Transcript Preparing PA’s Youth to be Ready By 21™

Preparing PA’s Youth to be
Ready By 21™
Bill Bartle, PA Partnerships for Children
NEPTPC Workforce Development
Conference
October 17, 2006
Www.papartnerships.org
Why is Youth Development
important?

One in 7 Pennsylvanians (1,688,643) is
a young person (age 12-21)
–
–
–
–
–
–
1 in 3 lives in poverty
More than 12,000 are in foster care
More than 40,000 are in juvenile justice
More than 26,000 teens are mothers
1 in 50 has limited English proficiency
14% have a disability
Why is Youth Development
important?

2 out of 5 urban 9th graders fail to graduate from high
school in the same district four years later
–
–




1 in 6 rural 9th graders
1 in 8 suburban
High school graduates earn three times more than
those who did not graduate
College graduates earn six times more
Dropouts have higher rates of teen pregnancy,
substance abuse and crime
80% of those incarcerated are dropouts
Need Educated and Proficient
Workers

In order to compete in a 21st century
global economy, Pennsylvania needs a
highly-educated and proficient
workforce.
–
–
–
Worker shortage
Dramatic shift from unskilled to skilled jobs
High school diploma not enough anymore
Students need sound academic
background

To prepare students to participate in this
workforce, Pennsylvania must take the
steps necessary to assure that all youth
have a sound academic background
and highly-developed soft skills.
–
Important issue for PA voters
Preparation for college or work
is the same

Young people who are preparing for
college or work require a similar
foundation.
–
–
–
Same skills
Solid academic skills – especially math and
language arts skills
Appropriate soft skills
“Gold Collar” Workers

Many of the fastest growing high-skill/high
wage occupations are being filled with what
are called “gold collar” workers.
–
–
–
–
Resourceful problem solvers
Job appropriate training
Need additional education after high school, but
not necessarily a 4-year bachelor’s degree
Each PhD scientist requires 8 technicians
Current “Readiness Rate” of
High School Students






Of public high school students who entered 9th grade
in the 2001-02 school year, 22% failed to graduate
four years later.
50% of 11th graders not proficient in math
Nearly 35% are not proficient in reading
Students that do poorly on PSSA may not be collegeready
Manhattan Institute estimates 41% of PA’s high
school graduates are “college ready”
High remediation rates for both 2 and 4 year colleges
What Skills are Needed?
Basic Knowledge/Skills (Academics)









English language (spoken)
Reading comprehension (in English)
Writing (grammar, spelling, etc.)
Mathematics
Science
Government/Economics
Humanities/Arts
Foreign Languages
History/Geography
What Skills are Needed?
Applied Skills (Soft Skills)











Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
Oral Communications
Written Communications
Teamwork/Collaboration
Diversity
Information Technology Application
Leadership
Creativity/Innovation
Lifelong Learning/Self Direction
Professionalism/Work Ethic
Ethics/Social Responsibility
Workforce Readiness Report Card
High School Graduates




Over 40% of employer respondents rate high school
graduates as “Deficient” in their overall preparation
for the entry-level jobs they typically fill; Almost the
same percentage rated them “Adequate”
Employers rated students “Deficient” in the basic
knowledge and skills of Writing, Mathematics and
Reading Comprehension
“Deficient” in Professionalism/Work Ethic
“Adequate” in Information Technology Application,
Diversity, and Teamwork/Collaboration
Workforce Readiness Report Card
Two and Four-Year College Grads
Majority of respondents (70% for 2-yr
and 65% for 4-yr) rated college
graduates as “Adequate” for the entrylevel jobs they typically fill
 Very few rated them as “Deficient”
 Deficiencies in Writing and Leadership

What can we do?
What is Ready By 21™?
Ready By 21™ is committed to youth-centered
public policies and programs designed to
ensure that all Pennsylvanians aged 12-21
have equitable access to high quality
education and support services that meet
their needs and builds on their aspirations;
that prepares them to earn a familysustaining wage, be active citizens, lifelong
learners, and enjoy healthy physical,
social and emotional health.
What are the Ready By 21™
Principles?




Evidence based programs and policies that
are youth centered and respond to their
needs and aspirations
Equitable access to high quality education
that prepares them for work and life
Career guidance based on the knowledge
base of available 21st Century careers in PA
that lead to family-sustaining wage
After-school programs that enhance
academic, recreation and social needs
What are the Ready By 21™
Principles?






