Resources & Publications

Summary | Headlines Only

Apr 03, 2013 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Bryant Taking Aim at Gun Violence: Rebuilding Community Education and Employment Pathways In a single generation, our nation is faced with the prospect of losing over 132,000 black men and boys to gun violence. Moreover, for every black male who dies from gun violence, there are another 24 others who suffer non-fatal injuries - making the impacts of such violence even greater. In black communities, gun violence is about far more than reforming gun control laws and empowering law enforcement. Gun violence for young black males predominates in communities where residents live in concentrated disadvantage with high rates of unemployment, school dropout, and poverty. The absence of opportunities in these communities gives rise to criminal activity and the loss of too many young lives. Solving the crisis of gun violence in communities requires that America address the issue of concentrated poverty and geography. The rebuilding and strengthening of these communities through creating infrastructure to provide improved education and employment opportunities for black youth will significantly reduce issues of gun violence. Read Online | Download PDF | Additional PDF
Feb 22, 2013 | CLASP's Youth Policy Team "Keeping Connected" eUpdate This periodic update for the field is a part of CLASP's ongoing work to advance policy and practice that will dramatically improve the education, employment, and life outcomes for youth in communities of high youth distress. It highlights policy happenings in education, training and youth development that impact black male achievement. Read Online
Feb 19, 2013 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Bryant, Linda Harris, Kisha Bird Investing in Boys and Young Men of Color: The Promise and Opportunity Boys and young men of color in the United States face challenges in the areas of education, employment, and health. In the last several years, there has been greater focus on understanding these challenges and identifying potential solutions. While we know more about effective programmatic solutions, we still have much to learn about the systemic barriers that impede the success of males of color. Effecting policy changes in these areas will produce sustainable gains for boys and young men of color. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation commissioned CLASP to conduct a scan of these policy opportunities to inform the development of their Forward Promise Initiative. Read Online | Download PDF
Dec 21, 2012 Keeping Connected Youth Newsletter - December 2012 This periodic update for the field is a part of CLASP's ongoing work to advance policy and practice that will dramatically improve the education, employment, and life outcomes for youth in communities of high youth distress. It highlights policy happenings in education, training and youth development that impact black male achievement.
Oct 16, 2012 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Bryant Commentary on Children, Families and Poverty: Definitions, Trends, Emerging Science and Implications for Policy The topic of poverty for children is quite timely. The country's recent financial troubles have increased the number of children and families in poverty, and that number could get bigger with the looming possibility of precipitous drops in funding for the social programs needed to aid these families. This issue needs to be raised and put at the forefront of our nation's budgetary planning. We need solutions that meet the needs of these families both immediately and in the longer term. Read Online
Aug 30, 2012 | Ivory Toldson & Candice Crowell CLASP Middle School/High School Boys of Color Policy Scan and Information Gathering This report is a summary of the findings from over 500 online and telephone surveys with local practitioners and national experts in the area of boys and young men of color. They shared perspectives on which issues were most pressing in the areas of education, employment, and health as well as solutions for moving the work forward more effectively in communities. Download PDF
Aug 30, 2012 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Bryant Education and Employment Pathways for High School Males of Color Summary of roundtable discussion with national experts on strengthening education and employment pathways for males of color in high school. Download PDF
Aug 30, 2012 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Bryant Education and Employment Pathways for Out-of-School Males of Color Summary of roundtable discussion with national experts on creating education and employment pathways for out-of-school males of color. Download PDF
Aug 30, 2012 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Bryant Education and Pathways to Employment for Middle School Boys of Color Summary of roundtable discussion with national experts on improving education outcomes and pathways to employment for boys of color in middle school. Download PDF
Aug 30, 2012 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Bryant Health for Boys and Young Men of Color Summary of roundtable discussion with national experts on issues of health for boys and young men of color. Download PDF
Jul 31, 2012 | Linda Harris and Kisha Bird CLASP Comments to U.S. Department of Education Request for Information on Strategies for Improving Outcomes for Disconnected Youth Our comments here draw upon CLASP's decade of policy work at the national, state, and local levels related to disconnected youth. We believe our comments in response to the U.S. Department of Education Request for Information on Strategies for Improving Outcomes for Disconnected Youth will serve to inform the development of the Performance Partnership Pilots as well as federal cross-agency policy development and funding decisions that can address our current challenges, develop the human capital needed to fuel our economy, and unleash the untapped potential and talent of the millions of young people who have fallen through the cracks. Read Online | Download PDF
Jul 31, 2012 | Campaign for Youth Comments to U.S. Department of Education Request for Information on Strategies for Improving Outcomes for Disconnected Youth On behalf of the Campaign for Youth, a coalition of national youth policy and advocacy organizations focusing on low-income youth who are out of school and/or out of work, we applaud the Obama Administration and the U.S. Department of Education for its leadership in bringing attention to the unique challenges facing youth and for its thoughtfulness in gathering input from a broad range of stakeholders to inform its work around disconnected youth. Download PDF
May 24, 2012 | Rhonda Bryant Webinar on Connecting to Jobs: Local Strategies and Policy Approaches to Employ Black Men Although the national unemployment rate is dropping, unemployment in the black community remains significantly higher than the rate for whites or the general population. In particular, black male youth and young adults are up against a major struggle to launch themselves into self sufficiency, as unemployment in these age brackets is at an all-time high. Federal investment in employment initiatives has been insufficient, and few communities are engaged in targeted approaches to address the employment plight of black men. Read Online
Apr 30, 2012 | Linda Harris and Kisha Bird Workforce Investment Act Reauthorization May Move Youth Development Field Back a Decade On March 29, 2012, Rep. Virginia Foxx, Rep. Joseph J. Heck and Rep. Howard P. McKeon introduced a Workforce Investment Act (WIA) reauthorization bill (H.R. 4297). This analysis looks at the bill's youth provisions. Download PDF
