Proven solution stems state’s dropout rate

This week dozens of educators gathered at the University of Maine at Orono to discuss ideas of how to best keep students in school. Perhaps they should take a closer look at the proven model that already exists in Maine.

Last week, JMG (Jobs for Maine’s Graduates Inc.) was recognized at the annual conference of Jobs for America’s Graduates in Washington, D.C., as the best statewide dropout prevention and career preparation program in the nation. JMG has won this award for 11 consecutive years. No other program in the country has achieved this level of success for its students.

JMG has earned this distinction because it vigilantly and accurately tracks and responds to the outcomes of its programs, always keeping students at the center of the educational process. Critical to the success of the JMG program is the personal connection established between the student and the JMG Specialist. Serving as adjunct faculty within our partnering schools, Specialists play the unique role of teacher, adviser and mentor.

Founded in 1993 by the Maine Legislature, JMG has matured into a stellar statewide nonprofit organization serving more than 2,500 students in middle school and high school each year. JMG serves students who are struggling to make it in the traditional classroom environment, and helps them discover their individual talents, develop skills and identify opportunities to achieve their personal potential.

The success of JMG is measured by the personal achievements of each student, one student at a time. The 2005 graduation rate for JMG students who enrolled at the beginning of their senior year was 97 percent.

Early intervention was one of the considerations discussed at the conference at Orono, and JMG can attest that its programs are even more effective when reaching students earlier in their academic career. In 1995, JMG created Project Reach to serve middle school students. For those students who enrolled in JMG as seventh- graders in 1998, the graduation rate for the Class of 2004 was 98.9 percent.

The issue in Maine is not limited to drop-out and-or graduation rates, it is about what is happening to the youngest members of our adult society. Eighteen percent of all young adults ages 18 to 24 in Maine are not employed and are not in school. This is according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s “Kids Count 2004: Maine Profile” published in October 2004, the most recent data available for this specific statistic. Students are leaving high school without the skills or confidence needed to successfully transition to adulthood. The JMG program is connecting, or reconnecting, students to the educational process and their own future.

A major reason for the success of JMG is because it doesn’t look to reinvent the wheel. Acting as an advocate for their students, JMG Specialists bring together the many resources of caring organizations, businesses and individuals to create a support network for its students. JMG partners with schools to deliver a unique combination of program components including mentoring, employer participation, community service learning, skills-based competencies, leadership and teamwork building, and individualized transition planning.

The benefits of JMG go far beyond successful graduation rates. Because students have acquired the motivation and skills they need to be successful, because they have created a plan, and, because they have connections in their communities, they become productive young adults.

Year after year, students who have graduated from the JMG program consistently pursue continued education and meaningful jobs that offer training and career pathways. JMG Specialists continue to serve students for a minimum of 12 months after they graduate. For the Class of 2004, more than 86 percent of JMG students were working full-time, pursuing continued education full-time, or a combination thereof on a full-time basis a year after graduation. Of those, 44 percent were enrolled in formal postsecondary education.

At a time when Maine cannot afford to lose a single member of its future work force, JMG offers a proven solution for addressing the barriers today’s students are facing while in school, and after graduation. Despite a recent cut in its state appropriation, JMG continues to partner with more than 50 school-based sites throughout Maine. At an annual cost of only $1,300 per student, JMG is a cost-efficient and highly effective program that is positively shaping the collective futures of Maine’s students and schools, the emerging work force and the vitality of Maine’s communities.

This week’s conference is crucial to raising visibility of the critical importance of keeping Maine students in school to successful completion. Thanks to JMG more than 2,500 students each year are seeing their chances of success further ensured.

Thomas S. Howard is JMG board chair and director of Communications and Government Relations at Domtar Industries Inc. based in Augusta.