At-Risk Youth: School-Community Collaborations Focus on Improving Student
Outcomes (Letter Report, 10/10/2000, GAO/GAO-01-66).

This report focuses on school and community collaborations for improving
student outcomes for at-risk youth. To better provide the support needed
to succeed in school and beyond, and to strengthen their families and
communities, some schools and school districts have intensified their
collaboration with businesses, community agencies, and other
neighborhood organizations. These efforts, which go substantially beyond
the usual links between schools and other agencies or organizations, go
by such names as "extended-service schools," "full-service schools,"
"community schools," or, more generally, "school-community initiatives."
The federal government plays a role in these initiatives because of the
funding and support it provides through a variety of programs serving
youths who are disadvantaged or at risk of school failure. Schools with
a large number of disadvantaged students often struggle to both educate
their students and prepare them for further education or a career. The
goals of the school-community initiatives GAO reviewed center on helping
students achieve in school and readying them for life after graduation.
Several officials GAO spoke with stated that is is difficult to measure
the success of these programs for at-risk youth. Officials cited the
lack of funds and the complex nature of educational programs as reasons
for the lack of rigorous evaluations. However, there are several
initiatives under way to collect information on student progress and
behavior.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  GAO-01-66
     TITLE:  At-Risk Youth: School-Community Collaborations Focus on
	     Improving Student Outcomes
      DATE:  10/10/2000
   SUBJECT:  Public schools
	     Performance measures
	     Education program evaluation
	     Educational standards
	     Academic achievement
	     Youth
	     Aid for education
	     Disadvantaged persons
	     State programs
	     Federal/state relations

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GAO-01-66

GAO United States General Accounting Office

Report to the Honorable Charles B. Rangel, House of Representatives

October 2000 AT- RISK YOUTH School- Community Collaborations Focus on
Improving Student Outcomes

GAO- 01- 66

Page 1 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

Contents Letter 3 Appendixes Appendix I: Scope and Methodology 24

Appendix II: Business Partnerships With School- Community Initiatives 25

Appendix III: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments 27 Tables Table 1:
Examples of Career Academies 9

Table 2: Community Service Programs 13 Table 3: Examples of Federal Efforts
That Support SchoolCommunity Initiatives 18

Abbreviations

GEAR- UP Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs
GED General Educational Development HHS Department of Health and Human
Services MDRC Manpower Demonstration and Research Corporation STRUT Students
Recycling Used Technology TANF Temporary Assistance for Needy Families USC
University of Southern California

Page 2 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

Page 3 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth United States General Accounting Office

Washington, D. C. 20548 Page 3 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

Letter

October 10, 2000 The Honorable Charles B. Rangel House of Representatives

Dear Mr. Rangel: In this time of historic economic prosperity, youths from
disadvantaged neighborhoods and communities may be left behind because they
lack many aspects of a support network that those from more advantaged
communities take for granted. For example, disadvantaged youths may not
receive regular medical checkups, have help in addressing family problems,
participate in cultural or recreational activities, or have ready access to
businesspeople and community leaders who can act as mentors or successful
role models.

To better provide the support youths need to succeed in school and beyond,
and to strengthen their families and communities, some schools and school
districts have intensified their collaboration with businesses, community
agencies, and other neighborhood organizations. These efforts, which go
substantially beyond the usual links between schools and other agencies or
organizations, go by such names as “extended- service schools,”
“full- service schools,” “community schools,” or,
more generally, “schoolcommunity initiatives.” The federal
government plays a role in these initiatives because of the funding and
support it provides through a variety of programs serving youths who are
disadvantaged or at risk of school failure.

You asked us to provide information on school- community initiatives and
what they are accomplishing. More specifically, you asked the following
questions:

What are the goals and program strategies of school- community initiatives?
What is known about the extent to which these initiatives meet their

goals? What role can the federal government play to facilitate such
initiatives?

Page 4 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

To help us in preparing our response, we established an advisory panel of
national experts. Our methodology, which is explained in more detail in
appendix I, included on- site reviews of initiatives in five states
throughout the country. 1 We also contacted officials from three other
initiatives by telephone. 2 These initiatives- which include efforts
implemented at the school, school district, city, and state levels- provided
most of the specific examples cited in the report. Additionally, we
interviewed representatives from three corporations that collaborate with
schools to provide students with work- based learning opportunities. We
conducted our study between September 1999 and July 2000 in accordance with
generally accepted government auditing standards.

Results in Brief In general, school- community initiatives have a dual goal
not unlike that of all schools- enhancing academic achievement and preparing
students to

become self- sufficient adults. The way in which they differ from
traditional schools is that they combine three strategies to help children
achieve in school and realize a successful future: (1) developing innovative
and nontraditional approaches that emphasize academic achievement, such as
extended after- school or weekend classes for which students are rewarded
for good attendance with part- time jobs; (2) creating links to future
employment opportunities, for example, through structured, careeroriented
school programs; and (3) blending community services such as mental health,
social services, and recreation into the school environment.

For the most part, these initiatives have not been rigorously evaluated to
determine their effect on student academic achievement or success later in
life. Most of the initiatives we reviewed pointed to improvements in some
form of student outcome, such as better attendance or higher graduation
rates, but could not link the improvements directly to the initiative. So
far, one approach that has been evaluated is the career academy, a
“school1

The five states were California (Urban Learning Centers, Los Angeles),
Colorado (Neighborhood Centers and Beacons adaptation, Denver), Kentucky
(Kentucky Family Resource and Youth Services Centers, Lexington and
Richmond, and University of Kentucky West Philadelphia Improvement Corps
adaptation, Lexington), Missouri (Caring Communities/ Local Investment
Corporation, Kansas City), and New York (Beacons Center and Children's Aid
Society Community School, NewYork City).