Apr 16, 2012 | Evelyn Ganzglass and Neil Ridley Reauthorizing WIA: The House Workforce Block Grant Heads in the Wrong Direction On March 29, 2012, Rep. Virginia Foxx, Rep. Joseph J. Heck and Rep. Howard P. McKeon introduced a Workforce Investment Act (WIA) reauthorization bill (H.R. 4297). To help advocates and stakeholders, CLASP has developed a set of criteria for evaluating this bill and other proposals that consolidate programs offering workforce services to low-income families and individuals. In applying these criteria to H.R. 4297, CLASP finds that the bill fails on most counts. Download PDF
Mar 23, 2012 | Kisha Bird Against All Odds: Community & Policy Solutions to Address the American Youth Crisis This article was written for the Journal of Law & Social Change for the 31st Annual annual Edward V. Sparer Symposium "Coming of Age Against the Odds: Advocating for At-Risk Youth". The paper lays out the magnitude of employment and education challenges facing youth outside the mainstream; discusses the influence of youth perception on program and policy implementation; highlights effective community practice; and includes recommendations for moving a national workforce agenda with local implications. Download PDF
Feb 15, 2012 | Kisha Bird President's Proposal Demonstrates Commitment to Disconnected Youth, but Doesn't Go Far Enough In his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2013, the president continues to draw attention to persistently high unemployment among the nation's youth and young adults and the grave situation facing disconnected youth. Read Online
Sep 21, 2011 | CLASP American Jobs Act: New Work and Learning Opportunities for Low-Income, Unemployed Adults and Youth This CLASP analysis of the American Jobs Act examines provisions specifically aimed at those workers most affected by the recession as well as those struggling even before the economy turned sour. In particular, it looks at the $5 billion Pathways Back to Work Fund, which includes three elements that would create work and learning opportunities for thousands of disadvantaged individuals across the country. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Atlanta The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Atlanta to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Baltimore The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Baltimore to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Boston The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Boston to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Buffalo The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Buffalo to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Chicago The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Chicago to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Cleveland The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Cleveland to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Columbus The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Columbus to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Denver The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Denver to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Houston The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Houston to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Indianapolis The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Indianapolis to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Jackson The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Jackson to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Kansas City The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Kansas City to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Los Angeles The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Los Angeles to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Memphis The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Memphis to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Minneapolis The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Minneapolis to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Newark The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Newark to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Oakland The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Oakland to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Philadelphia The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to Philadelphia to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: San Diego The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to San Diego to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2011 Keeping Youth Connected: Washington, D.C. The purpose of the community profiles project is to highlight data that help community members, advocates, and policymakers understand the nature and extent of issues facing large numbers of youth in low-income urban and rural communities. This fact sheet presents data and research related to District of Columbia to help elevate the issue of youth development and high school dropout Download PDF
Jun 27, 2011 | CLASP Youth Policy Team Reconnecting The Disconnected: Leveraging Federal Policy & Local Practice To Expand Education & Labor Market Opportunity For Youth CLASP's youth policy work aims to advance policy and practice that will dramatically improve the education, employment, and life outcomes for youth in communities of high youth distress. Download PDF
Jun 21, 2011 Congressional Briefing on the Youth Unemployment Crisis sponsored by the ADA Education Fund Download File
Jun 08, 2011 | Patrick Kelly and Julie Strawn Not Just Kid Stuff Anymore: The Economic Imperative for More Adults to Complete College Just as our economy is demanding that more workers have some postsecondary education or training, the number of recent high school graduates, our traditional source of such workers, is leveling off and even declining in many states. This brief provides relevant data on higher education on a national scale with some broken out by state. Read Online | Download PDF
Jun 01, 2011 There are no CLASP publications featuring Denver at this time. Please refer to Denver's profile on the CCRY website for more information.
Mar 22, 2011 WEBCAST - We Dream a World: Re-Imagining the Landscape for Black Men and Boys Webcast of an event to advance the vision and policy solutions presented in the "We Dream A World" report, released December 2010. This event was jointly sponsored by CLASP and the 2025 Campaign for Black Men and Boys. It was the second in CLASP's 40th anniversary policy series, Policy and Promise for Low Income People in America. Read Online
Mar 09, 2011 | Kisha Bird Budget Cuts Could Adversely Affect Youth This statement by Kisha Bird, project director of the Campaign for Youth and senior policy analyst at CLASP, at the Children's Leadership Council news conference March 9, 2011 addresses the importance of programs that help people access education and other opportunities. Many of these programs are facing cuts under the House-passed Continuing Resolution, HR 1. Download PDF
Feb 17, 2011 | CLASP Two Years Later: Impacts of Select ARRA Programs for Low-Income Workers & Families This document looks at select provisions in the Recovery Act that affected low-income people and their families. In areas where there is available data, it notes the impact of the program on the number of people who benefited from ARRA provisions. While the effect of the Recovery Act will be debated and analyzed by policy experts and researchers for years to come, some of the early evidence makes it clear that the Recovery Act benefited the nation by easing some immediate effects of the recession and preventing deeper hardship. Read Online | Download PDF
Feb 01, 2011 Re-imagining the landscape for Youth of Color: The Role the Youth System Can Play in Closing the Gaps - The Corps Network 2011 Annual Forum Download File
