Advancing Positive Youth Development Through Advocacy and Policy

Advancing Positive Youth Development Through Advocacy and Policy January 20, 2010 2: 00 PM – 3: 30 PM EST

Outline • Who we are • What we do • The ‘Ready by 21’ theory of change • How we implement it + examples from states • Questions & Answers

Who We Are • The Forum for Youth investment is a nonprofit, nonpartisan “action tank” dedicated to helping communities and the nation make sure all young people are Ready by 21 -- ready for college, work and life. • Elizabeth Gaines, Policy Director, elizabeth@forumfyi. org • Danielle Evennou, Senior Policy Associate, danielle@forumfyi. org

What We Do • Work with: » business » government » education & » nonprofit sectors… • To provide a framework, coaching & tools for improving outcomes of children & youth

About the Forum for Youth Investment Signature initiative is Ready by 21 Manages the Children’s Cabinet Network

… 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

Theory of Change

Insulate the Education Pipeline • Academic Attainment • 21 st Century Skills • Risk Management © 2008 The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

Are they Ready? © 2008 The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment. 9

Too Few Young People are Ready Researchers Gambone, Connell & Klem (2002) estimate that only 4 in 10 are doing well in their early 20 s. 22% are doing poorly in two life 43% are doing well 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% 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%

Gallup Student Poll Indices Engagement Hope Well-Being Engaged – 50% Hopeful – 50% Thriving – 63% Not Engaged – 30% Actively Disengaged – 20% Stuck – 33% Struggling – 36% Discouraged – 17% Suffering – 1%

Are They Getting the Supports They Need? Are They Making A Difference? © 2008 The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment. 12

Even the Smallest Communities have Too Many Initiatives Civic Engagement Physical Health Delinquency & Violence Pregnancy & HIV/AIDS Educational Attainment Dropouts & Illiteracy Core Supports & Opportunities Unemployme Substance Abuse, nt Suicide, Depression Social & Emotional Health Vocational Readiness & Success

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? ABSOLUTEL Y and Gambone 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 SOURCE: Finding Out What Matters for Youth: weak relationships… Testing Key Links in a Community Action Framework for Youth Development

Do these Supports Make a Difference in Adulthood? … 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. SOURCE: Finding Out What Matters for Youth: Testing Key Links in a Community Action Framework for Youth Development

The Challenge for All Community Stakeholders: To Fill the Developmental White Space 21. Age s ? . . 0 ? Civic Outco Social Emotional me Physical. Areas Vocation al Cogni tive ? Scho After ol Scho ol Morning. . . At its best, school only fills Night a portion of developmental Times of space Day

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 Question: How do we change from “Business as Usual” © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

Ready by 21 National Partnership Founder & Managing Partner Signature Partner Mobilization Partners Technical Partners

How We Implement It The Four Building Blocks: • Broader Partnerships • Bigger Goals • Better Data and Information • Bolder Strategies

Broader Partnerships • Engaged stakeholders • Aligned coalitions, networks & intermediaries • Big picture coordinating structures

Stakeholder Wheel © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

Task Force on Violence Perinatal Community Consortium Counselor’s Consortium Rochester Children’s Collab. Early Childhood Develop I. Domestic Violence Consortium Community Mobilization Service Delivery Community Profile MCTP SDFSCA Planning Committees Juvenile Justice Council Interagency Council Cross - Systems Change Reclaiming Youth Best Practice Rochester‘s Child Student Asst. Prof. Greater Roch. Area Youth 2000 Continuous Improvement Monroe Cty. Sch & Comm. Health Ed. Network OASAS Prevention Initiative RAEYC Mentoring Round Table YRBS Group RECAP Health Action Homeless Continuum of care Impl. Team Evaluation Rochester Effectiveness Partnership CCSI TIER II Transitions Collab. Positive Outcomes for Youth & Families SACSI Domestic Violence Partnership Not Me Not Now City Violence Initiative Roch. Enterprise Community Zone P. Do Right by Kids campaign Comm. Asset Network NBN N. E. T. Advocacy America’s Promise Homeless Services Network HW & Tutoring Round Table Student Assistance Prof. Runaway & Homeless Youth Ser Provider Diversion Collaborativ e COLLABORATIONS PCIC CHANGE Preventive Services Coalition Youth Services Quality C. Children & Family Serv. Subcomm. CASAS Providers Reg. 2 Preventiv e Provid. N Community Service Board School Health Leadership Team United Neighborhood Centers Of Greater Roch. Perinatal Substance Abuse Coalition Adult Services Subcomm. Board of Health

