Washoe Country School District
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Ready For Life Action Report
Dear Washoe County School District,
Welcome to the first edition of the Washoe County Ready For Life (RFL) Action Report. This first bulletin provides information about the RFL movement in Washoe County--who we are, what we're doing, and why it matters. Links to additional resources and information are included, as are upcoming meeting and event dates. The information is intended to inform you as a youth, parent, business person, community organization, public agency, or policy maker so that you can take the steps necessary to ensure youth graduate school, are employed and connected to positive social supports by the age of 24.
Why does this work matter?
Consider this: Nevada ranks LAST in the nationin the percentage of
- Teens who are high school dropouts
- Teens not attending school and not working
- Young adults enrolled in or completed college
Nevada also ranks
- 48th in the nation in percentage of 25-29 year old high school graduates with a bachelor's degree or higher
- 44th in the nation in percentage of 18-24 year olds not attending school, not working, and no degree beyond high school
In 2008, more than 19,500 students dropped out of Nevada's high schools; the lost lifetime earnings total more than $5.1 billion.
Dropouts are more likely than high school graduates to be: unemployed, living in poverty, receiving welfare, in prison and parent children who dropout.
We hope you will find this issue of the Washoe County Ready For Life Action Report useful. Feel free to share it with others. We invite you to join us in our work to ensure all youth are Ready For Life.
- The Washoe County Ready For Life Executive Committee
Washoe County Ready for Life
Convened by the Nevada Public Education Foundation, our purpose is to re-engage and graduate students who have left school prematurely, support youth at risk of dropping out to continue and complete their education, and create a community ethic that values education.
Our Vision
Washoe County youth, especially those most at risk, are connected to positive social supports and employed at age 24. They are "Ready For Life."
Our Vision and Who We Are
Convened by the Nevada Public Education Foundation, our purpose is to re-engage and graduate students who have left school prematurely, support youth at risk of dropping out to continue and complete their education, and create a community ethic that values education.
Our Vision
Washoe County youth, especially those most at risk, are connected to positive social supports and employed at age 24. They are "Ready For Life."
Our Goals and Objectives
Goal: Potentially disconnected youth have improved educational outcomes and are knowledgeable, engaged, financially independent and employable.
Objectives:
- Foster youth are employed, continue education, and able to support themselves
- High school dropouts are re-engaged, obtain diplomas, and connected to a career or learning path
- Teen parents complete high school, continue education, and are employed
- New business opportunities provide economic development and personal/professional growth of individuals
Accomplishments
County and City Leaders Pledge Support - The Washoe County Commission, Washoe County School Board, and the City Councils for Sparks and Reno voted in January to support the Washoe County Ready For Life initiative. Reno City Councilwoman Jessica Sferazza, Sparks City Councilwoman Julia Ratti, Washoe County Commissioner Kitty Jung, and Washoe County School District Trustee Scott Kelley were formally appointed as liaisons to RFL.
Attendance Policy Barrier Removed - An attendance policy was changed so that teen parents may use an excused absence if their child is sick. In 2008 focus groups, Washoe County youth indicated increased absences due to caring for their sick child was a factor in feeling hopeless and leaving school.
Challenge Sponsorships - The Nevada Chapter of SHRM and the Sparks Chamber of Commerce, on behalf of Len Stevens, each donated $500 to the Washoe County Ready for Life initiative to use as challenge and seed money to create an internship for a student to provide administrative assistance to the Washoe RFL initiative. Scheduled to start in June, the RFL intern will be working with the Awareness Workgroup and Executive Committee to educate the community on RFL and how a little time can make a big difference. To join our internship sponsor challenge, contact Laura Granier at lgranier@lionelsawyer.com.
Formalized Collaboration Leading to High School Diploma - Sierra Nevada Job Corps (SNJC) provides students the skills needed to succeed in today's workforce. One of the most basic and critical is a high school diploma or GED. On January 14, 2009 a formal Memorandum of Understanding was signed between SNJC and Washoe County School District. Job Corps students are now able to enroll in the Washoe Adult High School Program to receive an adult diploma.
Increased Involvement with Charter Schools -The Washoe County School District Office of Secondary Education will work closely with the Public Policy, Accountability & Assessment workgroup to ensure that charter schools receive all information and technical assistance per NAC and NRS. Charter schools offer important educational options for youth who may be at risk of dropping out or who need an alternative structure for completing their education.