Jan 24, 2011 | Kisha Bird (Campaign for Youth) Input for a Strategic Plan for Federal Youth Policy: Comments to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services The Campaign for Youth believe's a Strategic Plan for Federal Youth Policy must effectively support the outcomes of youth living in communities of high youth distress, youth of color, and those disconnected from the mainstream. Our comments and recommendations relate specifically to ensuring the needs of disconnected and high needs youth are adequately addressed. Download PDF
Dec 09, 2010 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt We Dream A World: The 2025 Vision for Black Men and Boys This compelling new report presents a broad social and political strategy to drastically change outcomes for young black boys who will come of age in the year 2025. It is the product of five years of research and brainstorming by a diverse set of scholars, researchers and other thought leaders in the African American community. Download PDF
Nov 30, 2010 | Linda Harris Building Pathways to Postsecondary Success for Low Income Young Men of Color: A Community Intervention Strategy Building postsecondary pathways to good jobs for low-income young men of color will require stretching the paradigms of our secondary, postsecondary, workforce, and adult education systems, as well as greater collaboration among these systems. Aligning systems and programming across funding streams, building partnerships, and creating new pathways are complex endeavors. But there are many innovative approaches that have shown promise and can be implemented and taken to scale. Download PDF
Nov 30, 2010 | Linda Harris & Amy Ellen Duke-Benfiled Building Pathways to Postsecondary Success for Low-Income Young Men of Color Linda Harris, director of youth policy, and Amy Ellen Duke-Benfield, senior policy analyst, co-authored a chapter in the recently published book Changing Places: How Communities Will Improve the Health of Boys of Color. The book "draws attention to the urgent need--both economic and moral--to better understand the policy and community-based factors that serve as opportunities or barriers for young men and boys of color as they make critical life decisions." Ms. Harris and Ms. Duke-Benfield's chapter examines why it is essential to invest access to postsecondary education opportunities for young men of color. Download PDF
Oct 11, 2010 Navigating the World of Youth Policy in a Challenging Economy at the National Council of La Raza Workforce Development Forum Download File
Oct 10, 2010 Reconnecting Disconnected Youth: The CCRY Network Experience Download PDF
Aug 17, 2010 | Linda Harris Recommendations for WIA Reauthorization: Title I Youth Provisions Download PDF
Jul 28, 2010 Youth Poverty, Dropout Recovery, and Youth Employment for Grantmakers for Children, Youth, and Families Download File
Jul 01, 2010 K-12 Education and the Plight of Black Boys for the National Legal Aid & Defender Association Litigators and Advocacy Directors Conference Download File
Jun 09, 2010 | National Youth Employment Coalition Congressional Opportunities to Address Our Nation's Youth Unemployment Crisis This presentation outlines key legislative provisions necessary to connect youth in high poverty communities and those with limited education and skills to the workforce and featured bills being considered by Congress to address the needs of disconnected youth. Download File
Jun 09, 2010 | Kisha Bird If Not Now, Then When? Congressional Opportunities to Address Our Nation's Youth Unemployment Crisis This presentation outlines the state of the youth unemployment crisis. Download File
Apr 21, 2010 | Elizabeth Lower-Basch TANF Emergency Fund: Creating Summer Jobs for Youth This report explains the rules and requirements for using the TANF Emergency Fund to support summer jobs for youth. Download PDF
Mar 31, 2010 | Campaign for Youth, Linda Harris Co-Chair Letter to House and Senate Budget Committee Members on the FY 2011 Budget We have an opportunity deficit in our nation. An estimated 5.2 million youth ages 16-24 are out of school and out of work. Without purposeful efforts to connect unemployed youth to jobs, paid work experience, education, and training to prepare them for openings in the new economy, those youth will most likely spend the better part of a decade with few opportunities to work, gain skills, or earn family sustaining wages. The Campaign for Youth urges Congress to increase opportunities for low-income and disconnected youth and young adults with limited labor market to access training, education supports, and good jobs that will help spur economic development in local communities across the nation. Download PDF
Mar 25, 2010 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Reauthorizing ESEA: Considerations for Dropout Prevention and Recovery American school districts are losing the battle to successfully educate a large number of the nation's youth. The reauthorization of ESEA is a prime opportunity to rethink how we can strengthen our commitment to reconnect with youth who have left school without receiving their diploma. These comments, submitted to the US House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor, focus on how to amend ESEA to ensure that struggling students and high school dropouts have access to systems, support, and funding to remain in school or re-enter the educational system and attain a viable education that prepares them for post secondary opportunities and success in careers. Download PDF
Mar 09, 2010 | Sara Hastings, Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt, and Linda Harris Building a Comprehensive Youth Employment Delivery System: Examples of Effective Practice Many communities have shown tremendous commitment to youth employment. The return on investment and effort, however, can be greatly multiplied if federal youth funds, discretionary funding, resources from other youth serving systems, and community resources are brought together to build comprehensive youth employment system. Key elements of such a system include: a strong convening entity, an effective administrative agent, a well-trained case management arm, strong partnerships across systems that serve youth, and high quality work experience and career exposure. Download PDF
Mar 09, 2010 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt, Linda Harris, and Kisha Bird Follow the Money: Funding and Legislative Opportunities on the Horizon for Communities to Serve Disconnected Youth Several pieces of legislation have been proposed or passed that present opportunities to fund programs in communities to keep young people connected to school and recapture those who have fallen by the wayside. Most of these resources, however, are from competitive funding streams which will require communities to demonstrate innovative practice in planning and implementation. Communities need to be aware of these potential opportunities very early in the process in order to plan strategically and create partnerships to program at-scale and meet the needs of their disconnected youth. Download PDF
Mar 05, 2010 | Kisha Bird (CFY) and CCRY Network Building on the Legacy of Youth Opportunity: Implications for Federal Policy For young people who live in communities plagued by high dropout rates, high youth unemployment rates, greater incidence of juvenile crime, violence, and gang activity, the prospects are bleak and there are few pathways to education, work and responsible citizenship for those disconnected from work and school. Fortunately, we have a roadmap for reaching out to, reconnecting and providing opportunities to disconnected youth. Agencies and organizations that serve youth who are disconnected from school and employment are increasingly working together using a systems approach that improves outcomes and reduces the gaps in services and supports that can occur in more fragmented systems. In the first half of last decade nearly 100,000 disadvantaged and disconnected youth nationwide were able to continue or complete their education and enter the workforce thanks to Youth Opportunity Programming. Unfortunately, funding was discontinued in 2005, and in the ensuing years federal funding for comprehensive youth programming continued to decline despite this being the most difficult economic environment since pre-World War II for the nation's youth. This paper outlines the key lessons of the Youth Opportunity Experience and building on existing strength, experience, and capacity describes its implications for current federal policy, including the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Download PDF
