Campaign for Philanthropy

Shockingly, the most dangerous educational and societal stigmas in our state plague adolescent females. Girls residing in Texas are at a much higher risk than their peers around the country for engaging in risky behaviors such as substance abuse, gang activity, truancy, delinquency, poor school performance, and teen pregnancy. Our state ranks #1 in repeat teenage pregnancies and currently has the nation’s highest birth rate for girls ages 15 to 19 years old.

Texas also suffers from low high school graduation and retention rates. In 2007, the Texas Public Policy Foundation estimated the graduation rate in Texas at 67%. The student groups with the highest risk for dropping out of school are Hispanic, African American and economically disadvantaged teens.

The issue of learning disabilities is a serious burden for our local school systems, as well. There are 25,000 students in our 4 county area (Hays, Williamson, Travis and Bastrop) with reading disabilities who are not getting services. According to local service providers, approximately 15% of students in any area schools are dyslexic and remain undiagnosed.

From 1993-2003, there was a 600% increase in Autism diagnoses in the state of Texas. Even with this growing need, there is no statewide clearinghouse of information on best-practices and research based teaching methods available to teachers statewide in the instruction of students with autism. Special education is an area in our community that needs more focus and funds to ensure the success of students with disabilities.

Our local nonprofit community is helping address these growing and glaring needs of our children and their education. Certainly, early childhood education
is crucial to any students’ future success and the family system is the most important provider of education for very young children. All parents want the best for their kids, but expectations may differ based on their own experiences. When our working poor are struggling to put food on the table, there is precious little time to provide their children with the support they need to achieve in school.

In the Austin area, Any Baby Can and Capital Area Reach Out and Read offer family support services, including parenting classes and early childhood intervention. Mainspring Schools also provide top quality childcare and family services. AmeriCorps for Community Engagement and Education sponsors early intervention programs which strive to ensure that all children build a strong foundation during their first years in school.

After children reach the age for public schools, programs that come to our schools are imperative. We must make it easier for parents and children to get the help they need. Girl Scouts currently sponsors the highly effective Girl Scouting in Schools, bringing their character and skill building programs to over 13 area schools. American Youth Works operates a charter high school which offers job training programs and a strong support network focused on counseling and career placement services.

Junior Achievement also offers in-school class curriculum to foster workforce readiness, financial responsibility and entrepreneurship. Goodwill partners with local youth service providers to help youth stay in school and provides a myriad of job training opportunities for our most needy citizens. Capital IDEA lifts working families out of poverty by sponsoring educational services that lead to life-long financial independence. Mother Against Drunk Driving and Planned Parenthood sponsor educational programs that teach responsible decision making and the value of an education.

We also need to address and support our families in chronic crisis. This may be due to poverty, disabilities, or incarceration of a family member. Children cannot learn at their potential when they are in crisis or face significant non-academic needs. Communities in School addresses these needs and provide tools to help them grow into successful adults. The Seedling Foundation sponsors a school-based mentoring programs for over 200 of the 2,000 children in Austin area schools with parents in prison.

Families of reading-challenged children often face overwhelming odds to get their kids educated. Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic and Magic Mirror are two agencies offering much needed support for students with reading disabilities and their families. Families who are parenting a child with autism that need information about educational opportunities for their children can turn to the Autism Society Greater Austin chapter for support and resource referral.

Central Texans often overlook the difficult transition from K-12 to higher education – and the even more difficult journey to achieving a college degree. Only 15.9% of economically disadvantaged Texans have a chance to attend college. In 2002, 239,109 students graduated from Texas high schools and 118,179 of them will likely experience poverty because they lacked access to higher learning. Texas has now fallen to 38th in 4-year college graduation rates. College Forward and Breakthrough are helping to provide a path to college and graduation for motivated, high-potential, low-income Austin youth. In addition, Austin Partners in Education creates and fosters effective community and school partnerships that provide all AISD students preparation for college and a meaningful career.

If Austin is to maintain a growing and vibrant community, education issues must be addressed by the entire community: “pay now or pay later.” Please explore ILIVEHEREIGIVEHERE.ORG for more information about the very complex issue and the many Central Texas nonprofits working to provide solutions.