2 We conducted detailed telephone interviews with officials of three
initiatives: the SchoolBased Youth Services Program in New Jersey, a state-
sponsored program; a set of programs administered by the Juvenile Welfare
Board of Pinellas County, Florida; and the United Way's Bridges to Success
in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Page 5 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

within- a- school” that allows students to be exposed to and
participate in an array of careers in a given field. A 10- year ongoing
evaluation has found that such academies are particularly helpful for
students considered at high risk of school failure. The academies
significantly increased students' school attendance rates and number of
credits earned toward graduation and significantly cut dropout rates. The
evaluation has not yet addressed the effect of such academies on students'
lives after leaving school, but it did find that students were better
prepared for postsecondary education.

Various federal agencies have supported school- community initiatives
through individual programs and other efforts that facilitate and enhance
initiative activities and services. The federal government has a number of
funding sources that can be used by school- community initiatives. While
most initiatives we reviewed were funded primarily with local, state, or
private monies, federal sources formed part of their funding and ranged from
a program that provides discretionary grants specifically for reducing drug
use and alcohol abuse, to formula grants programs that provide funding for a
broad range of services. The Department of Education administers a number of
these funding programs, and its 21st Century Community Learning Centers
program is becoming one focal point for federal collaboration efforts for
school- community initiatives and information dissemination activities.
Officials from the school- community initiatives we visited suggested that
in addition to providing funding, the federal government could assume a
leadership role, for example, in making information available about best
practices and funding sources and by sponsoring conferences and an
information clearinghouse.

Background School- community initiatives have their roots in a long-
standing approach of providing a wide range of services and activities at a
single location to

youths, parents, and the general community. This approach can be traced back
at least to the urban settlement houses at the end of the 19th century.
Various studies have documented that in low- income neighborhoods, many
students need more than just instructional services to succeed in school. In
virtually any setting, psychosocial and mental health problems can affect a
student's ability to learn and perform effectively at school. However, in
poorer communities, problems such as gangs, violence, and drugs are often
more pervasive than in more affluent communities, and supports within
traditional family structures may be more limited. In such situations, the
school offers a place to provide these supports.

Page 6 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

While the exact number of school- community initiatives is not known, they
have increased significantly in recent years. They vary in size and have
been initiated by different entities- school districts, city and state
governments, private, nonprofit organizations, and universities. As the
number and kinds of school- community initiatives have grown, they have
gained the attention of researchers, who have made some observations. For
example, in 1998 the Institute for Educational Leadership studied 21 school-
community initiatives nationwide and found that while they differ in many
ways- funding amounts and sources, kinds of governance and management,
number and kinds of participants, and range of activities- they all share a
common belief. Specifically, if schools- as the physical centers of their
communities- connect with other community resources and work together
through partnerships and collaborations, they can help young people learn
and develop more successfully and strengthen families and communities. 3
Further, experts in the field agree that even though school- community
initiatives may differ in name and form, they typically strive for a set of
common elements including the following:

Services and activities are tailored to community needs and resources and
have the flexibility to change as community needs change. Parent
participation and individual attention from caring adults are

highly valued and encouraged. Support for the family is seen as integral to
improving outcomes for

children and youth. Parents, students, community members and organizations,
and other

stakeholders play an active role in guiding policy and practices through
entities such as advisory committees and governance councils. Continuing
emphasis is placed on the importance of collaboration and

communication among school and community partners. 3 Martin J. Blank and
Atelia Melaville, Learning Together: The Developing Field of School-
Community Initiatives( Flint, Mich.: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, 1998),
p. 6.

Page 7 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

School- Community Initiatives Use Multiple Strategies to Enhance Student
Achievement and Career Opportunities

The goals of school- community initiatives are similar to those of other
schools and emphasize both the achievement of positive school- related
outcomes and the preparation needed to become self- sufficient adults.
However, these initiatives differ from other schools primarily in the three
major strategies they employ to meet these goals. First, their strategies
for promoting academic achievement tend to include innovative and
nontraditional approaches such as rewarding good attendance with job
opportunities. Second, these initiatives often create linkages to community
businesses and establish opportunities such as career- focused training and
employment opportunities. Third, initiatives attempt to blend community
services that may not be readily available in the community, such as health
and social services, into the school environment.

Goals Are Both Present- and Future- Oriented

Schools with a large number of disadvantaged students often struggle to both
educate their students and prepare them for further education or a career.
The goals of the school- community initiatives we reviewed center on helping
students achieve in school and readying them for life after graduation. The
goals of these initiatives, as stated in their publications, vary somewhat
but have common themes in their support for schools and their students. For
example,

The goal of the citywide Beacons initiative in New York City is “to
link community- based youth organizations with schools and communities,
thereby increasing the supports and opportunities that will help students
build academic and social competencies and enable them to become
economically self- sufficient, successful adults.” The goal of
Kentucky's statewide Family Resource and Youth Services

Centers is “to improve academic achievement by removing noncognitive
barriers to learning by providing resources to public school districts to
support families in ways that strengthen and enhance the growth and
development of the individual members and the family unit.” The goal
of New Jersey's statewide School- Based Youth Services

Program is “to provide adolescents and children, especially those with
problems, with the opportunity to complete their education, to obtain skills
that lead to employment or additional education, and to lead a mentally and
physically healthy life.”

Strategies Take Three Main Forms

School- community initiatives that we reviewed combine three main types of
strategies to address their goals of helping students to achieve in school

Page 8 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

and to realize a successful future: (1) developing innovative and
nontraditional approaches that emphasize academic achievement, (2) creating
links to future opportunities, and (3) blending community services such as
health, social services, and recreation into the school environment.
Individual initiatives use many different kinds of activities and services
as part of these strategies.

