As a result of new immigration legislation, Tony Choi, and many other youth like him, can start to envision a brighter future. Photo courtesy Emile Wamsteker for Education Week.

Education Week: The caption below the photo that accompanies this article discusses the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on immigration and succinctly sums up a solution. The student pictured has a degree in political science and Spanish, yet is unable to find legal employment. On top of that, he cannot apply for a driver’s license. Despite being a U.S. resident for 14 years, the young man is among the estimated one million undocumented youth who were brought to this country by their parents.

The President’s administration announced in June that deportations of undocumented individuals younger than 30 will be halted, and the young people are now allowed to seek legal work.

Educators predict immigrant students and their families are likely to seek help from school staff members in navigating this new territory. Immigrant populations have sprouted up in many neighborhoods and schools served by Communities In Schools. Site coordinators have been addressing the needs of all students to the best of their abilities, providing resources and services that match a student’s needs. And they will continue in this role, with the goal of helping all young people become high school graduates.

New York Times: In his most recent op-ed piece, New York Times columnist Joe Nocera praised the concept of community college as an option for career success. Nocera highlighted the nonprofit Year Up, which works to help high school graduates learn marketable skills that will lead them to good jobs. Some positions, such as computer or office support, fall into a category called middle-skills jobs. These are careers that require a high school diploma and additional training, but not a bachelor’s degree. Preparing students for middle-skills jobs is also happening on community college campuses. Fortunately, wrote Nocera, most companies are eager to find workers to fill these skill-specific jobs. And community colleges can be a great pathway to connecting motivated, disadvantaged youth with viable labor markets.

Site coordinators at Communities In Schools affiliates work with students to decide on a strategy that best meets their post-high school goals. Students are given the opportunity to participate in college fairs, visit campuses and receive help in applying for financial aid. Our site coordinators also provide them with career counseling and opportunities to participate in job shadowing and career fairs. Learn more about how Communities In Schools provides vocational training here.

Slate: The Center for American Progress has released the results of a three-year study that surveyed elementary and high school students from around the country. The findings conclude that many students find their course work easy, and are ultimately not being challenged in school. The data was collected by the Department of Education’s National Assessment of Educational Progress. Thirty seven percent of fourth-graders said their math work is “often” or “always” too easy; 57 percent of eighth-graders said the same about their history work; and 39 percent of seniors said they rarely have to write papers on what they read about in class.

Engaging young people at all grade levels is a big part of what we do at Communities In Schools. In cooperation with teachers and administrators, our site coordinators work with students to develop individualized plans that eliminate roadblocks to academic success and make sure students are getting work at the correct grade level that is appropriately challenging and engaging.

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