Ste Opportunities for Reconnecting to Education and Employment

8/9/2019 Ste Opportunities for Reconnecting to Education and Employment

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THEWORKINGPOORFAMILIESPROJECTPOLICYBRIEF SUMMER2013

STATEOPPORTUNITIESFOR

RECONNECTINGYOUNGADULTSTOEDUCATION,

SKILLSTRAININGANDEMPLOYMENTBarry Shaffer1

INTRODUCTION

For most young Americans, the path to a secure economic futurebegins early in life with positive family, social and educationalexperiences that typically result in a high school diploma anda clear plan for pursuing postsecondary education or other jobskill training. However, an alarmingly large number of youngadults have disconnected from traditional education or skillstraining pathways, often without obtaining a basic high schoolcredential. The research is clear:the longer a person is withouta high school credential or without the skill training necessaryfor a family-sustaining wage, the more likely that individualwill remain in poverty and be a signicant consumer of publicwelfare and social services.3

The Kids Count Policy Report on Young Adults and Work,released in 2012 by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, took aclose look at disconnected young adults who lack high schooldiplomas and would greatly benet from increased educationaland job opportunity.4The report notes that many young adultshave had challenges that were beyond their control such as achildhood spent in poverty, living with a single, poorly educatedparent, attending low-performing schools and/or lacking positiverole models. Further, young people often lack support fortransitioning from high school or the GED5to college and oftenare discouraged at the prospect of taking multiple remedialcourses at postsecondary institutions.

This policy brief focuses on information, policies and strategiesfor reconnecting young adults (typically 18-24 years-old) toeducation and skill training opportunities, with a specicemphasis on state level policies and interventions. This isan important area for the state non-prot organizations thatpartner with the Working Poor Families Project (WPFP), anational initiative to strengthen state policies that inuencethe well-being of low-income working families. By directingmore attention to this issue, WPFP and its state partnershave the opportunity to promote state policies that can assistdisconnected young adults to gain the education and skillsnecessary to effectively support themselves and their families.

T W

P F P

Strengthening State Policies forAmericas Working Poor

Millions of Americanbreadwinners work hard tosupport their families. But,despite their determinationand effort, many are miredin low-wage jobs that provideinadequate benets and offer

few opportunities foradvancement. In fact, nearlyone in three American workingfamilies now earn wages solow that they have difcultysurviving nancially.2

Launched in 2002 and currentlysupported by The Annie E.Casey, Ford, Joyce, and Kresgefoundations, the Working PoorFamilies Project is a nationalinitiative that works to improve

these economic conditions. Theproject partners with statenon-prot organizations andsupports their state policyefforts to better prepare

Americas working families fora more secure economic future.

For more information:www.workingpoorfamilies.org

Working Poor Families Project | www.workingpoorfamilies.org | [email protected] | (301) 657-1480
http://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/http://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/http://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/http://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/http://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/


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Working Poor Families Project | www.workingpoorfamilies.org 2

DESCRIBING THE ISSUE

According to the 2011 American CommunitySurvey, the 18-24 year old segment of thepopulation was just over 31 million, about 10% of

the total U.S. population. Of this age group, 64%are White, 18% Hispanic, 14% Black and 2% Asian.The minority population within this age group hasbeen increasing at a faster rate than the whitepopulation due to the combined effect of higherbirth rates and immigration.6

Although the nations public school graduation ratehas increased eight percentage pointsto 74.7%in the last decade, estimates of the actual numbersof 18-24 year-olds who lack a high school credentialrange from ve to six million individuals.7Dropoutrates for minority students are more than double

that of whites. Students from low-income families(dened as 200% of the federal poverty level)dropped out of high school at six times the rate oftheir peers from higher-income families.8Researchshows that only about one-quarter of those whofail to graduate with their peers eventually receivediplomas; another one-quarter will eventuallycomplete the GED and receive a high schoolequivalent credential. However, an alarming one-half never attain a high school credential.9

In 2010, more than 500,000 adults completed theGED, and 72% of them received their high school

equivalency credential. Although the average ageof the GED examinee is 26, just over one-thirdof all examinees are between 18-24 years-old.10Forthcoming changes to the GED test content andits administration in 2014 have raised concern that

the new GED will be even more challenging anddifcult to pass.11

When young people fail to obtain a high schooldiploma and other educational credentials, they

and American society at largeface multiplenegative consequences. As the table belowindicates, low educational attainment signicantlyimpacts earning power as well as increasing theincidence of unemployment.12

According to the Alliance for Excellent Education,not attaining a high school diploma or its

equivalent results not only in problems and issuesfor the individual, but in signicant costs to societyat large:

Compared to an individual without a highschool diploma, a high school graduate yieldsa public benet of over $200,000 more in lowergovernment spending and higher tax revenues.If the number of individuals without high schoodiplomas were cut in half, the governmentwould likely see a total of $45 billion in savingsand additional revenue.


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Three-quarters of state prison inmates arewithout a high school diploma or equivalent.If the male graduation rate were increasedby only ve percent, the nation would see anannual savings of $4.9 billion in crime-related

costs.

