Transcript THE READY BY 21 CHALLENGE: Ensuring that Every Young Person is Ready

THE READY BY 21 CHALLENGE:
Ensuring that Every
Young Person is Ready
for College, Work & Life
Karen Pittman
The Forum for Youth Investment
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
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%
WANTED:
High Quality Community Supports
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.
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
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
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
But 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
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
© 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
Fostering Initiative: All Settings have
Equal Potential, All Do Not Currently Deliver
Research on Initiative
Intrinsic Motivation
Concentration
Development of Initiative
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2
Class
With Friends
Context
Sports
Programs*
*Art,
*Art, Hobbies, Org.
Reed Larson: American Psychologist, January 2000
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
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
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Unemployment
Vocational
Readiness
& Success
WANTED:
Effective Leaders
Doing Business Differently
… 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
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
To Help All of Us Think Differently
• The Harvard Change Model suggests that the likelihood of
change increases exponentially as any of these factors gets
stronger. But disconnected change efforts may actually
dissipate the energy for change.
the more we focus (on narrow pieces),
the more we fragment (the responses),
the more we fail (our children and youth).
C=DxVxP
Change = Dissatisfaction x Vision x Plan
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Changing the Odds for Youth
The Ready By 21 Challenge:
By Changing the Way We Do Business
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
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
• Big Picture Approach
• Child- and Youth-Centered
• Research-Based
• Action-Oriented
• Focus and Prioritize Differently…
see both the forest and the trees
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
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
Core Principles
ABOUT YOUTH
•
•
•
•
Invest early and often.
Support the whole child.
Focus attention on those
most in need.
Build on strengths, don’t
just focus on problemreduction.
ABOUT COMMUNITY
SUPPORTS
•
•
•
•
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Children don’t grow up in
programs, they grow up in
families & communities.
Support a full range of
learning opportunities,
formal/informal, in school
and out.
Assess and improve quality,
reach and impact across all
the places young people
spend their time.
Recruit, train and retain
good staff.
ABOUT LEADERS
•
•
•
•
See youth and
families as change
agents, not clients.
Engage all sectors
and stakeholders.
Coordinate efforts,
align resources.
Inspire and inform
the public.
From Core Principles
to Common Language
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+
Take Stock of the Big Picture
Pre-K
0–5
Ready for
College
LEARNING
Ready for
Work
WORKING
THRIVING
Ready for
CONNECTING
Life
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
CONNECTING
Life
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
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
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+
Our Work Today
•
Use these ideas and tools to get a better sense of the current picture in
your state and how you can link, align and leverage your efforts.
Across Ages
Across
Outcomes
By Population
Change the odds
for youth
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Across Systems
& Settings
With Quality
Supports
Change the landscape
of communities
Stakeholders
& Strategies
Change the way
we do business
The Basic Idea:
Bringing Precision to Our Passion
?
Ages
?
Outcome
Areas
•
?
scho
after
ol scho
ol
Times of
Day
“Developmental White Space”
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
•
Why do we need
precision?
Because continuing to add on
policies, programs and
initiatives without adding up
what’s currently there is not
only ineffective but
uninspiring.
Who fills this developmental
space? How well? Who
benefits?
Bringing Precision to Passion
How do we
move forward
to make
change?
Agree on common terms and indicators across the three gears.
Use them consistently to set goals, make plans and track progress
across systems and settings.
• Translate existing goals and plans into common language.
• Make data systems talk to each other. Recalibrate as needed.
•
•
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Precision
Basics
Take
aim
Take
Stock
Common Terms to describe all the elements that need to be monitored as a part of your
change effort (e.g. ages, outcomes, settings)
An Actionable Vision that spells out goals across “the gears.”
Balanced Set of Indicators sorted and prioritized for each gear.
Counts, Baselines, Benchmarks to show where you started and where you want to go.
Take
Action
Track
Progress
Priority Areas & Action Plans that help you set bigger goals, be better partners and
deliver on bolder strategies
Implementation Strategies designed to achieve results.
Interlocking Tracking Systems that provide real time data on youth outcomes, youth
participation, program/services availability and quality, and human and fiscal resource
allocation.
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Bringing Precision to Passion
•
Where do
Begin where there is momentum or a mandate to:
•
•
•
we begin?
This is too big
to tackle and
we’re already
committed to
things.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Build/expand a coordinating group
Create a broad youth master plan
Create a specific action plan to move an indicator or address a
population
Improve system performance and reach
Create recommendations for policy/resource alignment.
Create a coherent set of goals and metrics
Collect integrated data.
Increase public awareness or engagement.
Involve youth.
Aim for precision where there is energy and resources.
Assess progress in the other areas. Make corrections where needed to
protect your big investment.
Don’t cut corners. Do it once. Do it right.
Optional for Team Time: Getting to Common Language How would your state fill in these columns?
Sample Language
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Optional for Team Time:
What do you want to Take Stock of?
HOW ARE CHILDREN & YOUTH DOING?
•
•
Child and Youth Demographics (e.g., census data)
Child and Youth Well Being (e.g., child and youth report cards)
WHAT SUPPORTS ARE AVAILABLE?
• Supports and Assets (e.g., 40 Assets, America’s Every Child Every Promise Survey)
• Program Participation (e.g., Youth Participation Reports)
• Program Availability (e.g., Program Inventories)
• Program Quality (e.g., Program Evaluations and Assessments)
• System 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, Surveys)
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
A Blueprint for Action
Big Picture
Goals
Big Tent
Partners
Big Impact
Strategies
Big Picture
Coordinating Bodies
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Optional for Team Time:
Does your state have the change horsepower that it needs?
© The Forum for Youth Investment 2008
Changing the Odds for Youth
The Ready By 21 Challenge:
By Changing the Way We Do Business
© 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
•
Training of Trainers. Advanced training for change makers to lead a coalition
maker.
through the Ready by 21 Challenge. June 27-28 Washington DC.
Ready By 21 Webinars:
•
The Ready by 21 Approach. Learn to use the tools and further your big picture
•
Exploring the Blueprint for Action. Hear stories of places taking action on the
•
work.
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