Quality counts

1. Quality counts Site Updates, April 2009

2. Austin • Highlights: • Prioritized community-level outcomes and indicators using the RB21 Dashboard, with participation from the City of Austin Health and Human Services, K-12 and Higher Ed institutions, County MHMR and Juvenile Probation, United Way, and other partners • YPQA external assessments of 14 programs; began offering aligned Professional Development modules; held well-received and attended review session on quality process • Beta testing of our Youth Services Mapping system begins this week • Spring priorities: • Planning to crosswalk investments in children and youth across key agencies, in preparation for development of a community compact in the fall • Youth Service Mapping (YSM) preliminary launch • Sustainability-oriented discussions and presentations • Sustainability outlook: Too soon to tell • Compact process underway, based on investment crosswalk and outcomes & indicators • Interest by Education Funders (presentation 4-7; they are crosswalking their investments) © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

3. Columbus, IN • Highlights: • Developing and implementing Youth Worker Methods training plan • Increasing buy-in from multiple stakeholders in youth development approach • Spring priorities: • Conducting landscape mapping survey • Reporting findings from landscape mapping survey • Reaching community consensus on a process and software for data collection and outcome measurement for youth programming • Sustainability outlook: • Increasing interest and participation, but no current commitment of funds beyond grant period April 2009 © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

4. Georgetown Divide, CA • Highlights: • YPQA Trainings and process (April) • Youth Worker Methods Training (February) Georgetown RBd21tm Retreat for Strategic Planning (late April) • Spring priorities: • Complete action plans • Complete RB21 Strategic Plan in early June • May-June Youth Worker Methods Training and 1 more in Summer • Sustainability outlook: • Wish this was a 5 year initiative to move farther forward with time and $$ for T.A. until embedded well in eval… difficult to create shift in only 2-3 years… we will continue the process • Our embedding strategies are going well…writing YPQA into our grants right and left. • Including partners in assessing each other has been excellent and this can be sustained. April 2009 © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

5. Indianapolis • Highlight: • We hosted a Training of Trainers for the Advancing Youth Development Curriculum with snow flying all around! • Spring priorities: • Plan our Summit for Student Success; finalizing our “Compact for Youth”—the commitment of our partners to shared outcomes and vision for youth; completing YPQA/YPQI process with our pilot group. • Sustainability outlook: Positive • Have one proposal under consideration and we are holding meetings with funding partners. April 2009 © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

6. Kentucky • Highlights: • Staff from Louisville and Lexington have been able to remain with the project and continue to move work forward in their locations • Leadership Team met to evaluate and re-vamp goals and objectives for 2009 • Lexington held a refresher/sign-up meeting on April 13th to re-energize their partner agencies • Spring priorities: • Youth Development Partnership is being re-instituted and will meet on May 6th • Met with staff in the Governor’s office to move the Coordinating Council under the Governor’s office • Louisville will complete community “youth vision” by June and begin work on “YouthPrint” • We will complete the Program Landscape Mapping survey and begin distribution in early summer • We will continue to do assessments with our pilot group and begin them with second pilot group • Sustainability outlook: • Louisville city government is adopting YPQA for use with its Youth External Agencies • Lexington agency participation has doubled • Continuing to seek funding and partnership from agencies and departments at state level that will embed into all the work they do April 2009 © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

7. Nashville • Highlights: • Completion of the Quality Counts Website: www.qualitycountsnashville.com • Community meetings with agencies around PYD as sponsored by the mayor’s office. • Pilots to begin training in Youth Methods • Spring priorities: • Direction for assessment & training for Nashville community youth organizations decided upon by the Mayor’s office, hopefully to include the YPQA • Training embedded in the community with TOT for AYD and more Methods Trainings offered. • QCN website to be used by community for news and training calendar. • Sustainability outlook: • Great if the YPQA is embraced by the Mayor’s office to use for its Afterzones. (This looks promising) • Not so great if the Mayor’s office does not include YPQA in it’s plan for youth organizations in Nashville. April 2009 © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

8. Oklahoma • Highlights: • Tulsa – Mayor Taylor hosts Quality Matters beginning YPQA process; Planning with Career Tech to offer AYD training; Youth Worker Survey results shared • Norman – Convening of community out-of-school time partners around landscape mapping (United Way participates) • Oklahoma – Exploring use of YPQA with Oklahoma State Department of Education and Department of Human Services; Introducing RB21-QC work to Passageways to Adulthood Coalition and Public Health Institute of Oklahoma; Children’s Cabinet reintroduced by Lieutenant Governor Askins • Spring priorities: • Tulsa – Plan Youth Worker Methods training; Embed AYD training within Career Tech system for Fall implementation • Norman – Engage community partners in landscape mapping; Continue coordination with United Way; Report findings of mapping process to develop next steps • Oklahoma – Continue to explore relationships with state level partners around the YPQA process as an introduction to RB21-QC work; Support to local level initiatives • Sustainability outlook: • GREAT MOMENTUM in the last few months with interest building at both the state and local levels for RB21–QC work. State and local partners report that they are learning about RB21-QC at local, state and national levels bringing about interest in this work. Specific strategies - primarily relationship building. April 2009 © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

