Trip Report

A View of Exemplary Practices in Two Virginia Cities — A Nationally Recognized High School in Newport News and Youth Development and Comprehensive Youth Programming in Hampton

An American Youth Policy Forum Field Trip — October 18-19, 2001

The purpose of this field trip to the Tidewater Virginia area was to learn about high school reform through a visit to a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon and New American High School, and gain insights into a city’s commitment to comprehensive programming for youth, including a focus on youth as assets.

In Newport News, participants:

Visited Menchville High School, identified in Newsweek magazine’s top 100 high schools in the United States for school year 1999-2000.
Learned about strategies used to increase and support higher levels of learning for all students, and how a large comprehensive high school can be structured to provide supports for student success that are often associated with small schools and learning communities.
Explored the impact of federal, state and local education policies on high schools and how such policies affect high achieving schools.

In Hampton, participants:

Learned about the city’s commitment to youth development and comprehensive youth programming, including giving youth a voice in civic affairs through advisory boards and commissions, and in city agencies.
Explored the role of the Youth Commission and met youth planners responsible for the youth component of the city’s comprehensive plan.
Learned about the funding and implementation of youth programming.
Observed how the image of youth is changed as youth take on positive, asset-based roles in the community, helping solve problems instead of being seen as the problem.
Met with elected officials, agency representatives, youth, school and community members on how this approach is working
Visited a neighborhood- and a school-based youth initiative.
Observed how a youth assets approach is reflected in the programs and activities of a middle school.

Newport News, VA

Menchville High School

Overview

Menchville is a large comprehensive school with an economically diverse student population of 1,761-47 percent is African American, 48 percent is Caucasian, and the remainder is Hispanic, Asian and American Indian. It has 128 teachers (part- and full-time); all are certified. Retirees are encouraged to stay on and teach one or two classes.

It is the only non-magnet or zoned high school in the city, however, the boundaries have been careful structured to ensure diversity and encompass neighborhoods from all parts of the city. Approximately 160 students of all levels are identified as needing special education and are either mainstreamed or in self-contained classes.

Menchville’s motto is “Excellence in Academic, Activities, and Athletics,” and staff and community supporters go to great lengths to provide holistic experiences and a range of opportunities for students to develop their talents and strengths. Field trip participants learned that Menchville routinely sends more students to the Governor’s school [1] for the arts than the local arts magnet.

The school is fully accredited by the state based on a 70 percent or greater pass rate on core area subjects in the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) end of course assessments. [2] It was the first school in the city to receive accreditation under the current state criteria. SAT, Advanced Placement (AP), and state SOL test scores as well as postsecondary enrollment rates exceed state and district levels. In 1999, Menchville was recognized as one of the top 100 schools in the proportion of students taking advancement placement tests. Approximately 80 percent of its graduates attend postsecondary education, including 20 percent of graduates who go to two-year and 60 percent to four-year colleges. It is a leader among the area high schools in the total dollar amount of scholarships awarded to graduating students.

In response to questions about the effect of the SOLs on teaching and learning, several staff indicated that the SOLs had become a hindrance to implementing many of the more creative classroom strategies, such as hands-on learning, group activities and integrated curriculum, because “it takes longer to present the information using these strategies.” Time is a critical factor in addressing the content of certain curriculum areas, such as U.S. history where a great body of material must be covered. As a result, enriching activities such as field trips must sometimes be eliminated. Several staff also felt that the SOLs had hurt the vocational program, and hurt efforts to integrate academic and vocational studies. We also learned that some vocational competencies have been tied to the SOLs (expand).

We also learned that many of the changes and improvements put in place at Menchville were the result of a strong commitment to school-based decision making and the willingness on the part of the school’s administration and faculty, with the support of the community, to make the changes that made the most sense in providing the greatest benefit for all students.

High School Reform

The school is known for its leadership in the high school restructuring process, having piloted the alternating day block-scheduling model currently in place in other city schools and introduced an open access policy to high-level courses for all students. According to staff, the High Schools That Work (HSTW) initiative was a major factor in the school’s reform. The vice principal and teachers were introduced to the model ten years ago at a conference at Radford University on school improvement models. They subsequently applied for a HSTW grant and bought into the model. Teachers were sent to visit schools that had successfully implemented block scheduling. This resulted in the Purple and Gold (or odd and even) schedule days and the addition of one class period. The seven-period school day allows for a planning, professional improvement, and an activity period so that teachers and students do not stay after school for co-curricular activities. The after school time is now used to provide extra supports for students.

Among other practices that have been instituted in the ensuing years are:

A comprehensive career guidance advisement program.
An extensive program of “extra help and extra time.” A book of extra-help opportunities for students is published each year and includes teacher tutoring schedules and other programs.
A career pathways program.
The “Bridge” program for at-risk students initiated by the attendance officer, which matches an adult in the building to a student and is designed to ensure that an additional adult is looking out for that young person. Several times a year, activities are held with the mentors, e.g., a dinner with mentors, students and family members where students are acknowledged and receive awards.
The senior project.
The BIGMAC advisory council (see description under Community Involvement).
Monarch Style, a writing manual published for all students.
The professional development period.
Increased use of technology.
Integrated courses and activities that involve several academic disciplines (e.g., a student-run credit union integrated with the social studies, marketing and accounting curriculum).
School-based enterprises.

