High School Graduation

Pemiscot County
Pemiscot County Initiative Network

Core Result: Youth Ready To Enter Productive Adulthood
Benchmark: Graduation Rate

February 2002

Objective
Increase graduation rate in Pemiscot County from 73.8% in 1997 to 80% by 2004.

Strategies
Pemiscot County has initiated a comprehensive strategy to increase the graduation rate in three county high schools. Our strategy includes collaborative efforts among several partners, including PIN, the schools, employers, mentors, and the community to provide career education, job placement, and supportive services to youth at risk of dropping out of school. The following brief descriptions represent some of the programs and services that partners contribute toward improving the graduation rate in Pemiscot County.

Pemiscot County Initiative Network
Missouri Mentoring Project participants in three high schools -- Caruthersville High School, Hayti High School and North Pemiscot High School – receive services in the following program components:

Job Readiness - Youth develop job readiness skills and good work habits through participation in workforce prep classes.
Job Placement – Participants are placed in part-time jobs in the community to apply their work readiness skills.
Job Recruitment – Recruitment of employers to partner with MMP to provide jobs and mentors for program participants.
On-site Mentoring – One-to-one mentoring relationship and job shadowing to reinforce workforce skills for participants.

MMP Work Readiness Skills Pre/Post Test 2001

The following brief descriptions represent some of the programs and services that partners contribute toward improving the graduation rate in Pemiscot County.

Pemiscot County Initiative Network (continued)
Families & Communities Connecting
A faith-based family mentoring program that promotes self-sufficiency to foster a loving, supportive, relationship to help families achieve and maintain independence.
Schools

21st Century Schools
After school educational and recreational program for all students and adults in Pemiscot County.

T.E.A.M.
Works with at-risk youth in an informal environment that will allow the opportunity to counsel, direct, provide small group counseling, monitor homebound assistance and credit recovery, and keep a close check on absentees.

G.E.A.R. UP
Gaining Early Awareness for Undergraduate Programs. Works with 7th grade students, following them through high school, and encourages them to pursue higher education.
Schools and Employers

School to Careers
Career education program for students in grades K-12. Creates an opportunity for job shadowing, paid and unpaid work experiences, on-the-job training, and career development.

Results

Funding/Return on Investment

 

Federal
WIB	$47,878
Spirals (Private Industry Council)	30,500
AmeriCorps	13,000
State
Missouri Mentoring	$73,334
Youth Opportunities Program (Tax Credit)	66,000
Community Development Block Grant	66,290
Teen Pregnancy Prevention	11,200
In-Kind	$22,000
Local	5,000
Total	$335,202

Barriers/Roadblocks
Due to the lack of staffing and funding, MMP is unable to expand into three additional school districts in Pemiscot County.

Noteworthy
Missouri Mentoring Partnership program participants graduate at a rate that is significantly greater than the county’s graduation rate!