Mar 05, 2010 | Kisha Bird and Chris Scott Youth Opportunity Community Profile: Baltimore By implementing a service delivery philosophy that relied on highly skilled youth service professionals and neighborhood-based youth centers, YO! Baltimore not only became a hub for training and education but also for relationship and community building among residents young and old. YO! Sites were safe havens where caring adults gave young people the resources, skills and opportunities they needed to stay on track and to get back on track to achieve their goals. Download PDF
Mar 05, 2010 | Kisha Bird and Chris Scott Youth Opportunity Community Profile: California Indian Manpower Consortium In 2000, the California Indian Manpower Consortium, Inc. (CIMC) was awarded a $15.9 million Youth Opportunity Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The YO! CIMC Project was a collaborative effort of 23 Indian Tribes and CIMC aimed at providing comprehensive development activities and support for youth, ages 14- 21. The YO! CIMC experience afforded disadvantaged youth (many of whom attended schools in rural and isolated areas, which lacked qualified teachers or adequate curricula and serious health, social, and economic disparities) the opportunity to gain educational and occupational skills through Internships and Subsidized Employment, Life Skills Training, Job Readiness Training, and College SAT Prep programs. Download PDF
Mar 05, 2010 | Kisha Bird and Chris Scott Youth Opportunity Community Profile: Hartford In 2000, Hartford was awarded a $28 million Youth Opportunity (YO) Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, YO! Hartford. This fact sheet outlines the lessons, legacy and impact YO had on community practice in the city of Hartford. The Hartford site served as an example of how collaborations and partnerships can increase educational options for under-credited, over-aged students and for those who have dropped out of school. Download PDF
Mar 05, 2010 | Kisha Bird and Chris Scott Youth Opportunity Community Profile: Southeast Arkansas In 2000, Rural Arkansas was awarded a $19.8 million Youth Opportunity Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. This fact sheet outlines the lessons, legacy and impact YO had on community practice in rural Southeast Arkansas. Much was accomplished in a relatively short period of time in this community. The YO Arkansas experience gave Phoenix Youth and Family Services (PYFS) a unique opportunity to address the needs of young people and help the community move toward its goal of reversing the economic decline of the area and the consequent departure of its young people. Download PDF
Feb 05, 2010 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt President's Budget Proposal: Opportunities for Disconnected Youth On February 1, President Obama presented his FY 2011 budget proposal to Congress. The document lays out the desired course for the president's spending priorities for the coming year. This budget reflects the administration's commitment to the education and employment of youth, and proposes increased funding in several areas that can impact programming for disadvantaged and disconnected youth. Read Online
Jan 25, 2010 | CLASP Federal Policy Recommendations for 2010 Our nation faces many domestic challenges, including improving access to affordable health care, improving access to education as well as education outcomes, and providing debt and foreclosure relief. CLASP's 2010 federal policy recommendations are equally essential to achieving healthy and thriving families and improving the nation's prosperity. Read Online | Download PDF
Dec 18, 2009 | Campaign for Youth Putting Youth To Work: A Jobs Strategy Linking Youth to Our Economic Recovery The number of unemployed youth and young adults in the United States is reaching record highs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly four million people under the age of 25 are considered officially unemployed. This paper outlines recommendations to ensure youth, especially those in high poverty communities, are a part of the nation's short and long-term economic recovery and job creation efforts. Download PDF
Nov 16, 2009 | CLASP Audioconference What the TANF Emergency Fund Can Do for Your Cash-Strapped State CLASP brought together leading experts to discuss the latest federal guidance on innovative ways that states can draw on the TANF Emergency Fund, and claim expenditures by third-parties, such as counties and nonprofit service-providers. Listen to this recording of the call to learn about how you can put the TANF Emergency Fund to use! Download Audio | Additional PDF
Nov 09, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt (CLASP) & Kisha Bird (CFY) Comments to United States Department of Education: Notice of Policy Priorities for Investing in Innovation Fund The Investing in Innovation (I3) Fund offers local education agencies (LEAs) and nonprofit organizations an opportunity to rethink how they educate children and youth and to use school reform efforts as a foundational vehicle to work across sectors and explore new and innovative ways to support student learning from birth through postsecondary education. Our comments and recommendations relate specifically to ensuring the needs of struggling students and disconnected youth are adequately addressed. Download PDF
Oct 08, 2009 | CLASP CLASP Testimony to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support This written testimony to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support discusses how American Recovery and Reinvestment Act spending has helped safety net programs such as TANF, child care subsidies, unemployment insurance, workforce development programs, and Medicaid, respond to the recession. Download PDF
Sep 25, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt (CLASP) & Kisha Bird (CFY) Comments to United States Department of Education: Notice of Proposed Requirements for School Improvement Grants. Docket ID ED-2009-OESE-0010 Resources through School Improvement Grants offer our nation's most challenged school districts an opportunity to utilize best practices to rethink time and learning and provide our children and youth with a first-rate education experience. The rigorous interventions included in the School Improvement Grants Notice will not only raise the bar for the nation's lowest performing schools but it will provide state education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies (LEAs) with the tools, strategies, and resources to effectively turn schools around and support our most disadvantaged students. Our comments and recommendations relate specifically to giving increased attention to struggling students and disconnected youth. Download PDF
Sep 22, 2009 | Campaign for Youth Comments to the Corporation for National and Community Service on Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act Download PDF