Female Inmates to Receive Education - Washoe Adult High School (WAHS) has assumed responsibility for the education of female inmates at Parr Boulevard, pending any changes due to budget shortfalls. WAHS will offer high-risk women an opportunity to connect to education and other supports necessary for future success. This is important, since more than 80% of America's prison population consists of high-school dropouts, and it costs approximately SIX TIMES MORE annually to incarcerate an individual than to educate him/her.
Dual Credit Eligible Grades Extended - the grades where students can receive Dual Credit (high school and college credits) have been increased. Previously, only 11th and 12th grade students could receive high school and college credits for completing college courses. Now freshman and sophomores can take advantage of the opportunity.
Increase in Number of Credits Allowed for Tech Prep Courses - Students in the 11th and 12th grades will now be able to earn 21 credits for Tech Prep classes, up from 15. Efforts are continuing to expand eligible grades to include 9th and 10th, with some sort of agreement or compromise anticipated in the next few months.
Business Speaks Up
What did we learn? Two items stand out.
- The most important characteristics desired by employers were honesty, communication skills and dependability. These "soft skills" were considered two to three times more important than other characteristics, including computer skills, ability to read and write, and following written/verbal instructions.
- Second, more than half of the businesses responding (65) offer some type of learning opportunity for youth, including unpaid internships, job shadowing, coaching/mentoring, or paid internships. Other businesses are interested in offering learning opportunities if barriers of cost, support, and supervision can be addressed. The Washoe County RFL Business Survey is being replicated in Clark County - another example of leveraging resources to achieve a shared vision.
Outreach and Awareness
Washoe County RFL Interviewed on SNCAT -Shayne Del Cohen interviewed RFL representatives about the impacts and issues facing Nevada due to the our high dropout and low graduation rates, and what the Washoe County RFL movement is doing about it. If you missed the interview, you can click on this link http://www.sncat.org/Video.php?id=71. Once on the page, click on the "We the People: Ready for Life" interview picture and the video will begin.
Grass Roots Lobby Days - Sunday March 8th, Washoe County RFL and the Nevada Public Education Foundation joined with the Nevada Women's Lobby to educate individuals about the RFL movement and turning the tide on high school dropouts. More than 150 people attended the RFL session. Now groups from Douglas and Elko Counties want to know how to become a part of the statewide effort to ensure their communities' youth are Ready For Life.
Reno Rotary - More than 100 business and civic leaders attended a presentation about Nevada's dropout crisis and what an inclusive collection of family members, youth, business owners, policy makers, educators, counselors, community activists, public and nonprofit service providers can do about it.
Join RFL Workgroup
Useful Links and ContactsAwareness, Community Services & Supports - Focused on expanding community based programs, services outreach and resources for at-risk youth. Chris Melloway Ready4Life@washoecounty.us
Education - Focused on expanding nontraditional, alternative educational settings; increasing the number of youth graduating from high school and continuing on an educational path; and increasing employability skills. Juanita Ydiando jydiando@washoe.k12.nv.us
Employment - Focused on expanding business community partnerships and developing tools to assist business in offering internships and training opportunities. Susan Fix susan.fix@appliedstaffing.com
Policy, Sustainability & Systems Change - Focused on increasing occurrences of flexible schedules and hours [for education and training], identifying needed changes in organizational, county or state policies or laws to improve educational and employment outcomes for youth; expanding and coordinating data systems & information sharing to better serve youth. Denise Hedrick dhedrick@washoe.k12.nv.us
Nevada Public Education Foundation (NPEF) http://www.readyforlifenv.org/ - Information about Ready for Life in Nevada, the Nevada Public Education Foundation, and access to the Ready for Life Resource Map of services for youth.
Washoe County RFL Needs Assessment (2008)
Click on this link to access the Needs Assessment: Washoe County Ready for Life - Assessment of Needs and Conditions for Washoe County's Most Vulnerable Youth
America's Promise Alliance http://www.americaspromise.org/APA.aspx - Information about the multi-sector, national collaborative efforts related to educational outcome, links to studies and other information.
Nevada Volunteers http://www.nevadavolunteers.org - Website offers a place for nonprofit organizations to recruit volunteers. Any 501(c)(3) can register as an organization and post volunteer opportunities.
This newsletter was compiled and edited by Social Entrepreneurs, Inc. (SEI), www.socialent.com. SEI provides project coordination and support to the Washoe County RFL initiative.