Developing innovative ways to emphasize academic achievement is the first
strategy used by school- community initiatives. While many of the features
of school- community initiatives center on services and activities outside
of the classroom, one of the primary purposes of these programs is to
improve the academic achievement of the participants. Many of the
initiatives we visited encouraged and promoted student performance in a
variety of ways, such as by offering students special opportunities if they
improve or maintain good grades and show positive student behavior and by
developing partnerships with local colleges and universities to enhance
their school's academic programs. For example,

Under the Beacons Futures program at Countee Cullen School in New York City,
middle and high school students are given extended learning opportunities
through academically oriented activities after school, on weekends, and in
the summer. Students that continuously participate in these academic
activities are rewarded with part- time summer jobs with local businesses,
for which they receive a stipend from Beacons of $40 to $50 per week. At the
Apollo Theater in Harlem, for example, youths work in concessions, as
ushers, and in setting up productions. About 35 to 40 youths participate in
the Futures program. Foshay Learning Center, in inner- city South Central
Los Angeles, is one

of five schools that are part of the University of Southern California's
(USC) Neighborhood Academic Initiative. Students, who enter this 6year
program in the seventh grade, generally have C averages and the potential to
improve their performance. They sign a contract agreeing to take early-
morning English and math courses on the USC campus, attend after- school and
Saturday tutoring classes, and adhere to a strict dress code. Their parents
receive training to learn what is required of students and how parents can
help. After completing the program, students that meet USC criteria for
admission can attend the university for free. Fifteen students from Foshay's
1998 graduating class enrolled at USC.

The second strategy used by these initiatives relates to the challenge
schools face in helping their disadvantaged students envision a successful

Page 9 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

future beyond the boundaries of their neighborhoods. Most initiatives we
visited are taking steps to provide students with a connection not only to
their own community but also to their city and beyond. Many of these
initiatives provide career readiness skills such as rï¿½sumï¿½ writing and
interviewing. Some of the initiatives we reviewed had incorporated a career-
oriented, structured educational program- called a career academy- that
provides academic and career- related course work and direct job experience
to students.

A career academy is a small high school learning community, organized as
“a school- within- a- school,” that aims to (1) create a more
personalized and supportive environment for students and teachers and (2)
provide careeroriented course work and experience. For example, at Foshay
Learning Center in Los Angeles, all students in grades 10 through 12 are in
one of the three career academies, where they are paired with the same group
of teachers over the 3- year period. Each academy has a different career
theme- business and finance, information technology, or health- and provides
both academic and career- related courses in an effort to enhance both the
rigor and the relevance of the high school curriculum while still satisfying
college entrance requirements. Among the schools that we visited, we found
two that used a full academy approach; that is, all high school students
participate in a career academy. Two other schools we visited incorporated
components of the academy approach into their traditional academic program,
as shown in table 1.

Table 1: Examples of Career Academies Program Location Overview Full academy
approach used

Foshay Learning Center and Elizabeth Learning Center

Los Angeles, California All students in grades 10 through 12 participate in
a career academy as part of their

academic program. Local businesses and agencies provide work experience
through internships and job shadowing. Foshay has health, finance, and
information technology academies; Elizabeth has health and information
technology. The academies attempt to provide graduates with the skills and
knowledge that prepare them to enroll in a university and pursue an advanced
degree in the selected academy focus, enroll in a technical or vocational
school and pursue a career in the selected academy focus, or obtain an
entry- level job in the selected academy focus.

Page 10 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

When academies forge partnerships with local employers, the businesspeople
can help plan and guide the program and serve as a source of mentors and
work internships for the students. The two career academy school- community
initiatives we reviewed had partnerships with local businesses such as
hospitals, technology companies, and financial institutions that provided
work experience to students as well as the opportunity to learn about a
variety of career options in a specific career field. According to an
official at Foshay Learning Center, there are challenges in getting business
involved in these partnerships, and schools must be willing to reach out to
make the necessary contacts with potential business partners. Business
officials associated with these academies said that they were persuaded to
become involved because they saw an opportunity both to support their
community and to identify and develop potential future employees.

While the tie to careers is perhaps the most unique aspect of the academy,
another benefit is providing a small- group focus within the larger school.
One principal said that the advantage of the academy approach is that it
makes a large high school seem small. He also said that students tend to
identify with their academy rather than the larger school and, because they

Selected academy components used

Children's Aid Society Community School New York, New York Students select
an academy upon entering the school, and generally stay with the

same group of students, teachers, and staff through their middle school
years (grades 5 through 8). There are four academies: Expressive Arts.
Students put on seasonal performances and special cultural events throughout
the year. Math, Science and Technology. Students sponsor programs that
encourage other students to use science and technology to spur their
creativity. Community Service. Students undertake community projects such as
tutoring younger students, and also organize the school's annual book fair
and community garden. Business Studies. Students engage in entrepreneurial
activities, which include a school store, and they sponsor an annual career
day. This approach is not a full academy because students are in grades 5
through 8 rather than in high school.

Bryan Station Traditional Magnet High School Lexington, Kentucky In addition
to their traditional academic program, students can participate in the

following career programs: Academy of Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism
Medical/ Health Sciences Academy Aerospace Academy Culinary Arts/ Commercial
Foods program Business Cooperative Education, Mentoring, Internships Bryan
Station Commerce andTrust (student operated) This approach is not a full
academy because the career programs are elective classes taken in addition
to the academic curriculum. (Continued From Previous Page)

Program Location Overview

Page 11 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

are with the same group of teachers for several years, students have an
opportunity to develop a sustained, close, and positive relationship with an
adult.

