At-Risk Teens Team Up With Monks To Run School With 98 Percent Graduation Rate

An all-boys prepatory school for low-income students in Newark, New Jersey has a near perfect US high school graduation rate of 98 percent. The school, managed by Benedictine monks, is trying to lessen future unemployment rates by giving students the lead to thrive academically and by providing psycho-social support. Exposure to adverse physical and emotional distress is a reason why only 1 in 4 students from low-income households don't graduate high school.

High School Graduation Rate is Increasing But Not Among Low-Income Students

The US Department of Education reports that the high school graduation rate in America is increasing. This rings true for Asians/Pacific Islanders and Whites with more than 80 percent graduation rates.

The same could not be said for low-income students of color, particularly for the African Americans, Latinos and American Indians at less than 70 percent. This means that 1 in every 4 students from low-income households do not graduate. This suggests that a higher dropout rate is associated with higher future unemployment rates in the country.

St. Benedict's Secret Formula is Leadership and Counseling

Nearly 90 percent of students in St. Benedict's Prep is on financial aid. Huffington Post shared that children from poor households get exposed to "toxic stress," a condition that could hinder a child's social, emotional and cognitive development. This could also get in the way of their academic career so in order to offset the issue; St. Benedict's provides weekly school counseling.

Thanks for all you have done for us in 2015 and we continue to look forward to your support: https://t.co/5Oy8V3oC06 pic.twitter.com/ow2U2gEjRt

— St. Benedict's Prep (@StBenedictsNJ) December 31, 2015

"Counselors in most schools are just making sure kids have the right classes," said Father Edwin. "We have a counseling center with two psychologists, and interns who are PhD or Master's candidates in school counseling, and four to five different group sessions a week."

The students in group sessions are organized according to their situations. There is a group for those without fathers, those with anger issues and those with depression. Surprisingly, the Benedictine monks let student leaders lead the group and the school by themselves.

Father Edwin explains that giving the teenage boys responsibilities will allow them to feel needed. While it is inevitable that students run into bad decisions, the monks are more lenient because they feel that it is a great learning experience for all of them.

A senior student group leader to CBS News that the school's motto is "Whatever hurts my brother, hurts me." He explained that their close bond compels them to compete for high grades so there are a lot of them that study, which explains why the school has near perfect high school graduation rate.