bbf community action plan

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Creating Educational Excel lence and Equit y

SEPTEMBER 2008

B U I L D I N G B R I G H T F U T U R E S

Community Action Plan

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2008 COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN 1

Community Action PlanB U I L D I N G B R I G H T F U T U R E S

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mr. Richard Holland, Chairman; Mr. Michael Yanney, President; Ms. Susie Buffett; Mayor Mike

Fahey; Ms. Andy Holland; Mrs. Dianne Lozier; Mr. Wally Weitz; Mrs. Barbara Weitz; Mrs. Katie

Weitz-White, Secretary; Mr. John Cavanaugh, Executive Director and Vice-president.

TASK FORCES

Making the Most of Early Childhood

• Chair: Jessie Rasmussen, Vice-president of the Buffett Early Childhood Fund.

• Vice-chair: Dr. Thomas Tonniges, Medical Director of the Boys Town National Research Hospital’s

Institute for Child Health Improvement.

Providing Academic Support and Career Awareness

• Chair: Dr. John Christensen, Chancellor University of Nebraska – Omaha.

• Vice-chair: Ben Gray, Newsman and Community Leader.

After-School Mentoring and Tutoring for Excellence

• Chair: Mike Fahey, Mayor of Omaha.

• Vice-chair: Rebecca Valdez, Executive Director, Latino Center of the Midlands.

Reducing Truancy and Recovering Lost Youth

• Chair: Dr. Jerry Bartee, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services at Omaha Public Schools.

• Vice-chair: Kim Hawekotte, Deputy Douglas County Attorney.

Addressing Adolescent Behavioral Health

• Chair: Dr. Rubens Pamies, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of Nebraska Medical Center.

• Vice-chair: Dr. Richard O’Brien, Professor at Creighton University’s Center for Health Policy and Ethics.

SEPTEMBER 2008

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2 BUILDING BRIGHT FUTURES

6,000

3,840

2,188

10,000

How Bright Futures Grow DimEducational Path for All Students in Douglas-Sarpy Counties

EnterCollege

CollegeGraduates

High SchoolGraduates

Births Prepared forKindegarten

6,500

Parents and students living in Nebraska’s two most populous counties have much to be proud of –

yet nearly as much to be concerned about – when it comes to public education.

Each year there are 10,000 live births in Douglas and Sarpy Counties, which comprise the greater

Omaha Metropolitan area. Theoretically each of those babies faces “a bright future,” but the reality is that

3,500 of them are born into poverty.

When it comes to early learning, preschool, kindergarten and K-through-12 experience, poverty

presents parents, students and schools with huge obstacles and challenges. Poverty impedes chances

for early childhood development, readiness for education, acquisition of basic skills – such as math

and reading – and too often it kills promising young people as well.

Building Bright Futures is a community-wide initiative built on the recognition by some of Nebras-

ka’s most committed residents that meeting all of the challenges to academic excellence is essential to

our community’s future success.

This community recognizes that:

• Poverty brings a lack of opportunity that leads to lack of wholesome family experiences and such

vagaries as limited exposure to proper language and similar growth-encouraging experiences in the

home.

• A child in poverty doesn’t

receive good health care,

nutrition, emotional support

or adult role-modeling.

• Poverty all but guarantees

a child will fall behind and

will be unprepared, even at

ages 1 to 3, for “normal” ac-

quisition of knowledge and,

thus, for school.

• Sophisticated studies spon-

sored by Building Bright Fu-

tures demonstrate the dramatic downward spiral of academic performance that begins when chil-

dren fall behind in their earliest years.

Most of the 6,500 babies born each year into families living above the poverty line will arrive at

school ready to learn and have a positive educational experience through 12th grade. Most will grad-

uate from high school, and many of those will go to college.

Those in poverty, who start behind the curve, most often remain that way. They don’t catch up.

Their chances die somewhere on the educational vine.

The numbers are sobering. Of the 3,500 born into poverty, few will reach preschool or kinder-

garten prepared to learn. By elementary school, academic failure is a strong possibility. About one-

third of them will not be able to read or do math at grade level by mid-elementary school. By 9th

OverviewContentsOverview 2

The Report 5

1. Building Bright Futures 5

2. Ready For Learning 10

3. Ready For Life 32

4. Ready For Work 48

5. Footnotes 59

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grade, failure is almost assured. Nearly half of this group will drop out. Only a small percentage will

graduate from high school and a few hundred – of the 3,500 – will go on to college.

The numbers are even more strik-

ing among ethnic minority groups. Afri-

can-American students, with 77 percent

now living in poverty, will see 1,131 enter

kindergarten each year, but only 99 of

those will graduate from college. The drop

is even sharper among African-American

males.

Among Latino students, about 1,045

will enter kindergarten and about 76 of

those will graduate from college. Male

students will experience greater academic

failure in this group as well.

Building Bright Futures proposes an

all-encompassing approach of systematic

interventions across the entire education-

al experience in order to deal with aca-

demic failure. Providing an early childhood

development opportunity for the young-

est children of poverty is an essential first

step. So is providing after-school programs,

plus tutoring and mentoring for older

students.

But the problems already are resident in every age group from birth to 18 and in every grade. So

a birth-through-12th-grade solution is an absolute necessity. And support for low-income students

who want to go on to college is just

as critical.

Bright futures that have grown

dim due to poverty and its vagaries

can be brightened again because

there is a flipside to the story. As

surely as 3 precedes 4, interventions

at each turn of the educational spec-

trum can and will produce positive re-

sults. The downward trend in aca-

demic performance can be turned by:

• Significantly expanding high-quality early childhood education programs to ensure that children in

poverty arrive at kindergarten on par with other students.

• Ensuring via a comprehensive program of academic support that nothing is missed throughout the

entire academic experience, including reading and math proficiency.

As surely as 3 precedes 4, in-

terventions at each turn of

the educational spectrum can

and will produce positive re-

sults. The downward trend in

academic performance can

be turned.

1,131

588

329

99

African American StudentsProjection Based on Current Trends


EnterCollege

CollegeGraduates

Kindergarten

1,045

491

255

76

Latino StudentsProjection Based on Current Trends


EnterCollege

CollegeGraduates

Kindergarten

2002-2007 Students (OPS)Eligible for Free/Reduced-Priced Lunch

School Year

Perc

ent

‘0345

55

65

75

‘04

85

‘02 ‘07‘06‘05

African American Hispanic American Total All Groups

81.2%

77.7%

60.1%


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1,750

1,120

336

3,500

How Dim Futures Grow Bright


EnterCollege

CollegeGraduates

Kindergarten(Prepared)

Born intoPoverty

3,500 3,325

2,494

1,871

Before BBF InterventionAfter BBF Intervention

500

Educational Path for All Students in Douglas-Sarpy Counties

(After Building Bright Futures intervention)

EnterCollege

CollegeGraduates


Births Prepared forKindegarten

Students in Poverty After Building Bright Futures Intervention

(Opportunity raises the bar for children in poverty)

10,000

6,500

10,000

6,000

9.500

7,125

3,840

2,188

5,343

Before BBF InterventionAfter BBF Intervention

• Expanding after-school tu-

toring and mentoring to

serve all students in need of

extra help in elementary and

high schools.

• Guaranteeing that the phy-

sical, behavioral and emo-

tional health needs of all

children are delivered.

• Dealing with barriers to ed-

ucational success, such as

truancy, fairly and firmly, and

virtually eliminating the prob-

lem of absenteeism.

• Making sure that all low-in-

come high school graduates

have access to financial sup-

port to enter and succeed in

post-secondary education.

This Community Action Plan

is the result of community-

wide engagement with parents,

teachers, students, school administrators and community leaders working to identify needs, best

practices and consensus.

NEBRASKA

635,000 – Two-county Population120,000 – Two-county Student Population

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BUILDING BRIGHT FUTURES is a comprehensive initiative that will provide all Omaha area youth with high-quality education, care and support so they can learn, prepare for work and build productive lives.

Building Bright Futures (BBF) is a comprehensive initiative to provide all of Douglas and Sarpy

Counties’ young people with access to high-quality education.

We confront two great challenges:

• Creating a community of economic and educational equity.

• Preparing young people for the increasingly competitive global economy.

Building on our community’s many strengths, we will provide a community catalyst for comprehen-

sive change. Starting at birth and continuing through 12th grade, Building Bright Futures is directed

at bringing all elements of the metropolitan community together.

The Omaha metropolitan area enjoys a vibrant economy with many attractive jobs. We are home

to one of the nation’s leading early childhood education programs; excellent schools are found across

Douglas and Sarpy Counties; and we have strong universities, vocational training providers and research

centers. We are blessed with a rich cultural, religious and civic life. Most important, the Omaha com-

munity has already demonstrated its commitment

to our youth through early childhood education,

numerous mentoring, after-school and other sup-

port programs. Every day, more than 33,000 young

people attend after-school programs, either at

their school or at more than 75 service agencies.

But the benefits of these efforts do not extend

to all Omaha youth. As is the case in most cities,

there are gaps in school readiness, educational

achievement, and employment among low-in-

come and minority youth and their more-affluent

peers. Building Bright Futures is dedicated to clos-

ing these gaps. We will promote equity in services and resources so that all youth will have the oppor-

tunity to succeed, and we will pursue excellence for all children and youth so everyone will improve.

WE FACE A FORMIDABLE – but surmountable – challenge in keeping all our children and youth on track to academic and career success.

The greater Omaha area, encompassing Douglas and Sarpy Counties, is a large and diverse com-

munity. We have a population of more than 600,000 people, 172,000 youth under age 18, and 120,000

students in 11 local school districts and many private schools. More than a third of all students are in the

Omaha Public Schools (OPS), the area’s largest district. OPS also has the highest concentration of poor

students, about 75 percent of the total in Douglas and Sarpy Counties.

Goals of Building Bright Futures 1. Improve academic achievement.

2. Increase the number of students who graduate

from high school prepared for work or post-

secondary education.

3. Provide post-secondary educational oppor-

tunities to every economically disadvantaged

high school graduate in the two-county area.

4. Increase civic participation and community

responsibility.

1. Building Bright FuturesOrigin of Building Bright Futures:

A Desire to Help Omaha’s Youth Reach Their Potential

Building Bright Futures began in 2006,

when a group of business, civic and po-

litical leaders came together to assess

the status of our youth and ask whether

young people were receiving the sup-

port and services they needed. Leading

this effort at the outset were Omaha

Mayor Mike Fahey and a group of com-

mitted citizens, including Richard Hol-

land, Michael Yanney, Susie Buffett, Mary

Ann “Andy” Holland, Wally and Barbara

Weitz and Dianne Lozier.


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Most of our young people are progressing through school well and becoming productive members

of our community. But many others face obstacles in their lives. As the first step, BBF asked how many

young people need extra support – and at what points in their development they need it.a

The results were sobering: Too many Omaha-area youth are at risk of failure. At every point in the

pipeline – at every stage of the developmental continuum from birth through young adulthood –

unacceptable numbers of children and youth are “leaking” out of the system. And these failures are

cumulative – students who do not succeed in one stage of life are at higher risk of failure in the next

stage.