While only some initiatives we reviewed used career academies to link
students with possible careers, many provided some activities to help
prepare students to get jobs after graduation. Activities ranged from rï¿½sumï¿½
writing to shadowing business and professional people. Other activities
included experiences in job- interviewing skills, mentoring from local
business representatives, and career guidance classes. For example, a Youth
Services Center we visited in Kentucky provides a summer program with
activities to help students identify their career interests. The center also
participates in a biennial career fair that includes representatives from
about 100 businesses and professions in the community.

The business partners in these initiatives also share a unique perspective
on their role in assisting students to make the transition from difficult
circumstances to productive employment. A recent study by Columbia
University researchers 4 surveyed about 300 employers that participated in
work- based learning programs at five schools. It found that philanthropy
played a strong part in many employers' decisions to participate. The two
most common motivations cited by participating employers were improving the
public education system and contributing to the community. However, the
study also said that many of the firms reported that businessoriented
reasons are the most important reasons for their participation. In other
words, while the programs gave students experience, they also gave employers
access to workers who could contribute to the output of the firm. As a way
of determining what might attract additional employers to participate, the
study also surveyed about 300 other area employers that were not
participating in work- based learning programs. It found that these
employers would most likely be attracted if such bottom- line motivations
were more compelling.

Business officials that we talked to echoed these dual motivations.
Representatives from Cisco Systems, Candle Corporation, and Motorola all
viewed such partnerships as ways to give back to the community and to
develop future employees. For example, Cisco Systems has established the

4 T. Bailey, K. Hughes, and T. Barr, “Achieving Scale and Quality in
School- to- Work Internships: Findings From Two Employer Surveys,”
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Spring 2000),
pp. 41- 63.

Page 12 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

Cisco Network Academy program in over 3, 600 schools in the United States
and 64 countries, where students are taught how to design, build, and
maintain computer networks. One Cisco official said the academy effort began
as a way to support the community, but also to supply qualified workers in
the face of a worldwide shortage of people trained for information
technology positions. (For more specific information about the partnership
programs operated by these corporations, see app. II.)

Officials at several of the school- community initiatives we reviewed said
they would like to do more in connecting students to jobs and career
opportunities but are limited in their ability to do so because of limited
funds and difficulties in identifying appropriate jobs for youths in the
community. In addition, there may be few opportunities for employment in
rural areas and in inner cities, where students have to compete with adults
for job opportunities. Finally, one official said that establishing and
maintaining relationships with businesses that might participate in youth
development activities- such as providing employment opportunities- can be
time- consuming.

The third strategy used by most school- community initiatives we reviewed is
offering an array of supportive services to the students and their families,
including mental health counseling, primary health care, adult education,
and recreation programs. In some cases, these services were delivered on
site; alternatively, the initiatives linked participants to community health
and social service providers. Table 2 shows the kinds of services and
programs that were offered at the initiatives we reviewed. Initiatives also
offered other site- specific services- such as child care and anger
management, and tobacco awareness and prevention programs- depending on the
students' particular needs. Some schools with large numbers of students that
were recent immigrants also provided adult education programs- for the
students' parents and other community members- with classes in such areas as
English as a second language, citizenship, General Educational Development
(GED), parenting, and computers. If services were already available,
initiatives did not try to duplicate them. For example, the Horace Mann
Middle School's Neighborhood Center in Denver offers programs with primarily
an academic and community enrichment focus, such as tutoring and English as
a second language classes, for both children and adults, but not health,
mental health, and recreation services, which were already available in the
surrounding community.

Page 13 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

Table 2: Community Service Programs

Officials from the initiatives we reviewed said they believe that providing
these types of supportive services to the students and their families is as
important as their academic programs. They said these services are a
critical prerequisite for academic achievement. One high school principal
said that he thought the addition of the Family Resourceand Youth Services
Centers to Kentucky schools was the single most important step that the
state legislature had taken to improve education. He said that these centers
provide services to students that can remove barriers to learning- such as
social and health problems. In addition, he said that because the program
gives students access to professional staff, such as social workers, he
feels less pressure to perform a social work role and is able to spend more
time as the instructional leader of the school.

Most Initiatives Have Not Been Rigorously Evaluated

At the time of our study, few initiatives we reviewed had conducted rigorous
evaluations that linked student improvements directly to the initiative.
Several experts we spoke with cautioned that such evaluations are difficult
for a number of reasons, including the complex and comprehensive nature of
school- community initiatives and the lack of funds. However, several
initiatives are collecting information on student progress and student
behavior. Initiative officials said they believe that the services and
activities they offer are having a positive effect in the lives of the
program participants, but that it is often difficult to measure the success
of such initiatives. Most initiatives do report student outcome data such as
attendance or dropout rates. Few initiatives reported academic

Program/ service Example of service

Primary health care In Kansas City, Missouri, and the surrounding county,
school and neighborhood health centers have been created at seven Caring
Communities sites. Through these facilities and in cooperation with area
health care organizations, children, parents, and neighbors have immediate
access to primary health care and screening.

Mental health/ family counseling New Jersey requires that the sites for its
School- Based Youth Services Program employ a full- time mental

health provider to counsel students and their families, provide group
counseling, and work with other program staff and collaborating agencies to
provide appropriate referrals.

Adult education The Elizabeth Learning Center in the Los Angeles Unified
School District has an on- site family center that, in addition to other
services, provides classes in such areas as English as a second language,
citizenship, computers, and parenting for more than 400 adults each day. On-
site child care is provided for parents taking classes.

