Youthbuild USA Under Contract with U.S
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Education at a Yo u t h b u i l d Program Written by YouthBuild USA under contract with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Education at a Youthbuild Program Written by YouthBuild USA under contract with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 58 Day Street P.O. Box 440322 Somerville, MA 02144 Phone: (617) 623-9900 Fax: (617) 623-4331 www.youthbuild.org “I dropped out because I didn’t want to learn. I thought I was above the teachers, I thought I was above the law. School was boring, it didn’t make sense to me—we didn’t connect, I was not interested. I went to school for the women, gym, and lunch. I was not there for the books or learning, I didn’t have time for that. Before Youthbuild I was gang-bangin’, drinkin’ heavy, living day to day, not looking into the future, being out there, being destructive. I looked at my life like Jesse James, and I didn’t think I would make it to 21. Youthbuild taught you how to express yourself, look up words in the dictionary. They taught you to be a leader.They taught me how to take care of my family. They taught me a lot. In the school part they didn’t do the same old book thing, they used one-on-one learning, pick your brain, they go over it with you until you get it right—it wasn’t a boring process—it was more like a friend helping you get up on a horse and learning how to ride it. If there wasn’t a program like Youthbuild, I’d probably be in the penitentiary serving life or something. If I didn’t have my GED, I’d probably be going from job to job. I probably wouldn’t have my family with me—it would look pret- ty gloomy. Once you’ve been part of Youthbuild it stays with you the rest of your life. It’s the best thing I’ve ever come upon. I hope they keep Youthbuild going and spread it all across the United States. Youthbuild was the only one that prepared me for life.” —Eric Clark, graduate,YouthBuild McLean County Preface Education at a Youthbuild Program is one of a series of handbooks developed by YouthBuild USA under contract with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist individuals and organizations in operating Youthbuild programs in their communities. These handbooks, covering education, counseling, construction, leadership development, and graduate resources are thematically linked, so that, taken together, they provide a detailed and compre- hensive guide to implementing an effective Youthbuild program. The handbooks supplement the Youthbuild Program Manual which provides an overview of the Youthbuild program and its components. Education at a Youthbuild Program represents the compilation and distillation of over 15 years of Youthbuild experience in the field. Additional publications and materials are also available from YouthBuild USA. We encourage you to contact YouthBuild USA or HUD for more information and assistance or to get additional copies of this handbook. The purpose of this handbook is to provide a useful guide to both new and experienced programs, derived from actual experience in Youthbuild programs. In order to complete it, it has been necessary to contact many directors, teachers, and program advisors for advice, feedback, and resource materials. Each has generously shared his or her time to assist in the process of developing the handbook. The following programs and people have offered invaluable assistance in the development of the Youthbuild education component and Education at a Youthbuild Program: Atlantic City YouthBuild, YouthBuild Boston, Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association (New York City), YouthBuild Gary, YouthBuild Gadsden, YouthBuild Indianapolis, YouthBuild Los Angeles (LACC), YouthBuild Philadelphia, YouthBuild Pittsburgh, YouthBuild St. Louis (YEHS), Young Adult Learning Academy (New York City), Youth Action Program (New York City). The primary author of this handbook is Anne Meisenzahl, education consultant at YouthBuild USA, supported by Monte Perez, education director. John Bell, Jill Bottomley, Lea Campolo, Ivy Dilworth, John Gallery, Jackie Gelb, David Greene, Curdina Hill, Nelson Merced, Maia Nilsson, Margherita Pagni, Roger Peace, Al Rutherford, Stacey Simmons, Dorothy Stoneman, Kevin Tarpley, Peter Twichell, Holladay Weiss, and Beverly West have all generously contributed. YouthBuild USA 58 Day Street P.O. Box 440322 Somerville, MA 02144 Tel: (617) 623-9900 Fax: (617) 623-4331 e-mail: [email protected] web: http://www.youthbuild.org Preface i ii Preface Table of Contents Introduction Emerging Significance of the Youthbuild School . xiii Essential Elements of the Youthbuild School. xiv Introduction to this Handbook. xv Audience . xv How this Handbook Is Organized . xv Part I: Planning the Education Component Chapter 1: Designing the Education Component Overview . 3 Identifying the Youthbuild Student Target Population . 3 Academic Preparation of Youthbuild Students . 5 Reading Level . 5 Number of High School Credits . 5 Skill Range . 6 Proportion Who Have GED or Diploma . 6 Program Goals in Relation to Target Population. 6 Selecting an Appropriate Yuothbuild Graduation Certificate: The GED or the High School Diploma . 7 The General Equivalency Diploma (GED) . 7 Delivery Systems for the GED . 8 Standard High School Diploma and Its Delivery Systems . 13 Deciding Which Certificate Program Is Most Appropriate . 17 Managing the Education Component. 18 Chapter 2: Hiring and Training the Education Staff Overview . 20 Roles of the Non-Academic Staff . 20 Table of Contents iii Role of the Youthbuild Director . 21 Role of Program Manager . 21 Role of Construction Manager . 21 Role of the Worksite Instructors . 22 Role of Counselors . 22 Roles of the Academic Staff . 22 Role of Academic and Vocational Instructors . 22 Finding, Interviewing, and Hiring Staff. 23 Interview Process. 25 Collaborating to Hire Teachers . 25 Orientation and Training . 26 In-Service Training. 27 Chapter 3: What Teachers Need to Succeed Overview . 29 Planning . 30 Adequate Advance Planning Time . 30 Ongoing Planning and Meeting Time . 30 Budget and Other Resources . 30 Adequate Materials and Resources . 31 Classroom Environment and Space. 31 Networking with Other Education Programs and Staff . 31 Professional Development Opportunities. 32 A Cohesive Team and Positive Tone . 32 Student Assessment Strategies . 33 Familiarity with Different Teaching Models . 33 Student Evaluation Techniques . 33 Supervision and Evaluation of Performance. 34 Ongoing Supervision . 35 Probation . 35 Regular Quarterly Evaluation . 35 Weekly or Bi-weekly Meetings . 36 Lesson Planning and Record Keeping . 37 Documentation of Teacher Performance . 37 Regular Observation . 37 iv Table of Contents Immediate Intervention . 37 Regular Student Feedback . 38 Chapter 4: Academic Factors in Selection, Orientation, and Graduation of Trainees Overview . 40 Initial Screening . 40 Reading Level . ..