In Douglas and Sarpy Counties, about 15,000 children in low-income families under age 5 do

not receive high-quality early care and education. About 3,500 of these children are not pre-

pared for school. Students who enter school unprepared are more likely to fall behind – by the

fourth grade, more than 1,000 students in the two-county area have not yet mastered basic reading

skills. Young students who do not read well face challenges across the curriculum, especially as they

move up grade levels. In middle school, for example, we still have more than 800 students struggling

in math. Students who struggle as they leave middle school are at risk of failure in high school, and

students who fail courses in the ninth grade are off track for graduation. In OPS alone, more than a

quarter of students are off track by the end of ninth grade, increasing the likelihood that they will

drop out of high school. Indeed, 1,273 students in the two-county area dropped out of school in

2006-2007. 1

THESE CHALLENGES AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY, so we asked the com-munity to help.

Birth/Early Learning

MiddleSchool

Post Secondary

ElementarySchool

SchoolReadiness

HighSchool

15,000 children

under age 5without high-quality early

child care and education

3,500 childrennot ready for school

1,083 4th

gradersstruggle with

reading

817 8th

gradersstruggle with

math

1,200 9th

gradersfail to

advance

1,273 students

dropped out in 2006-2007

Scope of the Challenge


a A preliminary inventory of community resources and needs, Investing in Omaha’s Children and Youth: A Master Plan (SRI Inter- national, April 2007), can be accessed at http//:buildingbrightfutures.net.

Douglas and Sarpy Counties at a Glance (2006-2007) Total Children K-12 Low-income Population under Age 18 Students Children

Douglas County 492,003 131,365 97,613 52,007

Sarpy County 142,637 40,509 23,070 8,422

Total 634,640 171,874 120,683 60,829

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts, 2006 (http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/31/31055.html); J. M. Johnston, Kids Count in Nebraska (Omaha, NE: Voices for Children, 2007); Archdiocese of Omaha, Catholic Schools Office; Nebraska Department of Edu-cation, 2006-2007 State of the Schools Report (http://reportcard.nde.state.ne.us/Main/Home.aspx).

In Douglas and Sarpy

Counties, about 15,000

children in low-income

families under age 5 do

not receive high-quality

early care and education.

We estimate that about

3,500 of these children

are not well prepared for

school.

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TASK FORCE Input

To overcome these challenges, a collaborative working relationship has been established with the

Sherwood Foundation and we enlisted the help of our citizens. A cross-section of community mem-

bers was convened and five task forces were formed, each of which identified a set of recommenda-

tions to address the varied needs of our young people:

Making the Most of Early Childhood to ensure that all low-income children receive high-quality early

care and education so they are prepared for school.

Providing Academic Support and Career Awareness to help all students graduate from the K-12

system ready to pursue a career or advanced education.

After-school Mentoring and Tutoring for Excellence to ensure that all vulnerable youth receive high-

quality academic support and services, including access to a tutor, mentor or professional advisor.

Reducing Truancy and Recovering Lost Youth to minimize absences and keep youth in school, and

to redirect youth offenders back into school.

Addressing Youth Behavioral Health by providing access to health and better mental health and

substance abuse support services, to youth and their families, including early identification and proper

referral, crisis intervention and support.

An additional group was formed to devise a strategy for providing Omaha’s graduating seniors with

the resources they need to continue their education after high school at technical and professional

schools, colleges and universities.

COMMUNITY Outreach

To deepen community involvement, 15 community forums were organized that were attended by

more than 1,200 persons from December 2007 through April 2008. These forums were held in a variety

of neighborhoods throughout Douglas and Sarpy Counties, and many of them included a light meal

and child care to encourage working parents to attend. Community members told us their concerns and

rated the importance of issues facing our region and young people. These efforts resulted in the identi-

fication of a broad community-wide consensus on critical needs and recommendations and identifica-

tion of particular needs of local communities. All of these are incorporated in this community action plan.

BUILDING BRIGHT FUTURES has developed an action plan that aims to meet our challenges and prepare our youth for success.

The task force and community recommendations converged into three broad areas:

• Ready for Learning – recommendations that support a life-long process of social-emotional

and cognitive development.

• Ready for Life – recommendations that address physical, social-emotional, civic and cul-

tural development from birth through adolescence.

• Ready for Work – recommendations that support career development and offer multiple

pathways to post-secondary success.

Together, the recommendations in these areas constitute the action plan for Building Bright Futures.

By addressing the developmental needs of infants, children and youth, this action plan will enable us

to meet our goals.

Community meetings (photos above) were held throughout the two-county area.


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Ready For Learning

()

Ready For Life

(Page 32)

Ready For Work(Page 48)

Scope of the Challenge in Douglas and Sarpy Counties

• 14,561 low-income children under age 5 are not served by state and federally funded early care and education (ECE) programs.

• Public school students below proficiency :

– 4th grade: 1,083 in reading, 782 in math.

– 8th grade: 860 in reading, 834 in math.

– 11th grade: 1,051 in reading, 976 in math.

• An average of 6,582 public school students absent each day.

• 4,561 dropped out from 2003 to 2006.

• 17,187 children lack health insurance; 82,000 lack a regular health care provider.

• 21,000 children and adolescents need, but do not receive, intervention or treatment services.

• 8,000 vulnerable youth need mentors.

• 39,144 youth are unsupervised after school.

• 1,500 OPS 10th-graders need help making post-high school plans.

• 12,182 young adults ages 18-24 have not completed high school.

• 19,024 high school graduates ages 18- 24 have no post-secondary education.

Building Bright Futures Action Plan

1. Increase low-income families’ access to high-quality, comprehensive ECE programs.

2. Ensure teacher quality, strong curricula and early removal of impediments to academic achievement.

3. Provide more time and opportunities for learning.

4. Improve school attendance.

5. Support students through critical academic transitions.

6. Develop immediate programs for credit rescue and recovery.

7. Increase access to health care coverage.

8. Support healthy development through developmental screening and prevention.

9. Increase access to behavioral health services in schools and communities for all children from infancy through age 18.

10. Equip families to support healthy child development.

11. Promote more mentoring relationships.

12. Expand enrollment in after-school programs.

13. Emphasize early career awareness and career planning.

14. Strengthen career and technical education and work opportunities.

15. Develop programs to bridge the transition from high school to post- secondary education and training.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey (http://www.census.gov/acs/www/); Nebraska Department of Education, 2006-2007 State of the Schools Report (http://reportcard.nde.state.ne.us/Main/Home.aspx); Nebraska Department of Education, Nebraska Head Start Programs (http://www.nde.state.ne.us/ech/HeadStart/nestats.html); Nebraska National Survey of Children’s Health, 2005 Parent Report Survey (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/slaits/nsch.htm); Department of Health and Human Services. Mental health: A report of the Surgeon General. (Rockville, MD: DHHS, 1999) (http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/home.html); J. M. Johnston, Kids Count in Nebraska (Omaha, NE: Voices for Children, 2007); Deichert, J., Rolf, K. & Smith, R.L. 2006 Omaha youth afterschool needs assessment.(Omaha, NE: University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2007); Omaha Public Schools Office of Research.

PUTTING OUR PLANS IN PLACE will require an unprecedented, compre-hensive initiative that involves the entire community.

We have made enormous progress since 2006. Thousands of Omaha-area residents responded to

our call for thoughtful insight into how best to support our young people. This effort has resulted in


Summary – Task Force Recommendations

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15 comprehensive recommendations designed to ensure that all our children and youth are ready for

learning, ready for life and ready for work. Our movement forward calls for even greater effort, requiring

continuous community support and necessitating high levels of cooperation between the public and

private sectors.

Now is the time for action. Our immediate next steps will be to:

• Develop a 5-year program and financial model, including a detailed timeline for rolling

out the specific recommendations and identifying funding needs for each program area.

• Begin funding process at local, state and national levels, including identifying specific

funding sources for individual initiatives.

• Create a data tracking and performance measurement system to monitor our progress.

We will develop and implement a data tracking system across agencies and organizations

(e.g., schools, after-school providers and the juvenile justice system). We will use the system

to assess our progress against pre-established benchmarks for success (e.g., 95 percent

attendance rate).

Building Bright Futures is committed to this action plan because we are committed to seeing all

our youth realize their full potential and enjoy productive lives. With Omaha’s many strengths, we are

confident of success.

Guiding Principles of Building Bright Futures

1. Involve families and communities in meaningful ways.

2. Develop culturally responsive programs that build on the strengths of youth, families and

communities.

3. Focus on quality so every program is of the highest caliber.

4. Provide professional development so that professionals working with children – teachers, coun-

selors, mentors and others – receive the training and support they need to be successful.

5. Emphasize early identification of developmental or academic delays or difficulties so children

can benefit from effective early intervention.

6. Connect every child in the two-county area with a highly trained, caring and competent pro-

fessional (e.g., academic counselor or social worker) who provides advice, support and referrals

to services as needed.

7. Create a robust infrastructure that emphasizes sharing information across programs to ensure

coordinated services for children and youth.

• Develop a 5-year program

and financial model.

• Begin funding process at

local, state and national

levels.

• Create a data tracking and

performance measurement

system.


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2. Ready For LearningBEING READY FOR LEARNING means achieving school readiness in early childhood, developing positive attitudes and engagement with schooling, and making steady progress in gaining new knowledge and skills.

People can and should learn at every stage of their lives. Being ready to learn at any age requires age-

appropriate cognitive and social-emotional development.2 The time from birth through preschool

is critical for brain development. At this stage of life, brain development is directly related to the nu-

tritional, medical, emotional and intellectual support that the child receives from parents, extended

family and community.3 Once they enter elementary school, students need sustained support and en-

couragement from parents and other adults to maintain a positive attachment to school and a strong

motivation to achieve academically.4 Mastery of basic skills in reading and mathematics in the early

elementary grades is the foundation for later academic and life success.5 As students progress to high

school, they continue to need support from parents and a positive attachment to school, rigorous and

relevant curriculum and instruction delivered by caring and competent teachers, and strong motivation

to learn and achieve. 6

The keys to school success and life-long learning include the following:

• School readiness. Infants, toddlers and preschool children need the care, experiences

and learning environments necessary for healthy physical, social, emotional, language, lit-

eracy and cognitive development.

• School engagement. To be fully engaged in school learning, children need to develop

positive attitudes and feelings of safety and comfort in the school environment, as well as

motivation to learn and achieve academically.

• Academic development. Success in school and life-long learning requires mastery of foun-

dation skills (especially reading and mathematics), steady growth and development in

knowledge and in the organization of knowledge, and development of active learning stra-

tegies and skills.

For infants and preschool children to develop readiness for school learning, they need support from

parents and families, as well as from other caring and competent adults in the community. To sustain

school engagement and make steady academic progress, students need strong parental (and other

adult) support; teachers who are competent instructors and can relate to the cultural background of

the students, families and communities served by the school; and rigorous and relevant curriculum and

instruction.

ENSURING THAT ALL CHILDREN are ready for learning requires a broad range of supports for children, families and schools in Douglas and Sarpy Counties.

Some children in Douglas and Sarpy Counties face particular challenges in early childhood and el-

ementary school. We estimate that roughly 3,500 children in low-income families in the two counties

are not ready for learning when they start school.7


The keys to school suc-

cess and life-long learn-

ing include the following:

• School readiness.