Sep 03, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt & Linda Harris Community-wide Systems That Promote High School Completion Youth develop across multiple domains that are relevant to academic success. While schools focus primarily on cognitive development, many of the supports young people receive in other developmental areas come from community-based out-of-school programming. Stimulation of development in these additional key areas builds skills that support connections to school and achievement. This article explores the need for a community-wide approach to support dropout prevention for struggling youth and re-engagement of disconnected youth. Read Online
Sep 01, 2009 | CLASP Federal Policy Recommendations for 2009 and Beyond The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) has developed an extensive federal policy agenda for President Obama and the 111th Congress directed at improving the lives of low income people. That agenda is outlined in this document. Download PDF
Aug 25, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt (CLASP) & Kisha Bird (CFY) Comments/Recommendations in response to Department of Education Proposed Race to the Top Fund Rules in Federal Register Document ED-2009-OESE-0006 The Race to The Top Fund will pave the way for sustainable reforms that transform the educational experience for American students. Our comments are centered around increasing the focus on students who have dropped out through targeting investments for dropout recovery and providing state education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies (LEAs) with strategic direction to implement innovative models to reengage youth who have dropped out. Download PDF
Aug 25, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Comments/Recommendations to United States Department of Education on Proposed State Fiscal Stabilization Fund Rules. Docket ID ED-2009-OESE-0007 State Fiscal Stabilization Funds, made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), will pave the way for sustainable reforms that can drastically improve the educational experience and outcomes for all of America's students. Our comments on the proposed rules derive from our concern for the nation's high school dropouts. We seek necessary reforms to prevent youth disengagement from school or to re-engage them in educational options that meet their needs. A national emphasis on this population will drive state and local education agencies to think more critically about and reach out more intentionally to serve the educational needs of these young people. Download PDF
Aug 10, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Keeping Youth Connected: Focus on Cleveland To promote greater understanding of the scope of youth distress in high poverty, urban areas, we analyze data on indicators related to education, crime and victimization, employment, and family stability. This data highlights the major school, community, family and peer factors which impede a young person on the path to completing high school. Communities and advocates can use this data to galvanize support for needed interventions, and to benchmark and track progress on achieving outcomes. Download PDF
Aug 10, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Keeping Youth Connected: Focus on Minneapolis To promote greater understanding of the scope of youth distress in high poverty, urban areas, we analyze data on indicators related to education, crime and victimization, employment, and family stability. This data highlights the major school, community, family and peer factors which impede a young person on the path to completing high school. Communities and advocates can use this data to galvanize support for needed interventions, and to benchmark and track progress on achieving outcomes. Download PDF
Aug 06, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Keeping Youth Connected: Focus on Atlanta To promote greater understanding of the scope of youth distress in high poverty, urban areas, we analyze data on indicators related to education, crime and victimization, employment, and family stability. This data highlights the major school, community, family and peer factors which impede a young person on the path to completing high school. Communities and advocates can use this data to galvanize support for needed interventions, and to benchmark and track progress on achieving outcomes. Download PDF
Aug 06, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Keeping Youth Connected: Focus on Washington, DC To promote greater understanding of the scope of youth distress in high poverty, urban areas, we analyze data on indicators related to education, crime and victimization, employment, and family stability. This data highlights the major school, community, family and peer factors which impede a young person on the path to completing high school. Communities and advocates can use this data to galvanize support for needed interventions, and to benchmark and track progress on achieving outcomes. Download PDF
Aug 05, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Keeping Youth Connected: Focus on Chicago To promote greater understanding of the scope of youth distress in high poverty, urban areas, we analyze data on indicators related to education, crime and victimization, employment, and family stability. This data highlights the major school, community, family and peer factors which impede a young person on the path to completing high school. Communities and advocates can use this data to galvanize support for needed interventions, and to benchmark and track progress on achieving outcomes. Download PDF
Aug 05, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Keeping Youth Connected: Focus on Detroit To promote greater understanding of the scope of youth distress in high poverty, urban areas, we analyze data on indicators related to education, crime and victimization, employment, and family stability. This data highlights the major school, community, family and peer factors which impede a young person on the path to completing high school. Communities and advocates can use this data to galvanize support for needed interventions, and to benchmark and track progress on achieving outcomes. Download PDF
Jul 30, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Keeping Youth Connected: Focus on Boston To promote greater understanding of the scope of youth distress in high poverty, urban areas, we analyze data on indicators related to education, crime and victimization, employment, and family stability. This data highlights the major school, community, family and peer factors which impede a young person on the path to completing high school. Communities and advocates can use this data to galvanize support for needed interventions, and to benchmark and track progress on achieving outcomes. Download PDF
Jul 30, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Keeping Youth Connected: Focus on Oakland To promote greater understanding of the scope of youth distress in high poverty, urban areas, we analyze data on indicators related to education, crime and victimization, employment, and family stability. This data highlights the major school, community, family and peer factors which impede a young person on the path to completing high school. Communities and advocates can use this data to galvanize support for needed interventions, and to benchmark and track progress on achieving outcomes. Download PDF
Jul 30, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Keeping Youth Connected: Focus on Philadelphia To promote greater understanding of the scope of youth distress in high poverty, urban areas, we analyze data on indicators related to education, crime and victimization, employment, and family stability. This data highlights the major school, community, family and peer factors which impede a young person on the path to completing high school. Communities and advocates can use this data to galvanize support for needed interventions, and to benchmark and track progress on achieving outcomes. Download PDF
