the ready by 21 challenge ncsl legislative summit: state policymakers on the forefront of changing...
TRANSCRIPT
THE READY BY 21 CHALLENGE
NCSL Legislative Summit: State Policymakers on the forefront of changing the way we do business for youth
Elizabeth Gaines, Program DirectorThe Forum for Youth Investment
© The Forum for Youth Investment 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
THE GAP BETWEENVISION AND REALITY HAS TO BE CLOSED
At a time when“Failure is NOT an Option”
(The Hope Foundation)
and “Trying Hard is NOT Good Enough”
(Mark Friedman)
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
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
• 43% are doing well in two lifeareas 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
Too Few Young People are Ready
Doing Well43%
Doing Poorly22%
In the Middle35%
• 22% are doing poorly in two lifeareas 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
• Researchers Gambone, Connell & Klem (2002) estimate that only 4 in 10 are doing well in their early 20s.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
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?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Youth with SupportiveRelationships
Youth with UnsupportiveRelationships
Ready by End of 12th Grade Not Ready
ABSOLUTELY
SOURCE: Finding Out What Matters for Youth: Testing Key Links in a Community Action Framework for Youth Development
• 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…
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
• … 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.
Do these Supports Make a Difference in Adulthood?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Ready by 21 Not Ready by 21
Good Young Adult Outcomes
Poor Young Adult OutcomesSOURCE: Finding Out What Matters for Youth: Testing Key Links in a Community Action Framework for Youth Development
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
From 4 in 10 doing well
To 7 in 10 doing well
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…
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
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)
But a Surprising Percentage of Youth Don’t Receive them… By Any Name
SAFE PLACES
CARING ADULTS
OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP OTHERS
EFFECTIVE EDUCATION
HEALTHY START
The Five Promises
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
One Third of 6-17 Year Olds Lack the Supports They Need
50% 37%
13%
6 – 11 Years Old
45%30%
25%
12 – 17 Years Old
• 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.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Supports Youth Need to Enter College?
• Accelerated Instruction• Align high school curricula with college and work standards• Begin this in 9th grade or earlier
• High Expectations• Give every student options and skills to engage in life long learning• Clear, consistent expectations with a plan
• Accurate Information• Reduce counselor caseloads• Clear communication about financial aid
• Financial Support• Financial aid is a necessity for most college goers
• Employment• Make employment accessible to college students
• Alternative Pathways• Alternate methods to obtain credits (alternative high schools, outside the
classroom, etc)
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
State Examples
• UT- stipends for supplemental instruction• NH- tutoring, study skills training and mentors• AR- aligning high school standards with college and
work requirements• FL- preparing disadvantaged youth to complete post
secondary education• OK- making tuition accessible to low income families• IN- alternate ways to access high school credits
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Supports Youth Need to Enter and Succeed in the Workforce?
• Building a Broader Skill Set• Opportunities to Assess Youth Skills• Skill-Based Certificates and Credits that
Demonstrate Work Readiness• Appropriate Early Work Exposure
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
State Examples
• Providing Youth with 21st Century Skills• CA, IN, NE,NY, WY have collaborated with business and higher educ. to align high
school standards with workforce skill demands• 22 states collaborating with Achieve, Inc to begin to align skills
• Assessing Workforce Readiness• IN, NY, NC, OK hold high schools accountable for improving the college and work
readiness of students. • Expanding Pathways to Work
• CA’s Dept of Educ. has instituted the Diploma Plus program which blends high school courses, college courses, internships and community service
• Increasing Work Opportunities• MI provides tax credits to employers that employ students part time
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Civic Social Emotional Physical Vocational Cognitive
Ages
Times of Day
OutcomeAreas
???
The Challenge for All Community Stakeholders:To Fill the Developmental White Space
Morning . . . Night
21
.
.
.