• School engagement.

• Academic development.

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There is a strong correlation between poverty and low academic achievement.8 At least half of the

achievement gaps demonstrated in school-age children already exist when children enter kindergar-

ten. 9 Children who have not experienced high-quality early care and education (ECE) – often because

of limited family resources – fall behind their peers in elementary school reading and math. Children

who live in low-income families and neighborhoods experience a high level of stress associated with

high mobility, disengagement, frequent absences from school, truancy and suspensions.10 In addition,

lack of access to quality health care and affordable quality housing, and exposure to violence provide

additional impediments to academic success.

Interrupted learning contributes directly to poor academic performance, course failure, and, eventu-

ally, to low rates of graduation among low-income and ethnic minority students.

THE BUILDING BRIGHT FUTURES task forces proposed a range of solu-tions to help Omaha children and youth get ready for learning.

These solutions include the following:

• RECOMMENDATION 1: Increase low-income families’ access to high-quality, comprehensive

early care and education programs.

• RECOMMENDATION 2: Ensure teacher quality, strong curricula and early identification of

impediments to academic achievement.

• RECOMMENDATION 3: Provide more time and opportunities for learning.

• RECOMMENDATION 4: Improve school attendance.

• RECOMMENDATION 5: Support students through critical academic transitions.

• RECOMMENDATION 6: Develop immediate programs for credit rescue and recovery.

In the remainder of this chapter, we will discuss these recommendations. For each recommendation,

What Children Need

School Readiness

School Engagement

Academic Development

What’s Needed to Resolve the Problem

Access to high-quality ECE programs.

Improved attendance.

Support through critical academic

transitions.

Early identification of impediments to

academic achievement.

More learning time.

Immediate credit rescue and recovery.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey (http://www.census.gov/acs/www/); Nebraska Department of Education, 2006-2007 State of the Schools Report (http://reportcard.nde.state.ne.us/Main/Home.aspx); Nebraska Department of Education, Nebraska Head Start Programs (http://www.nde.state.ne.us/ech/HeadStart/nestats.html).

Being Ready for Learning: Needs and Challenges Scope of the Challenge

(Douglas and Sarpy Counties)

• 14,561 children under 5 in low-income families are not served by state and federally funded programs.

• ECE programs (8,736 0-3-year-olds; 5,824 3-5-year- olds).

• An average of 6,582 public school students are absent each day.

• 1,452 OPS elementary students are suspended.

• 4,561 students dropped out of school from 2003 to 2006.

• 1,083 public school 4th-graders are below proficiency level in reading.

• 782 public school 4th-graders are below proficiency level in math.

• 1,200 OPS 9th-graders fail courses and lack credits needed to advance to 10th grade.


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we provide a rationale for its importance, identify the scope of the problem or the target population in

Douglas and Sarpy Counties, list the specific recommendations from the BBF task forces, and summarize

some effective practices related to the recommendation.

RECOMMENDATION 1: Increase Low-Income Families’ Access to High-Quality, Comprehensive Early Care and Education Programs

THE MOST RAPID PERIOD of brain development occurs in the first 5 years of life.

This critical period sets the stage for life developments and provides the foundation for later learn-

ing and success in school. To be able to learn and grow, and to be ready for academic success in school,

all children need the following:

• Exposure to responsive, loving adults.

• A language- and literacy-rich environment.

• Opportunities to be physically active.

• Good nutrition.

• Safe, stable and predictable environments.

• Comprehensive health care.

IT IS EASIER FOR FAMILIES with resources to provide optimal early child-hood experiences that prepare their children for school.

Physical health, social development, mo-

tivation levels and home environment in the

first 5 years are predictors of school readi-

ness. In one of the largest national studies

of children’s school readiness, children with

higher scores on tests of school readiness

were more likely to:

• Have a parent who has at least a

high school degree;

• Have both parents living in the

home;

• Have 10 or more books in the

home; and

• Live in a home where English is

the primary language spoken. 11

These home and family characteristics

are usually associated with having more

resources. Children whose families struggle

with poverty and insufficient income have

29%

22%

49%

Early Childhood Education Priority

0-3 & 3-5 years areequally important

0-3 years ismore important

3-5 years ismore important

Priority for Early ChildhoodParticipants were asked about their relative priority

for 0 to 3 or 3 to 5. Almost 50% scored them equally,

29% said that 3 to 5 was more important, and 22%

said that 0 to 3 was most important.

Access to quality ECE was identified as a priority.

Community Input

HIGHLIGHTS


Physical health, social

development, motivation

levels and home envi-

ronment in the first 5

years are predictors of

school readiness.

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a harder time providing optimal early learning experiences and opportunities. In Douglas and Sarpy

Counties, more than 18,000 children under the age of 5 live in low-income households.

HIGH-QUALITY EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS improve school readiness and reduce later academic achievement gaps for low- income children.

The quality of care and education that children receive during the first 5 years of life directly affects

their development and school readiness. Improving school readiness can reduce later gaps in academic

achievement and prevent these gaps from widening. Pathways to achieving this goal include bringing

more books into homes, working with parents to improve early literacy practices and interactions with

their children, and increasing children’s participation in high-quality ECE programs that offer opportu-

nities for cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development and learning.

High-quality ECE programs prepare children for success in school. These include Head Start pro-

grams, child care centers, preschools, family-based child care and any other early learning experiences

in which a young child participates. More than 14,500 children from low-income families in Douglas

and Sarpy Counties do not attend high-quality ECE programs. Those children do not reap the benefits

of qualified providers and teachers. Children not in high-quality ECE programs have less exposure to

language- and literacy-rich environments and fewer opportunities to be physically active. High-qual-

ity programs can help children by facilitating good nutrition and providing them with safe, stable and

predictable environments in which to grow and develop. Lacking the support and benefits that high-

quality ECE can provide, more than 3,500 children begin kindergarten unprepared for success. Most of

them will never catch up.

IN THE TWO-COUNTY AREA, only 20 percent of children living in low- income families attend state or federally funded ECE programs such as Head Start.

Families that are at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) have access to federally

funded programs such as Early Head Start, which serves children from birth to 3 years, and Head Start,

which serves children ages 3 to 5. To be eligible to attend pre-K classrooms (formal educational pro-

grams operated by local school districts), a family in Nebraska must meet federal free or reduced-price

lunch guidelines (family income less than 185 percent of FPL).

Of the 18,328 children in families that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, only 20 percent are

served in Head Start, Early Head Start or Educare programs (1,195) or in pre-K classrooms in the public

schools (2,572). In Douglas and Sarpy Counties, 8,736 low-income infants and toddlers (ages 0-3) and

5,824 low-income preschoolers (ages 3-5) are unserved by high-quality ECE programs.

Low-Income Children Under Age 5 in Douglas and Sarpy Counties Low-Income Children Children Under Age 5 Under Age 5

Douglas County 40,172 15,908

Sarpy County 11,639 2,420

Total 51,811 18,328Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2006. Population is children under 5 for whom poverty status is known. Participation of Low-income

Children in the Douglas and Sarpy County

Pre-Kindergarten and Head Start/ Early Head Start Programs, 2007

Number Number in not in Programs Programs

Ages 0-3 years (Early Head Start) 180 8,736

Ages 3-5 years (pre-Kindergarten and Head Start) 3,587 5,824

Total 3,767 14,560Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Communi- ty Survey (http://www.census.gov/acs/www/); Nebraska Department of Education, Nebraska Head Start Pro-grams (http://www.nde.state.ne.us/ech/HeadStart/nes-tats.html). Number of children not in ECE programs is estimated based on total number of children under age 5 in low-income families in the two-county area.


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CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES provide financial support to the families of 6,000 children in the two-county area.

Many children and families benefit from grants funded by the federal Child Care and Development

Fund (CCDF) and administered by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. To qualify

for a subsidy, the parent or caregiver must be employed, attending school or training, receiving medical

or counseling services, or incapacitated. If a family has not received Aid to Dependent Children (ADC)

assistance within the past 6 months and its gross income is below 120 percent of FPL, it is eligible for a

child care subsidy. This is the lowest eligibility standard in the nation.

During 2006, more than 6,000 children in Douglas and Sarpy Counties were served by the child care

subsidy.12 Two-thirds of these children were infants and toddlers (ages 0-3) and the remaining third

were preschool-age children (ages 3-5). Child care subsidies were used at 289 family-based child care

programs and 183 center-based child care programs.

Many more families sorely need subsidies to pay for child care. Low-income or “working poor” fami-

lies that are not eligible for federally funded programs struggle to pay for high-quality care for their chil-

dren. For these families, child care is estimated to be about 20 percent of the household budget.13 Policy

recommendations include raising the rate of eligibility from 120 percent of FPL to 185 percent and

extending the length of time a family can receive the child care subsidy without having to requalify.

MANY CHILDREN ARE SERVED IN ECE PROGRAMS of unknown or variable quality.

National estimates suggest that as many as 40 percent of children from low-income

families are cared for by family, friends or neighbors in family-based programs, and another 34

percent attend licensed center-based ECE programs for part or all of the day.14 There are more

than 800 family-based child care programs and 428 center-based programs in Douglas and Sarpy

Counties. Nearly all the family-based programs serve infants and toddlers, but fewer than half of the

center-based programs do.

Child care quality varies depending on the type of program (family-based versus center-

based), the licensing or regulatory standards of the governing agency, and the teachers and staff

who provide the care. Many family-based child care arrangements are unregulated or unlicensed,

and many center-based programs meet only the minimum state health and safety standards. Pro-

grams have a hard time attracting and retaining qualified staff members who are knowledgeable and

well trained, and who can provide high-quality care.

INCREASING ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY ECE PROGRAMS for children in low-income families should be a priority.

Three broad approaches have been used to improve children’s access to high-quality ECE programs:

1. Increase the supply of high-quality ECE programs. Strategies include providing incentives

for high-quality programs to serve more children, funding the infrastructure, and funding

supports to increase capacity or intensity of programming.

2. Improve the quality of existing programs. Strategies include providing incentives for pro-

grams; providing technical assistance and infrastructure support; developing and expanding


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training and educational opportunities for providers/teachers (e.g., providing scholarships

for providers to obtain 2-year or 4-year college degrees or offering professional develop-

ment workshops or training on specific topics of interest – children with special needs,

English learners, challenging behavior problems, early literacy) and reducing turnover by

improving parity and benefits for the early childhood workforce.

3. Increase families’ access to high-quality ECE programs. Strategies in this area have not been

Task Force Recommendations To Increase Family Access to High-Quality Early Care and Education:

1. Increase parental involvement.

2. Enhance parenting skills with home visitation.

3. Increase access to developmental screening.

4. Increase the number of children with health

insurance.

5. Expand education and professional develop-

ment opportunities.

Additional Community Priorities

1. Support and provide resources for parents,

single mothers and families (address eco-

nomics, jobs, resources, transportation.)

2. Recognize and support parental ownership,

Community Input

HIGHLIGHTS (EARLY CHILDHOOD)

accountability and responsibility.

3. Build trust between parents and school.

4. Help provide access to high-quality child care

(free preschool, universal early child care,

encourage reading in daycare, help parents

identify what they should do with children

at an early age.)