Recreation Winburn Middle School has a partnership with the Lexington Parks
and Recreation program in Lexington, Kentucky. Parks and Recreation provides
after- school recreation activities to the entire community from 6 p. m. to
9 p. m. each weekday and from 12 noon to 6 p. m. on Saturdays.

Page 14 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

outcomes or outcomes related to student self- sufficiency later in life.
Additionally, only a few initiatives compared participant outcomes with the
outcomes of nonparticipants, and such comparisons were typically limited in
scope. However, one strategy used by some of the initiatives we visited-
career academies- has been the subject of a rigorous national evaluation.
The portions of this evaluation completed to date show that for students at
high risk of failure, the academy approach has helped lower dropout rates,
improve attendance, and promote earning more credits toward an on- time
graduation. Data on success after graduation will not be available for some
time.

Available Information Centers on Attendance and Graduation Rates

Outcomes most often reported by initiative officials as indicators of
initiative success were improvements in school attendance and high school
graduation rates. Researchers said they regard these measures as meaningful
because, if students are not in school, they are missing opportunities to
learn and achieve. Further, if they do not graduate, their future employment
opportunities are reduced. Only a few of the initiatives we reviewed
reported academic outcomes such as test scores. Examples of outcomes
reported included the following:

Student attendance. The Foshay Learning Center in Los Angeles reported that
the average daily attendance rate was about 90 to 94 percent, up from about
80 percent in 1990. At the school served by the Richmond, Kentucky, Youth
Services Center, the average daily school attendance is about 93 percent. Of
the 7 percent who are absent, only 1 percent are truant. Graduation rates.
In Kentucky, the state's overall high school graduation

rate moved to a national ranking of 30th in 1999, up from 36th in 1991, when
they created theYouth Services Centers as part of a statewide school reform
effort. At the Elizabeth Learning Center in the Los Angeles Unified School
District, the graduation rate for students entering in the sixth grade was
98 percent, and for those entering in the ninth grade as freshmen the
graduation rate was 100 percent, according to a school official. By
comparison, a neighboring high school with a similar population but no
school- community initiative had a graduation rate of about 50 percent. Test
scores. At the Children's Aid Society program we visited in New

York City, the percentage of students who tested at their grade level, as
measured by a citywide achievement test, was almost twice as high for math
and 3 times as high for reading as the percentages for similar student
populations, and had increased over a 3- year period.

Page 15 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

Several initiatives reported information on participation rates as a measure
of success. Others have used social outcome measures such as teen pregnancy
rates, incidents of violence, and self- reported feelings of the students
regarding their behaviors and habits.

Few Rigorous Evaluations Have Been Conducted

Few initiatives have conducted rigorous evaluations of their programs
comparing program participants with similar groups of students. According to
some initiative officials and other experts, evaluating initiative
effectiveness is difficult for several reasons. They believe there is
limited access to funding to measure success, and they are often reluctant
to divert money from direct services to conduct an evaluation. Also,
initiative participants and residents of the surrounding community are often
transient- in one school the transient rate was nearly 100 percent in a
school year- making it difficult to track the success of the program in
having positive impacts on students' lives. One evaluation expert noted that
the complex and evolving nature of many initiatives poses several challenges
for evaluators. Among them, these efforts have multiple program components
offered by different organizations, and the level of involvement by
participants often varies greatly. As a consequence, no single student will
receive the same “treatment” as another while participating in
the program. In addition, many of these initiatives are open to all
interested students and their families in a community, thereby making it
difficult to construct adequate comparison groups. Also, the capability of
these initiatives to collect, organize, and store student data varies
considerably. Finally, officials at two long- standing initiatives said they
believe it is important to stabilize and institutionalize an initiative
before rigorously evaluating its effectiveness.

Two initiatives we reviewed have been the subject of evaluations. The New
Jersey School- Based Youth Services Program was the subject of a recently
published longitudinal study. 5 The study compared student survey responses
and school data for students in six schools who participated in the program
and those who did not, controlling for a number of factors including
differences in student behavior and background. The study found that the
program had a significant positive effect on 11 student behaviors and
attitudes, including academic aspirations, credits earned, and feelings of
anger, destructiveness, sadness, and depression. Among participants, the

5 Constancia Warren and Cheri Fancsali, New Jersey School- Based Youth
Services Program: Final Report( New York: The Academy for Educational
Development, 2000).

Page 16 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

study also reported a reduced incidence of vandalism and other negative
behaviors. Another initiative, Beacons in New York City, is conducting a
two- phase evaluation. Phase I presented data on such things as patterns of
participation, development and evolution of the program, and a participant
survey. 6 Phase II, now under way, is an outcome study evaluating the effect
of the initiative on the youths and their parents, the host schools, and the
surrounding communities.

Some officials we spoke with noted that although their programs have not
been fully evaluated, they have engendered sufficient positive results to
have strong community support. For example, the Beacons program in New York
City, which began in 1991, has one or more community centers in each of the
city's 32 school districts and has become a fixture in the various
neighborhoods. According to initiative officials, after a change in mayoral
administration several years ago, there was concern that the new
administration would eliminate or significantly cut back on program
resources. City officials convinced the administration not to downsize the
program- and in fact, the program has expanded. Similarly, the statewide
Family Resource and Youth Services Centers program in Kentucky, while not
yet assessed through a rigorous evaluation, enjoys strong bipartisan support
in both houses of the Legislature, according to a program official.