Cutting the dropout rate nationally for a singlehigh school class in half would likely supportas many as 54,000 new jobs and would likelyincrease the gross domestic product by as muchas $9.6 billion.13

Clearly, helping out-of-school young adults toreconnect to educational opportunities leadingto a high school diploma or its equivalency is animportant state policy goal. However, reaching thatpoint is insufcient. Young adults will increasingly

need further education and skills if they are tobecome economically self-sufcient and capable ofsupporting a family.

A landmark ve-year study by the WashingtonState Board for Community and Technical Colleges,known commonly as the Tipping Point research,looked at adults with basic skills below the highschool level who enrolled in college non-creditbasic skills and ESL courses. Its purpose was todetermine patterns of success with regard to for-credit educational program completion and lateremployment.14

A major nding was that in order to have areasonable chance for both types of success, astudent needed to have considerable support andassistance, and to persist in at least one year ofcollege credit programming. Without these twocriteria, a person was very likely to end up in alow paying job and still not have high-school levelbasic skills. The signicance of this report cannotbe understated with regard to the concepts ofcomprehensively reconnecting young adults toopportunities for more advanced education andemployment.

The public policy organization Demos examinedBureau of Labor Statistics data for young adults in2012 in order to see how the experience of youngpeople today affects their prospects for tomorrow.They found that the year passed with no signicantgains for young people, who continue to endure a

jobs crisis even as the economy begins to recover.The latest numbers from 2013 reveal no signicantchange in the trend. The Demos report asserts thatthe development of state-level public policy and

investments to directly employ young adults

especially young adults of color and those without acollege degreecould have multiple benetsincluding adding job readiness and marketableskills to the workforce, developing individuals workhistory and increasing economic resources in thecommunity. Without policy targeted to the needs ofyoung adults, the nation risks an entire generationmarked by the insecurities of the Great Recessionfor the rest of their working lives.15

STATE LEVERAGING/COORDINATION OFRELEVANT FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS

A number of federally authorized programs existthat directly impact the reconnection of youngadults to education and training. Many of theseprograms are administered by state governmentsand typically have not only a matching fundrequirement for the participating state, butrequire or encourage states to coordinate statepolicy efforts to maximize the federal and stateresources.16Examples of the largest (in termsof funds allocated) federal programs offeringsignicant coordination potential include:

Adult Basic Education (ABE) The nationslargest ongoing effort to assist adults of all ages

to attain a high school diploma or credential isthe national adult basic education system fundedfederally through Title II of the federal WorkforceInvestment Act (WIA). Although this systemprovides over $500 million in federal funds peryear and an estimated $300 million in leveragedstate resources, the system annually serves onlyabout 4%-7% of the estimated eligible populationof adults 16 and over who are not enrolled in highschool and are lacking a high school diploma orEnglish prociency.

Without policy targeted

to the needs of young

adults, the naon risks an

enre generaon marked

by the insecuries of the

Great Recession for the

rest of their working lives.


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States typically have legislation and policy thatsupports the federal requirements and strengthensprogramming and accountability. States havesome limited exibility with federal ABE funds toprioritize services, and federal initiatives currently

promote a greater level of coordination withpostsecondary adult career pathway efforts.

WIA Title IB Youth Program The WorkforceInvestment Act (WIA) Title IB Youth Programprovides services to young adults ages 14-21. Themain thrust of this program is to increase the focuson longer-term academic and occupational learningopportunities and develop long-term comprehensivestrategies. Services are provided to in-schoolstudents aged 14-21 and out-of-school participantsaged 16-21. About $800 million was distributed tostates for 2012 services. Every state is required to

have a Youth Council as a subgroup of the stateWorkforce Investment Board. The Council roleincludes policy and investment recommendations.

Perkins The Carl D. Perkins Vocational andTechnical Education Act, last reauthorized in 2006,focuses on the academic achievement of career,vocational and technical education students,strengthens the connections between secondary andpostsecondary education, and improves state andlocal accountability. Perkins funding serves bothhigh school students and postsecondary students,and features career pathway programming around

a nationally established set of major career andoccupational clusters. Although the use of Perkinsfunds for remedial programming, like GEDattainment and postsecondary developmentaleducation, is not allowable under Perkins rules, thecoordination with remedial programming options isencouraged.

Job Corps Through a nationwide network ofcampuses, Job Corps offers a comprehensivearray of career development services to at-riskyoung women and men, ages 16 to 24, to preparethem for successful careers. Job Corps employs aholistic career development training approach thatintegrates the teaching of academic, vocationaland employability skills and social competenciesthrough a combination of classroom, practical andexperience-based learning to prepare young adultsfor stable, long-term, high-paying jobs.

Prisoner Reentry Initiative Under this initiative,local groups can become eligible to receive grantsto provide young adult offenders, or children whoare at risk of becoming incarcerated or droppingout-of-school, with employment and educational

opportunities. Applicants for this grant includeschools, juvenile justice agencies and nonprotcommunity organizations. The goal of the initiativeis to prevent teenagers from dropping out-of-school,increase employment for out-of-school young adults

increase their educational skills and decrease theirinvolvement in violence and crime.