5. Increase and improve pay, benefits and in-

centives for early child care workers.

6. Provide school-based clinics.

7. Develop specific plans for foster care and

wards of the state.

Community Rankings of BBF Task Force Recommendations

Three broad approaches have

been used to improve chil-

dren’s access to high-quality

ECE programs:

1. Increase the supply of high-

quality ECE programs.

2. Improve the quality of exist-

ing programs.

3. Increase families’ access to

high-quality ECE programs.

• Increase access for 0-3 year olds to high-qual-

ity ECE programs.

• Increase access for 3 and 4 year-olds to high-

quality ECE programs.

• Provide scholarships to attend high-quality

ECE programs.

• Acquire full funding for the Early Childhood

Education Endowment, which will fund high-

quality services for children ages 0-3.

• Improve the quality of existing ECE programs.

• Develop and pilot a school readiness project

(such as Ready School) to increase schools’

capacity to support children who are not

ready for school.

• Provide professional development for ECE

providers that includes in-service training,

coaching, education and other support.

• Offer home visitation for parents from preg-

nancy until the child’s third birthday.

• Provide transportation services as necessary.

• Create centers of excellence to attract and

retain highly skilled professionals, foster pro-

fessional networks throughout the commu-

nity, and incubate innovative and effective

practices in early childhood education.

• Conduct a public awareness campaign on the

importance of investing early.


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as well studied. Innovative approaches recognize that the cost of high-quality child care is

prohibitive for many families. Efforts to help include providing families with information

resources and financial support to increase access.

PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE family access to early care and education should be guided by research-based practices.

The research on early care and education identifies common elements of high-quality

programs. These elements are summarized in the box to the left. 15

Recommendation 2: Ensure Teacher Quality, Strong Curricula and Early Identification of Impediments to Academic Achievement

READING AND MATH are critical foundation skills.

Reading and math skills are the building blocks of learning. After solidifying reading skills

in early elementary school, students make the critical transition from learning to read to

reading to learn. Success in middle school and high school depends heavily on the ability to

read, understand and apply information from increasingly complex texts.16

Mathematics is also a critical foundation skill for school and life success. Low math

achievement in elementary school sets students up for later academic failure. Conversely,

early success in math can have a positive effect on a student’s academic self-image, and

steady progress in math through middle school is a key component of academic success in high school

and beyond.17

IT IS CRUCIAL TO IDENTIFY students who are struggling with reading and math as early as possible, and to intervene with additional support.

A strong core curriculum delivered by qualified and caring teachers will provide adequate oppor-

tunities for most students to master basic reading and mathematics. However, without additional in-

structional support and intervention, students who struggle with reading and math typically fall farther

behind their peers. Early intervention is the best way to prevent this spiral and minimize struggling

students’ risk of academic failure.

Ongoing diagnostic assessment by teachers is the best way to identify students in need of addi-

tional support in reading or math. Such assessment is particularly important in reading instruction in

kindergarten through the third grade. Teachers should be able to recognize when children lack pro-

ficiency in key component skills in early reading (e.g., phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary and

fluency). The goal of instruction is to help all students master reading skills and achieve grade-level

reading comprehension ability no later than the end of the third grade.18

In both reading and math, a multi-tier instructional approach is required that incorporates ongoing di-

agnostic assessment, such as the Response to Intervention (RTI) approach. The RTI approach provides:

• High-quality instruction to all students (Tier 1);

• Short-term supplemental instruction to students who have fallen slightly behind (Tier 2);

and

Key Features of High-Quality ECE Programs

ECE programs that promote school readi-

ness and school success have the following

features:

• They are comprehensive.

• They use a research-based curriculum.

• They provide all-day, year-round care with

well-trained and educated teachers and

staff.

• They have small classes and high teacher-

child ratios.

• They are staffed by warm and responsive

adults.

• They provide language-rich environments.

• They are characterized by close teacher-

child relationships.

• They involve families in programming.


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• More intensive instructional intervention for students who are far off track (Tier 3).

The number of students who require Tier 2 or Tier 3 levels of support will vary from district to district

and school to school. Typically, in a large and diverse school district, roughly one-third to one-half of

all students will be identified

for Tier 2 short-term supple-

mental instruction or tutor-

ing to bring their progress in

reading or math back on track.

Roughly 10 percent to 20 per-

cent will have a harder time

keeping pace with reading and math achievement and will be targeted for the more intensive and

longer-term Tier 3 interventions.19

HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS ARE NEEDED to help all children master basic reading and math.

Effective teaching of basic reading and math requires high-level content area knowledge and spe-

cialized pedagogical skills. Adequate teacher preparation, effective mentoring and coaching, and ongo-

ing professional development are needed to ensure that teachers are fully equipped to deliver effective

early reading and mathematics instruction. Recruiting and retaining effective teachers is essential. The

need for sufficient numbers of highly qualified instructors is particularly acute in schools and districts

that have the highest concentrations of students who are struggling with reading and math.20

IMPORTANCE OF RECRUITING AND RETAINING quality and culturally competent teachers.

Recruitment and retention of high-quality and culturally competent teachers are essential to build-

ing and maintaining an effective and successful faculty. Adequate and competitive compensation, pro-

Summary of Response to Intervention Instructional Tiers

Typical Percentage Focus of Students in Tier

Tier 1 Rigor across the curriculum 100 %

Tier 2 Short-term supplemental instruction 30-50%

Tier 3 Intensive intervention 10-20%

Community Input

HIGHLIGHTS

20%

Greatest Impact on Teacher Effectiveness

17%

17%

13%

4%

10%

1%

3%

7%

9%

Recruit culturally competent/diverse teachers

Targeted recruitment of minority teachers

Grow your own program

Alternate pathways through community colleges

Alternative pathways: teachers receive full salary/benefits

Remove roadblocks to transfers between states

Pre-service Teacher Training and Prof. Development

Professional Development Academy

Professional Networks/Targeted Mentoring Programs

Teacher involvement in leadership/decision-making


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fessional development, administrative support and creation of a supportive teaching environment are

all essential ingredients.

CHILDREN WHO STRUGGLE with reading and math achievement in elementary school are concentrated in districts and schools that have high proportions of low-income and minority students.

Among the 7,588 public-school fourth-graders in Douglas and Sarpy Counties in 2006-

2007, 1,083 scored below the proficiency standard in reading and 782 were below the

proficiency standard in math on locally developed criterion referenced tests (CRTs).

These students, who are likely to be in need of short-term (Tier 2) or more intensive

(Tier 3) instructional interventions in reading and math, are not distributed evenly across

districts and schools in the two counties. The students who are having difficulties with elementary read-

ing and mathematics are concentrated in schools that have high proportions of low-income and ethnic

minority children. For example, OPS – with 45 percent of the total number of students in public schools

in Douglas and Sarpy Counties (47,044 out of 105,285) – has more than three-quarters (22,283 out of

37,337) of the low-income students, more than three-quarters (26,946 out of 34,901) of the ethnic mi-

nority students, and four-fifths (6,313 out of 7,335) of the English language learners. These demographic

characteristics are closely related to the distribution of students struggling with reading and math.

EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS and intensive interventions to bring all stu-dents up to grade level in reading and math are also needed in middle school and high school.

In the near future, and possibly for many years to come, the need for early identification and active

intervention to bring all students up to grade level expectations in reading and math will not be con-

Distribution of Fourth-Grade Students Not Meeting Proficiency Standards in Reading and Math (2006-07 CRT Results)

Number Below Number Below Percentage of Total Number Proficiency Proficiency Low-Income of Fourth- Standard in Standard in Students Graders Reading Math

Omaha Public Schools 60 3,423 605 381

Millard Public Schools 10 1,549 169 182

Papillion-La Vista Public Schools 16 634 100 98

Bellevue Public Schools 23 621 94 34

Westside Community Schools 20 459 35 43

Elkhorn Public Schools 8 348 22 7

Ralston Public Schools 35 197 44 17

Gretna Public Schools 7 178 2 8

South Sarpy District 46 13 87 7 10

Bennington Public Schools 8 52 4 1

Douglas County West Community Schools

38 40 1 1

Douglas and Sarpy 35 7,588 1,083 782Source: Nebraska Department of Education, http://reportcard.nde.state.ne.us.


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fined to elementary school. Middle school and high school students who are far behind their peers in

reading and math also need and will benefit from supplemental instruction and support.

READING AND MATH PROGRAMS should include a strong, evidence- based curriculum for all students, early identification of students experiencing difficulties and effective multi-tiered instructional interventions.

There is strong research support for multi-tiered approaches to instructional improvement. Re-

sponse to Intervention (RTI) is an evidence-based approach to reading instruction that combines strong

instructional programs for all students and early identification of students who are experiencing

difficulties.21

Task Force Recommendations To Ensure Excellence in Reading and Math Achievement for All Omaha Children and Youth

School Districts Should:

• Implement high-quality, evidence-based reading and math instructional programs in elementary

schools.

• Implement multi-tier instructional interventions in reading and mathematics in elementary schools.

• Hire additional elementary literacy coaches as needed.

• Offer supplemental reading and math tutoring and intensive instruction by highly qualified edu-

cators to students at each level of schooling.

• Hire additional middle school literacy coaches and high school literacy facilitators.

• Recruit and retain highly effective professional and paraprofessional staff, including culturally

responsive and diverse teachers. Offer incentives including a living wage and good benefit

packages.

• Increase access to high-quality pre-service teacher education (increase contextualized learning)

and teacher professional development to improve instruction and increase cultural understanding.

Key Features of Response to Intervention Key features of Response to Intervention (RTI) include high-quality instruction for all students, high-

quality teachers, ongoing student assessment, a coherent instructional plan that provides coordi-

nated reading lessons every day for every student at every level of intervention, interventions to

help students learn how to read and special education placement on the basis of ability to learn.

In practice, RTI includes the following:

• Multi-tiered identification and intervention.

• Establishment of effective teaching strategies and core curriculum for the general education

population.

• Universal screening to identify students in need of instructional intervention.

• Use of research-based interventions in general education.

• Measurement of student responses to interventions.

• Use of student data to change intensity or form of interventions.


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Recommendation 3: Provide More Time and Opportunities for Learning

EXTENDING LEARNING TIME IS AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY for improving achievement.

In today’s era of accountability, many schools are looking for ways to raise achievement. One option

is to increase the amount of time spent on learning. Research shows that additional time positively af-

fects learning by:

• Providing more time on task;

• Increasing opportunities to study materials in more depth and breadth;

• Giving teachers more opportunities for planning and professional development;

• Offering students greater enrichment and experiential learning opportunities; and

• Giving students and teachers time to forge stronger relationships.22

Within the two-county area there are wide differences among school district curricula and calen-

dars, which inhibit program coordination and common measurements of academic achievement. Im-

proving coordination among school districts will be important in increasing and improving academic

access, opportunities and performance.

SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS have several options for extending learning time.

Extended learning expands the time dedicated to education beyond the traditional six-hour, 180-

day schedule. Schools use extended time for a variety of purposes. Some focus on direct instruction

and use the time for longer classes or additional class periods in mathematics and English. Others

use additional time to support students through skill level enhancement, credit rescue and recovery

through tutoring, homework

help, and enrichment activities.

