January 20, 2010
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM EST
Outline
• Who we are
• What we do
• The ‘Ready by 21’ theory of change
• How we implement it + examples from states
• Questions & Answers
Who We Are
• The Forum for Youth investment is a nonprofit,
nonpartisan “action tank” dedicated to helping
communities and the nation make sure all young people
are Ready by 21 -- ready for college, work and life.
• Elizabeth Gaines, Policy Director,
elizabeth@forumfyi.org
• Danielle Evennou, Senior Policy Associate,
danielle@forumfyi.org
What We Do
• Work with:
»business
»government
»education &
»nonprofit sectors…
• To provide a framework, coaching & tools for
improving outcomes of children & youth
About the Forum for Youth Investment
Signature initiative is Ready by 21
Manages the Children’s Cabinet Network
… See a Problem, Convene a Task Force, Create a
Program…
Has Created a Tangle of Inefficiencies
Children’s Services in Los Angeles County
SOURCE:
Margaret Dunkle
Theory of Change
Insulate the Education Pipeline
• Academic Attainment
• 21st Century Skills
• Risk Management
© 2008 The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the
Forum for Youth Investment.
Are they Ready?
© 2008 The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
9
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%
Gallup Student Poll Indices
Engagement
Hope
Well-Being
Engaged – 50%
Hopeful – 50%
Thriving – 63%
Not Engaged – 30%
Stuck – 33%
Struggling – 36%
Actively
Disengaged – 20%
Discouraged – 17%
Suffering – 1%
Are They Getting the Supports They
Need? Are They Making A Difference?
© 2008 The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
12
Even the Smallest Communities
have Too Many Initiatives
Civic Engagement
Physical
Health
Delinquency
& Violence
Pregnancy
& HIV/AIDS
Educational
Attainment
Dropouts
& Illiteracy
Core Supports
& Opportunities
Substance Abuse,
Suicide, Depression
Social & Emotional
Health
Unemployment
Vocational
Readiness
& Success
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
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
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 Challenge for All Community Stakeholders:
To Fill the Developmental White Space
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
...
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 Question: How do we change from
“Business as Usual”
© The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
Ready by 21 National Partnership
Founder &
Managing
Partner
Signature Partner
Mobilization Partners
Technical Partners
How We Implement It
The Four Building Blocks:
• Broader Partnerships
• Bigger Goals
• Better Data and Information
• Bolder Strategies
Broader Partnerships
• Engaged stakeholders
• Aligned coalitions,
networks &
intermediaries
• Big picture
coordinating
structures
Stakeholder Wheel
© The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.
Task
Force on
Violence
Perinatal
Community
Consortium
Counselor’s
Consortium
Rochester
Children’s
Collab.
Early
Childhood
Develop I.
Domestic
Violence
Consortium
Transitions
Collab.
Service
Delivery
Community
Profile
MCTP
SDFSCA
Planning
Committees
Juvenile
Justice
Council
Interagency
Council
Cross Systems
Change
Reclaiming
Youth
Best
Practice
Rochester‘s
Child
Student
Asst. Prof.
Greater Roch.
Area
Youth
2000
Continuous
Improvement
Monroe
Cty. Sch
& Comm.
Health Ed.
Network
OASAS
Prevention
Initiative
RAEYC
Mentoring
Round
Table
YRBS
Group
RECAP
Health
Action
Homeless
Continuum
of care
Impl. Team
Evaluation
Rochester
Effectiveness
Partnership
CCSI
TIER II
Community
Mobilization
Positive
Outcomes for
Youth &
Families
SACSI
Domestic
Violence
Partnership
Not Me
Not Now
City
Violence
Initiative
Roch.
Enterprise
Community
Zone P.
Do Right by
Kids campaign
Comm.
Asset
Network
NBN
N.E.T.
Advocacy
America’s
Promise
Homeless
Services
Network
HW &
Tutoring
Round
Table
Student
Assistance
Prof.
Runaway &
Homeless
Youth Ser
Provider
Diversion
Collaborative
COLLABORATIONS
PCIC
CHANGE
Preventive
Services
Coalition
Youth
Services
Quality C.
Children &
Family Serv.
Subcomm.
CASAS
Providers
Reg. 2
Preventive
Provid.N
Community
Service
Board
School
Health
Leadership
Team
United
Neighborhood
Centers Of
Greater Roch.
Perinatal
Substance
Abuse
Coalition
Adult
Services
Subcomm.
Board
of
Health
Maryland’s Youth Policy Structure
© 2008 The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the
26
Iowa Collaboration for Youth
Development Council
About the ICYD Council
•The ICYD Council represents all of the state’s child and youth serving agencies to foster
improvement I and coordination of state and local policy programs. The ICYD Council also brings
the voices of youth to state policy through the State of Iowa Youth Advisory Council (SIYAC)
Vision and Purpose
•Our vision is that all Iowa youth will be safe, healthy, successful, and prepared for adulthood.
