It's no secret that it's getting harder to earn a high school diploma in New York State. Yet high school success lays the foundation for your teen's success in college, work and life.

Throughout high school, teens still need their parents' gentle guidance. We asked high school guidance counselors, social workers, families and teachers about the most common things that trip teens up academically - and how to avoid them. Here's what they said:

Poor organizational skills

Teens need solid organizational skills to help them meet school deadlines and still have time for work and play. Despite all the electronic organizational tools available, guidance counselors recommend that teens use basic paper planners/agenda books. They fit easily into backpacks and purses and don't need batteries or cables to power them. If teens didn't learn to rely on their planners during middle school, help tutor them now on how to record their assignments, activities and necessary supplies.

Another helpful, low-tech organizational tool is a large-grid wall or desk calendar to map out long-term assignments, upcoming tests, appointments and activities. Being able to visualize what they're responsible for over a week or a month can help students budget their time more wisely (e.g., tackling a long-term project a little each day rather than right before it's due).

Homework? What homework?

Admittedly, there are a lot of things teens would rather be doing outside of school hours than homework. Instituting a family "work first/play later" policy—requiring teens to use study halls or setting aside a chunk of time right after school to complete work each day—can be a great motivator for those who can't wait to get online or see friends. This works particularly well with teens who still rely on parents for transportation to and from events. Chauffeur services become the payoff for good study habits.

Letting social lives take priority over schoolwork

"She said WHAT about me?!" High school social workers say that girls are generally less able to separate themselves from teen social turmoil and focus on schoolwork than boys (although some boys are just as easily caught up in the drama.) Despite what you might think, parents still have a lot of influence over what their teenagers believe about their talents and goals. Talk with your teens about what they're passionate about, what they are good at and how these might translate into careers. Help them understand that doing well academically can make these dreams a reality in the future - a future where they likely won't even remember who was going out with whom!

Helping teens see the link between education and future earnings

At one time, even the students who skated academically during the high school years could find decent work when they graduated. Not so today. If teens want to find work in a satisfying, well-paying profession, they need to apply themselves academically. In an increasingly competitive and technology-heavy workforce, most high school grads will need as least two additional years of schooling (college or technical training) to land a decent job.

Average earnings by highest level of education (based on 2002 U.S. Census Bureau figures) for those with advanced degrees was $72,824; for bachelor's degree-holders, $51,194 and for high school graduates, $27,280. Non-graduates earned on average $18,826 annually.

The Census Bureau report The Big Payoff: Educational Attainment and Synthetic Estimates of Work-Life Earnings shows that over an adult's working life, high school graduates can expect, on average, to earn $1.2 million; those with a bachelor's degree will earn $2.1 million and those with a master's degree will earn $2.5 million.

A recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows a slight up-turn in the job market and starting salaries for 2005 college graduates, particularly in the fields of business, engineering and computer-related fields. [top]

Family resources:

• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey, Organizing from the Inside Out for Teens by Julie Morgenstern and the related Web site www.organizedteens.com.
   
• Life Strategies for Teens by Jay McGraw (optional related pullout stat)

Women who take more than two college-level math courses often achieve pay equity with men, and in many cases, receive higher average pay than men.

Source: Expect the Best From a Girl-That's What You'll Get, www.academic.org

Getting high on more than life

Though it may seem like a no-brainer to you, teens may not see the damaging effects that getting high or drunk, even occasionally, can have on their mental and physical development. Research shows that teen brains respond to alcohol differently than adult brains. Just one alcoholic drink can affect their ability to think and speak clearly and move well. Research also shows that marijuana-the number one illicit drug of choice for teens-impairs teens' concentration and ability to retain information. This can be especially problematic during peak learning years.

At www.theantidrug.com, you can learn about the many drugs available to teens and the dangers they pose. You can also learn about ways to talk with your teens about why staying clean and sober, despite intense peer pressure, is the way to go.

Senioritis sets in

It used to be that by the senior year, teens had their required coursework out of the way, college acceptance letters had begun rolling in and they could safely "slack off" a bit. Not anymore! Today, many seniors are still working at coursework needed for graduation. Moreover, a preliminary college acceptance letter doesn't mean they're off the hook academically since more and more colleges are withholding final acceptance based on end-of-senior year grades.

Having too many irons in the fire

This can be a tricky balance. On the one hand, guidance counselors say that the busier teens are the better they tend to do with schoolwork. In fact, extracurricular activities have many clear benefits. However, this assumes that teens aren't spreading themselves so thin that they aren't putting good effort into all that they do.

Working too much or too soon

A part-time job can spell freedom in the form of money for a car, clothing or cell phone. But, when teens begin working too young or too much, schoolwork is likely to be pushed off as they try to earn still more money to pay for car insurance, repairs and gas. Also, teens don't always realize that employers expect them to show up for work whether they've studied for tomorrow's test or not. Steering your enterprising teens toward youth-friendly employers-more and more require proof that students are maintaining their grades- might be the best way to help your enterprising teen keep academics "job one." [top]