9. St. Louis • Highlight: • Meeting with year 1 pilot participants indicated that involvement in Rb21 process has helped them better understand their organizational program development needs. Of special significance was the report of the St. Louis Public Schools Community Education leader about the need for more staff training and coaching. Have received interest from several key opinion leaders about participating in regional Children’s Agenda Summit in the fall that will utilize Rb 21 framework. • Spring priorities: • Our first priority this Spring is to identify 12-15 new organizations to join ypqa cohort 2. We are planning the meeting for late April, hope to do internal assessment training this summer with new participants. We have planned a meeting for cohort 1 with funders for early May. • Sustainability outlook: • We have submitted one proposal that stands a good chance of being funded for this year and next. Have met with the UW CEO about working with his staff on YPQA and have arranged a meeting. April 2009 © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

10. Iowa • Highlight: • Iowa Collaborative for Youth Development (ICYD) Legislation Passed – Codified “YD Council” and Youth Advisory Council • Spring priorities: • YPQA – Build Capacity • Expand Infrastructure Beyond QC Sites • Sustainability outlook: So-So • Embed YPQA – State Systems / UW • Strengthen Leadership – Rb21 Big Picture April 2009 © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

11. New York State • Highlight: • The Office of Youth Development within the New York State Office of Children and Family Services has begun development of a Quality Youth Development System (QYDS). This System will gather program goals and objectives aligned with our Touchstones life areas for over 3,500 applications funding thru our Youth Bureau System. Programs will identify Services, Opportunities and Supports that address the goals and objectives and eventually OYD staff and County Youth Bureaus will measure performance and quality. • Spring priorities: • 1.) Have a Youth Development policy statement accepted by NYS OCFS. 2.) Train more OCFS staff in the YPQA assessment tool to sustain and further the work in Counties. 3.) Continue to strongly advocate the Big Picture framework of Ready by 21. • Sustainability outlook: So-So • Our YQDS system and a concrete training plan for NYS OCFS employees around Ready by 21 and Quality Counts will help further our sustainability plan. April 2009 © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

12. Orange County, NY • Highlight: • Collaboration of OC BOCES, Chamber of Commerce and local municipalities towards QC promotion within the education and business community. ** Highlight event: Collaboration with the Orange County Choppers to host a day long community youth movement event which will be held this June** • Spring priorities: • Continued assistance with first year YPQA agencies • Promotion and collaboration with new agencies • Development of the YPQA youth curriculum • Completion of the first cycle of YW Method workshops • Sustainability outlook:Good • NYS Budget has passed! This allows the continuation of the Orange County Youth Bureau, as well as assists in allowing the initiative to be incorporated in both the Youth Bureau and United Ways of Orange County systems of work as whole. April 2009 © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

13. Rockland County, NY • Highlights: • Commitment of both Youth Bureau and United Way boards to include language about Youth Program Quality Improvement System in their funding applications for 2010 • Agreement of county departments to use Dashboard in planning for 2010 • Spring priorities: • Work with Youth Bureau Board of Directors on revising their monitoring form to include YPQA indicators • Move forward with developing the Dashboard - to be completed by October • Use new county FACTS database to support Dashboard • Complete YPQA with 8 programs - involve them in Quality Improvement System by identifying specific indicators they agree to improve within program year • Expansion of Youth Development Network to include new member - those who may not consider themselves “youth workers” • Development of new coalition working together to strengthen youth development infrastructure. • Sustainability outlook: Unsure • Wile stakeholders see value in Ready by 21 tools, current funding crisis is holding them back from making future organization/agency commitment. © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

14. Rhode Island • Highlights: • Expanding RIPQA work to new partners (Boys and Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts) • Program landscape and youth worker survey out and completed by 115 people statewide • Spring priorities: • Several key reports coming out – need to analyze and compile data, complete reports, and plan roll-out for Fall 2009 • Professional development plan for 09-10 • Linking several initiatives – connecting RIPQA work to summer learning project • Sustainability outlook: • Overall in relatively good shape for 1-2 years • Wallace Foundation considering continued investment in PASA focused on capacity building • 3 more years left on 21st CCLC contract • Completing several major reports that will be rolled out with legislators and funders this fall • QRS has agreed to adopt Younger Youth PQA for school-age programs April 2009 © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

15. Washington • Highlight: • We’ve begun our work with the Raikes Foundation to implement the YPQI at sites across King County serving kids from 10 – 14. Through this initiative, we sent 3 people through the Methods Training of Trainers in Michigan. • Spring priorities: • Continuing work on the Raikes Initiative, disseminating results from our landscape survey (Supply and Demand study), beginning work on a statewide professional development implementation plan with the Forum • Sustainability outlook: So-So • Raikes is considering expansion of their project after reviewing results from this pilot. Other key funders have indicated continued interest in program quality. The state’s budget is in very bad shape, affecting our partnerships with Department of Early Learning and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction April 2009 © The Forum for Youth Investment. Ready by 21 and the Ready by 21 Logo are registered trademarks of the Forum for Youth Investment.

16. National partnership Update

17. Forum Update • Highlights: • Ready by 21 business plan complete. Mobilization and technical partners highly engaged. • Spring priorities: • Fund development, tool refinement and packaging, evaluation/documentation planning. • Sustainability outlook: • Cautiously optimistic.

18. Mobilization partners represent most major players in states and local communities Business leaders Youth Grant- makers Educators Youthserviceproviders Faithleaders Electedofficials 090115-TNL-Business Plan_slides_v16 w notes

19. Nearly 1,300 local United Ways serving more than 90% of the country Mobilization partners reach over 600,000 leaders • 250 national multi-sector partners dedicated to children and youth • Nearly 600communities in 45 states and 5 Canadian provinces • More than 22,000 education leaders • 55 partner companies employing 4 million individuals Total leadersreached 22,000 100,000 10,000 300,000 • Legislators and staff from all 50 states, common-wealths and territories • 21 Children’s Cabinets, 30 Youth Councils, 45,000 child & youth constituents • 50 national youth development nonprofits serving 40 million young people Total leadersreached 46,000 32,000 12,000 100,000 Note: Corporate Voices numbers adjusted to reduce impact on overall numbers. AASA number includes all members and as such may skew total “relevant audience” for Ready by 21 Source: Partner interviews 090115-TNL-Business Plan_slides_v16 w notes

20. Ready by 21 “Tool Box” Take Aim, Take Stock, Plan Action & Track Progress Mapping the Program Landscape Assessing & Improving Quality Mapping the Youth Work Workforce Children’s Budgets Mapping Leadership Capacity Selecting Indicators Developing Report Cards

21. Technical partners’ tools and services considered best in field • Provides research-based publications, training, tools, surveys, communications network and advocacy focusing on the 40 developmental assets children and youth need to succeed. • Conducts applied/policy research and provides TA on community change and issues of structural racism to improve outcomes for low-income youth and families Roundtable on Community Change • Provides data-driven, evidence-based guidance on policy, practice and the use of indicators to measure child and youth outcomes • Provides guidance to help decision makers project costs, map public and private funding, plan for sustainability, design effective financing strategies and implement sound fiscal management systems • Comprehensive integrated website and newsletter to connect adults and young people with information and context on child/youth issues and tools for action • Provides a set of research-validated tools and services for building a Youth Program Quality Improvement System • Offers tools and solutions for the tracking, management and outcome measurement of youth programs • Provides a conceptual and practical tools and services that help leaders take aim, take stock, target actions and track progress on a range of issues from program quality to public resources 23

22. Technical Partners technical assistance and training expertise is aligned and coordinated • Youth Outcomes (Risks & Assets) • Program Participation Tracking • Public & Private Resources • Program Quality • Program Landscape Mapping • Staff Quality/Workforce Profiles • Program Costs • Public and Family Demand • 090115-TNL-Business Plan_slides_v16 w notes 24

23. We Advocate for a “Big Picture Approach” The Forum couples field knowledge with conceptual, practical and “power” tools to help state and local leaders quickly organize available information (about youth outcomes, community supports and current initiatives and resources) to support data-driven “big picture” planning and accountability. • Take Aim • Take Stock • Target Action • Track Progress

24. Meet leaders where they are. Frame work in terms of issues leaders and funders are interested in. Increase and sustain school readiness Increase well-being and civic engagement and reduce risky behaviors Improve college and workforce readiness and success Close performance gaps CHILDREN & YOUTH FAMILY, COMMUNITY, SCHOOL LEADERS ACCOUNTABILITY SUPPORTS OUTCOMES • Increase capacity for data-driven accountability • Increase returns on investments – both current and targeted new • Increase youth, family and public engagement • Strengthen and diversify coordinating bodies, partnerships and leaders • Provide early & sustained supports • Expand and coordinate learning opportunities in school and out • Create alternative pathways to success • Improve quality, equity & access &build capacity of community orgs While leaders begin at different starting points, every action area is critical • 090115-TNL-Business Plan_slides_v16 w notes 26