Youth Build In Youth Build programs, low-incomeyoung people ages 16 to 24 work full-time forsix to 24 months toward high school diplomas orcredentials, while learning job skills by buildingaffordable housing in their communities. Emphasisis placed on leadership development, communityservice and the creation of a positive mini-community of adults and young adults committedto each others success. At exit, they are placed incollege, jobs or both.

POSSIBLE STATE TOOLS FOR RECONNECTINGYOUNG ADULTS TO EDUCATION AND SKILLSTRAINING

Given the scope and importance of the young adultreconnection problem facing the nation, stateshave the motivation to take a variety of actions toaddress this issue. Although states have startedgiving more attention to the dropout issue, much ofthe attention is focused on prevention rather thanrecovering or reconnecting with out-of-school youngadults;as a result, there are only a few examples ofstate actions in this area.17It should be noted thatthe reconnection issue is difcult for states for anumber of reasons including:

Lack of rigorous and connected datasystems and tracking mechanisms toprovide hard data for indentifying out-of-school young adults to inform policydecision making.

Difculty aligning a confusing array ofexisting efforts, policies and players thatfocus on common goals but have widelyvarying objectives, strategies and ac-

countability requirements. Lack of support for reworking existing

state funding streams, especially with-out additional resources.18

However, some states have examined thisimportant problem and even initiated strategiesto tackle it. States are taking four primaryapproaches:(1) elevating state attention to theissue of disconnected young adults;(2) engagingyoung adults to achieve educational outcomes;


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(3) leveraging Adult Basic Education and highschool equivalency options;and (4) introducing andpreparing young adults for work. Each of theseareas is examined below.

1) Elevating State Attention to the Issue ofDisconnected Young Adults

For states that choose to focus on the problemof unemployed, undereducated and/or unskilledyoung adults, there are at least three establishedchannels.

P-20 Initiatives Almost every state has embracedthe P-20 education reform movement that attemptsto align and make more seamless the separatelyfunctioning systems of education from preschoolthrough college. The Education Commission of theStates (ECS) maintains a website that describesthe structure and content focus of P-20 Councilsfor each state.19In some states, these councils arenot only interested in improving the transitionof traditional K-12 students into college; they areseeking transition solutions for out-of-school youngadults as well. For example, the most recent reportof theIllinoisP-20 Council articulates a specicgoal to Reengage students who have dropped outto enable them to complete a high school diplomaor the GED, or a degree or certicate.20

WIA Youth Councils The Workforce InvestmentAct (WIA) requires all states to have a YouthCouncil as a subgroup of the state WorkforceInvestment Board (WIB). Membership of the

Youth Council typically includes individualsfrom business, education, community-basedorganizations and public agencies;andrepresentatives of young adult service agencies,including juvenile justice and local law enforcementagencies, local public housing authorities; parentsof eligible young adults seeking assistance underWIA; and individuals and representatives oforganizations that have experience relating toyoung adult activities. Youth Councils are required

to develop and implement a comprehensiveplan for youth services related to education andemployment and they often recommend statepolicy changes or new state policies for legislativeconsideration.21

Data Systems Reforms Although large urbanschool districts have led the way for collectingand analyzing data on high school dropouts anddisconnected young adults, a national effort knownas the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems(SLDS) Grant Program is assisting states to

efciently manage, analyze and use education data,including individual student records. As it evolves,the SLDS should help states, districts, schools,educators and other stakeholders to make data-informed decisions to improve student learning

and outcomes, both for traditional learners andfor young adults who are in need of a reconnectionopportunity.22For example, Maryland implementedStudentStat, a performance measurement andmanagement process whereby top policymakers,including the governor, review education data(e.g., cohort graduation rate and dropout rate) ona quarterly basis to track progress on goals andshape future policy decisions.23

2) Engaging Young Adults to Achieve EducationalOutcomes

To date, states have played a modest role in seekingto promote and support local efforts to enhance theeducational outcomes of disconnected young adults.However, there are opportunities for leadershipand action.

Recovery Initiatives Signicant local attentionis given to connecting at-risk youth and out-of-school young adults to a variety of educationalopportunities. These efforts are typically driven byschool districts, especially urban ones, and involveefforts to locate and encourage out-of-school youngadults to return to school or to alternative venues

such as adult education centers, community-basednon-prot training programs and even communitycolleges. Some states have sought to establishpolicies or incentives for this to happen on astatewide scale.

As an example, Texas developed policy and madeconsiderable investments through a programcalled The Texas Dropout Recovery Program(TDRP). Initiated in 2008, the program investedmillions annually in local organizations (i.e.,school districts, charter schools, non-prots, highereducation institutions) to connect out-of-school

young adults to education opportunities so theycould achieve their high school equivalency orgain college readiness skills. Over four years, $21million dollars was spent on the program, servingover 8,000 dropouts.