The commitment to success and opportunities for all students is reflected in a curriculum that offers college prep, as well as occupationally focused courses in a non-tracked manner. This is achieved through a focus on providing multiple levels of supports for all students, open access AP courses (with the District paying for the exams and opportunities for practice exams available at the school), and a counseling program that requires all students to develop a four-year plan so they will have all the courses required to meet their career and postsecondary education goals. About 300 students are enrolled in career technical education and many attend the area vocational school that is shared and supported by several school districts. Regardless of the program, all students are expected to attain the same high standards of learning required by the state.

Many of the interventions provided are data- or situation-driven—most importantly, they seem to be propelled by the common sense thing to do. For example, the staff has determined that the problem of low history SOL scores is linked to poor reading comprehension skills. To address this problem, staff has made reading across the curriculum a major focus this school year. In response to participants’ observation about the large number of students in an AP government class, our guide indicated that students in these classes are often the most motivated and can succeed in the larger classes, whereas smaller classes are often more effective for students that require more help. This is generally the opposite of what goes on in other high schools where the AP classes tend to be the small. Some participants remarked that AP classes seemed primarily comprised of males and included only a small number of minority students. Some staff indicated that the school needs to work on gender and racial/ethnic diversity in advanced math and science courses.

Among other classes observed was a CD production lab supported with Carl Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act funds and a video production studio run by journalism class students who broadcast daily programs about student, school and community activities. A business-marketing program affiliated with the National Academy Foundation includes a virtual business enterprise involving marketing extreme sports, such as shark cage diving, wind and water surfing.

Personalizing the Large School Environment

Even though Menchville is a large school, it prides itself on “having a personality” and providing a family-like, yet competitive environment. Many of the students have been together since attending the feeder middle schools and appreciate the range of offerings and opportunities that a large school offers. Staff believes that a comprehensive high school is best in preparing youth for postsecondary experiences and life. Here, they experience more diversity of opportunity and interact with a wider group of students. One student contrasted the comprehensive school approach to that of the more specialized magnet programs as providing ample choices throughout the high school years, not forcing and limiting choices early on.

At a time when there is a focus on the efficacy of small schools, Menchville is working to provide both the benefits of large size and small learning communities. According to one staff person, the challenge is not to be overly protective, but to also provide students with the support they need to make responsible choices. They do this in a number of ways:

Attention to the needs of all students. In 2001, Menchville received a Smaller Learning Communities grant of $414,000 over three years from the U.S. Department of Education. Through this grant, the school has focused on improving the ninth grade transition, creating a more welcoming environment for these students as well as opportunities for upper classmen to serve as mentors. A decision was made not to separate the incoming students into a ninth grade academy, but to structure their experience so that upper classmen could mentor them.

Ninth graders are organized into P.A.W.S. (Positive Attitudes Win Success) groups of 20 students with a teacher, and a student from each of the upper three grades. The groups meet for 20-30 minutes during the school day to address questions or concerns students may have, including identifying needs for extra help and other adjustment issues. Opportunities for bonding and leadership are created within the groups through activities designed to support student development and acclimation to high school. For example, new students attend a retreat where they review their schedules and learn about the school from mentors; scavenger hunts are organized to help them learn their way around the building; and competitions are held with other P.A.W.S. for best-organized binders, fewest tardies and absences.

Continuous attention to raising achievement for all students. Despite numerous awards and national recognition, the staff is not satisfied with these accomplishments and feels it is important to continuously raise the bottom levels of achievement. The need to meet their SOL goals has required strategies to provide students with extra help. Students are given special tutoring sessions (in lieu of electives), and the whole staff works collaboratively to improve student performance.
Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) is one of many special support programs offered at the school. “Research has shown that well-behaved, C-average students from low-income families tend to receive the least attention from teachers and school counselors. Subsequently, these students enroll in less demanding courses that do not prepare them to enter four year colleges. AVID provides these students with a college preparatory program that relies on teacher professional development, a rigorous course of study, and the use of college students as tutors and role models.” (American Youth Policy Forum, Raising Minority Academic Achievement, 2001, p. 49) AVID students are taught the Cornell note-taking method and time management. They participate in PSAT and SAT prep opportunities, and are involved in cultural and college field trips. At Menchville, 96 percent of AVID seniors go on to college.

Students are selected for AVID at the middle-school level based on the recommendation of teachers, but students can also nominate themselves as long as they meet the general criteria. Menchville offers five AVID classes of 25 students during the school day. This is an elective course. Field trip participants observed an AVID class in which students were working on college application essays using typical questions asked. The teacher was focused on ways to improve essay writing for the applications.

Menchville’s personalized atmosphere is also extended to staff where new teachers are mentored by experienced teachers.

