<p> The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between high school graduation rates and emancipation outcomes. Secondary data from the California Child Welfare Indicators Project (CCWIP) database was used to develop a quantitative study on related variables. Findings indicate that there was a significant relationship between high school completion and independent living program completion rates. The study also discovered that there was a significant relationship between high school completion and housing obtainment rates. Further, this study verified that there was a significant relationship between high school completion and permanency connection rates. The study can be helpful for those providing services to emancipated youth. </p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to write a proposal to fund an early dropout prevention and intervention program for Latino students. This program will be offered to all students 4-12 years of age who attend J.E. Van Wig Elementary School within the Bassett Unified School District. Attendance support services, academic support services, mental health, and counseling services will be provided in order to assists students to overcome social, emotional, attendance and academic challenges. After an extensive search for funding sources, The Annenberg Foundation, whose mission was suitable with the goals of the program, was selected. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant, was not a requirement for the successful completion of the project.</p>

<p>The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological, epoche study was to explore the lived experiences of seniors who attended a Recovery High School and the phenomenon associated with transitioning from high school. No studies have been conducted on the lived experiences of seniors who attended Recovery High Schools. Data collection included three interview sessions. Participants of the study reviewed their final response before analyses began. The results of the study contributed scientifically by providing data of Recovery High Schools as alternatives and post continuum care resources for adolescences and young people who suffer with substance abuse disorders. </p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to write a grant and obtain funding for a program on education and awareness of teen dating violence. A half-day workshop will be repeated weekly for 5 months for caregivers of high school students in Sun Valley, California. The workshops will provide caregivers with education and parenting strategies about teen dating violence. The program will also include a community resource fair, which will be open to Sun Valley and surrounding areas. Local agencies will be invited to attend and participate in the fair. Program outcomes will be assessed using pre- and post-surveys of knowledge of dating violence. The actual submission and funding of the grant was not a requirement for completion of this thesis project.</p>

<p> This narrative study examines the impact the foster care system had on the high school completion of adult former foster youth in an urban school setting. In particular, the study explores the experiences and reflections from their perspectives on the systems (school, child welfare agency, and legal) that raised them. The participants reflected and shared their personal experiences to provide detailed and accurate accounts of being a student while in the child welfare system. Through interviews and document analysis, a story surfaces that demonstrates collective narratives about the reality of the challenges, obstacles, and determination behind each participant's journey to get through both the public school and the child welfare systems to become the adults they are.</p><p> Five major themes (Impact of Instability and Permanency within Placements and Schools, Lack of Trust and Reliability within Systems, Perceptions and Expectations, Collaboration and Accountability within Systems and Policies, and Self-Reflection on Survival as a Student in Foster Care, Attachment or Resilience) emerged from the participants' stories that led to whether they were able to complete their secondary schooling. Attachment and resilience theories were used as a guide for participants' self-reflections about their survival in foster care and assisted in linking to existing literature associated with this subgroup of students.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to develop a program that would deliver 3 years of mental health services to a charter school. The school selected for this project was Youth Opportunities High School (YOHS) in Watts, California. The program developed was Mental Health for Youth Opportunities (MHYO). MHYO was designed to provide one full-time, bilingual, master of social work (MSW) practitioner to YOHS for 3 years. The assigned practitioner will be responsible for individual therapy, group therapy, case management, and enrichment services. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant were not a requirement for the successful completion of this project.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to develop a grant proposal and identify a potential funding source for the purpose of expanding a cross-age mentoring program to increase school participation and decrease dropout rates of students in one high school and middle school in San Antonio, Texas. The program is designed to target and strengthen non-academic factors such as family connectedness, community involvement, and self-esteem which have been shown to contribute to school dropout rates. An extensive literature review increased knowledge about dropout rates among Hispanics and individuals who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and provided information about evidenced-based mentoring programs that the grant writer then used to design a best-practice program. A search for potential finding sources via the internet resulted in the selection of Kronkosky Charitable Foundation as the best funding source for this project. A grant was then written to support the expansion of a cross-age mentoring program at Harlandale High School and Harlandale Middle School in San Antonio, Texas.</p>

<p> The focus of this qualitative study was to explore the parental experience of raising an undocumented child, particularly during the transition from high school. The sample consisted of 11 parents. Parents reported several negative feelings, including <i>impotencia</i>, guilt, fear, worry, and frustration. Many stated that their undocumented children's challenges increased as they entered high school. These challenges included school trips, driving without a license, and planning for further education. Coping methods for parents included hope, faith and spirituality, and seeking information about educational and immigration options. Parents spoke of instilling in their children a drive to not give up despite the barriers ahead of them. Several mentioned that their undocumented children's experiences inspired their other children to succeed. The results suggest that social workers should provide information and counseling to these families and should advocate for policy changes to help this vulnerable population.</p>