The Texas state legislature did not continuefunding in 2012, despite a strong evaluation withpositive outcome data that noted the program madea meaningful impact on the lives of its graduatesand lled an important gap in Texas educational


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services for students who have dropped out ofschool. Evaluation estimates suggest that TDRPwould save the state $95 million in current dollars.24

Two years ago, following state legislation, theWashingtonOfce of State Public Instruction(OSPI) established the Open Doors Young AdultsReengagement initiative. The program allows localschool districts to enter into inter-local agreementswith qualifying organizationscommunity colleges,educational service districts, community-basedorganization and othersto provide dropoutreengagement services for out-of-school studentsnot expected to graduate by age 21. The initiativealso allows OSPI to provide basic education fundingdirectly to community colleges undertaking recoveryprograms in agreement with a local school district.

Open Door programs must offer the following: (1)academic instruction, including GED preparation,academic skills, and college and work readinesspreparation, that generates high school credittowards a diploma and has the goal of academicand work readiness;(2) instruction by certiedteachers or college instructors whose credentialsare established by a college;(3) case management,counseling, and resource and referral services;and

(4) opportunity for qualied students to enroll incollege courses tuition-free, if the program provideris a college. Programs are approved by OSPI. OpenDoor programs are expected to generate attentionand development across the state, especially atcommunity colleges, for two reasons: (1) state basiceducation resources are available to support OpenDoor programs;and (2) students served via directcommunity college programs are not included inhigh school graduation calculations.

Other states, such as Illinois and Massachusetts,called for state programs for dropout recovery, buthave not appropriated funds for implementation.The Illinois Hope and Opportunities throughEducation program was adopted by the state

legislature and identied as a promising strategyin the states rst P-20 council report, but wasnever funded.25Similarly, a Massachusettss 2009special government commission report on dropoutprevention and recovery called for state action tosupport local recovery initiatives;26however, stateaction and funding on recoveryinitiatives havereceived minimal support.27

Clearly, difcult state budget times have negativelyimpacted efforts to get these state efforts underwayand to sustain them. A 2011 National Governors

Association (NGA) report called for reforming state

budgeting processes to support local efforts toaddress disconnected young adults.28Such reformswould entail providing weighted resource allocationformulas to reward areas that serve at-risk, out-of-school young adults and to raise the age level ofK-12 support to encompass older young adults (i.e.,above 21) who are out-of-school and still in need ofa high school equivalency. In 2007, Texas raised thelimit of public education services to age 26. Onlyeight states do not set an upper statutory studentage for public education.29

Alternative Educational Models Many large

school districts have developed alternative highschools that serve students who struggle in thetraditional K-12 setting. Alternative schools,sometimes called second-chance schools, arecreated as separate organizations and are oftenpart of the public elementary/secondary schoolsystem. However, in efforts to serve out-of-schoolyoung adults, some places have sought to engagespecially focused charter schools, community-basedorganizations and even community colleges.

One strategy that has received some attention isthe early college concept, engaging community

colleges to serve at-risk students. These programsallow students to work toward their high-schooldegrees while taking college classes and earningcollege credits, thus positioning them to worktoward a postsecondary credential. Such programsare typically done in partnership with local schooldistricts, which contribute funding to cover studentcosts, but all activities are conducted on the collegecampus.

Gateway to College is a national early college

A 2011 Naonal

Governors Associaon

report called for

reforming state budgeng

processes to support

local eorts to address

disconnected young

adults.


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initiative that operates in 22 states, at 42colleges.30The initiative is somewhat uniqueamong early college efforts in that it operates as adrop-out recovery program focusing specically ondisconnected out-of-school youth. The initiative is

ten years old and recently has received signicantfunding from national organizations such as theKresge and Bill and Melinda Gates foundations toenhance its program and expand into additionalcolleges.

One current expansion effort is in Massachusettsand is being conducted in partnership with thestates Department of Elementary and SecondaryEducation. Utilizing a federal grant award ratherthan state resources, the Department is helping toexpand the number of Massachusetts communitycolleges with a Gateway program. The Department

provides start-up funding and intensive technicalassistance and training support (provided bythe Gateway to College National Network)for three institutions of higher education thatpartner with at least one eligible school district.

Although, as noted earlier, the state did not commitsignicant state funds to support the recoveryrecommendations presented in the 2009 report,this partnership with the national Gateway toCollege initiative is a promising example of whatstates can do.

In 2012, Colorado authorized local education

providers and community colleges to enterinto agreements to establish dropout recoveryprograms, allowing students who have droppedout of high school, or are at-risk of dropping out, tocomplete their high school requirements exclusivelyat a community college. Participating students whocomplete the program receive their high schooldiplomas by taking college-level courses for collegecredit. They then can re-enroll to work toward apost-secondary certicate or degree. In 2013, follow-up legislation required school districts to pay thestudents tuition for each class in which he or sheenrolls, not just those completed. This helps more

students stick with the program and ultimatelycomplete it, and encourages more communitycolleges to participate by assuring tuition costsare covered. To-date, two community colleges inColorado have established these dropout recoveryprograms in afliation with Gateway to College.