Jun 19, 2009 | Linda Harris and Sara Hastings Youth Opportunity Grant Evaluation Fact Sheet At the end of 2008, the Department of Labor released the findings of an independent evaluation conducted by DIR, Inc. showing positive results from the YO initiative and highlighting effective practices for serving youth. During the grant period, these 36 communities enrolled 92,000 mostly minority youth -- 48 percent of them out of school. The evaluation documented that for this population, grantees were able to increase educational attainment, Pell Grant receipt, labor market participation, and employment rates and earnings. The evaluation also showed that when adequate resources are targeted at building community capacity to serve youth, labor force participation and education outcomes can improve. Download PDF
May 21, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Provisions Which Can Support Programming to Improve Outcomes for Black Men & Boys Prior to the economic downturn, Black males already faced disproportionately negative outcomes in so many areas, including education, health, justice, and employment. The recession has only exacerbated the problems faced by this population. There is a case to be made for targeting American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) resources to this population and for using these one-time resources to begin to put in place programs and efforts which will have lasting effects for Black males. This document highlights the funding streams in the ARRA which may provide such opportunities. Download PDF
Apr 28, 2009 | Linda Harris WIA Reauthorization: Opportunity to Rethink the Nation's Youth Delivery System Presentation to the Working for Change Forum sponsored by Community Services Society of New York and Coalition for Human Needs. Download PDF
Apr 15, 2009 | Linda Harris Considerations for WIA Reauthorization: Title I Youth Provisions WIA reauthorization provides the opportunity to re-think and strengthen the youth delivery system across the country. CLASP recommendations focus on increase targeting to high risk youth and more strategic alliances among youth serving systems. Download PDF
Apr 14, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Identifying Opportunities in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to Improve Outcomes for Black Men and Boys Black men and boys face disproportionately negative life outcomes in many domains, particularly education, employment and justice. This audio conference will identify opportunities in the ARRA to provide education, training, and supportive services in a targeted manner to black men and boys. Download Audio | Additional PDF
Mar 25, 2009 | Linda Harris Making the Connection: Opportunities in ARRA to Serve Older Youth Even before the economic downturn, youth in our economically distressed urban and rural communities were hurting. This audio conference will identify opportunities in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to serve older youth and will outline approaches states and local communities should consider to improve youth outcomes. Download Audio
Feb 25, 2009 | Linda Harris Recommendations to USDOL on Guidance to States on Implementing Youth Activities in the Recovery Act The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides $1.2 billion dollars for youth activities under the Workforce Investment Act. Much attention has been focused on summer jobs. The Center for Law and Social Policy and The National Youth Employment Coalition, based on input from administrators and providers in local workforce systems and from organizations at the national level, advanced a set of recommendations to the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration in an effort to assure that ARRA funds are also used in an effective and innovative way to engage out of school youth in jobs, training, and education support activities related to the economic recovery. Download PDF
Jan 01, 2009 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Lessons Learned: Community Perspectives on Supporting the Path to Positive Outcomes for Youth CLASP convened city leadership from eight communities around the country which face the problem of high levels of youth distress. These city leaders provided their grounded perspective on the challenges that communities face when trying to create a continuum of supportive services at sufficient scale to serve all their youth. They also discuss the role that national policy organizations can play in supporting their work. Download PDF
Dec 08, 2008 | Sara Hastings Harnessing the Power of Advocacy: Massachusetts' Efforts to Increase State Resources for Youth Across the country, cities and states struggle to garner the resources necessary to address the many issues facing their disconnected young people. Over the last several years, a highly coordinated local and statewide advocacy movement has experienced groundbreaking legislative success in the state of Massachusetts. This policy brief outlines the ways in which advocacy coalitions were formed at the state level in Massachusetts and the approaches advocates used to garner support and resources for systems and programs that serve youth. Download PDF
Nov 12, 2008 | CLASP Recover, Renew, Rebuild: Workforce Policies for a Strong and Fair Economy Education and training are major contributors to economic prosperity. They are drivers of economic mobility and opportunity. Workforce policies to help individuals who are struggling in the labor market also are a critical component of a recovery package to get America working again. This report contains CLASP workforce policy recommendations for Congress and the Administration to address the immediate economic crisis and to make a down payment on the longer-term agenda of building a stronger and more equitable economy. It includes actions they can take to: help workers and families recover from the current recession; renew the nation's commitment to good jobs and upward mobility for all and rebuild middle class jobs. Read Online | Download PDF
Nov 07, 2008 | CLASP Beyond Stimulus: Shoring Up the Safety Net, Securing the American Dream The United States is entering into a recession which many will be longer and more severe than any we have faced in recent decades. As Congress and the new President consider what actions to take, CLASP calls for a package that goes beyond stimulus aimed at temporarily boosting consumer demand. This paper outlines actions that Congress should take immediately to strengthen safety net programs that provide critical assistance to vulnerable workers and families and to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to share in the benefits of recovery. Download PDF
Oct 29, 2008 | Linda Harris and Evelyn Ganzglass Creating Postsecondary Pathways to Good Jobs for Young High School Dropouts This paper advocates expansion and better integration of efforts to connect high school dropouts between the ages of 16 and 24 to pathways to postsecondary credentials that have value in the labor market. The paper highlights examples of innovations in policy, program delivery, pedagogy in adult education, youth development and dropout recovery, and postsecondary education that should be built upon in developing more robust and successful dropout recovery and postsecondary education policies and practices to open the door to higher wages and career opportunities for this population. The authors urge federal officials, governors, school administrators, college officials, workforce leaders and employers to provide leadership in building the supports and pathways at scale to bring dropout youth back into the education and labor market mainstream. The paper was prepared for the Center for American Progress. Download PDF
