MASON CITY QUALITY COUNTS KICK-OFF EVENT
THE READY BY 21 CHALLENGE:
Ensuring that Every
Young Person is Ready
for College, Work & Life
Karen Pittman
The Forum for Youth Investment
May 2008
The American DREAM
All youth can be ready.
Every family and community
can be supportive.
Each leader can make a difference.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
The American REALITY
Too Few Youth are Ready.
Only 4 in 10 are doing well.
Too Few Families and Communities are Supportive.
Fewer than 2 in 5 youth have the supports that they need.
Too Few are Trying to Make a Difference.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
The American DILEMMA
At a time when
“Failure is NOT an Option”
(The Hope Foundation)
and
“Trying Hard is NOT Good Enough”
(Mark Friedman)
THE GAP BETWEEN
VISION AND REALITY
HAS TO BE CLOSED
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
The American DILEMMA
• Fragmentation
• Complacency
• Low Expectations of Youth,
Communities and Leaders
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
The
Ready by 21
Challenge:
Changing the Odds for Youth by
Changing the Way We Do Business
Change the odds
for youth
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Change the landscape
of communities
Change the way
we do business
WANTED: Fully Prepared, Fully Engaged Young People
Ready by 21™ Quality Counts Initiative
Are They Ready?
Change the odds
for youth
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Change the landscape
of communities
Change the way
we do business
New Employer Survey Finds
Skills in Short Supply
On page after page, the answer to the report
– Are They Really Ready to Work? –
was a disturbing “NO.”
Employers ranked 20 skill areas in order of importance.
The top skills fell into five categories:
• Professionalism/Work Ethic
• Teamwork/Collaboration
• Oral Communications
• Ethics/Social Responsibility
• Reading Comprehension
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Employers Find These Skills
in Short Supply
• 7 in 10 employers saw these skills as critical for entry-
level high school graduates
8 in 10 as critical for two-year college graduates,
more than 9 in 10 as critical for four-year graduates.
• Employers reported that 4 in 10 high school graduates
were deficient in these areas
Note: Only 1 in 4 of four-year college graduates
were highly qualified.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Too Few Young People are Ready
Researchers Gambone, Connell & Klem (2002) estimate that
only 4 in 10 are doing well in their early 20s.
22% are doing poorly in two life
areas and not well in any
• Productivity: High school diploma
or less, are unemployed, on welfare
• Health: Poor health, bad health
habits, unsupportive relationships
• Connectedness: Commit illegal
activity once a month
Doing Poorly
22%
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
43% are doing well in two life
areas and okay in one
• Productivity: Attend college, work
steadily
• Health: Good health, positive health
habits, healthy relationships
• Connectedness: Volunteer,
politically active, active in religious
institutions, active in community
In the Middle
35%
Doing Well
43%
We Know What it Takes
to Support Development
• The National Research Council reports that teens need:
• Physical and Psychological Safety
• Appropriate Structure
• Supportive Relationships
• Opportunities to Belong
• Positive Social Norms
• Support for Efficacy and Mattering
• Opportunities for Skill-Building
• Integration of Family, School and Community efforts
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Do these Supports Really Make
a Difference? Even in Adolescence?
ABSOLUTELY
Gambone and colleagues
show that youth with
supportive relationships
as they enter high school
are 5 times more likely
to leave high school “ready”
than those with weak
relationships…
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
SOURCE: Finding Out What Matters for Youth:
Testing Key Links in a Community Action Framework for Youth Development
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Youth with Supportive
Relationships
Youth with Unsupportive
Relationships
Ready by End of 12th Grade
Not Ready
Do these Supports Make
a Difference in Adulthood?
80
… and those
seniors who were
“ready” at the end
of high school were
more than 4 times
as likely to be
doing well as young
adults.
SOURCE: Finding Out What Matters for Youth:
Testing Key Links in a Community Action Framework for Youth Development
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Ready by 21
Not Ready by 21
Good Young Adult Outcomes
Poor Young Adult Outcomes
Providing These Supports
CAN Change the Odds
Gambone/Connell’s research suggests that if all young people got the
supports they needed in early adolescence, the picture could change…
from 4 in 10
doing well
to 7 in 10
doing well
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
WANTED: High Quality Community Supports
Are They Getting the
Supports They Need?