Community Involvement

Menchville enjoys a wide base of community support, including parents and the business community. It has a very active community advisory board call BIGMAC (Business, Industry, Government, Menchville, Administration, and Community) that meets four times a year and reflects the broad interests of the community, including local school and elected governmental officials, school staff, parents, students and local business representatives. BIGMAC has evolved into a hands-on group that meets quarterly. It has become an integral resource and planning mechanism for the school in enhancing:

The school-to-career focus by planning and implementing visits to area businesses for students; establishing mentorships; providing guest speakers for Career Day in classes and faculty meetings; advising teachers on workplace needs and ways in which students should be better prepared; establishing action teams to develop curriculum, Career Pathways, and infusing employability skills across the curriculum; and developing "real-world" problems and connections to businesses to support a school-wide focus on making instruction relevant in math, science, social studies, and English
The planning capacity by helping to develop a three-year technology plan as well as the Annual School Improvement Plan
Professional development by working with faculty to integrate the academic and vocational curriculum, planning staff development and providing support for a professional development period during the school day for staff
General school reform and support by providing support for restructuring the school day, moving to a 7-period AB Block Schedule, focusing on improved learning and higher expectations for all students by eliminating the general track, serving on panels to hear Senior Project presentations, furnishing monetary incentives for students to work harder and attend school regularly, and supporting a faculty Fulbright Grant for study and curriculum development.

The BIGMAC even worked to develop a plan for a Global, Business, Finance, Marketing, and Law Magnet School, to provide an international focus for the entire school; however, the district rejected the plan so that the school could retain its comprehensive focus.

Hampton, VA

Hampton’s Asset-Based Approach to Youth Development: An Economic Development Strategy

The remainder of the field trip was spent learning about Hampton’s approach to comprehensive youth programming with host Cindy Carlson, Director of Hampton’s Coalition for Youth, who provided both background on the city and the youth initiative.

According to Carlson, the Hampton Coalition for Youth started as a community based organization but is now a part of city government. The Coalition was established in 1990 to ensure that the city’s young people would be ready to become the workforce and community leaders of the new century. It is the coordinating, planning and catalyst organization for youth issues in Hampton and is guided by advisory or operational teams of staff from city departments, youth and citizens. Carlson reports to the city manager along with other city departments.

The city of Hampton has a population of 146,437 of which 27.9 percent (40,866) are under 20 years of age. The racial composition is 50 percent white, 45 percent African American with the remainder comprised of other racial and ethnic groups. There are 4 high schools, 6 middle schools, 25 elementary schools, and 1 alternative school.

The city is located on a peninsula, landlocked on the west side by Newport News and York County and by the Chesapeake Bay on the other sides. It has only about 5 percent of undeveloped land and nowhere to grow. It is dependent on the seafood industry and the local military base, which is shrinking in size. The city has no community foundation or philanthropic resources. It has no serious poverty, but no real wealth either; it is essentially a blue-collar town. Youth unemployment is between 3 and 5 percent. City leaders have made the strategic decision to invest in their young people as an economic development strategy. If industry is to be attracted, it must be high tech; there is room for little else. The challenge is to create a new workforce for the future of the city.

In 1990, spurred on by community leaders, the Mayor and City Council convened the Superintendent of Education, city department heads and community based organizations to look at what they were doing well and should do differently for young people. That group became the Coalition for Youth, which embarked on a “vision-oriented long-range planning process to make Hampton a better place for youth and their families.” At the time, the group did not have available the language of youth development popularized by youth advocates such as Karen Pittman and the Search Institute and had to make up the words and concepts as they went along.

The planning process involved stakeholders representative of business, parents, youth, youth advocates (e.g., guidance counselors, Girl Scout leaders, etc.), civic, community and faith leaders. Each stakeholder group was asked to speak with their peers and networks. The question put to each group: “Are we doing all that we can to ensure that our youth today can be productive members of our workforce and community tomorrow?” Concurrently, the group researched the literature for appropriate themes and language. Taskforces of stakeholder groups met, worked with the findings, developed recommendations (based on input from over 5,000 Hampton youth and adult citizens), and a long-rang plan in 1992.

According to the Plan of Action, the goal was to “create an environment in which youth contribute to the community in a manner that positively impacts the quality of life.” Four initiatives were recommended:

Focus on Youth. Make youth a community priority by creating a community climate where children are viewed as the most important natural resource, where investment in their growth and development is a priority, and where their transition into healthy, productive citizens is assured. This initiative was to be accomplished through public policy (a youth policy, “A Community Commitment to Youth” was adopted by the City Council), public awareness and community education.
Youth as Resources. Create a comprehensive system of opportunities for youth to be involved in the life of the community and empowered to become a part of community decision making, performing meaningful service to the community and preparing them for adulthood.
Family Resource Project. Expand the system of support for families and children from birth to school age.
Neighborhood Initiatives Project. Strengthen and support neighborhoods as they develop strategies for raising and supporting children and become resources for the youth and families living in them. This strategy returned a focus on caring for youth and families to the neighborhoods of the city.

The city has developed its own strategic plan with timelines of which the Plan of Action is a part. According to Carlson, three mayors later, the initiative is still going strong and has gotten better. She spoke of achieving “holographic fidelity” in which all elements of the community, from government to CBOs to schools know about the initiatives, fold them into their work and explain them accurately.

