PICO California creates innovative solutions to pressing community issues; translates faith into action; builds a legacy of leadership; and raises a new vision for California.

THE LATEST PICO NEWS

Press Release - New Dropout Statistics Make Clear:
The Time to Act is Now
California has taken an important step in the state’s efforts to understand and address the dropout crisis plaguing many of our schools and communities. With the release of accurate high school dropout information for every school and district in the state, we no longer have to guess about how many students leave school without earning a diploma. 

To read full PICO press release
To read California Department of Education press release

Op-Ed: San Diego Union Tribune, July 18, 2008
Shedding Some Light on Dropout Rates
This week, the California Department of Education released high school dropout figures for every school and
district in the state. For the first time, parents and students, teachers and state officials have access to accurate
information about what has been dubbed the “silent epidemic” plaguing many of our schools and communities.
And while the picture these “real” numbers paint are disturbing, this new information should be welcomed by
every person in California who cares about the state's students and future.

To read more

PICO's Education Work in California
PICO believes that every student counts. PICO organizations throughout California have been instrumental in developing local strategies that provide students with the support they need to stay in school and to graduate with options. PICO organizations continue to explore strategies to increase high school graduation rates and to stem the rise in youth violence.  Our goal: To provide all youth with opportunities in and out of school that keep them safe and that prepare them for college or work—whichever option they choose.

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PICO Leaders Meet with Top Education Officials
to Address California’s High Dropout Rates

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PICO ISSUES IN FOCUS

Evaluation Shows Benefits of Home Visits to High School Students
A recently completed evaluation documents the powerful impact home visits can have on high school students and their families. In the summer of 2006, school staff from Hiram Johnson and Luther Burbank high schools in Sacramento visited the homes of 340 incoming juniors who had not passed the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) as sophomores. The pilot provided a rare opportunity for educators, parents, and students to discuss their mutual goals for high school and beyond. Nearly ten years ago, PICO affiliate Sacramento Area Congregations together developed the Parent-Teacher home visit model as a way to encourage relationships between schools and families. The program has since grown into a statewide strategy adopted by hundreds of schools throughout California.

To read the full evaluation


PICO Affiliates Increase Voting
PICO affiliates in California increased voting by 9 percentage points among infrequent voters in thier communities in the February 2008 presidential primary election.

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PICO Congregations Dismayed by Failure of Health Care Reform Proposal
PICO congregations throughout the state were dismayed when the California Senate Health Committee failed to pass a historical health care reform package that would have expanded health coverage to over 70 percent of California’s uninsured, including all of the state’s children. Because of the actions of the committee and Senate Leadership, California has lost the best opportunity for broad-based expansion and reform of health coverage in the foreseeable future.

To read more