Change the odds
for youth
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Change the landscape
of communities
Change the way
we do business
A Surprising Percentage of Youth
Don’t Receive them… By Any Name
The NRC List
• Physical and Psychological Safety
• Appropriate Structure
• Supportive Relationships
• Opportunities to Belong
• Positive Social Norms
• Support for Efficacy
and Mattering
• Opportunities for Skill-Building
• Integration of Family, School and
Community Efforts
• Basic Services (implied)
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
The Five Promises
SAFE PLACES
CARING ADULTS
OPPORTUNITIES
TO HELP OTHERS
EFFECTIVE EDUCATION
HEALTHY START
One Third of 6-17 Year Olds
Lack the Supports They Need
• According to the America’s Promise Alliance National Promises
Survey, only 31% of 6-17 year olds have at least 4 of the 5
promises. 21% have 1 or none.
• The likelihood of having sufficient supports decreases with age:
• 37% of 6-11 year olds have at least 4 promises; 13% have 1 or none.
• Only 30% of 12-17 year olds have at least 4; 25% have 1 or none.
13%
50%
37%
6 – 11 Years Old
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
45%
25%
30%
12 – 17 Years Old
National Research Council
Report Recommendations
“Communities should provide an ample array
of program opportunities… through local entities that can
coordinate such work across the entire community.
Communities should put in place some locally appropriate
mechanism for monitoring the availability, accessibility and
quality of programs…”
- Community Programs to Promote Youth Development, 2002
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Reach Counts
Civic
Outcome
Social
Areas
Emotional
Physical
Vocational
Cognitive
21
.
Ages
?
.
.
0
?
At its best, school only fills
a portion of developmental space
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
?
School
Morning
After
School
...
Times of Day
Night
Who is Responsible for the Rest?
• Families
• Peer Groups
• Schools and Training Organizations
• Higher Education
• Youth-Serving Organizations
• CBOs (Non-Profit Service Providers and Associations)
• Businesses (Jobs, Internships and Apprenticeships)
• Faith-Based Organizations
• Libraries, Parks, and Recreation Departments
• Community-Based Health and Social Service Agencies
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Improving Program Availability isn’t
Enough
• There is basic agreement that young people who participate fully
in school and programs and their communities have better
outcomes than those who do not.
• Consequently there is increased interest in getting inside the
black box -- mapping the program landscape what is available
to whom, when, where, why, how, and how much it costs.
Youth
Participation
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Youth
outcomes
Quality Counts
It Matters
Research shows that improved youth outcomes
requires program attendance and program quality.
It is Measureable
The core elements of program quality are both measurable
and consistent across a broad range of program types.
It is Malleable
Most programs can improve quality by undertaking
integrated assessment and improvement efforts.
It is Marketable
Decision-makers and providers will invest in improving
quality if they believe that it matters, is measurable and is
malleable given available resources.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
NEEDED: A CHANGE IN THE WAYS WE DO BUSINESS
A Big Picture Approach to
Thinking & Acting Differently
Changing the Way We Do Business
Think Differently
BIG PICTURE APPROACH
so that together we can
Act Differently
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
SET BIGGER GOALS
BE BETTER PARTNERS
USE BOLDER STRATEGIES
The Big Picture Approach:
Thinking Differently
Taking Core Principles
… what we know about …
and turning it into Common Language
… that can be used for planning and action.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
From Core Principles
to Common Language and Expectations
Example Language
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Take Aim on the Big Picture
How are Young People Doing?
Pre-K
0–5
Ready for
College
LEARNING
Ready for
Work
WORKING
THRIVING
Ready for
Life
CONNECTING
LEADING
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
SchoolAge
6–10
Middle
School
11–14
High
School
15–18
Young
Adults
19–21+
Traditional Approach: Pick One Area
Pre-K
0–5
Ready
for
College
LEARNING
Ready
for Work
WORKING
THRIVING
Ready
for Life
CONNECTING
LEADING
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Children
Enter School
Ready to
Learn
SchoolAge
6–10
Middle
School
11–14
High
School
15–18
Young
Adults
19–21+
But What Happened to the Rest of the Picture?