Coalition for Youth brochures and newsletters use a logo of a heart with the number 40 inside to represent the 40 developmental assets identified by the Search Institute that young people need to lead productive lives. [3] Everyone we spoke with in Hampton spoke a language of youth assets in keeping with this list. “Hampton’s challenge is to build community support that increases assets in Hampton’s youth.” Community education efforts are focused on what individuals, organizations and communities can do to support asset-building activities by volunteering, offering activities, and creating opportunities for youth to contribute to the community.

Implementation of the Initiatives

Field trip participants were able to see how the above initiatives were implemented on the ground through a visit to a neighborhood initiative, a community based organization that provides training and capacity development for the youth initiatives, a meeting with city department heads, a city council person, and the assistant city manager, and a visit to a local middle school.

Little England Chapel/Newtown Neighborhood. Along with Carlson, participants visited the historic Little England Chapel and the Newtown Learning Center located in District 8, one of the older parts of the city, and met long-time neighborhood resident and community leader Mary Johnson. Here, the group was able to see first-hand how the neighborhood initiative was being implemented.

According to Johnson, “the neighborhood is fortunate to have people in city government who value neighborhoods and their historical legacy.” She then described the neighborhood’s history beginning with the purchase of a large part of the area by two northern families (the Armstrongs and the Cocks), the establishment of a Sunday school for neighborhood children by George C. Rowe, and its continuing relationship with Hampton University. [4] The Sunday school became so popular that William Armstrong offered to erect a building and Daniel Cock offered to use the land for a day and Sunday school. This is how the Little England Chapel built in 1879 became the center for activities in the neighborhood.

The Cock family later deeded the land to the Newtown Civic and Improvement Association. That history of development has culminated in recent community development efforts, including the renovation of the Little England Chapel and neighborhood. According to Johnson, the city purchased the old tavern across from the Chapel and sold it to the neighborhood association for $1.00. This site has now become the Newtown Learning Center. Another building will soon be acquired to house the neighborhood’s history and artifacts and for community meetings.

Though rich with history, the neighborhood lost much of its vibrancy over time, as community resources, including schools, were allocated to newer parts of the city. All the schools in District 8 have been closed and the children are bussed to other parts of the city. The neighborhood is currently seeking to rebuild itself.

In an effort to limit the amount of bussing and dispersal of children to schools all over the city, a formal agreement has been made to make the Newtown neighborhood the feeder for one middle school. Johnson’s hard work on behalf of the neighborhood has also resulted in an extended learning grant from the city for the Newtown Learning Center. This allows it to be open every afternoon and evening for neighborhood children to get homework help and access to computers. Soon, a teacher will be hired with knowledge of the SOLs to provide more strategic supports for student learning.

Newtown Youth Leadership. The field trip participants observed a meeting of the Newtown Youth Leadership Group in the Learning Center attended by youth, parents, staff and two police detectives. The Leadership Group comprised of local teens and pre-teens has rules of conduct for their meetings clearly posted (e.g., “respect for each other, no horseplay, one person speaks at a time, come to all meetings, no name calling, no profanity, be on time, be responsible for yourself”), as well as practical [5] and conceptual [6] definitions of youth development. Membership is open to all youth in the neighborhood that can answer negatively to the following three questions: (1) Do you smoke? (2) Do you drink? (3) Do you do drugs?

Two police detectives discussed Y-COPE (Youth Community Oriented Policing Effort). Y-COPE’s goal is to help youth and police officers better understand each other and to show that the police are involved in youth-focused activities. Since the program was instituted in the neighborhood, there has been a 25 percent decrease in crime, violence and substance abuse. According to the officer present, “It’s about establishing relationships and changing stereotypes.”

Alternatives, Inc.

The group next visited Alternatives, Inc., a CBO started in 1973 as a drug treatment agency that provided a range of prevention programs for youth. Through the years, the organization has shifted its focus from helping treat pathologies in youth to working in partnership with youth, helping to develop their talents and assets. Alternatives provides training and capacity building for the many roles that youth play in partnership with city government and local institutions. According to Carlson, the great strides the city has made in implementing the youth assets approach would not have been possible without partnerships with youth-serving organizations. The city allocates $200,000 a year to Alternatives to organize and help implement the youth strategy. She indicated, “that kind of capacity cannot be built by city government.”

At the Alternatives Training Facility, participants met with youth leaders and learned first-hand about Hampton’s model of youth civic engagement, including their role in the community and city government, as Youth Planners, on the Hampton Youth Commission and the Superintendent’s Advisory Group, in middle and high school leadership roles and as Neighborhood Youth Advisors.

One of the Youth Commissioners described the opportunities for civic engagement and leadership that exist for youth in Hampton. Using an equilateral triangle, she indicated that the base or bottom third represented the greatest opportunities for the most youth through engagement in community projects, tasks and service-learning. The middle third of the triangle represented opportunities for in-put and consultation (youth to youth and youth to adults) for a more limited number of youth, while the top of the triangle represented opportunities for shared leadership (i.e., youth have equal votes as adults) for a more limited cadre of youth leaders. The goal of youth engagement is to address the issues and problems identified by the broad base of individual youth, communicated through input and consultation to inform shared leadership in order to bring about systems change. Kathryn Price, a high school senior employed by the city as a youth staff planner, described how she functions in shared leadership with other city planning staff.