Schools also use extra time for

community-building activities

or events in the school, or to

provide planning opportuni-

ties or professional develop-

ment activities for teachers.

Extra learning opportuni-

ties beyond the school day in-

clude before and after-school

programs and summer school.

These programs are not part

of the traditionally mandated

school day and do not involve the whole population of the school. Some programs focus on academics,

tutoring or homework help; others focus on arts, recreation or character education.23

Academically focused after-school programs have been shown to improve achievement in reading

Options for lengthening

the school schedule in-

clude the following:

• Longer class periods.

• Longer school days.

• More school days.

• Summer school.

• Online learning.


UNO Chancellor John Christensen delivers task force report while Mayor Mike Fahey looks on.

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and math.24 However, an inventory of local service providers revealed that few after-school programs

in the two-county area have an academic focus, and even fewer offer high-quality tutoring.

Summer learning is important to reduce the achievement gap, improve student skill levels and re-

cover lost credits. National

research shows that, over-

all, lower-income students

start a new school year at

about the same level as

the previous spring, while

higher-income students

perform at a higher level

at the beginning of each

school year than they did

in the previous spring.

Specifically, students with

a lower socio-economic

status (SES) generally maintain the same reading level over the summer, but they lose ground in math.

These results highlight the importance of summer learning opportunities for low SES students.25

EXTENDED LEARNING TIME benefits all students, but it is key to improving achievement for lower-performing students.

For higher-performing students, additional learning time is an opportunity for acceleration. With

more time and opportunities for learning, these students can take advanced courses, including college

courses, to deepen their learning or get a head start on post-secondary education.

Some students take longer to learn and need more time to master required content. For these

students, extended learning time can be the bridge to academic success. The graph below shows the

overall percentage of students in the two-county area who did not meet state standards on locally

developed tests.26 These students are the target populations for Building Bright Futures programs that

provide more time and opportunities to learn.

Source: Nebraska Department of Education, 2006-2007 State of the Schools Report, (http://reportcard.nde.state.ne.us).

Community Input

HIGHLIGHTSLevel of Support for Mandatory Summer School*

Strongly support

Support

Somewhat support

Neutral

Somewhat against

Against

Strongly against 5%

21%

52%

6%

10%

4%

3%

*Support for mandatory summer school received strong community-wide support.

1,083

ElementarySchool

1,051

HighSchool

860

MiddleSchool

Students Not Meeting Standards Need Extra Learning Opportunities*

Locally Developed Reading Tests

782

ElementarySchool

976

HighSchool

834

MiddleSchool

Locally Developed Math Tests

*Number of students in Douglas and Sarpy Counties who did not meet state standards on locally developed tests in 2006-2007.

Task Force Recommendations To Provide Additional Learning Oppor-

tunities, School Districts Should:

• Offer supplemental academic tutoring

provided by qualified educators.

• Extend the school day and school year

for increased instructional time.

• Expand academic summer camps and

summer school options – including

mandatory summer school – particu-

larly for low-income students.

• Coordinate school calendars and

school days across all districts in the

two-county area.

• Increase links between the school day

and after-school programs.


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ADDED TIME is effective only if it is used well.

Extra learning opportunities should be specifically designed to employ principles of effective teach-

ing and to provide engaging opportunities for students to learn important content. Tutoring programs,

whether they take place in school or in an after-school program, should also follow effective practices.

Some of these practices are listed in the table at left.27

Recommendation 4: Improve School Attendance

BEING PRESENT IN SCHOOL is necessary for learning and graduation.

Students who miss school fall behind academically, fueling a self-perpetuating cycle of poor atten-

dance and low achievement. As the graph at right

shows, scores on the California Achievement Test

for eighth-graders in OPS show dramatic differences

related to attendance. Students with fewer than 10

absences performed slightly better than the overall

population and far better than their peers who

had 10 or more absences. Predictably, students with

more than 10 absences fared worse than the over-

all population on the standardized test.

STUDENTS MISS SCHOOL for a variety of reasons.

Many students miss school for valid reasons. Others have no excuse and are defined as truant. The

research on truancy identifies school factors, home and community factors, and student factors that

contribute to truancy.28 These are summarized in the table below.

NATIONAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN that early absences matter and that even some kindergartners are chronically absent.

Nationally, 15 percent of kindergarteners and 12 percent of first graders miss an average of 12 to 18

days per school year – far above the average of 5 days. Students with high absences in kindergarten


OPS 8th GradersCalifornia Achievement Test Results

Attendance Affects Achievement

Language Arts

Source: Omaha Public Schools Office of Research, 2007.M

ean

Perc

entil

e

MathReading20

40

60

Overall 10 or fewer absences More than 10 absences

School Factors

Lack of effective attendance policies and record-keeping.

Parents/guardians not notified of absences.

Teachers who do not under-stand or respect students.

Unwelcoming or unsafe environment.

Curriculum that does not engage students.

Home and Community Factors

Health or financial concerns that require student to care for family or work during school.

Negative role models, including peers or siblings who are truant.

Parents or guardians who are complicit in absences.

Families that move frequently (high mobility).

Student Factors

Lack of self-esteem caused by poor academic

performance.

Substance abuse.

Why Are Students Truant?

Effective High-Quality Tutoring Programs: • Require close coordination between tutors

and students’ classroom teachers.

• Link tutoring activities to the school cur-

riculum.

• Hire only qualified and carefully screened

tutors.

• Provide initial and ongoing training for

tutors.

• Use research-based methods.

• Monitor students’ progress.

• Provide appropriate space for tutoring.

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score lower on achievement

tests at the end of first grade;

early absences are particu-

larly detrimental to the later

reading performance of low-

income and Latino children.29

Because younger students

generally have little autono-

my, most early absences are

caused by illness and family

factors, including lack of mo-

bility. These findings highlight

the need to increase family

awareness about the importance of school attendance and to develop mechanisms for early identifica-

tion of students who are at risk of becoming chronically absent.

MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL ABSENCES are predictors of dropping out of high school.

Four broad reasons explain why students drop out of school:

1. Life Events – Some students drop out because of something that happens outside school,

such as a serious illness, pregnancy, getting arrested, having to work to support the family

or having to care for family.

2. Fadeouts – These students have been promoted

through the grades, but become frustrated or bored,

do not see a reason for coming to school and

believe they can succeed without a high school

diploma.

3. Pushouts – Students who are (or are perceived to

be) difficult, dangerous or detrimental to a school’s

success may be encouraged to withdraw or transfer,

or are dropped from the school rolls for failing too

many courses or missing too many days of school.

4. Failing – Some students do not succeed on their

own in school and attend schools that fail to provide

them with the environment and supports they need to succeed. Failing can be caused by

poor academic preparation or unmet socio-emotional needs, and failure can be a process

that plays out for several years before a student actually drops out.

It is easy to see how absences play into these scenarios and how the scenarios exacerbate absentee-

ism. Research shows that absenteeism is among the factors that predict whether a student will gradu-

ate from high school. Some evidence suggests that students who are at risk of dropping out are identifi-

able as early as sixth grade (see Community Input Highlights on following page).30

Task force co-chair Kim Hawekotte delivers a report.

How Many Absences Are Too Many?Absences can be a predictor of

dropping out if students:

• Attend school 80 percent or

less of the time during sixth

grade;

• Miss more than a month dur-

ing high school; or

• Are absent for 1-2 weeks per

semester in their freshman

year.

Four broad reasons why stu-

dents drop out of school:

• Life events.

• Fadeouts.

• Pushouts.

• Failing.


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OVERALL DAILY ATTENDANCE RATES in Douglas and Sarpy County school districts are relatively high, but high school students are dispropor-tionately absent.

Daily attendance rates range from 91 to 97 percent across the school districts in Douglas and

Sarpy Counties. These rates, while relatively high overall, do not reflect variations within the districts;

we know that some schools have more absences – and more truancy and chronic absenteeism –

than others.

Local data show that absences among high school students are disproportionately high across the

two-county area. The charts at left show that, although high school students represent 30 percent of

the school population, nearly half of daily absences (47 percent) are at the high school level.

High school students are absent for many reasons (see the table above, Why do kids drop out?).

Compared with younger students, high school students have more autonomy and are subject to more

distractions. They are also more likely to skip school if they have experienced years of academic dif-

ficulty and are reaching the point of dropping out.

Our entire community will benefit from efforts to increase school attendance across the board, but

initial efforts will focus on these two areas:


Community Input

HIGHLIGHTSAdditional Community Priorities (Participants: Teens and young adults focus groups)

Why do kids drop out? (Teen Summit)

• Pregnancy.

• Family tragedy/household troubles.

• Gangs, bullies, haters, peer pressure.

• Drugs, STDs.

• Stress from bills, grading scale, credit recov-

ery, fall behind, frustration, tardiness leads to

suspension, feel disconnected.

• Uncaring teachers and staff.

• No motivation, no positive benefits, no value

to education.

• Bills, money issues, need job.

• Go get a GED.

Why do kids drop out?

(Bridge-to-Success Students)

• Lack of family support.

• Leave school to support family.

• Parents did not finish and, therefore, do not

see the value of education.

• Teen pregnancy.

• Failure to get necessary credits.

• Students find school work too difficult.

• Course work does not apply to real world.

• Personal family problems that require student

to stay home.

• Peers who have already dropped out.

• Lack of support from school system.

What can we do to stop kids

from dropping out? (Teen Summit)

• More flexible schedule – start time, programs

during school day, Saturday school.

• Credit recovery – tutoring.

• Caring adults – role models who look like me.

• Youth and young adult programs.

• Better teachers.

• Motivate – cash for credits.

• Better curriculums, hands-on learning.

• School climate.

• Job Corps – career events.

• Revise discipline code.

Sources: These figures are based on Average Daily Attendance (ADA) and Average Daily Membership (ADM) data for 2006–07 for all districts except Douglas County West. OPS data are for 2004–05. Absences are calculated differently within and across school districts.

Membership in Douglasand Sarpy County Schools

By Grade Level

High30%

Elementary53%

Middle17%

High47%

Elementary37%

Middle16%

Absences by Grade Levelas a Percentage of

Total Daily Absences

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• Reducing absences among high school students.

• Improving attendance rates to at least 95 percent in all schools.

In schools with attendance rates below 95 percent, programs will focus on students who are chroni-

cally absent, those who are truant and those who are at risk of becoming chronically absent or truant.

Efforts to reduce absences will require a systematic tracking and notification system to enable schools

to identify absence patterns before they become problematic.

IMPROVING ATTENDANCE requires greater coordination across the community.

According to the Building Bright Futures task force on truancy, our region does not have a plan to

develop an orchestrated response to absenteeism and truancy. Schools can detect and respond to ab-

sences, but they lack the means to compel parents and students to action. Law enforcement can compel

action but cannot influence school policies. Service providers can reinforce student success, but there

is little coordination among them or between them and schools. Improving attendance in Douglas and

Sarpy Counties will require all agencies to work in concert to develop and enforce coherent policies.

RESEARCH IS CLEAR about what works to address absenteeism, and the Building Bright Futures attendance programs will incorporate proven strategies.