The purpose of the ICYD Council is to improve the lives and futures of Iowa youth by:
•Integrating positive youth development principles the day to operations of state and local
agencies
•Increasing the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of opportunities and services and other
supports for youth
•Improving and coordinating state youth policy and programs across state agencies
Includes ALL Child and Youth Serving
Agencies
About Children’s Cabinet Network
What is a Children’s Cabinet?
• Heads of all state government agencies with child
and youth-serving programs.
•
-
Meet on a regular basis to:
coordinate services
develop a common set of outcomes
collaboratively decide upon and implement plans
to foster the well-being of young people
Children’s Cabinet Network
• Made up of about 20 states that have Children’s
Cabinets or a similar coordinating body
 Share best practices
 Receive technical support, coaching & tools
 …with the goal of bringing efficiency &
effectiveness
to state efforts to improve child & youth outcomes
Bigger Goals
Once you have a common results framework
you can:
• Help with language confusion across sectors and
agencies
• Focus on the results you want to see
• Set long term goals
• Track progress with indicators and metrics
• Track policies and resources and set priorities
• Track programs and services geographically
• Link issue/population specific action plans
Dashboard of Results by Ages
Pre-K
0–5
Ready for
College
Ready for
Work
Ready for
Life
School-Age
6–10
Children/Youth
Succeed in School
LEARNING
Children Are Ready for
School
WORKING
Children Have Parents
Who Are Securely
Employed
THRIVING
Infants and Young
Children Are Healthy
and Safe
Children Develop and
Maintain Good Health
Practices
Children Have
Nurturing, Stable
Relationships with
Parents
Children Have
Positive Relationships Youth Have
with Peers and Adults Relationships with
Peers and Adults
Children Help with
Family Tasks
CONNECTING
LEADING
Families Engage With
Their Communities
Children/Youth
Succeed in School
Middle School
11–14
Children Have Parents
Who Are Securely
Youth Learn About
Employed
Careers
Children Practice
Group Membership
Youth/Young Adults
Make Healthy Choices
Youth/Young Adults
Contribute to Their
Community
High School
15–18
Children/Youth
Succeed in School
Young Adults
19–21+
Young Adults are
Ready for College or
Work
Young Adults are
Youth Gain Experience
Ready for College or
in a Career Setting
Work
Youth/Young Adults
Make Healthy Choices
Youth/Young Adults
Make Healthy Choices
Youth Have
Relationships with
Peers and Adults
Young Adults Are
Prepared for
Parenthood and
Community
Youth/Young Adults
Contribute to Their
Community
Youth/Young Adults
Contribute to Their
Community
Ready by 21 Developmental Dashboard
Stages/Ages
Early Childhood
Elementary Age
Middle School
High School
Young Adults
0 – 5 yrs
6 – 10 yrs
11 – 13 yrs
14 – 18 yrs
18-24 yrs
Learning: Children & Youth Succeed in School
% children ages 0-5 read
% of students with high
to by a family member 6 or % third/fourth-graders with levels of "school
7 times in the past week proficient reading
connectedness"
High school graduation
rate
% 18-24-year-olds enrolled
in college, or completed
college
Working: Youth & Young Adults Are Ready for Work
% children given useful
% children (0-5) with at
roles in family and
least one employed parent community
% students who participate % students with job
in career awareness
internship/apprenticeship % 18-24-year-olds
activities
experience
employed
Thriving: Children & Youth Make Healthy Choices
% low birth weight
% children with a medical % youth who drank alcohol % youth who drank alcohol % young adults overweight
home
before age 13
in the past 30 days
or obese
Connecting: Children & Youth Have Positive Relationships with Peers and Adults
% of children whose
parent describes the
% of children who eat a % of children who "receive % of students with high
parent-child relationship as meal with their family 6 or support from three or more levels of "school
"very warm and close"
7 days per week
nonparent adults"
connectedness"
% parents where parents
are 20 or older, married,
have at least 12 years'
education, and at least one
is employed
Leading: Youth Contribute to Their Community
% children ages 6-17 who
participated in sports
% of children ages 0-5
teams, clubs,
taken by family members organizations, or other
on outings in the
organized after-school
% of children who
community one or more activities in the past 12
participate in school
times within the past week mos.
decision-making
% youth volunteering in
their community
% of 18-24-year-olds who
voted in the previous
general election
Definitions
RESULT STATEMENT
A condition of well-being for
children, adults, families or communities
Children born healthy, Children succeeding in school,
Safe communities, Clean Environment, Prosperous Economy
INDICATOR
A measure which helps quantify the achievement of a result.
Rate of low-birthweight babies, Rate of high school graduation,
crime rate, air quality index, unemployment rate
PERFORMANCE MEASURE
A measure of how well a program, agency or service system
is working.
1. How much did we do?
Three types:
2. How well did we do it?
3. Is anyone better off? = Customer Results
Better Data and Information
HOW ARE CHILDREN & YOUTH DOING?
 Child and Youth Demographics (e.g. Census data)
 Child and Youth Well Being (e.g. Child Report Cards, Single Student Identifiers)
WHAT SUPPORTS ARE AVAILABLE?
