INTRODUCTION TO THE
READY BY 21® CHALLENGE
for United Ways in
Quality Counts Sites
Karen Pittman
Michael Williamson
Executive Director
Forum for Youth
Investment
Vice President
Field Leadership,
United Way of America
May 21, 2008
AGENDA
•
Forum for Youth Investment and United Way of America
•
•
Partnership Overview
UWA
•
Children and Youth Achieving their Potential
•
•
•
Ready by 21 Challenge
Quality Counts Initiative Overview
Local United Ways and Quality Counts Sites
•
•
•
•
10-Year Goals
Forum for Youth Investment
•
•
•
Expansion of early childhood work to include older youth
Discussion - What are local United Ways key focal areas related to children and youth?
How are local United Ways currently involved in the Quality Counts initiative?
Additional Opportunities for Involvement
Questions/Discussion
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
Forum and UWA –
Partnership Overview
The Forum’s Ready by 21 Challenge fits hand in glove with
United Way’s Community Impact Model:
•
Both are focused on assessing community needs, setting community-level goals,
and implementing effective solutions for solving intractable problems.
•
Both are grounded in the belief that investments in children and youth need to be
early and sustained – starting with infants, because children are born learning, and
staying with children throughout their developmental years to ensure that all youth
are ready for college, work and life.
•
Both understand the importance of data, partnerships, leadership and
communications in creating lasting changes in policy, practice and public will.
•
Both provide community leaders with tools, not pat formulas.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
Partnership Overview
Phase I: Partnership
Development
March 07 – Feb 08
•
•
•
•
•
National Staff work
group to develop the
relationship
Introduced R by 21 at
2007 UWA SLC
Annual Meeting.
Introduced
partnership to
funders in October
2007.
Awarded JCPenney
funding in February
2008.
Announced
partnership at Ready
by 21 Launch in
February 2008.
Phase II: Exploratory Plan Development and
Fundraising March 08- Feb 09
Lay the ground for the 2009/2010 roll-out by:
•
working with a smaller number of United Ways that
are already engaged in community impact level
work to improve youth outcomes or have an
interest/commitment to build on their early
childhood work,
•
using the existing outreach and communication
vehicles of the United Way system to move these
ideas out more broadly,
•
seeking every potential funding opportunity to build
the Ready by 21 Challenge Fund, including cohosting a series of CEO Roundtables on Youth, and
•
seeking every opportunity to leverage the potential
of this project by working with other Ready by 21
national partners and bringing in other funders and
business partners to assist in developing the plan.
Phase III: Implementation
Timing Contingent on Funding
• Technical assistance,
tools, ,technologies,
and trainings
available to all LUWs.
• Support for the
intentional
introduction of
the tools and
strategies work
into ready LUW
communities,
• Statewide
introduction of
the Ready by
21™ Challenge
in selected
states.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
Partnership Details
•
Memorandum of Agreement – October 2007
• Agreed to work together to provide local United Ways with research-based frameworks,
metrics, strategies and tools to ensure that children enter kindergarten ready to succeed and
enter the second decade of life ready for success.
•
JC Penney Afterschool Fund Grant Award – February 2008
• Grant awarded to the Forum and UWA to:
• convene national stakeholders and experts to identify strategic needs in youth
development,
• develop a vision for a potential national youth program,
• pilot community-wide outcome visioning around youth development in two
communities,
• pursue additional funding to support the growth of a national youth effort.
•
Ready by 21 Challenge National Partners Announced – February 2008
• UWA is the Forum’s signature partner
• Other national partners include Corporate Voices for Working Families, American
Association of School Administrators, National Conference of State Legislatures, the
National Collaboration for Youth, and the America’s Promise Alliance.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
Strategic
Foundation
Results to
Measure
Priority Impact
Areas
Brand
Promise
Brand
Positioning
United Way.
Advancing the Common Good
Creating the opportunities for a good life for all by focusing on:
Education
Income
Health
Helping children & youth
achieve their potential
Promoting financial
stability and independence
Improving people’s
health
• Readiness to achieve in
school
• Increased income
• Academic achievement
• Increased savings
• Productive & engaged
youth
• Assets gained and sustained
Community & Volunteer
Engagement
Public Policy
• Maternal health and infant
well-being
• Basic health care coverage
and prevention
• Healthy youth and adults
2-1-1
Community
Investment
Partnerships
Donor Relationships
Inclusion
Resource
Generation
Standards of Excellence
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
Promoting Student Success
Born healthy
(% of births at healthy weight)
Nurturing and
FinanciallyStable Families
Supportive
Communities
& Effective
Policies
Safe, Enriching
Environments &
Relationships
Comprehensive
Health Care
Developing on
track:
Enter school ready to
succeed
(measure under development)
Language &
Learning on track
Literacy
Social – (measured by 4th grade reading scores)
Emotional
Staying on track
Intellectual
(measured by public
Health &
high school graduation rates)
Physical
Successfully connected
to college, work, life
(% of 18 – 24 year olds working
or in school) (full or part time)
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
United Way’s National Focus on Helping
Children and Youth Achieve Their Potential
1. Readiness to succeed in school
Intended result: Children enter school developmentally on track in the areas of literacy
and social, emotional and intellectual skills.