Children Enter
School Ready
to Learn
Pre-K
0–5
Ready
for
College
LEARNING
Ready
for Work
WORKING
THRIVING
Ready
for Life
CONNECTING
LEADING
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Children
Enter School
Ready to
Learn
SchoolAge
6–10
Middle
School
11–14
High
School
15–18
Young
Adults
19–21+
Alternative:
Learning to Focus Differently
Pre-K
0–5
Ready for
College
LEARNING
Ready for
Work
WORKING
SchoolAge
6–10
Middle
School
11–14
High
School
15–18
Young
Adults
19–21+
Shifting
Red to Yellow,
Yellow to
Green
THRIVING
Ready for
Life
CONNECTING
LEADING
Pre-K
0–5
Ready for
College
LEARNING
Ready for
Work
WORKING
THRIVING
Ready for
Life
CONNECTING
LEADING
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
SchoolAge
6–10
Middle
School
11–14
High
School
15–18
Young
Adults
19–21+
Take Aim on the Big Picture
What is the Community Providing?
Pre-K
0–5
Ready for
College
LEARNING
Ready for
Work
WORKING
THRIVING
Ready for
Life
CONNECTING
LEADING
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
SchoolAge
6–10
Middle
School
11–14
High
School
15–18
Young
Adults
19–21+
This is a way to add
up the commitments
of individual
providers and
programs
Take Stock of Public and Private Community Supports
Using a Common Set of Performance Measures
NRC (5 Promises)
Safety (Safe Places)
Structure (Safe Places)
Relationships (Caring
Adults)
Skill Building (Effective
Education)
Efficacy (Opportunities
to Help Others)
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Setting A
Setting B Setting C
(e.g. school)
(e.g. CBOs)
(e.g. rec cntrs)
Setting D Setting E
Identifying Common Definitions for Quality
Harmful
Minimal
Optimal
Physical and
Psychological
Safety
Physical and health dangers, fear, feeling of insecurity,
sexual and physical harassment, verbal abuse.
Safe and health-promoting facilities; practice that increases safe peer group
interaction and decreases unsafe or confrontational peer interactions.
Appropriate
Structure
Chaotic, disorganized, laissez-faire, rigid, overcontrolled,
autocratic.
Limit setting, clear and consistent rules and expectations, firm-enough
control, continuity and predictability, clear boundaries, and age-appropriate
monitoring.
Supportive
Relationships
Cold, distant, overcontrolling, ambiguous support,
untrustworthy, focused on winning, inattentive,
unresponsive, rejecting
Warmth, closeness, connectedness, good communications, caring, support,
guidance, secure attachment, responsiveness
Opportunities to
Belong
Exclusion, marginalization, intergroup conflict
Opportunities for meaningful inclusion, regardless of one’s gender,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disabilities; social inclusion, social
engagement and integration; opportunities for socio-cultural identity
formation; support for cultural and bicultural competence.
Positive Social
Norms
Normless, anomie, laissez-faire practices, antisocial and
amoral norms, norms that encourage violence, reckless
behavior consumerism, poor health practices; conformity
Rules of behavior, expectations, injunctions, ways of doing things, values
and morals, obligations for service
Support for
Efficacy and
Mattering
Unchallenging, overcontrolling, disempowering,
disabling. Practices that undermine includes motivation
and desire to learn, such a excessive focus on current
relative performance level rather than improvement
Youth-based, empowerment practices that support autonomy, making a
real difference in one’s community, and being taken seriously. Practice that
is enabling, responsibility granting, meaningful challenges. Practice that
focus on improvement rather than on relative current levels
Opportunities for
Skill Building
Practice that promotes bad physical habits and habits of
mind; practice that undermines school and learning.
Opportunities to learn physical, intellectual, psychological, emotional, and
social skills; exposure to intentional learning experiences; opportunities to
learn cultural.
