Summer Youth Employment and Training:
Findings from the 1994 National Evaluation
A Forum — November 1, 1996
At this forum Susan Curnan, Executive Director, Brandeis University Center for Human Resources described findings from a study of the educational components of summer youth employment and training programs, conducted in 1994 by Brandeis at the request of the U.S. Department of Labor. The research included in-depth site visits to 30 service delivery areas and 83 service projects to measure progress towards stemming learning loss and create learning gains. Youth served in these programs were economically disadvantaged, the majority were behind grade level in basic skills (reading, writing, math) and had been "kept back" one or more grade levels in school. In addition, many others were school drop-outs.
Brandeis categorized the educational components of the programs studied into three groups: teaching academics directly, teaching academics using a real-life focus and project-based learning. There was a statistically significant increase in participant grade levels in reading and math for those programs that used "project-based learning" instructional strategies. However, even when the educational component was not as strong, youth made learning gains and the programs stemmed learning losses. Over 65 percent of youth participating in the evaluation showed increases in skill levels, (the average reading increase was 1.2 grade levels, and the average math increase was 1.3 grade levels).
In 1993, Brandeis also developed a National Work and Learning Demonstration Network, called Summer Beginnings, as part of the U.S. Department of Labor "Summer Challenge." Summer Beginnings consists of twelve pre-existing summer youth employment and training projects committed to a work-based learning strategy and specially selected to demonstrate the advantages of integrating work and learning. The communities benefitted from extensive technical assistance from Brandeis.
Pam Smith, Deputy Director, Arizona Call-A-Teen, explained how her small program became a charter member of Summer Beginnings. She described her organization as moving, "from peanut butter to Taj Mahal" in its over twenty years in operation. Originally, staff would match young people who wanted to work with homeowners who wanted some yard work or other chores done. They saw themselves as the peanut butter which held youth and employer together. As the city of Phoenix grew, they added a variety of private employers. Over many years, the program used CETA and JTPA funds to expand services. Eventually the program became an alternative campus for ninth graders and then a public charter school with approximately 200 students.
According to Smith, before Summer Beginnings, Arizona Call-A-Teen was known as a community-based organization with good occupationally-related, competency based instruction and strong case management and staff development, but "we were missing something." Like many organizations, they were afraid to take the risks associated with making the leap to project-based learning -- a climate of intense scrutiny and greater need for staff training were among the challenges they faced. The technical assistance and support from Brandeis helped them to make the leap.
Project-based learning reaches 51 participants of Arizona Call-A-Teen, ranging in age from 14 to 21, from the city of Phoenix. These young people work in teams of six to develop, plan and implement an assigned project, such as the video about the importance of voting and staying in school which we were shown by Smith. Projects are usually six to eight weeks in length. Participants received an elective credit, half in reading and half in work experience, from their schools. Some participants are paid, some are not, depending on the project. Unpaid participants often have paying jobs as well, creating scheduling challenges. Pam Smith is planning to incorporate the work-based learning approach into other programs operated by Arizona Call-A-Teen and its partners.
In the discussion period, Susan Curnan made the following legislative recommendations for summer youth employment and training programs. (1) The use of project-based learning should be greatly increased. Any costs associated with the complexity and/or the low teacher/student ratios are worth the money, given the significantly strong learning gains. (2) Instructor and employer training should be increased. (3) Enough is known for action. The field should act now on what is known. According to Curnan, the results from Summer Beginnings show that the strategy already agreed on is sound. Where some summer programs have been less successful, it is in part due to uneven implementation. (4) More ample planning and implementation time should be provided local project leaders. (5) A national catalyst should be developed to get broad reforms underway, e.g. an experienced technical assistance provider to assist existing programs in upgrading educational services.