's called says raising the compulsory age from sixteen is just one way of having the number of students who leave school before graduation. Currently about 10000 drop out across the commonwealth each year. Reporter Monica Brady-Myerov worked on a series of WBUR reports in the spring called project drop out. And she joins us this morning talk about today's long awaited report on the issue Monica good morning thanks good morning Bob let's go right to the the key recommendation that the state should raise the compulsory attendance age the drop -- age from sixteen to eighteen well why does the commission. Think this will work."

" Well they think it'll work because it'll make kids think a little longer before they drop out. Yeah of the commission points out that it's sixteen years old these kids are minors and they really shouldn't be allowed to make decisions that affect their entire future. The commission recommends putting in a gradual raising of the age adding when you're seventeen and then later adding eighteen years. And then saying that it also won't work without a lot of supports and programs to help those who are most at risk of dropping out and also. Enforcing the law to make the kids stay in school because it's really looked at studies that show other states who have seventeen or eighteen year old mandatory age of attendance. They don't necessarily solve the problem of dropping out it sounds like it has to come along with a lot supports."

" So give a given that what are the other strategies that the panel recommends as ways of cutting the drop out rate in half within five years."

" To very ambitious goal and the commission ports fourth several strategies including expanding a pilot program that's called an early warning system. You know research shows you can identify students as early as third grade and -- if they're unable to read at grade level that they're at risk of dropping out and -- sixth grade. If they -- attendance rate that's below 90%. There probability of dropping out goes up as well than by eighth grade if you're doing poorly in and -- switching schools a -- Researchers know what these indicators are the problem is educators aren't sharing them so -- kid goes from eighth grade to ninth grade and none of that history follows them. So there's a pilot program underway by the state in 24 school districts that gives the ninth grade levels teachers. The specifics to these kids are what their problems are. And then -- and supports so that these kids don't get lost in the system this record as saying we need to focus on this we need to expand this program. Because right now when you're not sharing information it doesn't help anyone and the commission's chair Massachusetts education secretary Paul rebel. Says the ramifications of this spread beyond the individual student."

" Each student drops out of school book constitutes. Of failure the education system a personal tragedy and Milosevic commonwealth."

" So given what secretary revel says Monica what about those students have already dropped out. The commission says step up targeted intervention use coaches and mentors with students who are struggling. Really show them how school connects to college in college connects to career because a lot of these students. Don't really see how high school applies to their lives. And it also recommends really beefing up active recovery. And when I reported these -- series of reports in the spring for the project drop out series the one thing that struck me is after talking to dozens of dropouts. Most of them said they really regretted dropping out one guy and then Antonio rose in Chelsea. The regret expressed is really typical."

" And on this the -- will be to get by without a diploma. -- on my cousins uncles everybody in my family and a lot of people have graduated now a lot of people have high school diplomas. So -- what I was gonna be expecting. Now that drought -- not gotten an employee Matt regrets. I wish like I was still in school. I was so finished that would -- in my life -- life easier."

" Bob there are already some promising things happening for this programs that show you can re engage students like Antonio. For instance the Boston private industry council has. Drop -- recovery specialist and these are guys who get the names of every kiddies dropped out and -- public school system and they called on and they find them and they talked to them and say why why are you coming back what happened what can we do. Boston also recently opened their re engagement center where now. These students can come to the center get assessed sort of look at what went wrong where should they go back into school it's really not that easy. To get back into assistant that you rejected. The other thing that report recommends is expanding alternative education this is shown to work these -- alternative schools to high school that offer flexible learning time. And more attention to the students the commission says these are great they really work -- 12000 students in the state who want access to them. But they're currently not well funded and that they're very very expensive. Monica of the kids who drop out do we know how many actually returned to school and what the commission's hopes are for increasing that number. I don't believe the state is tracking that overall right now. And the commission's hopes are to take that 10000 students each year who drop out and make that only 5000 now that'll increase. Capacity a lot of this is going to cost a lot of money because that you need chairs for the students in need teachers you need a lot supports because. There are many problems they're facing both inside and out of school. But right now the state just really isn't tracking it well enough and and looking at how best to engage students and get them back into the system."

" And you mention money given that the programs the commission wants to implement -- going to be expensive how does it imagine the State's going to will afford them."

" The commission didn't say how much all this is going to cost and the panel does recommend -- reach out to nonprofits and philanthropist for help. Because already in this budget crisis programs for drop out have been cut. But the report from this commission really points up the consequences of this. That the state has a lot to lose drop -- are less likely have a job if they do. They're like leader earned less than people who have a a degree they're more likely to be on public assistance so the whole tone of this is that even in this difficult budget time. This is a pressing problem it needs the resource is devoted to it if the commonwealth wants to have a skilled workforce."

" WBUR as Monica Brady-Myerov thanks a lot you're welcome and a New Hampshire judge his considering whether to release information that led to the arrest of four teenagers for the recent brutal murder of a woman. That rocked the tiny New Hampshire town of mark -- 42 year old Kimberly Cates was stabbed to death in her home earlier this month her eleven year old daughter -- also injured in the attack was able to call 911. Jamie was released from a hospital in Boston last week. It took police two days to arrest the teenage suspects but the online rumor mill identified them almost immediately. As WBUR first ever -- reports."

" Chris today kiss and her seventeen year old daughter of Amherst New Hampshire have been reading too much of the online writing about that -- murder and about the suspects two of them they know personally. -- this month it uses an honest us with a whole picture of him when he's still won't. Deacon says online teens identified the four suspects nineteen year old Christopher -- eighteen year old Billy marks and seventeen year old Steven -- and queen Glover. That day of the murder."