Integration of
Family, School &
CommunityEfforts
Discordance, lack of communication, conflict
Concordance, coordination, and synergy among family, school, and
community
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Take Stock of Public and Private Community Supports
Using a Common Set of Performance Measures
NRC (5 Promises)
Safety (Safe Places)
Structure (Safe Places)
Relationships (Caring
Adults)
Skill Building (Effective
Education)
Efficacy (Opportunities
to Help Others)
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Setting A
Setting B Setting C
(e.g. school)
(e.g. CBOs)
(e.g. rec cntrs)
Setting D Setting E
What it Takes
Goals & Data
Stakeholders
Coordinated
Improvement
Strategies
Aligned Policies
& Resources
Public Demand
Youth & Family
engagement
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
THE READY BY 21
QUALITY COUNTS INITIATIVE
Changing the Odds for Youth by
Changing the Landscape of
Community Supports
Ready by 21 Quality Counts Initiative
Using the Big Picture Approach to
Improve Quality & Reach
across Systems & Settings
across
Ages
Outcomes
Populations
across
Systems
& Settings
Time
Supports
Change the odds
for youth
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Change the landscape
of communities
across
Stakeholders
& Strategies
Change the way
we do business
Ready by 21 Quality Counts Framework
Strong Policy /
Leadership Horsepower
Capacity to Assess
& Improve
Programs
Strong, Stable
Program Base
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Capacity to Recruit, Train,
Retain Workforce
Ready by 21 Quality Counts Framework
Strong Policy /
Leadership
Horsepower
Decision-maker engagement & coordinating structures
Aligned policies for quality accountability and improvement
Shared vision, strong demand, active family/youth involvement
Strong, Stable
Program Base
Healthy program landscape (distribution & focus)
Cross-system program data base/info source
Cross-system convening/coordination mechanisms
Capacity to Assess
& Improve
Programs
Buy in re definitions, quality standards, accountability requirements
Widely adopted assessment and monitoring procedures
Adequate assessment and improvement training/TA capacity
Capacity to Recruit,
Train, Retain
Workforce
Cross-system provider networks and communications
Accurate data on workforce (skills, supports, recruitment, retention)
Professional development opportunities/incentives
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Using Quality Improvement as the Anchor
Focusing on quality improvement can be
a concrete place to start….
STEP 2a
STEP 1
Key $$ Holders
Decide to
build QI
system
Selfassessments
conducted
STEP 2b
External
assessments
conducted
But there may be broader organizational
and workforce needs and issues …
The H/S Assessment  Improvement Sequence
STEP 3
Managers
with Staff
Plan for
improvement
STEP 4
Managers help
Staff
Carry out plan
at the Point of
Service
STEP 5
Programs
Measure
change
a broader base of programs that you
need to document and engage…
broader policy, leadership and public
awareness issues …
Program Self-
and there may be reasons not to lead with program assessment,
even though that’s
A la carte Methods
Assessment
External Assessment
where
you want to end up.TA Workshops
Quality Matters
Planning
ObservationThe Forum for Youth Investment 2008
©presentation
with Data
Quality Coaching
Reflection
THE READY BY 21
QUALITY COUNTS INITIATIVE:
Improving
“Point of Service”
Quality
Goal Area: Capacity to Assess & Improve
Program Quality
Capacity to Assess
& Improve
Programs
Capacity to Recruit,
Train, Retain
Workforce
Strong, Stable
Program Base
Strong Policy /
Leadership
Horsepower
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Assumptions:
• High-quality programs can influence key
developmental outcomes for children and
youth.
• Accurate, accessible data about program
quality can influence staff practice and drive
planning and decision-making at the system
level.
Quality Counts
It Matters
Research shows that improved youth outcomes
requires program attendance and program quality.
It is Measureable
The core elements of program quality are both measurable
and consistent across a broad range of program types.
It is Malleable
Most programs can improve quality by undertaking
integrated assessment and improvement efforts.