3) Leveraging Adult Basic Education and HighSchool Equivalencies

As noted earlier, major changes to AdultBasic Education in terms of the GED will be

implemented in 2014. These impending changeshave prompted a number of states to examinestate policies and undertake actions to createalternatives for achieving a high school degree orequivalency. States understand that the GEDmay not be the best equivalency alternative forsome of their students, especially those withlimited English prociency and those with examanxiety or learning disabilities. In 2013, Iowa,Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, Montana, New Yorkand New Hampshire announced they would beswitching to new high school equivalency exams.Ofcials in California also started looking into

amending regulations to drop the requirementthat the state use the GED test only. Texasplans to make their decision after requesting bidsfrom test makers. Several other states, includingMassachusetts and Indiana, are making plans toformally request information about alternativeexams. Those two states, as well as New Jersey andTennessee, are also exploring the option of offeringmore than just one state-endorsed high schoolequivalency test. Minnesota and Washington arecreating their own high school equivalency processthat will feature sets of measureable competenciesin basic skills, career awareness and college

readiness.The extent to which these efforts result in actionsto specically recruit and serve disconnected youngadults remains to be seen. But certainly movingtoward new exams creates the opportunity to bringthis target population into the discussions andrepresent it as a high priority.

Irrespective of the impending change, at leastone state has been taking action to leverage

Adult Basic Education capacity to supportdropout recovery efforts. For the past three years,Mississippi has invested $100,000 annually toeach of 15 community colleges to support increasedstudent enrollment, completion of the GED andoverall student success. The funds can be usedto support additional instructors, test fees andclassroom supplies, as well as nancial assistancefor students transitioning to postsecondaryclasses. The Mississippi Economic Policy Centersuccessfully worked with other supporters topreserve $1.5 million in Drop Out Recovery Fundsin 2012 so that colleges can offer wraparound


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supports, revised curriculum that embed skillsdevelopment into ABE/GED courses and staffdedicated to student success and transitions topostsecondary.31

This latter idea, also known as a Bridge program,is a component of a career pathway framework.Bridge programs are intended to reform thedelivery of education to be more relevant to thecareer aspirations of non-traditional students suchas disconnected young adults. Such programs canalso help address one obstacle that has recentlyemerged:changes to the federal Pell grant nancialaid program that eliminated assistance to incomingpostsecondary students without a high schooldegree. Bridge and career pathway programsprovide the opportunity to obtain a high schoolequivalency while gaining postsecondary credits for

continued advancement.Career pathways and bridge programs havereceived national attention through such initiativesas the Joyce Foundation Shifting Gears and theJoyce/Gates Accelerating Opportunities. Theseinitiatives support seven states in linking their

Adult Basic Education and Community Collegeprograms into guided and structured educationalprograms of study. At their best, these programsare structured to combine basic academic workwith occupation skills training and provide aneducational pathway for students to advance

toward postsecondary credentials. They areseen as promising for engaging young adultswho previously had little interest in traditionaleducational programs.

State-level policy and systems change have beenencouraged by these initiatives. For example,Minnesotas approach to adult basic education nowincludes creating pre-bridge classes for lower level

ABE students that align directly to a postsecondaryadult career pathway program. In WisconsinsRISE approach, students may receive their highschool equivalency by successfully completing theiradult career pathway postsecondary course andcompleting two additional units of instruction.32

4) Connecting Young Adults to Employment

Employment of young adults is at a 45-year low.Out-of-school males of color are more likely to beunemployed and live in poverty than their whitecounterparts. In addition, this population facesa likelihood of increased interactions with the

juvenile and criminal justice systems. Researchshows that early job experience increases the

likelihood of more work in the future. A continuumof work builds job readiness skills, knowledge andcondence.33Providing disconnected young adultswith opportunities for apprenticeship programs,subsidized work, job training and/or work-likeactivities can help young adults get on track towardeducation and economic success.

Apprenticeships and Pre-apprenticeships Statelabor and economic development agencies typicallymanage implementation of state laws or policiesgoverning apprenticeships or internships. In somestates, Ohio for example, pre-apprenticeships

are available and managed by the Ohio StateApprenticeship Council. For Ohio, a pre-apprenticeship program means a program thatteaches basic technical and job-readiness skills fora designated occupation or occupational sector, toprepare participants for registered apprenticeshiptraining. Pre-apprenticeships normally features aclassroom and/or lab setting, but may also involvework-site visits, job-shadowing, internships orother activities outside the program facility, toprovide exposure to the work environment for thetargeted occupation(s). One component of Ohiosprogram serves out-of-school young adults up to

age 21.34

Internships and Subsidized EmploymentInternship opportunities for young adults arecommonly available through local young adultservice and employment agency sponsors, but statepolicy to foster internships appear limited only toopportunities within state government agencies.