Indicator: % of 3 to 5-year-olds with 3 or 4 (of 4) school readiness skills*
2. Academic achievement
Intended result: a): Elementary students are prepared to succeed in later grades.
Indicator: a): % of 4th graders are proficient in reading
Intended result: b): Young people graduate from high school.
Indicator: b): % of public high school students who graduate on time
3. Productive and engaged young adults
Intended result: Young adults make a successful transition from high school to work
life.
Indicator: % of 18 - 24 year olds who are not working or in school**
*The specific cognitive/literacy skills assessed are the ability to: 1) recognize letters 2) count to 20 or higher, 3) write their names, 4) read or pretend to read
**1) Not working full or part-time 2) nor in school full or part-time 3) nor already have a degree beyond high school (AA, BA, etc.) or completed 1+ years of
college
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
Raise the Graduation Rate
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
Ready by 21
and the Quality Counts Initiative
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
SchoolAge
6–10
Middle
School
11–14
High
School
15–18
Young
Adults
19–21+
High school
failure doesn’t
occur in a
vacuum
LEADING
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
The
Ready by 21
Challenge:
Changing the Odds for Youth by
Changing the Way We Do Business
Change the odds
for youth
Change the landscape
of communities
Change the way
we do business
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
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%
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%
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
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, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
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
Youth with Supportive
Relationships
Youth with Unsupportive
Relationships
Ready by End of 12th Grade
Not Ready
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
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
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Ready by 21
Not Ready by 21
Good Young Adult Outcomes
Poor Young Adult Outcomes
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
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, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
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
45%
25%
30%
12 – 17 Years Old
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
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, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
Reach Counts
Civic
Outcome
Social
Areas
Emotional
Physical
Vocational
Cognitive
21
.
Ages
?
.
.
0
?
At its best, school only fills
a portion of developmental space
?
School
Morning
After
School
...
Night
Times of Day
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
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, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
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
Youth
outcomes
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
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, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
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, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
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
Mixed
5= highest
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
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, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
5+ States, 7 Localities
STATES (w/ participating localities)
• Iowa
(Linn County, N. Central Iowa,
Polk County/Des Moines)
• Kentucky
•
•
(Lexington, Louisville)
• New York
(Broome, Onondaga, Orange & Rockland Counties)
• Oklahoma (Norman, Tulsa)
• Rhode Island
(Central Falls, Newport, Pawtucket)
• Washington (Honorary site)
•
•
•
•
•
LOCALITIES
Austin, TX
Georgetown Divide
(Black Oak Mine), CA
Columbus
(Bartholomew County), IN
Grand Rapids, MI
Indianapolis, IN
Nashville, TN
St. Louis, MO
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
Representing a Range of Lead
Intermediaries and Team Members…
Lead Organizations
• 2 Broad-based Coalitions
•
•
1 School District
•
•
Nashville
2 Partnerships
•
•
City Government: Grand Rapids
State Government: New York, Iowa
1 Youth Serving Organization
•
•
•
•
•
Oklahoma, Kentucky, Indianapolis
2 Government Agencies
•
•
•
Georgetown Divide
3 Capacity Building Organizations
•
•
Austin, Columbus
Team Members
• 15 Youth Serving Organizations
• 13 Capacity Building Organizations
• 10 Government
St. Louis, Rhode Island
7 Education
•
•
•
•
•
3 State Government Agencies
6 Local Government Agencies
1 Mayor’s Office
5 K-12
2 Higher Education
4 United Ways
2 Recreation
2 Coalitions
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
…Supported by an Even Broader
Range of Stakeholders
• 33 Youth Serving
Plus Many Others:
•
• Business
•
•
•
•
•
Organizations
25 Government Agencies
14 Local Funders
8 K-12 Education
7 Higher Education
7 Intermediaries
5 Coalition/Collaborations
• Recreation
• Professional Development
• Faith-Based Workforce
•
•
•
•
Intermediary
Prevention/Drug Treatment
Museum
Evaluation/Training
Technical Assistance
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
Ready by 21 Quality Counts Framework
Strong Policy /
Leadership Horsepower
Capacity to Assess &
Improve Programs
Strong, Stable
Program Base
Capacity to Recruit, Train,
Retain Workforce
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
Building the Capacity to Sustain Change:
The Four Quality Counts Work Areas
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
Strong, Stable
Program Base
Healthy program landscape (distribution & focus)
Cross-system program data base/info source
Cross-system convening/coordination mechanisms
Strong Policy /
Leadership
Horsepower
Decision-maker engagement & coordinating structures
Aligned policies for quality accountability and improvement
Shared vision, strong demand, active family/youth involvement
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
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
broader policy, leadership and public
awareness issues …
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…
and there may be reasons not to lead with program assessment,
A laend
carteup.
Methods
even though that’s where you want to
Program SelfAssessment
Workshops
External Assessment
Quality Matters presentation
Planning
TA
ObservationData
Quality
Coaching
and the
Ready by 21 Logo are registered
trademarks
of the Forum for YouthReflection
Investment.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21with
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
Change the landscape
of communities
across
Stakeholders
& Strategies
Change the way
we do business
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
From Core Principles
to Common Language and Expectations
Example Language
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008, unless otherwise noted. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
The Forum for Youth Investment
www.forumfyi.org