St. John Fisher College Fisher Digital Publications Education Doctoral Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education 8-2017 Measuring the Effects of Youth Participation in a Government- Funded, Urban After-School Employment and Training Program: A Case Study Summative Evaluation DaMia Harris-Madden St. John Fisher College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/education_etd Part of the Education Commons How has open access to Fisher Digital Publications benefited ou?y Recommended Citation Harris-Madden, DaMia, "Measuring the Effects of Youth Participation in a Government-Funded, Urban After-School Employment and Training Program: A Case Study Summative Evaluation" (2017). Education Doctoral. Paper 306. Please note that the Recommended Citation provides general citation information and may not be appropriate for your discipline. To receive help in creating a citation based on your discipline, please visit http://libguides.sjfc.edu/citations. This document is posted at https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/education_etd/306 and is brought to you for free and open access by Fisher Digital Publications at St. John Fisher College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Measuring the Effects of Youth Participation in a Government-Funded, Urban After-School Employment and Training Program: A Case Study Summative Evaluation Abstract The purpose of this study was to conduct a case study summative evaluation of a municipal agency’s employment and training program that receives federal, state, and local government funding to prepare urban youth for eventual economic self-sufficiency. This is the first summative evaluation of a local government’s after-school youth employment and training program, which was designed to address the unemployment problem in general and, specifically, the employability and soft skills gap between youth and employers. This study measured the effects of youth participation in a 6-week intervention that incorporated three distinct elements: work-based experience, job-readiness skills training, and soft skills training. To determine the effectiveness of the program, the researcher analyzed historical data from two groups, youths (n = 44) and employers (observers) (n = 20) utilizing a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Content analysis revealed the similarities between the program’s training materials and the tools used to measure outcome data. Findings derived from the scores of the Resume Scoring Rubric, the Work Personality Profile Self- Report, and the Work Personality Profile demonstrated overall positive effects of the program on youth participants based on the perspectives of the youth and the employers. The results of this study will aid stakeholders in improving their understanding and decision making regarding future use of this particular program and for other government-funded youth employment and training programs, which are designed to increase the employability of urban youth. Document Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Education (EdD) Department Executive Leadership First Supervisor W. Jeff Wallis Second Supervisor Janice Girardi Subject Categories Education This dissertation is available at Fisher Digital Publications: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/education_etd/306 Measuring the Effects of Youth Participation in a Government-Funded, Urban After- School Employment and Training Program: A Case Study Summative Evaluation By DaMia Harris-Madden Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Ed.D. in Executive Leadership Supervised by Dr. W. Jeff Wallis Committee Member Dr. Janice Girardi Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education St. John Fisher College August 2017 Copyright by DaMia Harris-Madden 2017 Dedication I am eternally grateful to God for enabling me with the fortitude and mercy to complete the dissertation process. From childhood to adulthood, I have survived many challenges and overcome what may be perceived as insurmountable. Yet, God, my family, and dear friends have supported me through it all. If it were not for the love, sacrifice, and support of my family, this journey would not have been possible. I am a living testimony that resilience and perseverance will serve as armor for the turbulent times. During this process, I was blessed with the birth of my third daughter, Callie, and the shattering of my heart evidenced by the loss of my brother, Donnie, and my mentor and dear friend, Art. Yet, the blessings and heartaches have strengthened me beyond measure and have encouraged me through this journey. I wish to thank my beloved husband, John, who instantly became “Mr. Mom,” once I decided to begin this journey. I am exceedingly thankful to my mom, Ruby, who has sacrificed her entire life to ensure that I would be successful. She has worked tirelessly as a proxy for me with my three children. Additionally, the support of my mother in-law was a tremendous help. I want my children to know that my sacrifice was mostly for them, and while I cannot express how conflicting it has been to watch them grow without me, throughout this process, my desire is for them to use this experience as motivation to surpass any milestones that I have achieved. To Ashley (11), Brooke (3), and Callie (1), this dissertation is for you. iii If it were not for the expertise and patience of my dissertation team – Chair, Dr. Wallis; Committee Member, Dr. Girardi; Advisor, Dr. Jallow; and D2D (Ann, Kathy, Kim, and Kishon), I would not have finished this endeavor. And, last, but certainly not least, I am extremely grateful to Dr. Gilbert Louis, who served as more than an Executive Mentor but as a “sponsor.” Thank you, Dr. Louis, for the countless hours spent prying my eyes open to the bountiful dimensions of statistics. This dissertation would not be possible if it were not for the support of three youth serving agencies: the Westchester County-Putnam Workforce Development Board, the Westchester County Youth Bureau, and a local municipal agency that shall remain anonymous. Your expertise and dedication to the most vulnerable populations of youth within Westchester County is appreciated. Finally, it is essential to thank the agency and program staff who implemented this particular program. Although anonymous in this dissertation, their diligence and genuine desire to cultivate the skills and aspirations of disadvantaged, urban youth is greatly appreciated. iv Biographical Sketch DaMia Harris-Madden is currently the Executive Director of a mid-sized government agency in New York. Mrs. Harris-Madden attended University at Albany- SUNY from 1999 to 1995 and graduated with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in 2000. She attended Mercy College from 2004 to 2006 and graduated with a Master of Sciences degree in 2007. She came to St. John Fisher College in the summer of 2015 and began doctoral studies in the Ed.D. Program in Executive Leadership. Mrs. Harris-Madden pursued her research in measuring the effect of youth participation in a government funded urban after-school employment and training program under the direction of Dr. W. Jeff Wallis and Dr. Janice Girardi and received the Ed.D. degree in 2017. v Abstract The purpose of this study was to conduct a case study summative evaluation of a municipal agency’s employment and training program that receives federal, state, and local government funding to prepare urban youth for eventual economic self-sufficiency. This is the first summative evaluation of a local government’s after-school youth employment and training program, which was designed to address the unemployment problem in general and, specifically, the employability and soft skills gap between youth and employers. This study measured the effects of youth participation in a 6-week intervention that incorporated three distinct elements: work-based experience, job- readiness skills training, and soft skills training. To determine the effectiveness of the program, the researcher analyzed historical data from two groups, youths (n = 44) and employers (observers) (n = 20) utilizing a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Content analysis revealed the similarities between the program’s training materials and the tools used to measure outcome data. Findings derived from the scores of the Resume Scoring Rubric, the Work Personality Profile Self- Report, and the Work Personality Profile demonstrated overall positive effects of the program on youth participants based on the perspectives of the youth and the employers. The results of this study will aid stakeholders in improving their understanding and decision making regarding future use of this particular program and for other government-funded youth employment and training programs, which are designed to increase the employability of urban youth. vi Table of Contents Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii Biographical Sketch ............................................................................................................ v Abstract .............................................................................................................................. vi Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. vii List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... x List of Figures ..................................................................................................................