Oct 28, 2008 | Campaign for Youth Our Youth, Our Economy, Our Future: A National Investment Strategy for Reconnecting America's Youth The Campaign for Youth has developed a national strategy outlining opportunities for federal investment in disconnected youth. These two documents--the full strategy document and its accompanying executive summary--have been circulated to all 2008 presidential candidates. Download PDF
Oct 16, 2008 | Alan W. Houseman and the CLASP Staff CLASP Federal Policy Recommendations for 2009 and Beyond CLASP has developed an extensive federal policy agenda for the next President and Congress directed at improving the lives of low income people. The detailed agenda makes recommendations for changes in policy at all levels of the federal government: the White House, Federal departments and agencies, the budget and appropriations' process, and the law-making process in Congress. This publication provides an overview of our agenda organized into eleven key recommendations. Taken as a whole, the eleven recommendations call for increasing investments in effective programs and funding streams that concretely help children, youth, and families thrive; strengthening and modernizing the nation's safety net; and building supportive pathways for low-income youths and adults to good jobs that sustain families and communities. Download PDF
Jul 02, 2008 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt and Jonathan Larsen (National Youth Employment Coalition) Comments/Recommendations in response to Department of Education Proposed NCLB Rules in Federal Register Document E8-8700 Adaptations to No Child Left Behind provide an opportunity to strengthen our nation's educational structure and system of services to better educate struggling students and to re-engage youth who have dropped out. Our comments relate specifically to giving increased attention to struggling students and disconnected youth. Local education agencies can be incentivized to pay closer attention to these populations through increasing the graduation rate requirements, and Supplemental Education Services and public school choice are potential vehicles for providing these students with the educational environments and supports to increase their academic success. Download PDF
Jun 09, 2008 | Neil Ridley, Elizabeth Lower-Basch, and Matt Lewis Low-Income Workers and Families Hardest Hit by Economic Decline Need Help Now American workers and families are being squeezed between a declining labor market and increasing costs for food, fuel, and other basic needs. This paper describes the economy's impact on vulnerable adults and youth, and lays out recommendations for action that can make a real difference in the lives of low-income workers and their families. Download PDF
May 16, 2008 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt A Collective Responsibility, A Collective Work: Supporting the Path to Positive Life Outcomes for Youth in Economically Distressed Communities This paper presents a picture of risk and challenge for youth in distressed communities and outlines how these communities can band together to create a continuum of supportive activities to bolster youth's success in school and life. As youth grow and develop, individualized support and exposure to new experiences has a significant impact on their life trajectory. Youth in economically distressed communities deserve to have access to these types of opportunities, which are much more readily available to their peers in other communities. This investment in youth can have a positive effect on academic success, future life earnings, family stability, and the livelihood of the community. This paper may be helpful in guiding a community's thinking about how to get started in creating a sustainable support system for all of its youth. Click here to download the Executive Summary. Download PDF
Jan 26, 2008 | Linda Harris Mayor's Innovation Project: Realizing the Promise of Cities CLASP engaged in a discussion with Mayors from across the country on strategies for reconnecting youth to education and jobs. Download PDF
Sep 11, 2007 | Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt, Linda Harris, Mala Thakur, and Jonathan Larsen Recommendations to Improve No Child Left Behind for Struggling Students and Disconnected Youth Every day, an estimated 2,500 students across the nation drop out of high school. While the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has succeeded in bringing to light the disparities that exist in our education system, it has failed to shine a light and provide solutions to the pressing problem of high school dropouts. These recommendations--by CLASP and the National Youth Employment Coalition--focus on how the resources in NCLB can be used to ensure that these youth have access to systems, support, and funding to attain a viable education that prepares them for future learning opportunities and the world of work. Download PDF
Jul 24, 2007 | Linda Harris and Sally Prouty Testimony Submitted for the Record to the House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support Hearing on Disconnected and Disadvantaged Youth The Campaign for Youth (CFY), a coalition of national organizations in the youth field, was established in 2002 in an effort to build a united voice for vulnerable and disconnected youth in the United States. This testimony from CFY lays out a 10-point national investment strategy for reconnecting the nation's youth. Download PDF
Jul 20, 2007 | Linda Harris and Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Recommended Changes to the No Child Left Behind Act to Address Workforce Issues CLASP recommendations submitted to the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness of the Committee on Education and Labor. Download PDF
Jul 20, 2007 | Linda Harris The Tragic Loss of the Summer Jobs Program: Why it is Time to Reinstate! For more than three decades, the federal summer jobs program provided early work exposure for youth, including more than half a million low-income youth each year in the late 1990s--until the program came to an end with the implementation of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. In light of the peril and the disparities in education and labor market outcomes facing youth in high-poverty communities, there are compelling reasons for re-instituting the federal investment in summer jobs. This article originally appeared in Focus magazine, a publication of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Download PDF
Jul 19, 2007 | Linda Harris Recommendations for WIA Reauthorization Legislation: Title I Youth Provisions Reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) is happening at a particularly important time for state and local youth delivery systems. During the past few years, increased attention has been given to the unacceptably high dropout rates in districts across the country. As local communities seek to put interventions in place, WIA can and should play a pivotal role. It is important that the reauthorization incorporate the past five years' experiences and lessons learned related to youth delivery, especially in economically distressed areas. Download PDF
May 17, 2007 Recommendations for Reauthorization of Title I of the Workforce Investment Act Adult and Youth Programs The United States economy is undergoing a major transformation. This requires a new vision for workforce policy--one that promotes a \"high-road\" path to U.S. competitiveness and greater economic opportunity for all workers. These recommendations for reauthorization of Title I of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) focus on both the supply and demand sides of the labor market, in order to address the long-term needs of workers and employers in the new competitive economy. (Updated July 3, 2007.) Download PDF
