1. THE READY BY 21 CHALLENGE: Ensuring that Every Young Person is Ready for College, Work & Life Karen Pittman, Executive Director The Forum for Youth Investment July 2008

2. © 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.

3. © 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 Leaders are Really Making a Difference.

4. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 The American DILEMMA THE GAP BETWEEN VISION 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)

5. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 The American DILEMMA Fragmentation Complacency Low Expectations of Youth, Communities and Leaders

6. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 The Ready By 21 Challenge: Changing the Odds for Youth By Changing the Way We Do Business

7. Youth Outcomes & Community Supports Too few youth are ready for college, work and life, but we know what they need and if we provide more supports more will succeed.

8. © 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 Too Few Young People are Ready Doing Well 43% Doing Poorly 22% In the Middle 35% 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 Researchers Gambone, Connell & Klem (2002) estimate that only 4 in 10 are doing well in their early 20s.

9. © 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

10. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Do these Supports Really Make a Difference? Even in Adolescence? 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…

11. © 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? SOURCE: Finding Out What Matters for Youth: Testing Key Links in a Community Action Framework for Youth Development

12. © 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…

13. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 But 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.

14. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Civic Social Emotional Physical Vocational Cognitive Ages Times of Day Outcome Areas ? ? ? The Challenge for All Community Stakeholders: To Fill the Developmental White Space Morning... Night 21. 0 School After School At its best, school only fills a portion of developmental space

15. © 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 ?

16. A Growing Consensus: Change is Needed The business community, for example, is becoming increasingly vocal about the need for better prepared youth and its understanding of what it takes to ensure their success.

17. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 21st Century Skills: The Common Core of Ensuring All Youth are Ready Ready for Work Ready for College Ready for Life Information & Media Literacy Communication Critical & Systems Thinking Problem Solving Creativity, Intellectual Curiosity Interpersonal Skills Self-Direction Accountability and Adaptability Social Responsibility Financial Literacy Global Awareness Civic Literacy Cultural & Behavioral Health Skills Specific Vocational Knowledge & Skills Subject Matter Knowledge + + + = = = ©The Forum for Youth Investment 2008

18. New Employer Survey Finds Skills in Short Supply 4 Leading business groups including Corporate Voices for Working Families and the Conference Board joined forces to survey over 400 employers and produce landmark study: Are They Really Ready to Work? 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 answer to the report –was a disturbing “NO.”

19. © 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.)

20. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Corporate Voices for Working Families Workforce Readiness Principles YOUTH: Reach all young people, provide additional supports to youth in disadvantaged situations, and address young people as active participants in designing and implementing solutions. LEARNING. Support a full range of learning opportunities across multiple developmental areas; be available in a wide range of settings throughout the day, before, during and after school and throughout the year. PROVIDERS. Recruit, train and compensate a professional staff that has the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to support young people. 20

21. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Corporate Voices for Working Families Workforce Readiness Principles INFRASTRUCTURE. Requires an infrastructure for coordinated and strategic action. ACCOUNTABILITY. Utilize multiple assessment mechanisms that measure a range of outcomes and rely on improved collection and use of data. ALIGNMENT. Requires educators, business and community leaders to align their goals and strategies. PARTNERSHIPS. Requires bringing all relevant stakeholders to the table across sectors and systems. 21

22. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Ready by 21 Core Principles * ABOUT COMMUNITY SUPPORTS ABOUT LEADERSABOUT YOUTH Invest early and often. Support the whole child. Focus attention on those most in need. Build on strengths, don’t just focus on problem- reduction. See youth and families as change agents, not clients. Engage all sectors and stakeholders. Coordinate efforts, align resources. Inspire and inform the public. 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.

23. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Corporate Voices for Working Families Recommendations for Business * Corporations Should Create a Coordinated Workforce Readiness Strategy Corporations Should Track Workforce Readiness Training Investments Corporations Should Focus Special Attention on Creating Alternative Pathways for Disconnected Youth Corporations Should Increase Collaboration Across Sectors Corporations Should Increase Their Leadership in the Public Policy Arena 23

24. Thinking Differently about Change Increasing family, school and community supports for children and youth requires real changes in the way we do business, starting with changes in the way we frame the issues and prioritieze strategies.