It is Marketable
Decision-makers and providers will invest in improving
quality if they believe that it matters, is measurable and is
malleable given available resources.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Assessing and Monitoring Quality
Converging ideas about quality
Measuring Youth Program Quality: A Guide to Assessment Tools at www.forumFYI.org
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Assessing and Monitoring Quality
The Youth Program Quality Assessment
Characteristics
• Observation at point of service
• Takes 1-2hours, training available but
not required
• Applies to across content areas
Purposes:
• Metric for most important part of
education and human service
programs – point of service
• Increase access to experiences that
motivate clients to attend and engage
• Staff learning and performance change
• Foundation for more effective
accountability
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Defining Quality
Point of Service Quality
Plan
Make choices
Engagement
Reflect
Lead and mentor
Be in small groups
Partner with adults
Experience belonging
Interaction
Encouragement Reframing conflict
Supportive
Skill building
Session flow
Environment
Active engagement Welcoming atmosphere
Psychological and emotional safety
Program space and furniture
Emergency procedures
Safe
Healthy food and drinks
Physically safe environment
Environment
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Program Quality Drops as the
Expectations increase
Scores Across Diverse
Samples
Trained outside observers used
Self assessed
21st Elem
21st MS
N=140
School
Age N=12
N=15
N=26
I. Safe environment
4.35
4.10
4.38
4.39
II. Supportive
environment
III. Interaction
3.75
3.14
3.69
4.16
3.11
2.97
2.93
3.73
IV. Engagement
2.83
1.70
2.71
3.37
Program Offering Level
Score range: 1= lowest
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Mixed
5= highest
Program Quality Improves with Training
and Capacity Building
Across settings, POS Quality decreases with movement
up the pyramid from safety to engagement.
The High/Scope research strongly suggests that best way
to improve “POS Quality” is to:
• Reduce staff turnover
• Increase training, professional development and on-site support
• Increase opportunities for young people to have input and share
control
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Capacity to Recruit, Train, & Retain
a Strong Workforce
Capacity to Assess
& Improve
Programs
Capacity to Recruit,
Train, Retain
Workforce
Strong, Stable
Program Base
Strong Policy /
Leadership
Horsepower
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Assumptions:
• Good youth development practice lies at the
heart of high quality programs.
• In order to build and sustain an effective
quality improvement system for youth
programs, attention must be paid to building a
strong, stable, skilled workforce.
Next Generation Youth Work Coalition
Youth Worker Survey, 2006
•
8 largely urban communities. Data collected in partnership with the National
Training Institute for Community Youth Work, through local intermediaries.
Cities
Washington, DC
San Diego
Kansas City
Baltimore
Chicago
Connecticut
Hampton
Jacksonville
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Age, Education and Experience
•
Half of those surveyed are under age 30; one-third are under 25.
However, one-third are 40 and over.
•
Especially given age, education levels are high. 60% of those
surveyed have a two-year degree or more.
•
Most come from related fields: education, child care, social
services and faith-based. Others come from retail, health care,
technology, etc.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Satisfaction and Mobility
Nearly 80 percent are either satisfied or very satisfied. And part-and full time worker
responses were surprisingly consistent. However, while workers report extremely high
levels of job satisfaction, they do not tend to stay in their jobs for very long.
Length of Service
60
50
40
53
42
36
30
20
15
22
19 18
10
13 12
10
10 12 12
1-2 Years
2-3 Years
3-4 Years
16
10
0
0-1 Year
Time at Current Job
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Time in Current Org
5+ Years
Time in Youth Work
Part-Time Employment
•
1 in 2 work part-time.
•
Part-time workers report extremely high job satisfaction levels – equal
to those of full-timers.
•
Part-time workers anticipate staying in the field as long as full-time
workers.
•
60 percent of part-timers were interested in full-time work, 40 percent
were not.
•
Part-timers earn less and are much less likely to have benefits.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Training – Access and Recognition
•
While training is available, links between training and
tangible rewards are rare.
•
Over half say there are no clear opportunities for promotion
within their organization.
•
Only one third say their organization formally recognizes or
rewards higher education and years of experience.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Compensation
•
Median salary range is $25,000 - $25,999. Median hourly wage is
$9.00 - $10.99.
•
Less than half of the total sample has access to health insurance.
•
39 percent have no benefits at all (insurance, paid vacation, sick
leave, retirement savings).
•
Access to benefits varies significantly by employment status; 80
percent of full-time workers, compared with only 5 percent of
part-time workers, have access to health insurance.
