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

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 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 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)


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


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.)


• 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.


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?

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…


• … 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


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 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


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.


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)


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


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


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


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


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

?


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


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


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 Ready By 21 Challenge:Changing the Odds for YouthBy Changing the Way We Do Business


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


Take Stock of the Big Picture

Pre-K0–5

School-Age6–10


High School15–18


Ready for College

LEARNING

Ready for Work

WORKING

Ready for Life

THRIVING

CONNECTING

LEADING


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


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




Alternative:Learning to Focus Differently

Shifting Red to Yellow,

Yellow to Green

Pre-K0–5

School-Age6–10


High School15–18


Ready for College

LEARNING

Ready for Work

WORKING

Ready for Life

THRIVING

CONNECTING

LEADING

Pre-K0–5

School-Age6–10


High School15–18


Ready for College

LEARNING

Ready for Work

WORKING

Ready for Life

THRIVING

CONNECTING

LEADING


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.


States taking action for youth

Pre-K0–5

School-Age6–10


High School15–18


Ready for College

LEARNING

Ready for Work

WORKING

Ready for Life

THRIVING

CONNECTING

LEADING



Pre-K0–5

School-Age6–10


High School15–18


Ready for College

LEARNING

Ready for Work

WORKING

Ready for Life

THRIVING

CONNECTING

LEADING



Pre-K0–5

School-Age6–10


High School15–18


Ready for College

LEARNING

Ready for Work

WORKING

Ready for Life

THRIVING

CONNECTING

LEADING

Documents

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