Its More Than Just a Degree

            Career- readiness not only means there’s a title at hand, but specific skills, such as communication, organization, problem- solving, public speaking and management skills are learned. These basic skills are important for a career because it will allow students to excel in the work place. Skills such as these should be learned in high school and mastered quickly. According to the article “Meandering Toward Graduation”, the authors Marni Bromberg and Christina Theokas state that graduation rates have reached an all-time high but question why new college students are testing into remedial level work (Bromberg) Employers have reported that many high school graduates don’t have the basic foundation skills to start entry level positions. Workforce demands are also reaching an all-time high. In “A Path to Graduation for Every Child”, Sunny Deyé writes “It is predicted that the next generation of young people in this country will be less educated than the current generation, yet workforce demands are higher than ever.” (Deyé) This is alarming because in the next decade, 63 percent of jobs will most likely require post-secondary education and beyond. 

Works Cited

Bromberg, Marni and Theokas, Christina. “Meandering Toward Graduation: Transcript Outcomes of High School Graduates”. The Education Trust. 2016. The Education Trust. Oct 25, 2017.

Deyé, Sunny. “A Path to Graduation for Every Child.” National Conference of State Legislatures, National Conference of State Legislatures, Jan. 2011.

Remedial Education

One way to measure the effectiveness of public high school education is looking at the statistics of students enrolled in remedial classes and graduation rates. Remedial courses are classes that are below college-level work, but taken by college students. Students who fail to pass placement exams or do poorly on college admission exams, such as the SAT or ACT, are mandated to take remedial courses before starting their undergraduate studies. These courses are designed to help the students catch up on material necessary for college- level work.  The National Conference of State Legislatures found that the range of students enrolled in at least one remedial class is between 28 percent and 40 percent, and in community colleges specifically, the rate exceeds 50 percent of students. Also, when looking at the ACT exam in 2012, only 25 percent met the readiness standard, 5 percent of African Americans and 13 percent of Hispanics, met that standard. (“Hot”) These statistics show that our high students may be graduating with a diploma, but are still not competent for college level work. Sadly, some of the most common remedial classes are in reading and math, which can quickly lead to academic failure. “A U.S. Department of Ed­ucation study found that 58 percent of students who do not require remediation earn a bachelor’s degree, compared to only 17 percent of students enrolled in remedial reading and 27 percent of students enrolled in remedial math.” (“Hot”) Therefore, it is necessary for public school education to improve. 

Works Cited

“Hot Topics in Higher Education Reforming Remedial Education.” National Conference of State    Legislatures, National Conference of State Legislatures. ND.      www.ncsl.org/research/education/improving-college-completion-reforming-remedial.aspx. 6               Dec. 2017.

Ethical dilemmas experienced by healthcare workers within juvenile detention centers

While doing research on the impact of  solitary confinement for children and teens, a topic of interest that was not included is the ethical dilemmas faced by healthcare workers.

 Doctors, nurses and mental health professionals all take a vow of nonmaleficence or "Do no harm", but instead to do their best to help, heal and rehabilitate the patients in their care. For the clinicians who choose to work with incarcerated youth, the line can begin to blur when these young people are subject to the torture of solitary confinement. 

 Many studies have  proven that solitary confinement is psychologically and emotionally damaging to young people. It can cause severe trauma that can linger for many years. For teens with a history of any level of mental illness it can be devastating, even exacerbating previous conditions. Many other teens who are incarcerated also have histories of abuse and neglect, which makes them more vulnerable to trauma.

  Everyday, healthcare workers are faced with the task of balancing the lives and well-being of the children they care for and instutional policies. This constitutes a serious ethical issue, and maybe even a crime. Clinicians are put in place in order to consistently assess the mental health and total well being of  these children, also assume the responsibility to advocate for them, stand up to injustice and be a voice for them during this difficult time. As healthcare workers they are considered mandatory reporters and are required by law to report any type of child abuse, neglect or maltreatment. " Reporting laws make no expectations for the location of the practice or of the circumstances of the care being provided in a state sanctioned facility. Almost every state includes emotional abuse as one type of reportable maltreatment"(Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law).
  Working as a healthcare professional with incarcerated youth is an extremely difficult and stressful job. One can only imagine the terrible heartbreaking things that are seen each day And the priority must be given to the young lives that they have taken a vow to help protect.
  According to Guidelines from the World Health Organization and the National Commission on Correctional Health care, they "Recommend that clinician play no role in clearing inmates for placement in solitary confinement but recommend that clinicians try to ensure that such inmates, once placed, are provided close oversight and appropriate care with particular attention to the increased risk of suicide" (Journal of American Academy of Psychiatry and Law)

Work cited
Clark, Andrew "Juvenile solitary confinement as a form of child abuse" The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law 9/2017, web, 11/2017