Opportunities to explore, build and seed a
career
Comprehensive health and human services
Supports and encouragement from caring
adults
Decision-making role in the design of policies
and programs
Opportunity to contribute and serve within
their communities
Special efforts for those who face additional
barriers to success
Alignment with other initiatives

PDE's Project 720 high school reform
initiative
–

Dual enrollment
Governor’s Commission on College and
Career Readiness
–
12th-Grade Learning Competencies
What has been accomplished
so far?



Research and analysis
Mobilization Plan
– Bring stakeholders together – Ready By 21™
Coalition
– Discussions with public and private organizations,
policymakers
Structured the work into four policy areas -– Secondary academic success
– Positive use of out-of-school time
– Career preparation and workforce development
– Comprehensive services with linkages to
appropriate health and human services
What has been accomplished
so far?


Form Workgroups to address each policy
area
Issue Briefs published and distributed
–
–
–
–

The State of Youth Employment
Risk and Protective Factors
Graduation Gap
Preparing Youth for Success in a 21st Century
Economy
Earned media
–
News stories, op-eds and editorial boards
Workgroup
Recommendations
for Public Policy Agenda
High School Reform
Fully fund PDE Project 720 so that
every high school in PA can participate
in the program
 Increase funding for dual enrollment to
allow more students to participate
 Develop and implement a statewide
informational campaign on pathways to
careers of the 21st century

Guidance

Enhance academic and career guidance at the middle, high
and career and technical schools
– Provide individualized academic and career guidance for all
students
– More opportunities for students to learn about current and
emerging careers
– Provide matching grants for employers to participate in
work-based-learning opportunities for high school students
– Workforce Development Coordinators, aligned with local
WIB, to assist guidance counselors with local job market
information
– Offer meaningful professional development designed
specifically for guidance counselors
– Develop formalized strategies to engage parents, teachers,
administrators and staff, employers and other adults in
student guidance
– Align resources to areas of greatest need
Enhance Career and Technical
Education




Increase rigor for CTE students
Provide tutoring and additional academic
supports to students who need them
Labor market demand and industryrecognized standards and credentials
Clear ties between CTE and postsecondary
education to allow students to earn credits
and credentials
Model Core Curricula

Develop model core curricula in language
arts, math, science, and social studies/civics
to provide districts a tool to assure that all
graduates are ready for postsecondary
education, work and life
–
–
–
Establish a committee to work on embedding the
Career Ed. And Work standards and life skills
examples into the model curricula
Provide extensive professional development to
educators on the model curricula
Align future teacher training programs around the
curricula
Implement State-Level
Graduation Requirements

Develop a series of state-standardized interim benchmark
assessments in math, language arts, science and social studies
that are aligned with the academic standards as a requirement
for every student to graduate
– Phased in over multiple years (at least 5)
– Offered multiple times to maximize student success
– Accommodations made for students with special needs
– These “end of course” assessments can also be used to
identify when students are prepared to move to the next
level of work
– A tool to provide credit recovery and streamlined completion
for students who have left school and then return to
complete get their diploma
Early Detection System
in Sixth Grade

Develop an early detection system in 6th
grade for student who exhibit the four risk
factors for dropping out of school:
–
–
–
–

Attendance
Behavior
Failing math
Failing English
Once students are identified, implement an
individualized strategy to ensure student
success
Out-of-School Youth

Enhance services and supports for students who
are no longer (or marginally) attending school
– Develop alternative pathways to a high school
diploma that:
Provide supports for students to manage life
demands
 Meet the same standards as traditional high schools
 Provide smaller learning environments
 Provide guidance to connect youth to opportunities to
pursue vocational interests as well as academic and
career goals
 Provide flexibility to allow students to transfer, leave,
and re-enroll as needed
Develop a formalized funding strategy for out-of-school
youth that is community and research based

–
What are our next steps?



Are currently in the process of formally
developing the public policy agenda
Strategic communications plan to create buzz
around the Ready By 21™ agenda
Develop and implement policymaker education
and champion plan to recruit administrative and
legislative leaders to support, advance and
implement the Ready By 21™ agenda (early
fall)
Contact information -Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children
www.papartnerships.org
Bill Bartle
Phone – (717) 236-5680, ext. 209
Email – [email protected]