Evaluation of Career Academies Shows Positive Results

The career academy- a strategy used by some of the initiatives we visited-
has received an in- depth evaluation. In a 10- year, ongoing national
evaluation 7 of nine career academies conducted by the Manpower
Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC), evaluators compared the
performance of 959 students who participated in career academies and 805
similar students who applied to but did not attend an academy. The initial
phase of the three- phase study examined the extent to which career
academies changed the participants' high school environment, as indicated by
differences between academy and nonacademy students' experiences during high
school. The most recently completed phase compared the school outcomes of
academy participants with the outcomes of

6 Constancia Warren, Prudence Brown, and Nicholas Freudenberg, Evaluation of
the New York City Beacons: Phase 1 Findings( New York: Academy for
Educational Development, 1999). 7 James J. Kemple and Jason C. Snipes,
Career Academies: Impacts on Students' Engagement and Performance in High
School( New York: Manpower Demonstration Research

Corporation, 2000).

Page 17 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

nonparticipants, using three primary sources of data: school transcript
records, a student survey, and a standardized math and reading achievement
test. The next phase, not yet completed, will follow the students for up to
4 years after their scheduled high school graduation and collect data on
whether they actually graduated and about their postsecondary education and
employment.

The study found that among students at high risk of school failure, career
academies significantly cut dropout rates and increased attendance rates,
credits earned toward graduation, and preparation for postsecondary
education. For example, while 32 percent of the nonacademy students dropped
out of high school, only 21 percent of the academy students did. Further,
attendance rates for the nonacademy students averaged 76 percent, and for
the academy students they averaged 82 percent. Finally, while only 26
percent of the nonacademy students earned enough credits to meet district
graduation requirements, 40 percent of the academy students earned enough to
meet requirements.

Federal Collaboration Is Emerging

Federal agencies such as the Departments of Education, Labor, Health and
Human Services (HHS), Agriculture, and Justice have supported
schoolcommunity initiatives through individual funding programs and other
efforts that facilitate and enhance initiative activities and services. Most
of the initiatives we reviewed used some federal funding, but were primarily
funded at the local or state level or by private organizations. One federal
program- Education's 21st Century Community Learning Centers- is emerging as
a focal point for federal collaboration through its efforts with a number of
other federal programs that support school- community initiatives. Education
officials we spoke with agree on the importance of collaboration among
programs and identified a number of ongoing collaborative efforts. Officials
from several initiatives we reviewed told us they would like the federal
government to play a more focused leadership role that includes providing
access to information about best practices and available resources and
increasing communication among programs.

Page 18 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

Federal Funds Support Initiatives, but Are Not the Primary Funding Source

Education and other federal agencies support discretionary and formula grant
8 programs and other efforts that address the academic, health, and social
service needs of disadvantaged and at- risk children and youths- the same
population served by many school- community initiatives. Table 3 shows the
major agencies and examples of the related grant programs and efforts they
administer. Some efforts, such as the informational Web site created through
the Federal Support to Communities Initiative, involve collaboration between
two or more agencies.

Table 3: Examples of Federal Efforts That Support School- Community
Initiatives

8 Discretionary- or project- grants support research, evaluation, and
demonstration or service projects and are awarded for specific periods of
time- usually 1 to 5 years. Formula grants are usually awarded on the basis
of population or other demographic indicators, and most go to state agencies
for ongoing services through block grants or categorical programs.

Department Effort Description

Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers Discretionary grants for
school- based programs that provide

educational, recreational, cultural, health, and social services to
community members. The primary focus is enriched learning opportunities and
other activities for children and adults outside of regular school hours.

Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Discretionary and formula grant
program- the federal government's

major initiative to prevent drug abuse and violence in and around schools.

Partnership for Family Involvement in Education Initiative to promote
connecting families with schools, community

organizations, religious groups, and employers to support student learning
through national and grassroots activities.

“Bringing Education into the After School Hours” 1999
publication listing materials available from the department and

providing ideas for integrating activities that promote student achievement.

Schools as Centers of Community 1998 symposium on designing schools to serve
as centers of the

community, resulting in a publication to guide schools and communities in
those efforts.

Health and Human Services National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth
Information on youth development resources and publictions, as well as

links to related Web sites. Labor Youth Opportunity Grants Funding to
increase the long- term employment of youths who live in

high- poverty areas. Justice Communities in Schools Grants Funding to
address dropout prevention through a model that includes a

variety of social, employment, and mental health services and activities for
youths and their families.

Page 19 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

Officials from most initiatives we reviewed said the majority of their
funding comes from the local or state level or from private sources. Most
said they use some federal funding but that it is not their primary funding
source. For example, New York City's Beacons program is funded mainly by the
city, and the New Jersey and Kentucky programs are funded mainly by their
respective state governments. The Children's Aid Society Community Schools
in New York City are funded by a mix of private grants, government
reimbursements, and user fees. However, officials at most initiatives said
they had accessed either federal discretionary grant or formula grant
programs to support their activities. For example, many reported using 21st
Century Community Learning Centers program funds. 9 Other federal programs
that initiatives used included Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities
and Safe Schools/ Healthy Students (listed in table 3), as well as
Education's Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs
(GEAR- UP)- a grant program that provides outreach and support services as
well as postsecondary scholarships to students at risk of dropping out- and
Bilingual Education. Formula funding streams that officials mentioned
included Medicaid (which reimburses initiative health clinics for the care
of eligible students) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF),
which can be used for support services, including child care and
transportation, needed to attain and maintain employment. Additionally, some
initiatives we reviewed serve schools with children from low- income
families and are able to enhance initiative activities with funding provided
through title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Agriculture National School Lunch Program- After- School Snacks
Reimbursement to schools for snacks served to children taking part in

after- school enrichment and educational programs.

Multiagency Collaborations

Education, Justice, and HHS Safe Schools/ Healthy Students Grants to school
districts and their mental health and law enforcement partners to promote
healthy childhood development and prevent violent behavior.

