S O CIAL PO L ICY R ESEAR C H A SSO CIATES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Evaluation of the YouthBuild Youth Offender Grants Final Report May 2009 Prepared by: Wally Abrazaldo Jo-Ann Adefuin Jennifer Henderson-Frakes Charles Lea Jill Leufgen Heather Lewis-Charp Sukey Soukamneuth Andrew Wiegand Prepared for: U.S. Department of Labor/ETA 200 Constitution Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20210 Project No. 1148 1330 Broadway, Suite 1426 Oakland, CA 94612 Tel: (510) 763-1499 Fax: (510) 763-1599 www.spra.com DISCLAIMER This report was prepared for the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Policy Development and Research, by Social Policy Research Associates. Since contractors conducting research and evaluation projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express their own judgment freely, this report does not necessarily represent the official opinion or policy of the U.S. Department of Labor Acknowledgements and Attributions The authors of this report wish to acknowledge the contributions and support of DOL Employment and Training Administration staff, especially our project officer, Laura Paulen. Additionally, several other ETA staff provided valuable feedback and assistance with the evaluation, including Dan Ryan, Greg Weltz, David Lah, and Anne Stom. Their advice and steadfast support are much appreciated. We also wish to acknowledge the generous contributions provided by YouthBuild USA staff, particularly Dorothy Stoneman. Finally, we wish to the invaluable assistance and cooperation provided by the sites included in this evaluation, and the participants in these programs. Though too many individuals to be named shared their time and insights with us, the fact that we cannot list them all here should not be taken as an indication that their assistance is unappreciated. On the contrary, it is the information these individuals shared which made the evaluation useful and informative, and for this we thank them heartily. This page intentionally left blank. Insert blank page here when making double-sided copies CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................... ES-1 I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... I-1 Overview of the Evaluation ............................................................................................. I-1 Methods of Data Collection and Analysis ........................................................................ I-3 Site Visits .................................................................................................................... I-3 Quantitative Data ........................................................................................................ I-5 Remainder of the Report ................................................................................................. I-5 II. OVERVIEW OF YOUTHBUILD GRANTEES ....................................................... II-1 The YouthBuild Model .................................................................................................... II-1 Program Budget ............................................................................................................. II-4 Staffing and Leadership ................................................................................................. II-7 Leadership Tenure ..................................................................................................... II-7 Staff Turnover ............................................................................................................ II-8 Staff Quality ............................................................................................................... II-8 Relationship to Sponsoring Agency ............................................................................. II-10 Intensity of Partnerships ............................................................................................... II-12 Juvenile Justice Partnerships .................................................................................. II-14 Workforce Partnerships ........................................................................................... II-16 Supportive Service Partnerships ............................................................................. II-19 Education Partnerships ............................................................................................ II-20 Construction Partnerships ....................................................................................... II-22 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... II-24 III. RECRUITMENT, ASSESSMENT, AND ENROLLMENT .................................... III-1 Recruitment and Assessment ....................................................................................... III-1 Recruitment .............................................................................................................. III-1 Assessment .............................................................................................................. III-3 i Mental Toughness Orientation .................................................................................. III-5 Enrollment ..................................................................................................................... III-7 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... III-9 IV. EDUCATIONAL SERVICES ............................................................................... IV-1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. IV-1 Educational Services at a Glance ................................................................................ IV-2 Education Challenges .................................................................................................. IV-4 Assessment, Service Planning and Scheduling ........................................................... IV-6 Subject Matter and Courses ......................................................................................... IV-9 Life Skills and Job Readiness Training .................................................................. IV-11 Postsecondary Offerings & Opportunities .............................................................. IV-14 Academic Instructors & Methods ............................................................................... IV-16 A Multi-Method Approach ...................................................................................... IV-18 Team & Peer Teaching .......................................................................................... IV-21 Adjustable & Self-Paced Instruction ...................................................................... IV-22 Small Classes & One-On-One Attention ................................................................ IV-23 Incorporating “Real World” Implications & Rewards .............................................. IV-24 Teaching to the Test .............................................................................................. IV-26 Educational Outcomes ............................................................................................... IV-27 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. IV-34 V. VOCATIONAL TRAINING SERVICES ................................................................ V-1 Types of Vocational Activities ....................................................................................... V-1 Construction-Related Training .................................................................................. V-2 Other Vocational Alternatives ................................................................................... V-5 Quality and Level of Supervision ................................................................................... V-9 Partnerships ................................................................................................................ V-14 Certifications ............................................................................................................... V-17 Links to Academic Instruction ..................................................................................... V-19 Job Readiness Skills and Other Benefits of Training .................................................. V-20 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. V-21 VI. CASE MANAGEMENT, RETENTION & FOLLOW-UP SERVICES .................... VI-1 Case Management Services ........................................................................................ VI-2 Supportive Services ................................................................................................. VI-6 ii Case Management Challenges & Strategies ........................................................... VI-8 Retention in YouthBuild .............................................................................................. VI-12 Transitional & Follow-Up Services ............................................................................