School districts and communities across the country are implementing truancy prevention pro-

grams. The National Center for School Engagement has conducted numerous evaluations of truancy

Task Force RecommendationsTo Improve Attendance and Academic Achievement:

• Create a community-wide commitment to school attendance. Launch a public awareness cam-

paign to facilitate this effort.

• Encourage the state Legislature, local communities and school boards to create and enforce clear

policy guidelines regarding absenteeism.

• Offer incentives to students, parents, schools, districts and communities for improving atten-

dance; impose sanctions for poor attendance; and offer redemption options for those who have

received sanctions.

• Encourage greater attachment to school through clubs, extracurricular activities and connec-

tions to adults at the school.

• Reduce the number of out-of-school suspensions and use in-school suspensions productively to

support students academically.

• Provide incentives for students’ academic engagement and success in middle school.

• Create a community response team to contact families of youth who are not in school.

• Draw on the strengths of families and students to encourage attendance and improve attach-

ment to school.

• Enhance information sharing and create uniform tracking and notification systems across school

districts.


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programs and has identified several components of effective programs. These compo-

nents are summarized in the box to the left.

Recommendation 5: Support Students through Critical Academic Transitions

THE TRANSITION FROM ONE LEVEL of schooling to the next is difficult for students who struggle academically and those who face personal challenges.

Throughout their academic lives, children and youth navigate a series of critical tran-

sitions as they move from one level of education to the next. For most students in the

metropolitan Omaha area, these transitions go smoothly. However, transitions can be

watershed moments for students who struggle academically, those who face personal

challenges (living in poverty or having poor health, for example) and those who are not

in the cultural mainstream of their communities. For these students and others, making

the transition from one level of schooling to the next can add just enough stress to tip

the balance toward disengagement with school, low motivation to achieve, and even-

tual academic failure and dropout.

STRONG ATTACHMENT TO SCHOOL is needed for students to sustain pro-gress and stay on track for graduation.

Many students drop out of school in the ninth grade, but the process typically begins earlier.

The first critical academic transition children face is in early childhood, when infants and small children

develop school readiness skills. Many children who grow up in resource-poor families and commu-

nities are already behind

their peers academically

when they enter kinder-

garten. High-quality early

care and education, fol-

lowed by effective early

elementary instruction in

school, are the keys to

keeping these children on

track academically.

In elementary school, it

is important to make school

a welcoming environment

for all students. Feeling safe, developing attachments to teachers and fellow students, and having fun

while learning in the early elementary years can set the stage for steady academic progress.31

Community outreach engagement with students reveals significant numbers of at-risk population

students feel that no one at their schools cares about them and that they turn to their peers for support

rather than parents, teachers, church leaders or counselors.

Reducing Truancy To Improve Achievement Effective truancy reduction programs include the following

components:

• Parent/guardian or whole family involvement.

• A continuum of supports, including meaningful incen-

tives for good attendance and consequences for poor

attendance.

• Collaboration among community actors, such as law en-

forcement, mental health workers, mentors and social

service providers, in addition to educators.

• Concrete and measurable goals for program performance

and student performance.

• Good record keeping and ongoing evaluation of pro-

gress toward goals.

Source: National Center for School Engagement Truancy Fact Sheet, www.schoolengagement.org/TruancypreventionRegistry/Admin/ Resources/Resources/TruancyFactSheet.pdf.

Community Input

HIGHLIGHTSFrom Survey of Bridge-To-Success Students

Whom do you turn to for help?

Parents/Relatives

Teachers

Friends/Peers

Church

Counselors

No one to go to

Other 14%

0%

57%

7%

14%

7%

0%

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THE TRANSITION FROM ELEMENTARY to middle school is particularly perilous.

Students who fail to develop strong attachments to school by the time they reach the middle grades

are very likely to drop out of high school. Lack of engagement shows up in poor school attendance,

which creates a vicious cycle as students who miss more and more instructional time fall farther be-

hind in their coursework, feel less inclined to attend and eventually drop out.32

We know that some students will need additional support and attention to make the transition

to middle school successfully. In the upper elementary (fifth and sixth) grades, these students include

those who:

• Are chronically absent (more than 10 times a term);

• Have failed one or more subjects; or

• Have been subjected to disciplinary action, such as suspension, because of behavioral

problems.

During the 2006-07 school year, 1,452 students were suspended (some more than once) from OPS

elementary schools.

The key to helping such students make the transition from elementary to middle school is to make

the middle school a familiar and welcoming environment – a place where all students feel that they

are known and cared about by

the adults in the school. For stu-

dents who have experienced

problems in elementary school,

summer transition programs at

the middle school will help pre-

pare them for the new social en-

vironment and the new level of

academic demands. Schools should take steps to foster more teacher collaboration within the middle

school and between elementary and middle schools, and to give more individual attention to students

with at-risk characteristics. These steps should include the following:

• Provide structured planning time so teachers can align the curriculum across elementary

and middle grades, and plan transition programs to address the academic, developmental,

social and personal needs of students.

• Implement a comprehensive advisory or other program that gives each student frequent

and meaningful opportunities to meet with an adult to plan and monitor academic, per-

sonal and social development.34

• Identify students most in need of a mentor and match them with the most effective men-

toring program.

THE TRANSITION FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL to high school is another danger point.

Students who enter high school with strong reading, math and study skills; strong attachment to

The middle grade transition

is particularly tough, because

students in high-poverty neigh-

borhoods are experiencing

multiple changes in their lives

at the very moment they are

making an independent deci-

sion on whether or not to be

engaged with schooling.33

Number of OPS Elementary Students Suspended and Expelled

School Year 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07

Number of elementary students suspended

1,560 1,392 1,333 1,452

Number of elementary students expelled

2 10 13 6

Source: Omaha Public Schools, Office of Research, 2007.


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school; and a strong desire to achieve academically are very likely to graduate in four years with good

college and work readiness skills. Students who lack skills, engagement in school and motivation to

achieve will struggle; many

of them will fail courses and

drop out. Summer transi-

tion programs to build aca-

demic skills needed to suc-

ceed at their respective

grade level and to encour-

age school attachment and

motivation should be pro-

vided for all struggling

students before they enter

high school.

One indicator of the

need for academic sup-

port during the transition

from middle school to

high school is the number

of eighth-graders who

test below the proficiency

level on standards-based reading tests. With supplemental reading instruction or intensive tutor-

ing in an academic summer school program, these students will be far better equipped to meet

the challenges of high school course work. During the 2006-07 school year, 860 of the 7,706 eighth-

graders in Douglas and Sarpy County public schools tested below the proficiency standard (CRT)

in reading.

Distribution of 8th-Grade Students Below Proficiency Standard in Reading (2006-07 CRT Results)

Number Below Proficiency Total Number of Standard in Eighth-Graders Reading

Omaha Public Schools 3,333 489

Millard Public Schools 1,555 102

Papillion-La Vista Public Schools 707 131

Bellevue Public Schools 724 38

Westside Community Schools 452 37

Elkhorn Public Schools 304 14

Ralston Public Schools 251 41

Gretna Public Schools 173 0

South Sarpy District 46 74 2

Bennington Public Schools 81 3

Douglas County West Community Schools

52 2

Douglas and Sarpy total 7,706 860Source: Nebraska Department of Education, 2006-2007 State of the Schools Report (http://reportcard.nde.state.ne.us).

Task Force RecommendationsTo Support Student Transitions From One Level of Schooling to the Next:

• Introduce incoming seventh-grader and ninth-grader transition programs.

• Create family resource centers to connect parents with community resources, parent education

and home visiting.

• Give students greater access to schools after hours for study and extracurricular activities.

• Develop an approach that builds on a student’s internal strengths and external supports from peers,

family, schools and community to encourage attendance and improve attachment to school.

• Develop a case management approach to meeting youths’ needs.

• Increase coordination and improve relationships between schools and service and care providers.

• Create a centralized database of behavioral health services and providers to improve access to

appropriate and high-quality services.

• Provide transportation to give access to transition programs and other supplemental academic

and support services.

During the 2006-07 school

year, 860 of the 7,706

eighth-graders in Doug-

las and Sarpy County

public schools tested be-

low the proficiency stan-

dard (CRT) in reading and

many more were reading

below grade level.

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PROGRAMS SHOULD INCLUDE proven practices to support youth through critical academic transitions.

Best practices to help students through critical academic transitions include identifying individual

student needs and ensuring that students develop a strong attachment to a caring school community. 35

Recommendation 6: Develop Immediate Programs for Credit Rescue and Recovery

CREDITS EARNED are a critical factor in high school success.

Course failures jeopar-

dize student progress toward

graduation. Credit recovery is

defined as an opportunity for

a student to repeat a course

to earn credit required for

graduation. Targeted inter-

ventions to prevent course

failure should begin in the

elementary grades and con-

tinue through middle school.

However, immediate credit

recovery is especially critical

in the first year or two of

high school.

Students who fail core

courses in ninth grade imme-

diately fall off track for 4-year

graduation and are at high

risk of dropping out. Imme-

Number of High School Students Off Track For 4-Year Graduation in OPS (2007-08)

Percentage On Track Off Track Off Track

Grade 9 3,130 1,270 29

Grade 10 2,486 987 28

Grade 11 2,253 614 21

Grade 12 2,198 372 14Source: Omaha Public Schools Office of Research, 2007.


Community Input

HIGHLIGHTSHelping Kids Succeed (K-Through-12)Ranking of BBF Task Force Recommendations.

1. Develop early career awareness and education.

2. Better coordination between school and after-school programs.

3. Provide support to parents facing mobility challenges.

4. Provide coaches to strengthen instruction/early intervention.

5. Develop a coordinated community-wide campaign to recruit

mentors.

Key Features of Personalized Learning Environments to Promote Attachment to School and Help Students through Critical TransitionsTo create a personalized learning envi-

ronment, teachers and administrators

should:

• Engage families as partners in student

learning.

• Create small units in schools and do

away with student anonymity.

• Involve teachers with students full time

and have teachers work with no more

than 90 students to ensure individual

attention.

• Make sure each student has a personal

plan for progress.

• Make sure each student has a personal

adult advocate.

• Have teachers and administrators con-

vey a sense of caring so students know

that teachers have a stake in their

learning.

• Implement flexible scheduling and flex-

ible student grouping.

• Make sure the school models core val-

ues essential in a democratic civil society.

• Have schools work in conjunction with

other community agencies to coordi-

nate the delivery of physical and be-

havioral health and social services.

Task force chairs discuss recommendations.

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diate steps are needed to keep them on track for graduation, including credit rescue measures and

acquisition of grade level reading and math skills. This will involve tutoring, mentoring and social sup-

port services to prevent course failure, and credit recovery measures such as alternative education

options and mandatory summer school.

In the Omaha Public Schools, the problem of high school students falling off track for graduation

because of failed credits is particularly severe.

COURSE FAILURE CAN BE PREVENTED and lost credits can be recovered quickly by providing students with a range of strong alternative education options.

The goals of developing alternative education options for credit rescue and recovery should be to

increase the number of students who graduate and to prepare all students for post-secondary edu-

cation and work. Schools should adopt an approach that combines balanced school reform (e.g., rigor-

ous academic requirements, curriculum that is relevant to students’ future education and work, and

strong relationships with caring adults) with early intervention to ensure that course failure/credit loss

is minimized and that credit recovery options are available to keep students on track for graduation.37

Reforms take time – effecting substantial improvements in test scores and increasing the percent-

age of graduates may take many years.38 In the meantime, though, schools can provide alternative edu-

cation options for high school students to recover lost credits and put them back on track for gradua-

tion in 4 years.