Mar 12, 2007 | Vicki Turetsky Staying in Jobs and Out of the Underground: Child Support Policies that Encourage Legitimate Work This policy brief explains why policymakers and practitioners should manage the child support obligations of incarcerated and re-entering men to help them maintain regular employment, limit participation in the underground economy, reduce recidivism, and provide steady support to their children over time. A companion brief will outline specific child support strategies to help these parents reconnect to work and family. Download PDF
Nov 13, 2006 | Linda Harris with Charles Modiano, consultant Making the Juvenile Justice - Workforce System Connection for Re-entering Young Offenders: A Guide for Local Practice This guidebook is designed to provide advice from the field to communities who are interested in pursuing more formal connections--or strengthening existing connections--between the workforce and justice systems. It draws on experiences in eight communities and focuses on on-the-ground challenges and solutions related to blending the cultures, adapting programming, engaging employers, and meeting performance. Download PDF
Aug 29, 2006 | Jodie Levin-Epstein and Webb Lyons Targeting Poverty: Aim at a Bull's Eye Forty years after the war on poverty and a year after Katrina struck, commitments to tackle poverty are beginning to come back onto political and policy agendas. The report identifies efforts around the nation to set poverty targets -- numerical goals and timelines -- for the reduction or elimination of poverty. For example: In California, a 2006 bill calls for child poverty to be eliminated by 2026; in Connecticut, state law already establishes that child poverty is to be reduced by 50 percent by 2014. Among the reasons why poverty may be gaining attention is the increasing concern among many Americans that at some point they and their families may experience poverty. These and other issues are explored. Download PDF
Aug 17, 2006 | Evelyn Ganzglass Ten Years after Welfare Reform, It's Time to Make Work Work for Families On the 10th anniversary of passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, CLASP calls for the implementation of a more holistic set of strategies that truly expand opportunities for low-income families to move into the middle class and achieve the American dream. Download PDF
Feb 27, 2006 | Linda Harris Learning from the Youth Opportunity Experience: Executive Summary This brief summary accompanies the 50-page full report detailing the experiences of 22 communities that received U.S. Department of Labor Youth Opportunity Grants to support education, work exposure, and youth development for under-served young people. Download PDF
Feb 16, 2006 | Linda Harris Learning from the Youth Opportunity Experience: Building Delivery Capacity in Distressed Communities In 2000, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded significant Youth Opportunity (YO) Grants to 36 high-poverty urban, rural, and Native American communities. The grants were designed to serve all young people in these areas, regardless of income or connection to school or work. Communities were required to assess and integrate existing youth-serving systems and agencies to support education, work exposure, youth development, and other services for young people. Despite evidence of considerable community accomplishments, the YO grants were ended in 2005. This report, based on a survey of 22 of the 36 sites, examines the approaches' strengths, challenges, and lessons learned, and offers recommendations for policy and practice. The appendix of this report contains a brief description of the collaborative efforts in which these YO communities were engaged. Download PDF
Sep 20, 2005 | Linda Harris Campaign for Youth Issues Considerations for Youth and Communities Impacted by Hurricane This collective response from a coalition of national policy and advocacy organizations draws attention to the needs of the vulnerable youth impacted by Hurricane Katrina and makes a set of recommendations. Download PDF
Aug 19, 2005 | Linda Harris What's a Youngster to Do? The Education and Labor Market Plight of Youth in High-Poverty Communities Statistics show that many young adults in economically distressed communities are being left behind in educational systems and in the job market. This article highlights the magnitude of distress in selected communities and outlines a set of considerations for policy-making and action at the national and community level. Pub No. 05-40. 9 pages. August 2005. Download PDF
May 06, 2005 Audio Conference 05/06/2005 - Connecting Disconnected Youth and Disconnected Systems: Innovative Community Approaches Download Audio | Additional PDF
May 02, 2005 | Linda Harris Recommendations for Senate WIA Reauthorization: Title I Provisions Affecting Youth Congress is currently considering Workforce Investment Act (WIA) reauthorization proposals. In March, the House passed its WIA reauthorization bill, H.R. 27. In January, Senator Enzi introduced S. 9, which contains several improvements over current law with regard to service to youth. This document contains CLASP's key recommendations for further improvements to Title I youth provisions in S. 9. Download PDF
Aug 04, 2004 CLASP Audio Conference Transcript: Disconnected Youth: Educational Pathways to Reconnection (July 9, 2004) CLASP Senior Policy Analyst Linda Harris moderates a discussion about innovative ideas for reconnecting at-risk youth to education with Rob Ivry, Senior Vice President at MDRC; Laurel Dukehart, Manager of the Gateway to College Replication Project at Portland Community College; and Jack Wuest, Director of the Chicago Alternative Schools Network. Download PDF
Aug 28, 2003 | Linda Harris WIA Reauthorization Recommendations on Title I Youth Provisions The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 redirected the focus of youth programming from short-term programs to longer comprehensive interventions. Congress is scheduled to reauthorize the WIA legislation by September 30, 2003. The reauthorization of WIA provides the opportunity to define and refine the parameters of this country's youth development system and set the stage for increasing appropriations to a level commensurate with the need. It also provides the opportunity to strengthen the ability of states and local areas to implement comprehensive programs and systems as mandated by the legislation with a priority focus on youth who are disconnected, or most at risk of disconnecting, from the system and supports they need to be productive, self-sufficient, and responsible adults. This paper provides a short summary of reauthorization recommendations related to the youth provisions and includes a separate document that discusses the rationale for each recommendation. Download PDF
Jul 01, 2003 | Jodie Levin-Epstein and Mark H. Greenberg, Editors Leave No Youth Behind: Opportunities for Congress to Reach Disconnected Youth Too many young people are not on the path toward successful adulthood, and the U.S. has no coherent policy to help these disconnected youth become productive members of society. Estimates of the number of youth who are disconnected or at risk of becoming disconnected range from nearly 3 million to more than 7 million. This report offers recommendations to help disconnected youth in six programs being considered by the 108th Congress for reauthorization: the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, the Higher Education Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, and the Workforce Investment Act. It encourages federal policymakers to look across legislative initiatives to develop an integrated set of policies to address the needs of this population. The report concludes that the nation should commit itself to increase the proportion of young people who at age 25 (1) have a high school diploma and postsecondary degree or credential, (2) are employed in jobs with career advancement possibilities, and (3) are not engaged in adverse risk-taking behaviors. Download PDF