25. © 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

26. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Social & Emotional Health Core Supports & Opportunities Delinquency & Violence Pregnancy & HIV/AIDS Dropouts & Illiteracy Unemployment Substance Abuse, Suicide, Depression Civic Engagement Educational Attainment Physical Health Vocational Readiness & Success Even the Smallest Communities have Too Many Initiatives

27. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 We Need to Align the “Moving Trains” and “Standing Bodies” MCTP United Neighborho od Centers Of Greater Roch. Rochester‘ s Child Youth 2000 Juvenile Justice Council CCSI TIER II Interagenc y Council Comm. Asset Network Not Me Not Now Community Service Board Board of Health Children & Family Serv. Subcomm. Youth Services Quality C. School Health Leadershi p Team RECAP Communit y Profile Preventive Services Coalition RAEYC Early Childhood Develop I. Homeless Continuu m of care Impl. Team Monroe Cty. Sch & Comm. Health Ed. Network REE P Rochester Effectiveness Partnership N.E.T. City Violence Initiativ e Task Force on Violence Domestic Violence Consortium Perinatal Community Consortium Do Right by Kids campaign Health Action Domestic Violence Partnership Perinatal Substance Abuse Coalition PCIC SACSI Counselor’s Consortium Rochester Children’s Collab. Roch. Enterprise Communit y Zone P. YRBS Group HW & Tutoring Round Table Student Assistance Prof. Diversion Collaborati ve Runaway & Homeles s Youth Ser Provider Reg. 2 Preventiv e Provid.N Homeless Services Network CASAS Providers Adult Services Subcomm. Student Asst. Prof. Greater Roch. Area Transition s Collab. America’s Promise NBN Mentoring Round Table OASAS Prevention Initiative CHANGE SDFSCA Planning Committees Reclaimin g Youth Continuous Improvemen t Service Delivery Advocacy Cross - Systems Change Community Mobilizatio n Evaluatio n Positive Outcomes for youth & families Best Practice Early Childhood Community Development Violence Education Homeless Youth Disabilities Health Alcohol and Substance Abuse Initiative Network Coalition

28. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Aligning Efforts to Increase Change Horsepower C = D x V x P Amount of = Level of x Clarity x Adequacy of Change Dissatisfaction Vision Plans The Harvard Change model provides a way to predict the amount of change that an organization or system can produce. Focusing is important, but by fragmenting our efforts we may actually be weakening demand and dissipating our capacity for sustained, high impact change.

29. Thinking Differently about Change Increasing family, school and community supports for children and youth requires real changes in the way we do business, starting with changes in the way we frame the issues and prioritieze strategies.

30. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 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.

31. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Example Language From Core Principles to Common Language

32. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 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. 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. Take aim Take Stock Take Action Track Progress Precision Basics

33. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Take Aim on the Big Picture How are Young People Doing? Pre-K 0–5 School- Age 6–10 Middle School 11–14 High School 15–18 Young Adults 19–21+ Ready for College LEARNING Ready for Work WORKING Ready for Life THRIVING CONNECTING LEADING Define desired goals/results Select indicators

34. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Take Stock of the Big Picture Pre-K 0–5 School- Age 6–10 Middle School 11–14 High School 15–18 Young Adults 19–21+ Ready for College LEARNING Ready for Work WORKING Ready for Life THRIVING CONNECTING LEADING

35. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Take Action: Carefully Pre-K 0–5 School- Age 6–10 Middle School 11–14 High School 15–18 Young Adults 19–21+ Ready for College LEARNING Children Enter School Ready to Learn Students graduate ready for college and work Ready for Work WORKING Ready for Life THRIVING CONNECTING LEADING

36. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Alternative: Learning to Focus Differently Shifting Red to Yellow, Yellow to Green Pre-K 0–5 School- Age 6–10 Middle School 11–14 High School 15–18 Young Adults 19–21+ Ready for College LEARNING Ready for Work WORKING Ready for Life THRIVING CONNECTING LEADING Pre-K 0–5 School- Age 6–10 Middle School 11–14 High School 15–18 Young Adults 19–21+ Ready for College LEARNING Ready for Work WORKING Ready for Life THRIVING CONNECTING LEADING

37. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Take Stock of the Big Picture Pre-K 0–5 School- Age 6–10 Middle School 11–14 High School 15–18 Young Adults 19–21+ Ready for College LEARNING Ready for Work WORKING Ready for Life THRIVING CONNECTING LEADING

38. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Pre–K 0–5 Children 6–12 Youth 13–19 Young Adults 20–24 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

39. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 But What Happened to the Rest of the Picture? Pre–K 0–5 Children 6–12 Youth 13–19 Young Adults 20–24 Families and Communities Ready for Colleg e 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

40. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Alternative: Learning to Focus Differently Shifting Red to Yellow, Yellow to Green Pre-K 0–5 School- Age 6–10 Middle School 11–14 High School 15–18 Young Adults 19–21+ Ready for College LEARNING Ready for Work WORKING Ready for Life THRIVING CONNECTING LEADING Pre-K 0–5 School- Age 6–10 Middle School 11–14 High School 15–18 Young Adults 19–21+ Ready for College LEARNING Ready for Work WORKING Ready for Life THRIVING CONNECTING LEADING