Subsidized young adult employment programsprovide opportunities young adults might nototherwise have, particularly when employment

Bridge and career

pathway programs

provide the opportunity

to obtain a high school

equivalency while gaining

postsecondary credits for

connued advancement.


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rates for this age group are at a historic low.States can develop and sustain partnerships thatcombine the resources and expertise of Temporary

Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) grants,workforce agencies and other organizations. For

example, New York has for several years usedTANF block grant funds to subsidize employmentopportunities for young adults through localworkforce investment agencies. By combiningmultiple resources, states can expand uponopportunities that began in summer 2010 throughthe TANF Emergency Fund.35

Work Readiness and Work Credential ProgramsWhile often not targeted toward disconnectedyoung adults, work readiness credentials can helpdisconnected young adults overcome employerhesitancy to hire. Most local adult education

programs across the nation provide opportunitiesfor students to earn high school credentialsincluding the GED or a local high school diplomathrough credit recovery. Some adult educationprograms and other state supported traininginstitutions are beginning to offer nationallyrecognized work readiness options such as the

ACT National Career Readiness Certicate(NCRC). For example, the Kentucky Department ofWorkforce Investment and the Kentucky Chamberof Commerce have partnered to offer and promotethe NCRC instruction and assessment. Thecerticates include the signatures of both Kentucky

Governor and the Kentucky Chamber of CommercePresident. Over 200 career centers and adulteducation sites in Kentucky deliver NCRC trainingand assessments.36

ENGAGEMENT OPTIONS

This policy brief has been prepared forWorkingPoor Families Project (WPFP)state partners,and for individuals who are involved inprogramming and/or policy development leadingto the educational and economic betterment ofdisconnected young adults. A number of exampleshave been cited of state policy and actions targetedto improve the reconnection of young adults toeducation and employment. However, much moreneeds to be accomplished at the state policy andlocal implementation levels.

The extent of the problem calls for signicantactivity to occur at the state level in order to givepolicy priority to the issue and to develop morecomprehensive and concentrated strategies thatare commensurate with the problem. But unlessthe political will and commitment to address this

issue becomes a priority for state ofcials, thechance for signicant action and improvement ismodest at best. The following recommendationsoffer strategies and policies for state levelengagement:

1. Become Informed of the Needs What are theyoung adult reconnection needs and issuesin your state? The U.S. Census AmericanCommunity Survey offers educationalattainment and demographic characteristicsby state. Your state P-20 Council or WIA YouthCouncil may have a compilation of data andneeds information that help them make policyrecommendations. Major charitable or state-based philanthropic organizations (e.g. UnitedWay, YMCA) often have young adults-at-riskinformation that supports their efforts. Annual

dropout statistics and reports are availablefrom your state education agency. Find out ifyour state has a SLDS initiative and share yourideas about missing data or information thatwould be enlightening and useful. Leverage thepotential of data to educate stakeholders, buildtransparency and manage performance

2. Connect with the Major Federal Efforts Thefederal programs mentioned in this reportexist in almost every state and have activitiesand policies that impact the reconnection ofyoung adults to education and employment.

In particular, the Adult Basic Education,WIA Youth and Perkins agencies often haveopportunities to participate in policy councils orforums, and their state websites offer an arrayof reports that demonstrate needs and ongoingactivities and projects. Also, most federallyfunded agencies that operate at the state levelare seeking new ways to collaborate (oftena mandate) and bring stakeholders togetherfor a common purpose. Your participationin a collaborative event or forum would bewelcomed. You could also host a young adultreconnection forum.

3. Build Multifaceted Collaborations Althoughthe federal programs noted in this reportare accomplishing many targeted goalswith their mandated constituencies, it iswidely acknowledged that these effortsare underfunded and have not succeededin creating signicant state policy change.Reconnecting young adults to education andemployment requires a multifaceted approach.No one system or sector can do it alone. In order


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to foster the necessary collaborative approach,it is recommended that collaborations be formedor forums be held that genuinely include policy-setting decision makers from K-12, careerand technical education, state community

and technical colleges, child welfare andjuvenile justice systems. In addition, providingthe opportunity for at-risk young adults toshare their stories and needs is a powerfulrst step in developing and motivating newcollaborations.

4. Pursue a Comprehensive Delivery ModelEvidence from many reconnection efforts showthat recovering disconnected young adults andensuring that they attain the ultimate goal offamily-sustaining employment is dependent ona program delivery model that links basic and

postsecondary education, skill training and jobexperience. While most recovery interventionmodels contain the rst two components,the connection to real work is often missing.Examples of job experience approaches includeinternships, apprenticeships, mentorships,work-study programs and part-timeemployment. Connections with ready-to-hireemployers for in-demand jobs are essential.

Also, the need for a program navigator oradvisor that follows the student through thepathway to employment process cannot beunderstated.

5. Focus on State Policies Reconnecting YoungAdults to Education and Skills TrainingThe following strategies and policy ideas aresupported by information presented in thisreport about programs and strategies that havedemonstrated promise for reconnecting youngadults to education and employment:

Establish state data collection and trackingpolicies and protocols that facilitate theunderstanding and scope of the reconnectionissue and allow for the linkage of high schooldata, postsecondary data, social programinformation and workforce information.Having solid information about disconnectedyoung adults is a rst step to supportinformed policy-making.

