1. Youth CareerConnect Programs:
Plans for development and implementation
Presentation at the YCC Annual Grantee Meeting
Washington DC
July 20-21, 2016
Jeanne Bellotti • Nan Maxwell • Peter Schochet

2. Outline of presentation
Evaluation overview
YCC programs as planned
Structure and partners
Planned YCC service offerings
Planned integrated curriculum
Planned employer engagement
Planned work-based learning activities
Plans for individualized counseling
Plans for small learning communities
Plans for teacher professional development
Conclusions and next steps

3. 1. Evaluation overview

4. Evaluation: Three components
Implementation study
Grantee surveys (all grantees)
Site visits
PTS (all grantees)
Lottery-based impact study
Baseline information forms
Follow-up survey
Administrative data
School records on all students in district

5. Grantee survey Fielded summer 2015 (again in spring 2017)
Sent to YCC project manager
Larger sites shared with other staff
Questions asked about programs starting in 9th grade
If no 9th grade programs, lowest grade
If more than one program, one with largest student enrollment
All 24 grantees completed a survey
100% overall response rate
Response rate for individual questions ranged with grantees reporting “don’t know” on some items

6. 2. YCC programs as planned

7. 2a. Structure and partners

8. Programs are likely to have wide reach
Grantees
24 grantees
78 districts
133 high schools
Program (largest)
# of districts where YCC offered
# of Grantees
# of schools where YCC offered
1 district 16
1 school 6
2 districts 2
2 schools 4
More than 2 districts 5
More than 2 schools 12

9. YCC focuses on a wide variety of careers
Career focus
Percentage
Health sciences 67
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 58
Information technology 54
Manufacturing 25
Architecture and construction 21
Transportation, distribution, and logistics
21 
Agriculture, food, and natural resources 17
Arts, audiovisual technology and communications
Business management and administration
Finance
Hospitality and tourism
Law, public safety, corrections, and security
Human services 13
Education and training 8
Marketing 4
Other (write-in): Automotive

10. Programs can draw on experience

11. Many YCC partners Percent of grantees with partners of this type
Average number of partners per grantee, if partners
Institutes of higher education
100% 3
Employers
92%
12*
WIBs or AJCs 1
Support service organizations
79% 4

12. Many partners plan to provide resources
Financial resources
In-kind funding
Number of grantees promised resources 16 17
If promised, percentage with resources from (multiple responses):
State or local governments
88%
59%
Institutes of higher education
38%
Private foundations
25%
12%
Employers
19%

13. 2b. Planned YCC service offerings

14. Integrated curriculum

15. Plan to offer academic and career courses
Curriculum
Number
Academic courses
Flexibility for special needs students 20
High levels of English and math 18
Complete coursework for 2-year college or apprenticeships 16
Complete coursework for 4-year college 12
Career and technical education (CTE) courses
Build technical skills 22
Prepare for H-1B career ladder 21
Distinctive career theme
Build knowledge of a variety of careers
Lead to employer-recognized certification

16. Plan for standards and curriculum integration
Number
Standards and assessments
Workplace skills incorporated and assessed 23
Academics aligned to career and college-ready standards 22
Course materials based on industry standards
Competency-based assessments offered 20
Assessments reflect career practices 16
Curriculum integration
Courses and professions related
Career-focused classes taught academic skills
Project-based learning used 21
Projects applied skills from several courses 18
Academic courses used career examples 17
Capstone course synthesizes knowledge 7

17. Plan to offer academic supports

18. Plan for access to post-secondary education

19. Employer engagement

20. Plan to engage employers in program design

21. Plan to engage in workforce preparation

22. Work-based learning activities

23. Plan to teach many workplace skills
Students will be taught…
Number
Workplace behavioral expectations
Attendance 22
Punctuality
Appropriate dress
Workplace culture and communication
Effective verbal and non-verbal communication
Direction, feedback, and constructive criticism 20
Workplace culture and policy
Requirements for career pathways 19
Workplace performance expectations
Positive and productive teamwork 21
Full participation in tasks
Work quality standards
Workplace problem-solving 18
Technical skills
Career-specific skills
Technological skills

24. Plan to provide and assess training

25. Plan many work-based learning opportunities

26. Individualized counseling

27. Plan to offer individualized counseling
Type of counseling
Number providing
Number providing more than once per year
Supporting special populations 22 10
Educational and career goal planning 9
Identifying educational and career goals 5

28. Plan both academic and career counseling
Academic counseling only
Career counseling only
Both academic & career counseling
Programs with counselors doing…
50%
58%
63%
In programs providing these counselors:
Student-to-counselor ratio
257
124
217
Counselors working only with YCC
42%
77%
20%

29. Small learning communities (SLC)

30. Plan SLC for both students and teachers
For students:
For teachers:

31. Teacher professional development

32. Plan industry-based professional development

33. Conclusions and next steps

34. Conclusion: Plans for program follow model
Programs plan to
Offer integrated academic and career courses and curriculum, designed to standards
Expand academic supports and preparation for post- secondary
Engage employers, although more heavily in “low effort” ways
Teach workplace skills
Expand work-based learning activities
Provide individualized counseling
Build small learning communities for students and teachers
Provide professional development for teachers
Most of these services are not generally available

35. Next steps Interim report Future analysis
Information from this grantee survey and PTS from all sites
Information from site visits and student/parent baseline surveys from some sites
Early 2017
Future analysis
Compare plans in 2015 grantee survey with implementation described in 2017 grantee survey

36. For More Information U.S. Department of Labor Evaluation Team
Molly Irwin:
Gloria Salas-Kos:
Evaluation Team
Jeanne Bellotti:
Nan Maxwell:
Peter Schochet: