MASON CITY QUALITY COUNTS KICK-OFF EVENT THE READY BY 21 CHALLENGE:

1. MASON CITY QUALITY COUNTS KICK-OFF EVENTTHE READY BY 21 CHALLENGE: Ensuring that Every Young Person is Ready for College, Work & Life Karen Pittman The Forum for Youth Investment May 2008

2. The AmericanDREAM Allyouth can be ready. Everyfamily and community can be supportive. Eachleader can make a difference.

3. The American REALITY Too FewYouth are Ready.Only 4 in 10 are doing well. Too FewFamilies and Communities are Supportive. Fewer than 2 in 5 youth have the supports that they need. Too Feware Trying to Make a Difference.

4. The AmericanDILEMMA At a time when“Failure is NOT an Option” (The Hope Foundation)and“Trying Hard is NOT Good Enough”(Mark Friedman) THE GAP BETWEENVISION AND REALITYHAS TO BE CLOSED

5. The American DILEMMA • Fragmentation • Complacency • Low Expectations of Youth, Communities and Leaders

6. The Ready by 21 Challenge: Changing the Odds for Youth by Changing the Way We Do Business Change the oddsfor youth Change the waywe do business Change the landscapeof communities

7. WANTED: Fully Prepared, Fully Engaged Young People Ready by 21™ Quality Counts Initiative

8. Are They Ready? Change the oddsfor youth Change the landscapeof communities Change the waywe do business

9. 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

10. 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.

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

12. 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

13. Do these Supports Really Make a Difference? Even in Adolescence? ABSOLUTELY Gambone and colleagues show that youth with supportive relationships as they enter high school are5 times more likelyto leave high school “ready” than those with weak relationships… SOURCE: Finding Out What Matters for Youth: Testing Key Links in a Community Action Framework for Youth Development

14. Do these Supports Make a Difference in Adulthood? … and those seniors who were “ready” at the end of high school were more than4 times as likelyto be doing well as young adults. SOURCE:Finding Out What Matters for Youth: Testing Key Links in a Community Action Framework for Youth Development

15. 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… from 4 in 10 doing well to 7 in 10 doing well

16. WANTED: High Quality Community Supports

17. Are They Getting the Supports They Need? Change the oddsfor youth Change the landscapeof communities Change the waywe do business

18. A Surprising Percentage of Youth Don’t Receive them… By Any Name The NRC List • Physical and Psychological Safety • Appropriate Structure • Supportive Relationships • Opportunities to Belong • Positive Social Norms • Support for Efficacyand Mattering • Opportunities for Skill-Building • Integration of Family, School and Community Efforts • Basic Services (implied) The Five Promises SAFE PLACES CARING ADULTS OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP OTHERS EFFECTIVE EDUCATION HEALTHY START

19. 13% 25% 45% 50% 37% 30% 6 – 11 Years Old 12 – 17 Years Old One Third of 6-17 Year Olds Lack the Supports They Need • 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.

20. National Research Council Report Recommendations “Communities should provide an ample array of program opportunities… through local entities that can coordinate such work across the entire community. Communities should put in place some locally appropriate mechanism for monitoring the availability, accessibility and quality of programs…” - Community Programs to Promote Youth Development, 2002

21. Reach Counts 21 . . . 0 Civic Social Emotional Physical Vocational Cognitive Outcome Areas ? Ages ? ? School After School Morning . . . Night At its best, school only fills a portion of developmental space Times of Day

22. 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

23. There is basic agreement that young people who participate fully in school and programs and their communities have better outcomes than those who do not. Consequently there is increased interest in getting inside the black box -- mapping the program landscape what is available to whom, when, where, why, how, and how much it costs. Youth Participation Improving Program Availability isn’t Enough Youth outcomes

24. Quality Counts It Matters 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. It is Measureable Most programs can improve quality by undertaking integrated assessment and improvement efforts. It is Malleable It is Marketable Decision-makers and providers will invest in improving quality if they believe that it matters, is measurable and is malleable given available resources.

25. NEEDED: A CHANGE IN THE WAYS WE DO BUSINESS A Big Picture Approach to Thinking & Acting Differently

26. SET BIGGER GOALS BE BETTER PARTNERS USE BOLDER STRATEGIES Changing the Way We Do Business Think Differently BIG PICTURE APPROACH so that together we can Act Differently

27. The Big Picture Approach:Thinking Differently TakingCore Principles … what we know about … and turning it into Common Language … that can be used for planning and action.

28. From Core Principles to Common Language and Expectations Example Language

29. Take Aim on the Big PictureHow are Young People Doing?

30. Traditional Approach: Pick One Area Children Enter School Ready to Learn

31. But What Happened to the Rest of the Picture? Children Enter School Ready to Learn Children Enter School Ready to Learn

32. Alternative:Learning to Focus Differently Shifting Red to Yellow, Yellow to Green

33. Take Aim on the Big PictureWhat is the Community Providing? This is a way to add up the commitments of individual providers and programs

34. Take Stock of Public and Private Community SupportsUsing a Common Set of Performance Measures NRC (5 Promises) Setting A (e.g. school) Setting B (e.g. CBOs) Setting C (e.g. rec cntrs) Setting D Setting E Safety (Safe Places) Structure (Safe Places) Relationships (Caring Adults) Skill Building (Effective Education) Efficacy (Opportunities to Help Others)

35. Identifying Common Definitions for Quality

36. Take Stock of Public and Private Community SupportsUsing a Common Set of Performance Measures

37. What it Takes Goals & Data Stakeholders Coordinated Improvement Strategies Aligned Policies & Resources Public Demand Youth & Family engagement

38. THE READY BY 21QUALITY COUNTS INITIATIVE Changing the Odds for Youth by Changing the Landscape of Community Supports

39. Ready by 21 Quality Counts Initiative Using the Big Picture Approach toImprove Quality & Reach across Systems & Settings across Ages Outcomes Populations across Systems & Settings Time Supports across Stakeholders& Strategies Change the oddsfor youth Change the landscapeof communities Change the waywe do business

40. Ready by 21 Quality CountsFramework Strong Policy / Leadership Horsepower Capacity to Assess & Improve Programs Strong, Stable Program Base Capacity to Recruit, Train, Retain Workforce

41. Ready by 21 Quality CountsFramework Strong Policy / Leadership Horsepower Decision-maker engagement & coordinating structures Aligned policies for quality accountability and improvement Shared vision, strong demand, active family/youth involvement Strong, Stable Program Base Healthy program landscape (distribution & focus) Cross-system program data base/info source Cross-system convening/coordination mechanisms Capacity to Assess & Improve Programs Buy in re definitions, quality standards, accountability requirements Widely adopted assessment and monitoring procedures Adequate assessment and improvement training/TA capacity Capacity to Recruit, Train, Retain Workforce Cross-system provider networks and communications Accurate data on workforce (skills, supports, recruitment, retention) Professional development opportunities/incentives

42. STEP 2a Self-assessments conducted STEP 1 Key $$ Holders Decide to build QI system STEP 3 Managers with Staff Plan for improvement STEP 4 Managers help Staff Carry out plan at the Point of Service STEP 5 Programs Measure change STEP 2b External assessments conducted Using Quality Improvement as the Anchor Focusing on quality improvement can be a concrete place to start…. But there may be broader organizational and workforce needs and issues … The H/S Assessment  Improvement Sequence a broader base of programs that you need to document and engage… broader policy, leadership and public awareness issues … Program Self-Assessment External Assessment Observation-Reflection and there may be reasons not to lead with program assessment, even though that’s where you want to end up. A la carte Methods Workshops TA Quality Coaching Quality Matters presentation Planning with Data

43. THE READY BY 21QUALITY COUNTS INITIATIVE: Improving “Point of Service” Quality

44. Capacity to Assess & Improve Programs Capacity to Recruit, Train, Retain Workforce Strong, Stable Program Base Strong Policy / Leadership Horsepower Goal Area: Capacity to Assess & Improve Program Quality Assumptions: • High-quality programs can influence key developmental outcomes for children and youth. • Accurate, accessible data about program quality can influence staff practice and drive planning and decision-making at the system level.

45. Quality Counts It Matters 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. It is Measureable Most programs can improve quality by undertaking integrated assessment and improvement efforts. It is Malleable It is Marketable Decision-makers and providers will invest in improving quality if they believe that it matters, is measurable and is malleable given available resources.

46. Assessing and Monitoring QualityConverging ideas about quality Measuring Youth Program Quality: A Guide to Assessment Tools at www.forumFYI.org

47. Assessing and Monitoring QualityThe Youth Program Quality Assessment Characteristics • Observation at point of service • Takes 1-2hours, training available but not required • Applies to across content areas Purposes: • Metric for most important part of education and human service programs – point of service • Increase access to experiences that motivate clients to attend and engage • Staff learning and performance change • Foundation for more effective accountability

48. Plan Makechoices Engagement Reflect Lead and mentor Be in small groups Partner with adults Experience belonging Interaction Encouragement Reframing conflict Supportive Environment Skill building Session flow Active engagement Welcoming atmosphere Psychological and emotional safety Safe Environment Program space and furniture Emergency procedures Healthy food and drinks Physically safe environment Defining QualityPoint of Service Quality

49. Program Quality Drops as the Expectations increase Score range: 1= lowest 5= highest

50. Program Quality Improves with Training and Capacity Building Across settings, POS Quality decreases with movement up the pyramid from safety to engagement. The High/Scope research strongly suggests that best way to improve “POS Quality” is to: • Reduce staff turnover • Increase training, professional development and on-site support • Increase opportunities for young people to have input and share control