It is not always necessary (and may not be effective) to require students to repeat the same course

taught in the same manner, but many options are possible for credit recovery:

• Offer the course again during the school day.

• Offer the course through an adult education or summer school program.

• Offer an alternative version of the course using a combination of traditional and online

delivery.

• Provide additional support (tutoring, mentoring and/or social services) to help struggling

students master the course content.

Online credit recovery is an attractive option because it provides flexibility to customize instruc-

tional modes, pacing, setting and timing to meet the needs of individual students.

In addition to opportunities to retake courses, students who are below grade level in reading and

math will need supplemental instruction to develop in these basic skills sufficiently to succeed in high

school course work.

CREDIT RECOVERY EFFORTS are critically important in ninth grade, particularly for low-income students, and are needed for all core subject areas.

Freshmen accounted for more than half (52 percent) of the failed credits in OPS high schools in 2005-

06. Sophomores accounted for another 26 percent of the lost credits. This concentration of failed course

work among underclassmen is exacerbated by students who fail to earn credits and then are not pro-

moted, so these grades contain many students who are repeating them for a second or third year.

Students from low-income families (those eligible for free or reduced-price lunch) accounted for the

School leaders would do

well to learn from alter-

native educators about

what works for students

who are not on the col-

lege track when they en-

ter ninth grade and then

implement the changes

necessary to reduce the

number of young people

dropping out of school.36

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majority of all lost credits at each grade level in OPS high schools (76 percent of failed credits in grade

nine, 67 percent in grade 10, 62 percent in grade 11 and 53 percent in grade 12).

PROGRAMS SHOULD INCLUDE proven practices and features to provide alternative education options.

Research has shown that districts should create a portfolio of alternative education options to meet

the needs of diverse learners – those in school and those who have left.39

Task Force RecommendationsTo Immediately Address the Need for Credit Rescue and Recovery:

• Introduce immediate alternative program options for credit recovery and credit rescue, includ-

ing online learning, summer school, and supplemental academic tutoring linked to the school

curriculum and provided by qualified tutors.

• Focus on credit recovery for truant youth by substituting productive course work for detention or

suspension and using after-school suspensions for tutoring and homework support.

• Provide professional development for teachers to increase cultural understanding, improve in-

struction and reduce course failures.

Research-Based Practices In Alternative Education Options for Credit Recovery:

• Multiple pathways to a recognized credential.

• Programs that offer open entry and open exit (giving students more time and more choice in

completing course work).

• Compressed and expanded high school programs combined with dual enrollment in post-

secondary institutions (earning college credits while in high school).

• Programs to recover or make up missing academic credits.

• Programs offering schedule flexibility, including evening and year-round schools.

• Programs offering career-oriented curricula, with opportunities for students to engage in school-

related internships and part-time employment.

• Adult high schools – especially the well-regarded daylight/twilight model – with opportunities

for intergenerational learning.

Research has shown that dis-

tricts should create a portfolio

of alternative education options

to meet the needs of diverse

learners – those in school and

those who have left.39


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3. Ready for Life

BEING READY FOR LIFE means developing in a healthy manner and hav-ing the skills necessary to succeed in life.

Children’s healthy development provides the foundation for school readiness, academic success,

health and overall well-being. Readiness for life develops over time in the context of family, schools,

community, and societal expectations for children and adolescents. A child who cannot relate well

to others, behave appropriately, trust adults or become motivated to learn will not be able to take

advantage of learning opportunities in early childhood programs, schools and other community

programs.

Child and youth development experts generally agree that for all children and youth, being ready

for life requires the following: 40

• Sound physical health. Good physical health is a key to positive development, and is par-

ticularly important to learning and academic achievement. Health needs for all children

include good nutrition, regular health and dental care, and safe, healthy environments.

• Emotional well-being. A positive sense of self, a sense of belonging and appropriate cop-

ing strategies enable children and young people to avoid risky behaviors, resolve conflicts,

adapt to challenges and succeed in life.

• Positive relationships with adults. Caring, stable relationships promote a strong sense of

safety and belonging, which are crucial to development.

• Life and social skills. Exposure to a wide range of activities and supports helps young

people gain the skills and knowledge they will need as they mature and integrate into adult

society.

For children and youth to be ready for life, all of these elements must be developed from birth

through early adulthood. In fact, one study concluded that the greatest returns to society – in the form

of increased high school graduation and college enrollment, reduced criminal behavior and less reli-

ance on public assistance – result from a balanced investment in various developmental interventions

throughout childhood and adolescence.41

ENSURING THAT ALL CHILDREN are ready for life requires a robust set of accessible, high-quality services and supports that span various sectors of society.

Because being ready for life encompasses such a wide range of needs – from physical and emotional

health to life and social skills – preparing children for life requires a similarly wide range of supports.

Like families everywhere, families in Douglas and Sarpy Counties want to prepare their children for life.

However, many families face challenges in providing the necessary range of high-quality care and expe-

riences for their children. These challenges and their prevalence in the two-county area are summarized

in the following table, along with specific supports and services that address those needs.

Children’s healthy devel-

opment provides the foun-

dation for school readi-

ness, academic success,

health and overall well-

being.

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BBF recommends creating programs that meet these needs and that target the children and fami-

lies who face these challenges – especially those who face multiple challenges.

THE BUILDING BRIGHT FUTURES task forces proposed a range of solutions focusing on healthy and positive development from birth through adolescence.

These solutions include the following:

• Recommendation 7: Increase access to health-care coverage.

• Recommendation 8: Support healthy development through developmental screening and

prevention.

• Recommendation 9: Increase access to health and behavioral health services in schools

and communities for all children from infancy through age 18.

• Recommendation 10: Equip families to support healthy child development.

• Recommendation 11: Promote more mentoring relationships.

• Recommendation 12: Expand enrollment in after-school programs.



Douglas and Sarpy Counties, list the specific recommendations from the BBF task forces and summarize

some effective practices related to the overall recommendation.

Being Ready for Life: Needs and Challenges Scope of the Challenge

(Douglas and Sarpy Counties)

17,187 children without health insurance.

82,000 children without a regular health care provider.

No universal developmental screening.

21,000 children need intervention or treat-ment services but are not receiving them.

2,153 children in foster care.

39,144 children unsupervised after school.

8,000 vulnerable youth need mentors.

5,855 juvenile arrests.

3,210 teen pregnancies.

11,476 youth in Omaha and Douglas County live in subsidized housing.

19,041 children and youth ages 5-17 live in areas that are underserved by

after-school programs.


Health insurance.

Regular health care providers and regular exams.

Early identification and intervention.

Behavioral health services.

Safe, supportive homes.

Adult supervision after school.

Mentors.

Programs to encouragepositive development.

What Children Need

Sound physical health

Emotional health

Positive relationships with adults

Life and social skills

Sources: Nebraska National Survey of Children’s Health, Parent Report Survey, 2005,(www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/slaits/nsch.htm); U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General (Rockville, MD: DHHS, 1999) (www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/home.html); J. M. Johnston, Kids Count in Nebraska (Omaha, NE: Voices for Children in Nebraska, 2007); J. Deichert, K. Rolf, & R. L. Smith, 2006 Omaha Youth Afterschool Needs Assessment (Omaha, NE: University of Nebraska, 2007).

Task forces proposed a wide range of solutions.


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Recommendation 7: Increase Access to Health-Care Coverage

ALL HEALTH PROBLEMS – physical, medical and behavioral – affect academic achievement.

Chronic health problems are associated with school absences, learning disabilities and grade repeti-

tion. Children from low-income families are more likely to suffer from a wide array of these problems,

which puts them at a disadvantage in school and in life.42 For this reason, it is important for children and

youth to have access to comprehensive, high-quality health-care coverage.

TOO FEW YOUTH IN OMAHA have access to comprehensive health-care coverage or to comprehensive, high-quality heath care.

More than 17,000 children under age 18 in Douglas and Sarpy Counties are uninsured,43 and more

than 82,000 do not have a regular health care provider.44 Children without health insurance receive

fewer preventive services because they are less likely to have a regular doctor or a place they routinely

visit for health care – a regular medical home. Having a regular medical home leads to better health care

and better outcomes, because doctors can establish relationships with the children and their families.

Children and youth who do not have a regular medical home are more likely to rely on emergency

rooms for medical services – the most costly way to deliver health care and the one with the least

continuity of care.45

STATE-FUNDED PLANS provide health-care coverage to many low-income families and children, but eligibility requirements leave many uncovered.

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was created to cover children in low-income

families that fall between Medicaid eligibility and coverage by private insurance. Kids Connections in

Nebraska combines SCHIP and Medicaid to provide health-care coverage for children living in families

at or below 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). In 2006, Kids Connections served nearly 30

percent of all Nebraska children 18 years and under. In an effort to serve even more children in need,

Kids Connection eligibility must be extended to 200 percent of FPL.

PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE comprehensive, high-quality health care should be informed by research-based practices.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has developed guidelines that outline an approach to provid-


Task Force RecommendationsTo Increase Access to Health-Care Coverage:

• Increase access to health insurance for uninsured children by expanding eligibility for Kids

Connection.

• Establish satellites of existing federally qualified health centers and expand non-traditional access

to health care through mobile health and dental vans.

• Advocate for behavioral health parity.

• Implement best practice models that address specific needs of individual children and their

families (e.g., American Association of Pediatrics Bright Futures Guidelines).

More than 17,000 children

under age 18 in Douglas

and Sarpy Counties are un-

insured,43 and more than

82,000 do not have a regu-

lar health-care provider.44

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ing comprehensive, high-quality health-care services.46 Those guidelines are summarized in the box

above and are included in the key recommendations of the Early Childhood Task Force.

Recommendation 8: Support Healthy Development through Developmental Screening and Prevention

Developmental delays and disorders affect approximately 10 percent of young children.47 Delays

related to speech and language, motor development, social-emotional development and problem

solving predict later learning and behavioral difficulties, making early identification critically important.

However, only about half of developmental delays are detected before children reach kindergarten.48

EARLY INTERVENTION LIMITS the effects of developmental delays.

Intervening early improves outcomes for children and reduces costs to society.49 For example, re-

search has shown that early interventions can result in:

• A 14 percent reduction in special education placement later in childhood;

• A 13 percent reduction in grade retention in school; and

• A 6.5 point increase in IQ test scores.50

Furthermore, many problems are most amenable to intervention early in life. Chronic behavior prob-

lems, for example, are much more difficult to treat in adolescence and become more costly as youth

enter the juvenile justice system.51

In addition to being screened for health, developmental and behavioral problems, children should

be screened for elevated blood-lead levels. Early detection and intervention – especially between birth

and age 5 – can prevent irreparable long-term neurological damage, related learning and behavior

problems and lower achievement in school.52

Characteristics of High-Quality Health CareAccording to guidelines developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, high-quality health care

has the following characteristics:

• They are accessible – the program is located in the child’s community and is affordable.