Support dropout recovery efforts byproviding funding to nd disconnected youngadults and re-connect them to educationand skills training programs. Successfulpolicies include creating alternative fundingto encourage schools, community colleges

and community-based organizations to servethese disconnected young adults and raisingthe statutory student age limit on publiceducation expenditures.

Support high quality alternative highschools that include exible mechanisms andmodels such as online learning, exible daypolicies, linkages to support services andincentives to persist in school.

Leverage K-12 and adult educationresources to encourage student completion ofhigh school equivalencies and connections topostsecondary education through pre-bridgeand bridge programs. Assure that the GEDtest and alternative diploma options areavailable at an affordable rate.

Create a short term (e.g. one year) intensiveprogram that targets disconnected youngadults and facilitate a career pathwayfeaturing workforce entry level credentialsas an outcome.

Combine state, WIA and TANF resourcesto promote subsidized employment, pre-apprenticeships and internships fordisconnected young adults.

How do we maintain our standing as a country ofopportunity and upward mobility, ensuring that

present and future generations of Americans havethe tools and skills to succeed? One answer lies inour ability to develop and strengthen pathwaysfor young adults that are critical for reconnectionto a quality education and family-sustainingemployment. Like the generations before them,our nations young adults are anxiously awaitingtheir shot at the American Dream, an opportunityto fulll their potential. State policy makers andpolicy advocates must do all they can to facilitatethat attainable dreamfor our young adults, andfor us all.

For questions about this policy brief or theWorking Poor Families Project contact:

Brandon [email protected]

(301) 657-1480


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ENDNOTES

1 Dr. Barry Shaffer is an educational consultant and the

former Minnesota state director of adult education (1998-2012). He has particular experience and expertise in thecoordination of adult basic education policy and deliverywith postsecondary bridge (transition) programming. Thereports cited in the endnotes provided an invaluablewealth of information that contributed signicantly tothe synthesis of information and conclusions noted in thispolicy brief. In addition, the author wishes to acknowledgethe contributions of Deborah Rabia Povich and BrandonRoberts for their help in synthesizing information anddeveloping the policy recommendations found in thisreport. Finally, many thanks to report reviewers andcommenters for their very helpful edits and comments:Jenny Wittner, Women Employed; Robert Wordlaw, Chicago

Jobs Council; Frank Waterous, The Bell Policy Center;Ed Sivak, Mississippi Economic Policy Center;LeslieHelmcamp, Texas Center for Public Policies Priorities;andNick Mathern, Gateway to College National Network.

2 The Working Poor Families Project (Winter 2012-2013).Low-Income Working Families:The Growing Economic

Gap. Online at:http://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Winter-2012_2013-WPFP-Data-Brief.pdf.

3The Annie E. Casey Foundation (2012, March). YoungAdults and Work:Restoring Teens and Young adult

Connections to Opportunity.Kids Count Policy Report.

Online at:http://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/Publications.aspx?pubguid=%7B3213DA55-8216-4065-B408-D7A521CDD990%7D.

4Ibid.

5GED is registered trademark of the American Councilon Education and may not be used without permission. TheGED and GED Testing Service brands are administeredby GED Testing Service LLC under license. THIS WORKIS NOT AUTHORIZED, ENDORSED, OR LICENSEDBY AMERICAN COUNSEL ON EDUCATION OR GEDTESTING SERVICE, AND ANY REFERENCE TO GEDIN THE TITLE OR BODY OF THIS WORK IS IN NO WAY

INTENDED TO IMPLY AN AFFILIATION WITH, ORSPONSORSHIP BY, GED TESTING SERVICE OR ANYSTATE OR ENTITY AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE GEDBRANDED GOODS OR SERVICES.

6U.S. Bureau of the Census American CommunitySurvey. (2011).Age, sex and race tables: S0101, B02001.

7Young, Kathryn (2011, November). Dropout Recoveryis National Recovery. Jobs for the Future Policy report.Online at:http://www.jff.org/publications/education/dropout-recovery-national-recovery-how-f/1356.

8 Martin, N., & Halperin, S. (2006). Whatever It Takes:How Twelve Communities Are Reconnecting Out-of-School

Young Adults. Washington, DC:American Young AdultsPolicy Forum. Online at:www.aypf.org/publications/WhateverItTakes/WIT_nineseconds.pdf.

9Ibid.

10The GED Testing Service (2012). The 2012 annualstatistical report. Washington, DC. The GED TestingService, LLC, and the American Council on Education

11Clymer, Carol (Fall 2012). Preparing for the New GEDTest:What to Consider Before 2014.Working Poor FamiliesProject. Online at:http://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/WPFP-fall-brief_2012.pdf.

12U.S. Department of Labor (2012). Earnings andemployment rates by educational attainment. Bureau ofLabor Statistics.