The Youth Commission is a diverse group of 20 high school-aged young people (and 3 alternates) who represent Hampton youth on issues that are important to them. The Commission’s goal is to promote the involvement of youth in the city’s decision-making through a representative commission that addresses youth issues. The Youth Commissioners present described their work, and the benefits and appreciation of civic responsibility they derive from the position. Commission work sessions are held the first Monday of each month from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Alternatives Training Facility. The Commission also holds public meetings in the City Council Chambers to discuss issues that affect youth and work together on ideas for community change. Commissioners value the opportunity to develop their leadership skills. Other benefits include opportunities to travel and speak on behalf of the city (e.g., a conference of the National League of Cities) and help to train commissioners in other cities.

The Commission functions at the level of shared leadership, providing input to the comprehensive youth plan, making tough decisions about the granting of funds (the Commission has a budget of $45,000 each year to fund youth-initiated projects at the school and neighborhood levels that support the Youth Plan), serving as a liaison between government and youth, and getting youth involved in all levels from neighborhood forums to City Council hearings.

Superintendent’s Advisory Group. The group’s purpose is to engage students as active participants in realizing the school system’s vision of making it the preferred educational system in the region. In addition to the Superintendent’s Advisory Group, students at the school level participate on principal’s advisory groups and are involved in school policy and operations, including the hiring of building teachers.

City Leaders and Coalition Outreach

On the final day of the field trip, participants met with government department directors: Terry O’Neill, Planning Department; Laurine Press, Parks and Recreation; Chief Tom Townsend, Police Division; Michael Monteith, Assistant City Manager, and Turner Spencer, City Councilperson. The group also learned about the Coalition for Youth’s outreach efforts to engage other stakeholders in the developmental assets process and met Michael Canty, Director, InSync Partnerships, whose organization helps build networks of youth service providers to support extended learning opportunities.

Coalition Outreach Coordinator Janice Johnson provided an overview of the type of outreach activities the Coalition undertakes, including attempts to include the faith community and the schools as more central players in the developmental assets strategy. The latter has resulted in every school devoting a section of their local school plan to strategies for developing a “caring school climate” based on developmental assets. Care Teams have been established in every school, composed of faculty, students and parents, to implement the plans. A Core Team coordinates the entire initiative and is composed of a person from the neighborhood, Family Services, the school, the PTA, business, and Alternatives Inc. To this group will be added, a school counselor, a representative from the faith community, and a professional volunteer. The goal is to move away from use of professionals to having the grass roots take leadership in implementing asset building.

She indicated that the SOLs have put a great deal of pressure on educators, so it is important for outreach efforts to help them understand the importance of creating ways to make students more caring toward each other. The challenge is getting school staff to understand that creating a more caring school climate means sharing responsibilities with young people, involving them in developing plans and activities, and acknowledging the mutual and different expectations of teachers and students. In the end, it can also make a better environment for all involved.

In response to the question, “Whose program is developmental assets?” Johnson indicated, “It has become the people’s program. However, it can only be institutionalized if outreach works and the people ‘get it.’ The key is to be strategic. Yes, the Girl Scouts do good work, but the key is to discern what they do to support developmental assets and get them to focus more in this direction.”

Terry O’Neill spoke of the Planning Department’s vision-oriented mission and the importance of having their finger on the community’s pulse regarding the kind of life citizens want. He therefore spends a lot of time in dialogue with citizens. It is important to have young people engaged in these conversations since they comprise about one-fourth of the population. To do this effectively, however, a support system is needed. The decision was made to have youth employed in city agencies supporting activities for youth and children and serving as equal voices with other stakeholders in the planning process.

For the past six years, he has had two high schools students work between 10 and 15 hours per week in his department, serving as the eyes and ears of the community on issues impacting youth. The youth planners have helped staff to better understand what it means to be a young person in Hampton and become more sensitive to the issues affecting them. They have provided valuable input on issues such as land use, transportation, community facilities, and helping to provide a more inclusive perspective. They have worked with the Recreation and Parks Department advising on the siting of sports facilities, and have helped change the mindset of the regional transportation agency from one that was not youth friendly to one that is more responsive to young people. Their efforts are reflected in the youth component of the Comprehensive Plan, which carries the weight of law.

Youth Planners are subjected to an interview process just as though they were regular employees. Typically, Youth Commissioners spread the word about the availability of these positions through networks of guidance counselors and neighborhood youth centers. Alternatives, Inc. also always provides a good pool of applicants. Effort is made to pick a pair of young people who can work together and be successful in relating to a wide range of community youth working as ambassadors for the Department. Many are already leaders, so it is not necessary to do much on-the-job training, other than in the content knowledge required.

The Neighborhood Initiative attracts a lot of kids, typically middle achievers, who are different from the high achieving youth who tend to be school leaders. The Neighborhood Initiative becomes a good way of identifying community youth leaders (e.g., those that show leadership potential in pick-up basket ball groups). According to O’Neill, “Usually the pair of youth planners are reflective of the best of both school and neighborhood worlds.”