Maryland’s Youth Policy Structure © 2008 The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the 26

Iowa Collaboration for Youth Development Council About the ICYD Council • The ICYD Council represents all of the state’s child and youth serving agencies to foster improvement I and coordination of state and local policy programs. The ICYD Council also brings the voices of youth to state policy through the State of Iowa Youth Advisory Council (SIYAC) Vision and Purpose • Our vision is that all Iowa youth will be safe, healthy, successful, and prepared for adulthood. The purpose of the ICYD Council is to improve the lives and futures of Iowa youth by: • Integrating positive youth development principles the day to operations of state and local agencies • Increasing the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of opportunities and services and other supports for youth • Improving and coordinating state youth policy and programs across state agencies

Includes ALL Child and Youth Serving Agencies

About Children’s Cabinet Network What is a Children’s Cabinet? • Heads of all state government agencies with child and youth-serving programs. • - Meet on a regular basis to: coordinate services develop a common set of outcomes collaboratively decide upon and implement plans to foster the well-being of young people

Children’s Cabinet Network • Made up of about 20 states that have Children’s Cabinets or a similar coordinating body § Share best practices § Receive technical support, coaching & tools § …with the goal of bringing efficiency & effectiveness to state efforts to improve child & youth outcomes

Bigger Goals Once you have a common results framework you can: • Help with language confusion across sectors and agencies • Focus on the results you want to see • Set long term goals • Track progress with indicators and metrics • Track policies and resources and set priorities • Track programs and services geographically • Link issue/population specific action plans

Dashboard of Results by Ages Pre-K 0– 5 Ready for LEARNING College Ready for Work WORKING THRIVING Ready for CONNECTIN G Life LEADING School-Age 6– 10 Middle School 11– 14 High School 15– 18 Young Adults 19– 21+ Young Adults are Children/Youth Ready for College Children Are Ready Children/Youth Succeed in School or Work for School Succeed in School Children Have Parents Who Are Children Have Securely Parents Who Are Securely Employed Infants and Young Children Are Healthy and Safe Children Have Nurturing, Stable Relationships with Parents Families Engage With Their Communities Children Develop and Maintain Good Health Practices Youth Gain Youth Learn About Experience in a Career Setting Careers Youth/Young Adults Make Healthy Choices Children Have Positive Relationships with Youth Have Peers and Adults Relationships with Peers and Adults Children Help with Family Tasks Children Practice Group Membership Youth/Young Adults Contribute to Their Community Youth/Young Adults Make Healthy Choices Young Adults are Ready for College or Work Youth/Young Adults Make Healthy Choices Youth Have Relationships with Peers and Adults Young Adults Are Prepared for Parenthood and Community Youth/Young Adults Contribute to Their Community

Ready by 21 Developmental Dashboard Stages/Ages Early Childhood Elementary Age 0 – 5 yrs 6 – 10 yrs Learning: Children & Youth Succeed in School Middle School High School Young Adults 11 – 13 yrs 14 – 18 yrs 18 -24 yrs % children ages 0 -5 read to by a family % of students with member 6 or 7 times % third/fourth-graders high levels of "school High school in the past week with proficient reading connectedness" graduation rate Working: Youth & Young Adults Are Ready for Work % children (0 -5) with % children given % students who at least one employed useful roles in family participate in career parent and community awareness activities Thriving: Children & Youth Make Healthy Choices % low birth weight % children with a medical home % youth who drank alcohol in the past 30 % young adults alcohol before age 13 days overweight or obese % parents where parents are 20 or % of children whose older, married, have parent describes the % of children who eat % of children who parent-child at least 12 years' a meal with their "receive support from % of students with relationship as "very family 6 or 7 days per three or more high levels of "school education, and at warm and close" week nonparent adults" connectedness" least one is employed Leading: Youth Contribute to Their Community % students with job internship/apprentices % 18 -24 -year-olds hip experience employed Connecting: Children & Youth Have Positive Relationships with Peers and Adults % 18 -24 -year-olds enrolled in college, or completed college % children ages 6 -17 % of children ages 0 -5 who participated in sports teams, clubs, taken by family members on outings organizations, or other % of 18 -24 -year-olds

Definitions RESULT STATEMENT A condition of well-being for children, adults, families or communities Children born healthy, Children succeeding in school, Safe communities, Clean Environment, Prosperous Economy INDICATOR A measure which helps quantify the achievement of a result. Rate of low-birthweight babies, Rate of high school graduation, crime rate, air quality index, unemployment rate PERFORMANCE MEASURE A measure of how well a program, agency or service system is working. 1. How much did we do? Three types: 2. How well did we do it? 3. Is anyone better off? = Customer Results