0 School AfterSchool
At its best, school only fills a portion of developmental space
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
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
Fostering Initiative: All Settings haveEqual Potential, All Do Not Currently Deliver
*Art,
Development of Initiative
-0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Class With Friends Sports Programs*
Context
Intrinsic Motivation
Concentration
*Art, Hobbies, Org.
Reed Larson: American Psychologist, January 2000
Research on Initiative
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Social & Emotional Health
Core Supports & Opportunities
Delinquency & Violence
Pregnancy & HIV/AIDS
Dropouts & Illiteracy
UnemploymentSubstance Abuse, Suicide, Depression
Civic Engagement
Educational Attainment
Physical Health
Vocational Readiness
& Success
Even the Smallest Communities have Too Many Initiatives
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
SOURCE:Margaret Dunkle
… See a Problem, Convene a Task Force, Create a Program…
Has Created a Tangle of Inefficiencies
Children’s Services in Los Angeles County
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
The Ready By 21 Challenge:Changing the Odds for YouthBy Changing the Way We Do Business
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Take Aim on the Big PictureHow are Young People Doing?
Pre-K0–5
School-Age6–10
Middle School11–14
High School15–18
Young Adults19–21+
Ready for College
LEARNING
Ready for Work
WORKING
Ready for Life
THRIVING
CONNECTING
LEADING
•Define desired goals/results
•Select indicators
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Take Stock of the Big Picture
Pre-K0–5
School-Age6–10
Middle School11–14
High School15–18
Young Adults19–21+
Ready for College
LEARNING
Ready for Work
WORKING
Ready for Life
THRIVING
CONNECTING
LEADING
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Pre–K0–5
Children6–12
Youth13–19
Young Adults20–24
Families and Communities
Ready for College
Cognitive/ academic
development
Ready for Work
Vocational development
Ready for Life
Physical development
Social/ emotional
development
Civic and cultural
development
Children Enter School Ready to Learn
Traditional Approach: Pick One Area
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
But What Happened to the Rest of the Picture?
Pre–K0–5
Children6–12
Youth13–19
Young Adults20–24
Families and Communities
Ready for
College
Cognitive/ academic
development
Ready for Work
Vocational development
Ready for Life
Physical development
Social/ emotional
development
Civic and cultural
development
Children Enter School Ready to Learn
Children Enter School Ready to Learn
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Alternative:Learning to Focus Differently
Shifting Red to Yellow,
Yellow to Green
Pre-K0–5
School-Age6–10
Middle School11–14
High School15–18
Young Adults19–21+
Ready for College
LEARNING
Ready for Work
WORKING
Ready for Life
THRIVING
CONNECTING
LEADING
Pre-K0–5
School-Age6–10
Middle School11–14
High School15–18
Young Adults19–21+
Ready for College
LEARNING
Ready for Work
WORKING
Ready for Life
THRIVING
CONNECTING
LEADING
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Institutes, Trainings and Webinars
In-Person Convenings: • Introductory Institutes. Learn the Ready by 21 Approach and become a change
maker. • Training of Trainers. Advanced training for change makers to lead a coalition
through the Ready by 21 Challenge. Ready By 21 Webinars: • The Ready by 21 Approach. Learn to use the tools and further your big picture
work. • Exploring the Blueprint for Action. Hear stories of places taking action on the
blueprint in its entirety and go in depth into its components. • Engaging Stakeholders. Hear from the National Partners how best to engage their
members including: policymakers, funders, businesses, advocates, educators and others.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
States taking action for youth
Pre-K0–5
School-Age6–10
Middle School11–14
High School15–18
Young Adults19–21+
Ready for College
LEARNING
Ready for Work
WORKING
Ready for Life
THRIVING
CONNECTING
LEADING
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
States taking action for youth
Pre-K0–5
School-Age6–10
Middle School11–14
High School15–18
Young Adults19–21+
Ready for College
LEARNING
Ready for Work
WORKING
Ready for Life
THRIVING
CONNECTING
LEADING