Laurine Press discussed the activities of the Department of Parks and Recreation and the importance of working relationships with other agencies of government, especially the schools as well as community volunteers. She also laid out the different set of operational assumptions under which her department functions. For example, unlike schools where attendance is mandated, participation in recreation activities, as a component of youth development, is voluntary. Transportation is also a problem in ensuring access to services. Oftentimes, leisure activities are in conflict with city ordinances, such as playing basketball in the streets. The issue for her department is typically: how to ensure that young people have the type of recreational outlets available to them that they can exercise safely. Solving this issue often involves the cooperation of many stakeholders.

Press stressed that after-school activities are a part of the leisure mindset that her department promotes, as an important balance to other competencies and pressures impinging on youth. After-school programs allow for leisure time activities in neighborhoods that have no community centers. Her department has a very trusting relationship with the school system that has allowed the Department to open up after-school sites (and summer programs) in 18 elementary schools and 2 middle schools (in the form of activity clubs), in addition to those run in Community Centers. After-school programs are fee based and operate all over the city.

The Department does not pay the school system the cost of utilities or building use as is required in many districts. The attitude across schools and other city agencies is, “Keep the turf a common turf.” She stressed that everything in Hampton is based on relationships. It does not help for various agencies of government to pull rank. “If a school isn’t ready to host a program, that’s fine. We just wait until they can fit it in and move ahead.”

She indicated that the success of her programs is only as good as the staff you have—people who really like young folk and can relate to them. She also indicated that volunteers are critical to any decent recreation program: “You can never pay for the number of hours of after-school soccer and baseball coaching necessary for the range of park and recreation programs needed.” That is why outreach to and mobilization of all parts of the community are important to reach the goals of the developmental assets initiative.

Michael Canty, Director of InSync Partnerships, discussed the three primary components of after-school programs: (1) safe, affordable child care provided on a sliding fee scale; (2) an educational component and opportunity to complete homework; and (3) enrichment, leisure and life skills. After-school programs are important because they help develop many of the assets that schools do not particularly focus on (only 5 of the 40 development assets are related to education). His organization helps build networks of providers that offer in-kind services to after-school sites in schools and in neighborhoods. Because these relationships and resources can be organized effectively, the typical after-school program can run on about $60,000 per year since so many of the services are contributed in-kind.

Tom Townsend referred the group to his youth program website, www.hampton.va.us/hpd/youth_programs for more information on the Police Division’s 16 youth oriented or school based-programs [7] that proactively seek ways to engage youth to (1) become informed, involved citizens; and (2) generate interest in law enforcement careers. He described a hierarchy of police roles and relationships with young people and schools:

beginning with general safety and security (e.g., truancy work and school resources officers assigned to middle and high schools);
evolving into Officer Friendly-type activities aimed at providing a positive context for young people to get to know police;
providing educational activities (e.g., officers teach classes on rights and responsibilities within the juvenile justice system);
providing youth development (e.g., engaging young people in neighborhood problem solving through Y-COPE); and
seeking ways to engage youth in law enforcement careers (e.g., through the Citizen Police Academy; exposure through the Police Explorer Scouts and involvement in Tech Prep 2 + 2 + 2 curriculum programs spanning high school, community and four-year colleges leading to degrees in law enforcement).

Michael Monteith provided a history of the city’s commitment to youth development from the perspective of a government that did not want to perpetuate an underclass, wanted to make economic headway and that saw youth development as presented by the Coalition for Youth as a natural way of doing things. He traced the beginnings of the effort to the 1980s and a mayor who was a CPA and past chair of the school board who wanted to “fix” education and improve opportunities for youth by bringing together city agencies that previously had not known about each other and certainly did not talk the same language. The rest is history, but he admitted there are still challenges. They are still trying to mesh their neighborhood initiatives with youth development, the skill level of many of the not-for-profit organizations needs to be improved, and there is continued need for funds for capacity building versus support for programs. Despite these challenges, he conceded there has never been much controversy around the city’s commitment to and funding of youth development, the work of the Coalition for Youth has played a key role in how the city views its government, and government staff now sees that the broad based community input, including utilizing a youth asset-based approach, has helped them arrive at better solutions than what they would have arrived at alone.

Jones Middle School

The last leg of the field trip to Jones Middle School provided an opportunity to see how developmental assets are implemented within a school. It also provided an opportunity to learn about middle-grade education, site-based and shared decision-making, including empowerment of principals and teachers to make change. At Jones, field trip participants met with John Pauls, Director of Secondary Instruction for the Hampton School District, and school principal Sue Edwards. Participants also had the opportunity to observe classes with student guides.

Jones Middle School has an enrollment of 720 students. The building houses a math and language arts magnet with about 600 students. There is no academic admissions requirement—the program is open to every child in Hampton—however, students must apply and want to attend. Final admissions are by lottery. There about 900 applicants each year for 200 openings. Students receive double periods of math and language arts in a block schedule. There is no ability grouping initially, but students are regrouped to allow for different learning rates and can always accelerate to another group. About 17 percent of the students are identified for special education services and represent all levels of special education with the exception of TMR (trainable mentally retarded) and profound physical impairments. The building also houses a gifted and talented magnet with about 100 students. All students share an honor code that involves a pledge to respect “themselves, others and learning.”