 Supports and Assets (e.g. 40 Assets Survey)
 Program Participation (e.g. Youth Participation Reports)
 Program Availability (e.g. Program Inventories)
 Program Quality (e.g. Program Evaluations)
 System/Org Effectiveness (e.g. Performance Measure Reports)
 Provider/Workforce Capacity (e.g. Youth Workforce Survey)
 Resources/Investments (e.g. Children’s Budgets)
WHERE ARE THE PUBLIC COMMITMENTS & LEADERSHIP?
 Leadership Actions (e.g. Mapping Change Horsepower)
 Policy Priorities (e.g. Policy Benchmarks)
 Public Will (e.g. Polling, Focus Groups)
 Political Will (e.g. Political Leadership Assessment)
 Stakeholder Perceptions (e.g. Key Informant Interviews)
Better Lives, Better Ohio
• Real time aggregate data
• 6 result areas / 72 child wellbeing indicators
• All 88 counties
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/betterLives.aspx
Comparing Counties
• Result:
youth successfully
transitioning to
adulthood (19-24)
• Indicator:
employed adults
39
©
2008
The
Foru
m for
Yout
h
Inves
tmen
t.
Read
y by
21
and
the
Read
y by
Government Centered Approach:
Youth Centered Approach:
Identify and align spending with priorities:
Missouri’s Youth Development Policy
Handbook 2003
Mapping Resources:
Expenditures by Result
Bolder Strategies
• Align policies &
resources
• Engage children, youth
& families
• Increase demand
• Improve systems &
settings
Ready by 21 Policy Alignment Guide
Tips for aligning new policies
with existing efforts to:
• collaborate
• improve quality and
• establish big-picture goals
accountability
and long-term plan
• collect and use data to
• administer grants
drive decision-making
• engage young people in
decision-making
• provide a flexible set of
child and youth services
Engaging Youth & Families
• Formalize a Youth Council (example: Boston
Mayor’s Youth Council)
• Include youth & families on advisory bodies
alongside policymakers (example: Texas Council
on Children and Families)
• Include youth & families in planning processes
(example: Massachusetts)
www.SparkAction.org
Managing Editor, Caitlin Johnson
Caitlin@SparkAction.org
Mobilizing Young
People Online
Managed by:
47
Child and Youth Websites have Few Visitors
Unique Website
Visits Per Month
Unique 500K
website
visits per
month in
1000s 400
300
444
Websites in
other advocacy
fields
293
Websites in the
child and youth
field
290
200
125
100
104
104
71
48
64
18
0
ASPCA* Planned American Human
Nat'l
Parenthood Civil
Rights
Org.
Liberties Watch
for
Union
Women
Save
Darfur
Oxfam
Nat'l
Parent
Teacher
Assoc.
11
7
2
Unicef Children's The
Nat'l
Soc.
Defense Foster Center
for
Fund
Care
for
Adolescent
and
Juvenile Medecine
Adoptive Justice
Community
Source: www.compete.com
Note: Estimates for August or September 2008; ASPCA stands for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
©
SparkAction, managed by the Forum for Youth Investment , 2010
48
Online Advocacy Tools
024 61
©
SparkAction, managed by the Forum for Youth Investment , 2010
Online Advocacy Tools
Youth issues are a top
priority for me as a
voter.
I would like to thank
you for voting for the
Federal Youth
Coordination Act (HR
856).
©
SparkAction, managed by the Forum for Youth Investment , 2010
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.
Ready by 21 National Partnership
Technical partners representing organizations with expertise in
using data indicators and report cards, mapping fiscal and
program resources, improving program and staff quality, and
building capacity of leaders to make change
Mass. Statewide Action Plan
• A team of more than 100 people
 Statewide
 Cross-Sector
 14 State Government Agencies
 40 Local and Regional Leaders
19 Youth Representatives
13 MA United Ways
Unique Work in Massachusetts
• State agencies, united ways, private funders,
community organizations and youth together
• Creating a vision and results framework, developing
measures
• Aligning the work of moving trains and getting to a
comprehensive set of strategies and action steps
• Pioneers in developing leadership results, measures
and strategies
• Linking to a big coordinating body
Ready by 21 Trainings and Institutes
• The Forum offers quarterly Ready by 21 Institutes in
Washington, DC and across the country. The Institutes are
attended by national partners, local changemakers, and
others committed to improving the odds for youth.
• We will have very limited space in a local Institute being
held in Ypsilanti, MI on February 9 & 10.
• After that, our next Institute will be held in May in
Washington, DC.
• Please contact Kiley Bednar at kiley@forumfyi.org for
more information.
Ready by 21 Webinar Series
• Introduction to the Ready by 21 Strategies
January 25, 2011 3:00-4:00 PM ET
• Setting Bigger Goals: Post-Secondary Success
February 22, 2011 3:00-4:00 PM ET
• More info:
http://readyby21.readytalk.com/?p=ev
Questions…
Elizabeth Gaines, elizabeth@forumfyi.org
Danielle Evennou, danielle@forumfyi.org
www.Readyby21.org