Title:  Hispanic Dropouts
Feed: CWKN #441, June 10, 2009
Time:  1:28
SUGGESTED LEAD:  THIS YEAR, IT’S ESTIMATED THAT JUST OVER 6 MILLION AMERICAN CHILDREN WILL DROP OUT OF SCHOOL.  AND THERE IS ONE GROUP OF STUDENTS AT A HIGHER RISK THAN ANY OTHER.  THAT STORY ON TODAY’S CONNECT WITH KIDS. 
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SOT:  Marina, 17 years old  (:04)
“Almost everyone in my family went to school till the 6th grade and just dropped out.”

NARR: NEALRY THIRTY PERCENT OF LATINO KIDS AGES 16 TO 24 HAVE DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL … SOME KIDS SAY IT’S A CULTURAL DIFFERENCE.  (:09)

SOT:  Omar, 18 years old  (:15)
“People from our culture, like Mexicans, Hispanics,… drop out.”

SUPER: Tammie Roach, Academic Coordinator, Performance Learning Center  (:22)
“A lot of our students feel they could serve themselves and their families better if they go out and get a full time job as opposed to coming to school.”

NARR: THESE KIDS ARE ENROLLED AT AN ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL FOR AT-RISK KIDS.  (:04)

SOT:  Tammie Roach, Academic Coordinator, PLC
“Normally I see broken spirits – students who want badly to get a diploma, who want badly to be successful, because they have the same kind of dreams and hopes that other students have, but they don’t know how to set themselves up to be successful.”

NARR: HERE… PARENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO GET INVOLVED.  THEY VISIT THE SCHOOL… TALK WITH THE TEACHERS IN PERSON OR ON THE PHONE… DAY IN AND DAY OUT THEY LEARN HOW THEIR CHILDREN ARE DOING. 

AND THE RESULT IS …OVER 95 PERCENT OF THESE KIDS WILL EARN A HIGH SCHOOL DEGREE.  (:17)

SUPER:  Reginald Beaty, Executive Director, Communities in Schools  (1:12)
“These kids have had so many challenges and barriers in their lives that all of a sudden the light goes off – I really am smart.  I really am brilliant.”

SOT:  Jose  (1:22)
“As long as I try hard enough, I think I can make it.”

SUGGESTED TAG:  EXPERTS SAY PARENTS CAN CONTACT THEIR LOCAL SCHOOL…EVEN IF THEIR KIDS HAVE ALREADY DROPPED OUT…TO FIND OUT ABOUT ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THEIR AREA.