According to Pauls, all schools are required to develop improvement plans that include strategies for academic improvement and establishment of safe schools. For years, the focus of establishing safe schools was on decreasing suspensions. Security cameras and police resource people were put in place, but soon it became evident that these measures could only accomplish so much. A survey of students conducted by the Coalition for Youth found that only 19 percent felt safe within their schools. This knowledge forced the schools to seek out other changes, including adopting a developmental assets approach, focusing primarily on Asset #5, creating a caring school climate. As a result, the school has implemented mentorship programs; established criteria for effective caring environments, listing behaviors students and teachers need to show; and developed home-based activities to encourage students to share what they do each day at school with their families. Finding lots of mentors, however, has forced schools to look creatively for links and opportunities for students to interface with adults and with older youth (e.g., using 11th grade AVID students for mentors to younger students; using senior varsity students as mentors to junior varsity).

Principal Sue Edwards, a 29-year veteran of the school district, shared her philosophy toward education, the evolution of her school and examples of how development assets affects relationships among adults and students and how students are viewed.

When the school opened four years ago, special effort was made to make it a suitable environment for young adolescents. The administration and faculty studied the work of Spencer Rogers of Colorado on child motivation that focused on the importance of providing motivational strategies to ensure:

safety (Asset #10),
opportunities for success (#1),
choices (#37),
valued purpose (children must know the purpose of what they are asked to do and how they are tied into it) (#21 and 22),
fun and enjoyment (#24).

Essentially, Rogers’ philosophy is “Treat people the way you want to be treated.” This is a philosophy that teachers are expected to model and fits well with development assets.

(The fact that Edwards had cross-referenced the individual assets with each of the motivational keys, further attested to the “holographic fidelity” of developmental assets.)

Developmental assets are modeled in all aspects of school life. The Jones Advisory Group composed of 15 students meets twice a month to create and implement projects related to the school improvement plan. A student is represented at every teachers’ meeting to convey student concerns. Everyone has high expectations of every child and each child has a contract to put forth exemplary academic effort, exemplary behavior and have parent support. The school’s motto is “Our kids are worth what ever it takes.” Edwards provided examples of the respect and trust that is built between students and staff when the developmental assets approach is implemented and the meaning of “whatever it takes.”

The first example dealt with whether or not to institute a student uniform policy. A survey found that 9 percent of students were for it, compared to 99 percent of parents. Since acceptance of an asset-based approach means valuing student views, students were encouraged to research the topic and were a part of the subsequent (and often heated) meetings between parents and staff. At the final discussion on the topic, one student said, “We have a good discipline policy, few discipline problems, and good SOLs—what would having uniforms change?” With this comment, parents finally heeded the views of their children and the uniform policy was voted down.

The second example was of two English teachers who decided to give no grade lower than an A or B (evidence of high expectations). Edwards stressed that this did not mean that the teachers were “giving away grades,” rather, that they were willing to provide the extra help students needed to ensure that they could realistically earn these grades. Teachers asked for ½ hour extra in the school day. As a result, the school has a 7-hour day as opposed to the 6 ½ hour day at other schools. Teachers are now studying the impact of grading practices on student motivation and looking into what it will take to get students to mastery levels.

Participants were struck with the flexibility and willingness of Edwards and her staff to realize their motto of doing “what ever it takes,” and with the strength of their belief in the efficacy of developmental assets, which takes many forms.

We learned that she had instituted an AVID-like program because it made sense and could be done with no additional funds, other than the will on the part of staff to put it in place. This seems to be possible because the superintendent supports shared decision-making and the empowerment of principals. The culture of the school system is not top-down.

According to Pauls, the developmental assets approach can be seen throughout the school system. “It has made a difference in the way we do things and it doesn’t cost a dime.”

He cited the Superintendent’s Youth Advisory Board and indicated that a middle school advisory group is to start soon. The school board president also asks that youth weigh in on policy changes. Two recent examples included a policy on student use of cell phones and the grade point average (GPA) requirement for extra-curricular activities.

Conclusions and Summary Observations

Among observations from the visit to Menchville High School—

Participants were particularly impressed with the attention focused on student supports and ensuring that all students had multiple adult contacts, mentors, and counselors.
It was also interesting to learn that the school had no plans to break into smaller learning communities, as they felt they were meeting student needs by providing more adult contact/intervention to all students throughout the four years. Staff and students consider the school’s size a strength that allows for more comprehensive offerings and opportunities for students.
In the face of high-stakes tests and standards-based reform, staff are challenged to retain many of the more “creative” instructional strategies, such as hands-on learning, group activities, integrated curriculum and field trips, because of the time these activities require and the pressure they are under to cover all the required skills and content.
High expectations and standards for all students can be applied to a situation where students have opportunities to participate in college prep and occupational courses.