13Alliance for Excellent Education (2011, November). TheHigh Cost of High School Dropouts: What the Nation Pays

for Inadequate High Schools.Issue Brief. Online at: www.all4ed.org/les/HighCost.pdf.

14Washington State Board of Community and TechnicalColleges (2005). Building Pathways to Success for Low-Skill

Adult Students: Lessons for Community College Policy

and Practice from a Longitudinal Student Tracking Study.

Research Report No. 06-2. Online at:http://lincs.ed.gov/professional-development/resource-collections/prole-143.

15Ruetschlin, C., Draut, T., (April, 2013). Stuck:Young

Americas Persistent Job Crisis.Demos. Online at:http://www.demos.org/publication/stuck-young-americas-persistent-jobs-crisis.

16Not listed here is a federal Department of Labor youngadults program that has potential for state leverage.The WIA Youth Opportunity Grants go directly to localcommunities to help young adults in low-income areasprepare for employment and possibly college by helpingthem learn occupational skills while receiving educationalassistance

17Reyna, R. (July, 2011). State policies to reengagedropouts:an issue brief. National Governors Association.Online at:http://www.nga.org/les/live/sites/NGA/les/

pdf/1107REENGAGEDROPOUTS.PDF

18Ibid.

19Education Commission of the States (2012). P-16/P-20:What states are doing. Online at: www.ecs.org.

20Illinois P-20 Council (April 2013). Education for OurFuture: Third Annual Report of the Illinois P-20 Council,p. 10. See: http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/P20/Documents/Full%20P-20/P-20%20Report%202013.pdf.
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3.pdfhttp://www.ecs.org/http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/1107REENGAGEDROPOUTS.PDFhttp://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/1107REENGAGEDROPOUTS.PDFhttp://www.demos.org/publication/stuck-young-americas-persistent-jobs-crisishttp://www.demos.org/publication/stuck-young-americas-persistent-jobs-crisishttp://www.demos.org/publication/stuck-young-americas-persistent-jobs-crisishttp://lincs.ed.gov/professional-development/resource-collections/profile-143http://lincs.ed.gov/professional-development/resource-collections/profile-143http://www.all4ed.org/files/HighCost.pdfhttp://www.all4ed.org/files/HighCost.pdfhttp://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/WPFP-fall-brief_2012.pdfhttp://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/WPFP-fall-brief_2012.pdfhttp://www.aypf.org/publications/WhateverItTakes/WIT_nineseconds.pdfhttp://www.aypf.org/publications/WhateverItTakes/WIT_nineseconds.pdfhttp://www.jff.org/publications/education/dropout-recovery-national-recovery-how-f/1356http://www.jff.org/publications/education/dropout-recovery-national-recovery-how-f/1356http://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/Publications.aspx?pubguid=%7B3213DA55-8216-4065-B408-D7A521CDD990%7Dhttp://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/Publications.aspx?pubguid=%7B3213DA55-8216-4065-B408-D7A521CDD990%7Dhttp://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/Publications.aspx?pubguid=%7B3213DA55-8216-4065-B408-D7A521CDD990%7D


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W ki P F ili P j | ki f ili

21National Young adults Employment Coalition (May,2000). Recipes for Success:Young Adults Council Guide.Online at:www.doleta.gov/young adults services/pdf/recipes-ycouncil.pdf.

22National Center for Education Statistics (2012).Statewide longitudinal educational data program. Online atwww.nces.ed.gov.

23Reyna, R., op. cit., p. 7.

24Arroyo Research Services (May 2011). Evaluation of theTexas Dropout Recovery Pilot Program:Cycles 1 and 2.

http://www.google.com/#q=Evaluation+of+the+Texas+Dropout+Recovery+Pilot+Program:+Cycles+1+and+2+(May+2011).

25See: http://www.progressillinois.com/2009/10/12/dropping-the-ball-on-dropoutsand http://www.iccb.org/pdf/reports/Final_P20_Report.pdf(p. 6).

26See: http://www.mass.gov/edu/docs/dropout-commission-report-10-21-2009.pdf.

27Rennie Center:Education Research and Policy(November 2012). Forgotten Young Adults:Re-EngagingStudents Through Dropout Recovery. http://www.renniecenter.org/research/ForgottenYoung adults.pdf.

28Reyna, R., op. cit., p. 10.

29Reyna, R., op. cit. p.11.

30http://gatewaytocollege.org.

31http://mepconline.org/images/admin/pdfs/161_89192_Drop%20Out%20Recovery%20Funds-Final.pdf.

32Roberts, B., Price, D., (December, 2009). Educating AdultWorkers:The Shifting Gears Approach to Systems Change.

The Joyce Foundation. Online at: http://www.joycefdn.org/shifting-gears/reports/.

33The Annie E. Casey Foundation., op. cit., p. 8.

34Ohio State Apprenticeship Council (2008). Policy on

pre-apprenticeship. Online at:www.www.jfs.ohio.gov/

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35http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/les/opre/sye_tanf_0.pdf.

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