First post at the beginning of the school year

Andy is 17 and moved to Lawrence, MA from New York City when he was a child. He lives with his girlfriend and their one-and-a-half year old daughter in his mother’s house.

Academic problems started for Andy in middle school when he started skipping. In high school he got involved with a gang and was incarcerated for three months for drug possession. When he was released in January 2008 he was transferred to the High School Learning Center in Lawrence, MA.

As of this first posting, Andy has passed both the English and math MCAS and according to his school, is a sophomore in terms of his credit standing. Andy’s goal is to attain a high school diploma however, given the responsibility he has to support his daughter, he’s weighing the advantages and disadvantages of a GED program.