In Hampton—

There was ample evidence of the commitment to youth asset building—in the leadership opportunities and training available to young people through numerous neighborhood and citywide initiatives, youth-initiated community service, and formal and informal mechanisms for youth input into city planning and policies.
Also clear were the benefits to youth from these opportunities, including developing an enduring appreciation and understanding of the democratic, civic process and developing important leadership skills.
It was also evident that not only youth had benefited from this asset building approach. The city had benefited by capturing and developing the talents and resources that young people who comprise a sizeable portion of the population can provide. Rather than viewing them as dependents, they can be, and in this case are, valuable partners. Being inclusive of the views and position of youth has resulted in better decisions and choices by city government.

The visit to both Newport News and Hampton underscored the fact that reform, whether in the context of schools or city government, is about changing many practices, changing roles and relationships, getting a number of stakeholders involved in the reform, and sustaining it over time. It is often about doing the most commonsensical thing and not holding to outdated models of how things have traditionally been done. It is often about giving up sole control in order to partner with others, including recognizing the views and positions of youth. In both Mechville High School and Jones Middle School, there was strong evidence and benefits of site-based local control in the hands of knowledgeable and committed staff. In both schools, participants were struck with the flexibility and willingness of staff to do what ever it took to maximize student success.

In both cases, the benefits of community partnerships are sizeable—enriching the level of public funds available for youth programming and proving to be cost effective. For example, Menchville’s BICMAC has shown to be an added source of wealth to the school in terms of funds, expertise, advocacy, and the impetus to continue to push the envelop of reform beyond the status quo. In Hampton, the willingness to partner with other community resources means that extended day programs can be run economically, when “the turf is a common turf.”

Contact Information

Cindy Carlson, Director, Hampton Coalition for Youth, (757) 728-3280,
Michael Monteith, Assistant City Manager, (757) 727-6370,
Laurine Press, Director, Hampton Parks and Recreation,
Terry O’Neill, Director, Hampton Planning Department,
Michael Canty, Director, InSync Partnerships,
Tom Townsend, Chief, Hampton Police Division,
Turner Spencer, Hampton City Council
22 Lincoln Street, Hampton VA 23669-3411

Allyson Graul, School Team Director
Alternatives, Inc.
2021B Cunningham Drive, Hampton, VA 23666
Phone (757) 838-2330

Anne Edison, Assistant Principal,
Mary Ann Thorpe and Betty Dixon
Menchville High School
275 Menchville Road, Newport News, VA 23602-6895
phone: (757) 886-6895; fax (757) 875-0648

Sue Edwards, Principal
Jones Magnet Middle School
1819 Nickerson Blvd., Hampton, VA 23663-1026
(757) 850-7900

Glen Hughes
President, Newtown Improvement and Civic Club, Inc. and
Mary Johnson, Founder
Newtown Learning Center
3922 Kecoughtan Road, Hampton, VA 23669
phone: (757) 728-1710

John Pauls
Regional Director of Secondary Instruction
Hampton Public Schools
144 Research Drive
Hampton, VA
(757) 898-8115

[1] These are highly competitive, state supported enrichment programs held on college campuses throughout the state. Here students study a topical area (e.g., medicine, foreign languages, the arts), participate in field trips and gain important information about colleges and college life. The Governors’ schools are funded by the students’ sending district and by the state.

[2] The class of 2004 will be the first required to pass SOLs in four subject areas (English, math, science and social studies) to graduate.

[3] The 40 developmental assets are divided into two groups. The first 20 are external assets and include supports young people receive from their environment (e.g. family support, caring neighborhoods and schools). The next 20 assets are the internal qualities and characteristics young people must develop within themselves that foster their healthy development (e.g., motivation to do well in school, involvement in learning, caring for others, responsibility, planning and decision-making skills).

[4] Hampton University was founded in 1868 by Brigadier General Samuel Chapman Armstrong during the Reconstruction Era as the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute to prepare newly freed African American men and women to “lead and teach,” and later, to provide a formal education for Native Americans.

[5] Youth Development Practical Definition: “An approach to working with young people that defines goals (outcomes) based on capacities, strengths and developmental needs of youth.”

[6] Youth Development Conceptual Definition: “A process by which all young people seek ways to meet their basic physical and social needs and to build competencies (knowledge and skills) necessary to succeed in adolescence and adulthood.”

[7] Among the programs offered are:

§ Y-COPE (Youth Community Oriented Effort Program), a collaborative between Alternatives, Inc. and the HPD to help prepare police and community policing efforts that engage young people in neighborhood problem solving.

§ L ife Force, addressing alcohol consumption by youth in the community.

§ Street Law, a law-related education program used by the Juvenile Court as an alternative to incarceration for first time offenders, consisting of law-related lessons, speakers and experiences to expose the offender to the positive aspects of the law and the importance of balancing rights and responsibilities.

§ Police Cadet Program, for local high school graduates between the ages of 18 and 21 to evaluate the law enforcement profession and accomplish police related tasks by entering the Division’s Cadet Program.

§ Hampton Police Explorers, offering young adults ages 14 to 20 opportunities to explore the law enforcement profession through limited participation in police-related activities.