•
27% of full-time and 53% of part-time workers hold second jobs.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Implications
•
Address Compensation Concerns. Pay is the top factor influencing
decisions to leave the field, regardless of demographics, part-time
status, job satisfaction or setting.
•
Strengthen Support Systems. Burn-out is real. Less satisfied
workers are much less likely to say they get the feedback they need.
Supervision and support matter.
•
Create Clearer Organizational Steps and Career Ladders. Career
advancement often requires changing jobs. Ensure PD opportunities
are accessible, relevant and recognized.
•
Legitimize Youth Work. Despite their altruistic commitment, youth
workers feel underpaid, underappreciated and invisible. Increase
public awareness about the critical role they play in society.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Strong, Stable Program Base
Capacity to Assess
& Improve
Programs
Capacity to Recruit,
Train, Retain
Workforce
Strong, Stable
Program Base
Strong Policy /
Leadership
Horsepower
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Assumptions:
• Building a quality assessment system that
reaches across the range of programs in a
community requires accurate information about
the programmatic landscape.
• Once stakeholders have a collective
understanding of the landscape (how many
people, hours, dollars, slots are at play), the
more motivated they are to assess and improve
quality.
Program Landscape Mapping
• Ensuring all youth are ready requires early and sustained
investments (0-21) across a range of outcomes. Do you
know how well your community is delivering these
supports?
• Information is power. Youth/families, providers, leaders
need common information to inform decision-making.
• Make sure your map considers the following youthcentered dimensions: age, approach, outcomes,
supports/services.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
NYA 2004 Member Survey
The Nashville Youth Alliance represents a diverse array of public and
non-profit organizations that provide informal services, opportunities
and supports to young people in schools and in the community, during
the school and non-school hours. Members include:
• Public Agencies: Metro Nashville Public Schools, Police, Parks and
Recreation, Public Health Depts., Transit Authority, Nashville Public
Library, Juvenile Court, Mayor’s Office of Children and Youth
• Cultural/Higher Ed Institutions: The Adventure Science Center,
Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Village Cultural Arts Center
• Non-Profit Providers: e.g. Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Martha O’Bryan
Center, Rocketown, YMCA, YWCA, Oasis Center, Community
IMPACT!, Junior Achievement, Gordon Jewish Community Center.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
NYA Programs and Organizations:
Basic Facts
•
35 of the 37 organizations that are members of the Nashville
Youth Alliance responded to the survey. Combined, these
organizations offer 135 programs report reaching over 670,000
participants ages 5 to 24 years old (duplicated count).
If these programs, which range from accessible sports and
recreation facilities to intensive counseling and skill-building
programs, were evenly distributed across Nashville’s
approximately 258,000 5-19 year olds (the core group served)
this would be an average of almost 2.5 supports per child.
•
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Ages Served
• NYA organizations serve all
ages of children and youth
from early childhood to
adulthood. The majority,
however, serve teens.
• 87% serve 12-15 yr olds
• 80% serve 16-20 yr olds
Percentage
Percentage of Programs Serving Youth by Age
100%
87%
80%
80%
53%
60%
40%
25%
19%
20%
0%
0-5 (33)
6-11 (70)
12-15 (116)
16-20 (107)
20-24 (25)
• 53% serve 6-11 yr olds
Ages
No.
%
• This focus on teens is
0-5
33
25%
6-11
70
53%
12-15
116
87%
16-20
107
80%
20-24
25
19%
unusual compared to
other cities.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Location of services – Facilities used
¨ Government Agency (5)
¨ Child Care Center (8)
• NYA programs are
4%
provided in a range of
community facilities from
libraries to colleges to
faith organizations.
• 4 out of 10 programs,
however, are provided in
schools.
6%
¨ College (12)
9%
¨ Library (12)
9%
12%
¨ Park (16)
¨ Non Profit (21)
16%
¨ Faith Organization (26)
20%
¨ Other (29)
22%
¨ Community Center (32)
24%
26%
¨ Private Facility (34)
41%
¨ School (55)
0%
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
NOTE: The STARS program was
counted as 11 separate programs
operating in 11 schools.