17 Federal Departments and Agencies Federal Support to

Communities Initiative Initiative to promote improved coordination of
federal efforts to support delivery of after- school services including an
informational Web site-

Afterschool. gov- that provides a wide range of federal after- school
program information and links to related Web sites and other resources.
(Continued From Previous Page)

Department Effort Description

9 The Department of Education reports that- unlike most of the school-
community initiatives we reviewed- the majority of 21st Century Community
Learning Center grantees do receive most of their funding from federal
sources.

Page 20 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

Department of Education Program Is Emerging as a Focus for Federal
Collaboration

Education has efforts under way to bring more coordination and a more
centralized focus to federal programs and activities related to
schoolcommunity initiatives. A number of these efforts have involved a
particular program, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers. While this
program's primary emphasis is on expanded learning opportunities-
afterschool, on weekends, and during the summer- its goal and strategies are
similar to those of school- community initiatives. Described by Education as
a key component in the effort to keep children safe and help them learn
during out- of- school hours, it funds programs set up by public schools.
The department reports that the rural and inner- city schools that house
21st Century program sites collaborate with other public and nonprofit
agencies, local businesses, postsecondary institutions, and other community
entities and use the school buildings to provide educational, recreational,
cultural, health, and social services to students and community members.
Funding priority is given to programs that offer broadened learning
opportunities and contribute to reduced drug use and violence.

An Education official told us the program is beginning to expand to include
more parent and other adult services. The official noted that the agency's
annual performance plan calls for more than 85 percent of the Community
Learning Centers to offer services to parents, senior citizens, and other
adult community members.

The 21st Century program was first funded in fiscal year 1995 at about
$750,000 and has grown to nearly $454 million in fiscal year 2000. The
department reported that, as of May 2000, a total of 903 grantees support
programs in about 3, 600 schools. According to officials, several of the
school- community initiative sites we reviewed had received a 21st Century
Community Learning Centers grant to enhance their after- school programs. 10

The 21st Century program is becoming an unofficial gateway for federal
collaboration on efforts that support school- community initiatives,

10 The Department of Education told us that it has contracted for a rigorous
evaluation of the effectiveness of the program, which will study both
academic and out- of- school behaviors. Data collection will begin in the
fall of 2000 and will include surveys, school records, reading test scores,
and participation records. Three reports are planned; one on each of the
school years 2001 and 2002 and a summary report synthesizing evaluation
findings.

Page 21 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

according to a program official. These collaboration efforts, along with
others in Education, have addressed such matters as the following:

Accessing federal funds. For example, HHS officials have arranged to make
presentations at conferences for 21st Century grantees to explain how
grantees' programs could use TANF funds for such efforts as afterschool and
summer recreation activities that provide supervision and services for
children and youths while their parents work, or counseling services that
concentrate on teen pregnancy prevention. The 21st Century program also
partnered with the Department of Agriculture to promote awareness among
grantees that their programs could be reimbursed- under Agriculture's school
lunch program- for the afterschool snacks served to students in the 21st
Century program. Providing technical assistance and information on resources
and best

practices. Education has formed a public- private partnership with the C. S.
Mott Foundation to provide training and technical assistance to 21st Century
Community Learning Centers. Additionally, Education collaborated with a
group of representatives from 17 federal departments and agencies to plan
and implement a Web site (Afterschool. gov). The Web site was launched in
1999 and provides information on after- school programs as well as other
topics and resources that support school- community initiatives. These
include information on more than 100 federal grants and programs, best
practices, and links to publications and other Web sites. The department has
also published reports in collaboration with other agencies that address
school- community initiative issues. For example, Safe and Smart: Making the
After School Hours Work for Kids, 11 authored in conjunction with the
Department of Justice, discusses the benefits of high- quality after- school
programs and presents best practices, successful models, and available
resources.

Initiative Officials See Benefit in Expanded Federal Leadership Role

Many school- community initiative officials and experts we spoke with
believe that the federal government- in addition to providing support
through funding programs and other efforts- has an important leadership role
to play in providing access to information and increasing coordination

11 Department of Education and Department of Justice, Safe and Smart: Making
the After School Hours Work for Kids( Washington, D. C.: Department of
Education and Department of Justice, June 1998).

Page 22 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

among federal programs. These officials and experts suggested that the
federal government should

develop a clearinghouse of best practices, resources, and other information
about initiatives across the country, which would be helpful to them in both
implementing and managing initiatives; sponsor conferences to share
information and provide technical

assistance; convey expanded information on youth employment programs and

methods to better manage federal and other funding streams; and establish
interagency communication and collaboration at the federal

level that would address- on an ongoing basis- issues important to school-
community initiatives.

Conclusions The current period of economic prosperity and the resulting
expanded job market present an unparalleled opportunity to build new
pathways to selfsufficiency

for students at risk of school failure. The Department of Education
recognizes that school- community initiatives can provide an important
starting point for these youths. Education has implemented a variety of
efforts that facilitate school- community initiatives and has begun to
establish a framework for coordination and collaboration among the federal
entities that support the services and activities of such initiatives. These
activities represent a good foundation from which to continue to build a
focused and cohesive strategy to promote collaboration and information
sharing among all that have an interest in implementing, improving, and
evaluating this approach.

Agency Comments The Department of Education provided technical comments on
the report, which we incorporated where appropriate.

We will send copies of this report to the Honorable Richard W. Riley,
Secretary of Education, to program officials in California, Colorado,
Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, and New York, and to the
members of our advisory panel of experts. We will also make copies available
to others on request.

Page 23 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

If you have any questions regarding this report, please contact me at (202)
512- 6778. Key contributors to this report are listed in appendix III.