Better Data and Information HOW ARE CHILDREN & YOUTH DOING? § Child and Youth Demographics (e. g. Census data) § Child and Youth Well Being (e. g. Child Report Cards, Single Student Identifiers) WHAT SUPPORTS ARE AVAILABLE? § Supports and Assets (e. g. 40 Assets Survey) § Program Participation (e. g. Youth Participation Reports) § Program Availability (e. g. Program Inventories) § Program Quality (e. g. Program Evaluations) § System/Org 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)

Better Lives, Better Ohio • Real time aggregate data • 6 result areas / 72 child wellbeing indicators • All 88 counties http: //www. sos. state. oh. us/better. Lives. aspx

Comparing Counties • Result: youth successfully transitioning to adulthood (19 -24) • Indicator: employed adults

39 © 2008 The Foru m for Yout h Inves tmen t. Read y by 21 and the Read y by

Government Centered Approach:

Youth Centered Approach:

Identify and align spending with priorities: Missouri’s Youth Development Policy Handbook 2003

Mapping Resources: Expenditures by Result

Bolder Strategies • Align policies & resources • Engage children, youth & families • Increase demand • Improve systems & settings

Ready by 21 Policy Alignment Guide Tips for aligning new policies with existing efforts to: • collaborate • improve quality and • establish big-picture goals accountability and long-term plan • collect and use data to • administer grants drive decision-making • engage young people in decision-making • provide a flexible set of child and youth services

Engaging Youth & Families • Formalize a Youth Council (example: Boston Mayor’s Youth Council) • Include youth & families on advisory bodies alongside policymakers (example: Texas Council on Children and Families) • Include youth & families in planning processes (example: Massachusetts)

www. Spark. Action. org Managing Editor, Caitlin Johnson Caitlin@Spark. Action. org Mobilizing Young People Online Managed by: 47

Child and Youth Websites have Few Visitors Unique website visits per month in 1000 s Websites in other advocacy fields Websites in the child and youth field Source: www. compete. com Note: Estimates for August or September 2008; ASPCA stands for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals © Spark. Action, managed by the Forum for Youth Investment , 48

Online Advocacy Tools 024 61 © Spark. Action, managed by the Forum for Youth Investment ,

Online Advocacy Tools Youth issues are a top priority for me as a voter. I would like to thank you for voting for the Federal Youth Coordination Act (HR 856). © Spark. Action, managed by the Forum for Youth Investment ,

Quality Counts It Matters It is Measureable It is Malleable It is Marketable Research shows that improved youth outcomes requires program attendance and program quality. The core elements of program quality are both measurable and consistent across a broad range of program types. Most programs can improve quality by undertaking integrated assessment and improvement efforts. Decision-makers and providers will invest in improving quality if they believe that it matters, is measurable and is malleable given available resources.

Ready by 21 National Partnership Technical partners representing organizations with expertise in using data indicators and report cards, mapping fiscal and program resources, improving program and staff quality, and building capacity of leaders to make change

Mass. Statewide Action Plan • A team of more than 100 people § Statewide § Cross-Sector § 14 State Government Agencies § 40 Local and Regional Leaders § 19 Youth Representatives § 13 MA United Ways

Unique Work in Massachusetts • State agencies, united ways, private funders, community organizations and youth together • Creating a vision and results framework, developing measures • Aligning the work of moving trains and getting to a comprehensive set of strategies and action steps • Pioneers in developing leadership results, measures and strategies • Linking to a big coordinating body

Ready by 21 Trainings and Institutes • The Forum offers quarterly Ready by 21 Institutes in Washington, DC and across the country. The Institutes are attended by national partners, local changemakers, and others committed to improving the odds for youth. • We will have very limited space in a local Institute being held in Ypsilanti, MI on February 9 & 10. • After that, our next Institute will be held in May in Washington, DC. • Please contact Kiley Bednar at kiley@forumfyi. org for more information.

Ready by 21 Webinar Series • Introduction to the Ready by 21 Strategies January 25, 2011 3: 00 -4: 00 PM ET • Setting Bigger Goals: Post-Secondary Success February 22, 2011 3: 00 -4: 00 PM ET • More info: http: //readyby 21. readytalk. com/? p=ev

Questions…

Elizabeth Gaines, elizabeth@forumfyi. org Danielle Evennou, danielle@forumfyi. org www. Readyby 21. org