" By 8 o'clock at night means that fourteen hours later Kenya it was one."

" The murders occurred Sunday they didn't even make the arrest announced the arrest anyway."

" Pool Tuesday morning do you think it's -- and into. They and arrested this Clinton I firmly believed that -- they have topped. That they would. Still be free. That they would have never been connected to the murders in Vernon after. Halftime. I'm sure that was on wind it talks. It was whomever they talked to. Day top to bottom line."

" Prosecutors aren't saying whether online information led them to the suspects in fact. New Hampshire assistant attorney general will -- learn says both sides have agreed not to release information about the evidence to anyone."

" Lawyers have agreed to order. From the court that they not share that information that's contained in the affidavit with anyone including Merrill clients."

" Former prosecutor Charles Putnam who is now with justice works at the university of new cancer. Says ironically in this agreement may be because it's so much online chatter."

" It's an interesting agreement for -- to -- The four defendants may be -- have difficulty controlling their statements are controlling their impulse to make statements to their friends and family."

" Putnam says online material can be great tool for investigators but it's not clear what will be allowed in court. -- president of the New Hampshire criminal defense attorneys association. Says a judge probably would not -- teen online writing in court even the dark things reportedly posted by the suspects. But he says if the suspects are attempting after they allegedly committed the crime and that might be permitted. And he says any information available electronically is something all lawyers have to think about carefully."

" Part of your mental checklist is one electronic information is out there and I'm talking EZ pass security cameras. -- MySpace Twitter FaceBook. And the technology has reached all the layers of society so that is something that that lawyers are are definitely. Grappling."

" As parents grapple with understanding new technology as well -- Aiken says this case shows that parents must know what their teens -- writing online."

" I'm just shocks but don't put out there it's just you know they'll -- Drug paraphernalia you know them doing drugs on those definitely drinking unit there languages. You know I love it that. They do this a little Google topped the parent talk about how great their child isn't what it really well. Did you see what they're doing on spring break. You know you think they're so innocent."

" New Hampshire grand jury will now go through all the information and decide whether to issue indictments. For WBUR. I'm -- Decker."

" Joining us now with some advice for parents and teenagers about online social networking is doctor Kristin you're -- a child and adolescent psychiatrist. For mass general hospital doctor -- Rendell thanks lot for coming in speaking with us thank you for having me we just turn in depth report on the New Hampshire murder case that many teams were writing about what the suspects allegedly said after the murder what are the lessons to be taken from this case in terms of advice to teenagers. About the kind of thing they write about on social networking web sites. Such as a FaceBook and MySpace."

" Think the Internet social networking sites provide some sort of anonymity for kids. And so they think that because people aren't watching us I'm doing this that they're somehow immune from other people's perceptions about them. But reality that's just not -- so if you think about posting something online and having 800 people. Reading it instantaneously. The analogy I -- with kids is to say would you do that same action in a school assembly in front of 800 other kids that your school. So what I encourage my teenagers that I work with to do. Is to use an acronym called -- what what does weight stand so wait WA ITW. What I want what I am writing to appear on the front page of my school newspaper. Eight MI in a good emotional state right now and my feeling angry upset or sat. -- is their way in which others might misinterpret what I'm saying and finally T today tomorrow or the next day. If finance feeling emotional -- I am doing something impulsive can't accept this aside for today and come back to it tomorrow. And make a more informed decision about whether or not this is a good idea so is it that the teams. Writing material and their parents are really neat cognizant of the fact that it may be more than just a few dozen people reading this content they're certainly as a role for parents to understand social networking sites that are. You know I have really two pieces of advice for parents. First is that parents need to be more net savvy themselves and there are some great web sites out there which can really teach parents about social networking sites Heidi is privacy settings and how to beat. Good consumers of social networking sites the second piece of advice I have for parents is that they need to know what their kids are doing online. It gets an increasingly tricky to really set limits around using Internet sites. An even now most of these social networking sites have a cell phone components. So we're better off teaching kids how to think through their actions were better off having parents be more net savvy. And we're better off having parents being able have a dialogue with their kids."

" I have to ask you what you tell kids when they say to you my parent. Wants to be my friend on FaceBook what do why do and I and I ask because. We have that situation and our family where we requested to be friends for our two college aged daughters. One of them listed -- right away the other took two months and thought about it before she put us on -- in these kids a lot of these kids are gonna be reluctant to do that so what do you tell the kids."

" I tell the kids you know I'd be more worried about you if you wanted your parents to be your friend it's perfectly natural for kids to want to be separate from their parents. And I think it's perfectly reasonable for kids to expect some level of privacy. But on a social networking site on a long on FaceBook that's not the place for parents to not be involved."

" When kids discover something on FaceBook that disturbs them whatever is written very much disturbs them and maybe frightens them. They might be reluctant to tell anybody about it what what what is your advice along those talks will."

" Many schools have policies that relate to cyber bullying and choose social networking. I would say to students into schools find out who that point person as I think that this social networking. I'm concerning information discussion should also be folded into."

" For anyone you know though if it if I'm a teenager and I see something that bothers me but I'm not sure that. I wanna ran out the person who who wrote it so I say to kids you know your job is not to decipher the message to decipher whether or not. This statement is threatening statement concerning statement on earth this is just adolescents testing the boundaries. Your job if you see something that scares you is to let somebody else now -- a hard decision to make it is the right decision to make to err on the side of of being safe. Doctor Kristin you're -- child and adolescent psychiatrist at mass general hospital thank you very much for coming in very interest thank you for having me."

" Yeah. Yeah. And yeah."

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