41. Moving Ideas to Impact Bring Big Picture Thinking into all of your work.

42. The Maryland Model for Youth Transition Policy – Ready by 21 Secretary Brenda Donald, Department of Human Resources Trudy Chara, Governor’s Workforce Investment Board Thomas Senecal, Maryland Youth Council

43. Key discussion points:  “Ready by 21” plan development  Role of the Youth Council  Connecting to the “Moving Trains” within the State  Implementation

44. Maryland’s 3-year Children’s Plan Goals: 1.Develop a Comprehensive Prevention Strategy 2.Build on Established Foundations 3.Develop a Transition Aged Youth Plan

45. Transition Aged Youth Plan Ready by 21 Youth Leadership in Action Program  Launched in October 2006  Convened 30 stakeholders  Collaboration of:  Casey Foundation  Forum for Youth Investment  Governor’s Office for Children  Involved the Statewide Youth Council

46. Goals of Ready by 21 - Ensuring that ALL of Maryland’s 309,000 youth aged 18-21 will be ready for college, work and life Source: Forum for Youth Investment

47. How will we measure “readiness” in Maryland? Learning -  Increase in the % of youth classified by the highest degree or highest level of school completed Working -  Increase in the % of youth employed in the civilian labor force Thriving -  Decrease in the % of youth in MD aged 19-24 who have no health care coverage  Decrease in the % of youth that are infected with HIV or AIDS  Decrease in the # and rate of Deaths by Injury (homicide, suicide and accidental)  Decrease in the # and rate of arrests of youth ages 18-21 for violent, non-violent & drug offenses

48. Ready by 21 Goals Goal 1: Making the Case Goal 2: Support of Capable, Competent, Caring Adult Goal 3: Housing Goal 4: Health and Well - Being Goal 5: Pathways to Education Goal 6: Equal Justice Goal 7: Accountability

49. Role of the Youth Council  Created by Executive Order in 2006  Tasked to provide youth feedback to all Maryland child-serving agencies and the Governor  Eventually charged with advising the Children’s Cabinet on the 3-year children’s plan, the Ready by 21 Agenda, and other key issues affecting youth across the state.

50. Youth Council - Challenges  Establishing a quorum, especially in a short amount of time  Getting a large amount of work done with relatively few meetings  Eventually, a “core group” formed of those members who were actively involved  In order to be effective, the Council had to focus on only a few issues

51. Youth Council - Results  Members of the Youth Council successfully lobbied for the adoption of the Ready by 21 Agenda and made recommendations for the Agenda.  The Council drafted a Youth Bill of Rights  The Council was able to target a few key issues and provide a unique youth perspective on those issues to government workers and members of the Children’s Cabinet  Council members continue to be involved in the implementation of recommendations and advise the Children’s Cabinet  The Council was involved in the drafting and passage of Senate Bill 1, which will establish a whole new, all- incorporating Youth Council in September.

52. Maryland model was designed to ‘connect to moving trains’:  Pathways to Education & Employment Subcommittee recommendations to the Children’s Cabinet  DHR and DLLR agreement  GWIB Emerging Workforce Committee  Youth resources web portal  Data sharing across child serving agencies

53. Implementation – Key steps Steering Committee -  Five core Subcommittees formed to focus on seven goal areas Structure -  Subcommittees are comprised of members representing the agencies on the Children’s Cabinet Connect moving trains -  Leveraging resources

54. Implementation - Challenges Program Development Program Development  Meet timeline to develop an implementation plan  Developing sustaining agency partnerships to fully implement recommendations  Sustaining steering committee membership and enthusiasm  Staff support provided from Ready by 21 team

55. Lessons Learned  Timing is everything!  Highest level leadership support is essential.  Connecting moving trains helps move the agenda and build partnership.  Engage new players as soon as possible will help to ensure continuity of effort.  Engaging youth is critical to success.

56. For more information email Marina Chatoo: mchatoo@goc.state.md.us Governor’s Office for Children Department of Budget and Management Department of Disabilities Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Department of Human Resources Department of Juvenile Services Maryland State Department of Education Governor’s Workforce Investment Board Maryland Youth Council

57. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Our Work This Morning 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 Across Systems & Settings With Quality Supports Change the landscape of communities Stakeholders & Strategies Change the way we do business

58. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Big Picture Coordinating Bodies Big Picture Goals Messages & frameworks Youth centered data Common metrics Big Tent Partners Engaged stakeholders Linked coalitions & coordinating structures Big Impact Strategies Improving systems & services Aligning Policies and resources Engaging youth and families Increasing demand A Blueprint for Action

59. © The Forum for Youth Investment 2008 Optional for Team Time: Does your state have the change horsepower that it needs?