Location of Services –
After school only programs
Surprisingly, there
are fewer “after
school only”
programs that are
operated in
schools (29% vs
41% all)
• More are operated
in private facilities
(41% vs. 26% all)
• Non-profit and
faith based
venues are used
more by afterschool only
•
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
0%
5%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Child Care Center (1)
2%
College/University (1)
2%
27%
Faith Organization (11)
27%
12%
29%
Private Facility (17)
School (12)
45%
15%
Non Profit (11)
Community Center (12)
40%
12%
Park (6)
Other (5)
35%
7%
Government Agency (3)
Library (5)
10%
41%
29%
Focus Areas – All vs. After School
• Prevention was the top
category among all programs
and those offered only
• After-school only programs
were less likely to focus on
prevention, workforce
development and youth
engagement.
• They were more likely,
however, to focus on
education and life skills.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Prevention
ALL
31%
After
School
20%
Youth Engagement
13%
10%
Education
12%
17%
Sports & Recreation
8%
7%
Workforce
Development
8%
0%
Intervention
8%
7%
Foster Care
5%
5%
Multicultural/Cultural
Specific
5%
5%
Life Skills
5%
10%
Cultural Arts
4%
7%
Service
2%
5%
Other
8%
0%
Expected Outcomes
•
Respondents were asked to identify the specific outcomes they hoped to achieve
using a chart that provided examples of outcomes along a continuum from
“reducing negatives” to “increasing positives.”
Cognitive
Reduce
negative
outcomes
Dropping out
of school;
retained in
school grade
Increase
positive
outcomes
High
academic
motivation
and
aspirations;
higher
academic
achievement
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Vocational
Health
Personal/
Social
Poor work
habits/work
history
Substance
abuse; early
pregnancy;
STDs
Violence;
gang
participation;
antisocial
behavior
Employed/
seeking
employment;
positive
attitudes
towards work
Physical
safety;
engage in
regular
exercise and
healthy die;
practice
“safer sex”
Teamwork;
valuing
diversity;
navigation
skills;
supportive
relationships
with family
and friends
Civic
Voter
apathy; hate
crimes
Politically
active;
involved in
community
life
Expected Outcomes
• NYA programs work to address and prevent problems and
promote skill building and participation across the full
range of outcome areas.
• Positive outcomes were accentuated more than negative in every
90%
79%
area.
75%
80%
70%
• 3 out
of 4 programs focus
58% on improving personal and social skills
60%
50%
48% 45%
48%
50%increasing cognitive/academic
and
skills.48% 39%
40%
30%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Personal/Social
Cognitive
Cognative
Health
Positive Outcomes
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Vocational
Negative Outcomes
Civic
Strong Policy/Leadership Horsepower
Capacity to Assess
& Improve
Programs
Capacity to Recruit,
Train, Retain
Workforce
Strong, Stable
Program Base
Strong Policy /
Leadership
Horsepower
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Assumptions:
• Changing child and youth outcomes requires
broad commitments to a comprehensive set of
goals that cut across systems and settings.
• A shared vision; supportive policies, structures
and funding; and engaged leaders and
decision-makers are critical to building and
sustaining a quality improvement system.
P
O
P
U
L
A
T
I
O
N
L
E
V
E
L
G
O
A
L
S
FAMILY & COMMUNITY
CHILD & YOUTH
SUPPORTS or INPUTS
How is our community doing?
e.g.
OUTCOMES or RESULTS
How are our young people doing?
Caring Adults
e.g.
Safe Places
Effective Ed
Healthy Starts
Opportunities to
Contribute
Connecting
Thriving
Leading
Working
Learning
As measured by indicators
e.g., Teen birth rate
(common resources: Kids
Count; Search internal assets)
As measured by indicators e.g.,
% with caring adult
(common resources: Search
external assets)
Program/System Level Performance
PARTICIPATION
QUALITY
PROGRAM OUTCOMES
How much do we do?
How well do we do it?
Is anyone better off?
Frequency,
duration, intensity
of participation
Point of
Service
Quality
Improved skills,
knowledge & behaviors
As measured by indicators e.g., %
with improved decision-making skills
The Forum for Youth Investment
www.forumfyi.org