Sincerely yours, Marnie S. Shaul Director, Education, Workforce,

and Income Security Issues

Page 24 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

Appendix I

Appendi xes Scope and Methodology Appendi x I

We reviewed the literature and interviewed national and local policy and
practice experts and researchers to identify best practices, common
characteristics, current issues, studies, reports, additional experts, and
highly regarded initiatives. We interviewed Department of Education
officials in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of
Education Research and Improvement, Office of Interagency and
Intergovernmental Affairs, and Office of the Secretary to identify programs
and activities that facilitate school- community initiatives.

We assembled an advisory panel of national experts to assist us in
identifying key studies, reports, books, and other publications, as well as
selecting sites to visit and identifying key common program factors. Panel
members included:

Martin Blank, Institute for Educational Leadership Michelle Cahill, Carnegie
Corporation of New York Joy Dryfoos, author and researcher Matia Finn-
Stevenson, Yale University, Bush Center in Child Development

and Social Policy Starla Jewell Kelly, National Community Education
Association Richard Murphy, Center for Youth Development and Policy
Research,

Academy for Educational Development Jane Quinn, Children's Aid Society

We conducted site visits to interview school and initiative officials and
staff at seven initiatives in five states:

Elizabeth and Foshay Urban Learning Centers, Los Angeles, California Countee
Cullen Community Center (Beacons), New York, New York Children's Aid Society
Community School, I. S. 218, NewYork, NewYork Caring Communities/ Local
Investment Corporation, Kansas City, Missouri Kentucky Family Resource and
Youth Services Centers Program, Lexington

and Richmond, Kentucky University of Kentucky West Philadelphia Improvement
Corps adaptation,

Lexington, Kentucky Neighborhood Centers and Beacons adaptation, Denver,
Colorado

We conducted detailed phone interviews with officials from three additional
initiatives- the state School- Based Youth Services Program in New Jersey,
the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, Florida, and the United Way's
Bridges to Success in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Page 25 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

Appendix II Business Partnerships With SchoolCommunity Initiatives Appendi x
II

Candle Corporation Candle Corporation, an information technology firm in
Southern California, has partnered with one school in the inner- city South
Central area of Los

Angeles. Candle has developed an innovative program that combines technology
education with on- the- job experience through internships. According to the
program manager from Candle, he helped to design the curriculum for the
school's Information Technology Academy and also teaches classes for the
program. Currently, Candle employs up to 45 of the students as interns. They
receive experience in all aspects of the business, such as network
administration, business operations, and research. The primary reasons cited
for partnering with the school were to give back to the community and to
address concerns about the spiraling cost of information technology
professionals. A Candle official said that they developed the program
specifically for disadvantaged students, to give them a more positive
outlook on life. The official said that the students they hire produce well
for the company and that their partnership with the school had saved the
company $287,000 in the first 5 months of 2000 because the company did not
have to hire temporary workers to do the work that the student interns
performed.

Cisco Systems Corporation

The Cisco Network Academy program, sponsored by Cisco Systems, Inc.- in
partnership with schools- teaches students how to design, build, and
maintain computer networks. According to Cisco officials, when Cisco began
an initiative to design practical, cost- effective networks for schools,
they found that teachers and other personnel were not available to support
the system, so they trained the students themselves to provide that support.
Building on the success of this project, Cisco developed a formal on- line
curriculum and the support activities needed to establish the Network
Academies in high schools and postsecondary schools. For high schools
located in an officially recognized Empowerment Zone, 1 Cisco donates the
laboratory equipment 2 and the curriculum to the school, and the school
provides the classroom, computers, and an instructor. Other schools can
purchase the curriculum, equipment, and technical support for a fee.

1 Empowerment Zones are economically distressed areas of inner city or rural
America eligible to receive funding to create jobs and business
opportunities under the Empowerment Zone/ Enterprise Community Initiative
administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

2 The laboratory equipment includes five routers, two LAN switches,
software, and cables, as well as first- year product support.

Appendix II Business Partnerships With SchoolCommunity Initiatives

Page 26 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

Students that complete the program are qualified to take the Cisco Certified
Networking Associate examination, which can position them for jobs or
college studies in engineering or science. According to Cisco officials, in
the 3 years since implementation, the program has grown to over 3, 600
schools in the United States and 64 countries around the world. Cisco
officials said the Network Academy program began as a way to give back to
the community, but also to supply qualified workers in the face of a
worldwide shortage of people trained for information technology positions.

Motorola Corporation Motorola Corporation has been involved with school
partnerships for over 10 years, according to a corporation official. It
participates in several

projects. For example, through the Students Recycling Used Technology
(STRUT) program in Phoenix, Arizona, Motorola instructors teach students how
to repair computers. Motorola also participates in a national competition
that teams high school students with Motorola engineers to build robots. The
students join the engineers at their workplace and also go through a series
of Motorola employee classes on such topics as team building and
establishing priorities. According to one official, workforce development is
the primary reason for Motorola's education outreach activities. She said
that in about 1990, Motorola recognized that there could be a shortage of
information technology workers and began to pursue extensive workforce
development activities to create a pool of workers, including working with
schools. Another official said that participation in partnerships with
schools is a way to give back to the community and improve the education
system, but it is also a way to recruit talented new employees.

Page 27 GAO- 01- 66 At- Risk Youth

Appendix III GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments Appendi xIII

GAO Contacts David D. Bellis, (415) 904- 2272 Susan J. Lawless, (206) 287-
4792

Staff Acknowledgments

In addition to the individuals named above, Nancy R. Purvine, Dianne L.
Whitman- Miner, and Stanley G. Stenersen made key contributions to this
report.

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