Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
51 <br />STATUS OF ORANGE COUNTY Education <br />About 88 percent of Orange County youths age 16 -19 years old are stil <br />in school, while 6.36 percent have dropped out. The remaining 5.64 percen <br />presumably have graduated. Of the group who are not in school, slightly <br />more than one -half (52.13 percent) have dropped out. About one - fourth of <br />16 -19 year olds who are not in school are unemployed. Despite the presenc <br />of the university, more than one - fourth of persons age 25 and older have <br />less than four years of high school education. Also, under - education for <br />blacks is more than twice the rate for whites. (Dobelstein, 1989) <br />(print logo) PERCEIVED NEEDS FOR CHANGE /IMPROVEMENT <br />• Establish department of human services in schools <br />- -Link with existing human services <br />-- Provide on- location personnel <br />-to provide outreach <br />-to bring needed services to potential clients <br />-to coordinate with service providers outside of school <br />-to provide parent education <br />• Enhance cooperative effort between schools and sources of employment <br />-- Provide economic incentives to stay in school <br />-- Ensure appropriate education /training for employment <br />-- Coordinate school food services curriculum and food services <br />employers <br />-to provide education /training for future food services provider; <br />• Coordinate after -hours use of school facilities (such as computer labs ai <br />shops) to promote education and training <br />-- Encourage involvement by volunteers and businesses <br />• Establish a career information center <br />-- Redirect services and funds for those non college -bound <br />• Provide adequate funding for basic education and job training /retraining <br />• Lengthen school day and school year to provide better educational base fl <br />both college -bound and non college -bound students <br />• Establish a satellite Community College Campus in the County <br />• Seek revenues /resources other than county property taxes <br />• Start pilot program incorporating preschoolers (three and four year olds <br />into schools <br />- -Could be funded by an education foundation and the business communi. <br />- -Could be subsidized by schools /government, especially for at -risk <br />children <br />3 <br />