• They are continuous – the child sees the same primary health-care provider from infancy through

adolescence so the provider can assist with life challenges and transitions (e.g., to school and

adult services).

• They are comprehensive – the program is offered throughout the day and the week; includes

prevention and intervention; and addresses medical, dental, behavioral and developmental

needs.

• They are family centered – providers recognize the important role of the family as primary care-

giver, and they share information with parents and caregivers.

• They are coordinated – information is centralized, and the program links families to supports

and to educational and community-based services when needed.

• They are compassionate – providers express and demonstrate concern for the well-being of the

child and his or her family.

Chronic behavior problems, for

example, are much more dif-

ficult to treat in adolescence

and become more costly as

youth enter the juvenile justice

system.51


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NEBRASKA IS SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERSERVING children in need of early intervention services.

National estimates suggest that 10 percent of all children under age 5 have a developmental delay

or disorder, but far fewer children in Nebraska receive early intervention services. For instance, fewer

than 2 percent of children ages 0-3 and fewer than 7 percent of children ages 3-5 receive early interven-

tion services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Lead is also a concern in greater Omaha. In 2007, 3 percent of the general population under age 6

had elevated blood-lead levels. In targeted Superfund site ZIP Codes in Omaha, 5 percent of children

under 6 had elevated blood-lead levels.53 These data highlight the need for systematic developmental

screening of physical health – including screening for lead exposure and behavioral issues – before

students enter school.

EARLY INTERVENTION REQUIRES appropriate screening.

Developmental screening is defined as the systematic use of a validated screening tool to identify

children who are likely to have a developmental delay or difficulty. Pediatricians and other health-

care providers play a significant role in identifying developmental delays and disorders, because they

are the front line professionals who regularly see young children. However, only about half of doctors

report systematically using a validated developmental screening instrument.54 Moreover, as noted

earlier, many children do not have health insurance, access to a regular doctor or a regular medical

home (a place where they routinely get medical care). Because of the lack of continuity in care, many

communities have opted to bring developmental screening to children and families where they are –

Task Force RecommendationsTo Increase Prevention or Early Identification of Developmental and Health Difficulties:

• Require mandatory lead screening, hearing and vision screening, and developmental and behav-

ioral health screening for all children.

• Adopt a community-wide best practice that provides developmental screening and appropriate

referral to follow-up services through a “medical home.”

• Promote breastfeeding.

• Provide a health curriculum in schools.

• Create an early screening hot line.

• Undertake a public awareness campaign on the importance of screening and, if necessary, in-

tervene early.

• Ensure high-quality service and competent professionals in health care (e.g., implement Ameri-

can Academy of Pediatrics Bright Futures Best Practice Guidelines).

• Provide training for doctors, licensed mental health professionals, teachers and providers to raise

awareness about behavioral health problems.

• Develop cultural awareness in professionals who work with young children and youth, and create

ways to address barriers to programs and services (e.g., services for English learner and new im-

migrant populations).

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Community Input

HIGHLIGHTSHelping Kids in Trouble

Ranking of BBF Task Force Recommendations:

1. Provide better support for families with kids

in trouble.

2. Develop coordinated community response

to truancy.

3. Provide incentives and options to improve

attendance.

4. Establish policies and procedures to improve

attendance.

5. Create more places in the community to ad-

dress behavior.

6. Develop more licensed behavioral health

professionals.

General Responses:

1. Assist families with parent education, par-

enting skills and home visits.

2. Assist families of incarcerated persons; offer

stronger re-entry programs for youth.

3. Provide true alternative programs, student

incentives and leadership programs for

youth.

4. Provide health care in schools, data on risky

youth behavior and licensed mental health

providers.

5. Provide early screening and more support

for teens in trouble.

in child care programs and other community-based programs. Screening children’s homes and other

environments for lead exposure – primary prevention screening – is another cost-effective approach

to screening and is advocated by the Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance and the Douglas County Health

Department.55

APPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING should follow research-based best practices.

Although universal, regular developmental screening has been advocated widely, no consensus ex-

ists about the best ways to regularly screen all children. A number of different models are currently

being used.56 All of them include the best practices listed at right.

Recommendation 9: Increase Access to Behavioral Health Services in Schools and Communities for All Children from Infancy through Age 18.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROBLEMS affect many children and adolescents, and often impede academic progress.

A child’s healthy social-emotional development provides the foundation for school readiness,

academic success, health and overall well-being. Children and youth can exhibit a wide variety of be-

havioral disorders, including depression, conduct disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, atten-

tion deficit/hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders, autism, substance abuse, schizophrenia, post-

traumatic stress disorder and others. According to large-scale research studies, about 20 percent of

children and adolescents have a disorder that impairs their ability to function effectively in school

and in life.57


Supporting Children’s Health and Development with Effec-tive Developmental Screening Effective developmental screening prac-

tices have the following characteristics:

• They are frequent and systematic.

• They include the use of a well-vali-

dated developmental screening tool

by a person who is trained to use the

tool.

• They include training for pediatricians,

health-care providers, early-interven-

tion specialists and early care and edu-

cation (ECE) providers on the use and

scoring of the tool.

• They include mechanisms for address-

ing parental concerns and observations

and for sharing results with parents in a

culturally sensitive and timely manner.

• They include a process for tracking re-

ferrals to follow-up care and services.

• They include a process to refer young

children for comprehensive, high-qual-

ity early childhood behavioral health

services.

• They are reimbursed by health insur-

ance plans.

• They are valued by practitioners, in-

cluding physicians, ECE providers and

early intervention specialists.

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Among high school students who have identified disabilities and are receiving services in special

education classrooms, those with mental health/behavioral health problems are most likely to:

• Receive failing grades. • Have been arrested.

• Be the subject of disciplinary action. • Have the highest dropout rates.58

For these reasons, addressing behavioral health needs is critical to making sure all youth succeed

academically.

FAMILIES AND YOUTH FACE MANY BARRIERS to accessing behavioral health services.

Families seeking behavioral health services often face long waiting lists for services, confusion about

treatment if different providers recommend different treatment plans, and access and affordability

issues.

Although mental and behavioral health problems can affect any child or family, children and ad-

olescents from low-income families have fewer resources to cope with these challenges. In addition,

low-income families typically have multiple risk factors that increase negative outcomes and over-

whelm families as they try to coordinate multiple services.

THE AVAILABLE DATA TELL US that most of the youth who need intervention or treatment for a diagnosable disorder are not receiving services, either in the community or in the schools.

Behavioral health challenges among youth range from mild disruptive behavior in the classroom

that is handled by a counselor or school staff to severe behavior problems that result in expulsion from

school and sometimes residential placement or hospitalization for treatment. Data from national stud-

ies suggest that more than 30,000 youth under age 18 in Douglas and Sarpy Counties have a diag-

nosable behavioral health disorder, and 8,000 of them have a disorder that causes extreme functional

impairment in life, learning or work.59

Despite the large number of children and adolescents estimated to have a mental health disorder

or behavioral health problem, national studies estimate that as few as 30 percent of those who need

treatment are receiving it.60 In Douglas and Sarpy Counties, this means that 21,000 young people who

are in need of effective behavioral health services are not receiving them.

THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS of young children and youth are com-plex and require collaboration among multiple agencies and organizations.

Understanding the behavioral health needs of children and youth in the two-county area is a major

challenge. There is no one place where families can seek behavioral health services, and Nebraska lacks

a centralized and coordinated data system to track service use in the state and the county.

The lack of a well-coordinated system hampers efforts to address the behavioral health needs of

children and youth. Further complicating these efforts is the fact that models that address the needs of

young children, their families and child-care providers are different from models that bring behavioral

health services to youth in school- and community-based settings.

Some young children with behavioral health needs are served through early intervention services

Data from national stud-

ies suggest that more

than 30,000 youth under

age 18 in Douglas and

Sarpy Counties have a

diagnosable behavioral

health disorder, and 8,000

of them have a disorder

that causes extreme func-

tional impairment in life,

learning or work.59

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under IDEA and through special education services in the school districts. An effective way to reach

more children is to bring services to young children through co-location – placing specialists where

children are; for example, in ECE programs. Through co-location, children can receive screening, assess-

ment and intervention ser-

vices that are integrated

into their daily experience.

These services are typically

referred to as “early child-

hood behavioral health

consultation services.”

Improving access to be-

havioral health services for

older children and youth

is a challenge. Compared

with other states, Nebras-

ka has a disproportionate

number of children and

adolescents in state care

and in out-of-home place-

ment.b, 61 Youth with behav-

ioral issues would be better

served by a system-based

delivery model, which

would reduce reliance on

residential placement and

hospitalization, improve the

functioning of children, and

increase the use of commu-

nity- and school-based ser-

vices. For example, school-

based services that use evi-

dence-based practices are

convenient and potentially

effective ways to address

behavioral health needs

because schools have a

long history of providing

mental health and support

services to children and adolescents.62 By 2009, Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services

aims to have 70 percent of youth with behavioral challenges treated as outpatients in conjunction with

family, school or community-based services.63

b In 2005, 34 percent of Nebraska’s Medicaid expenditures for mental health/substance abuse services for children 20 years of age and younger were for residential services

Three Goals of Early Childhood Behavioral Health Consultation Services:

1. Providers in early care and education

programs must have sufficient train-

ing, knowledge and support to help

children who present with behavioral

problems.

2. ECE programs should have access to

a specialized behavioral health prac-

titioner and/or services to address

more severe behavioral problems.

3. Programs should support parents and

family members in addressing behav-

ioral/mental health problems in young

children.

Community Input

HIGHLIGHTS

4%

27%

45%

7%

10%

3%

4%

How important is it to have social workers andmental health professionals in schools?

It’s a Very Bad Idea

It’s a Bad Idea

Not Very Important

Somewhat Important

Important

Very Important

1%

2%

8%

2%

75%

12%

87% of participants agreed that having social workers and mentalhealth professionals in schools is important or very important.

Level of Support for Youth Behavioral SurveysStrongly Support

Support

Somewhat Support

Neutral

Somewhat Against

Against

Strongly Against

72% support or strongly support youth behavioral surveys.

37%

44%

6%

12%

2%

Satisfaction with Services to AddressMental and Behavioral Issues

Very Unsatisfied

Unsatisfied

Neutral

Satisfied

Very Satisfied

81% of participants were very unsatisfied or unsatisfied with servicesavailable to address mental and behavioral issues.

Community Rankings of Building Bright Futures Task Force Recommendations


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PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE behavioral health systems to young children and youth should be informed by research-based practices.

Omaha needs a comprehensive approach that addresses the full mental health continuum – pro-

motion of positive development, prevention, early identification and intervention or treatment – for all

children and youth. Given the different needs of children and young people, efforts must be structured

so that care includes age-appropriate interventions. Some key components of systems to provide early

childhood and youth behavioral health services are described below. 64

Task Force RecommendationsTo Increase Access to Behavioral Health Services in Schools and Communities:

• Ensure high-quality early childhood education with wrap-around behavioral and physical health

services.

• Provide consultation regarding social-emotional development and behavioral health to ECE

providers.

• Increase access to and provision for comprehensive family and child behavioral health services

(screening, identification and intervention).

• Expand capacity, access and coordination of community- and school-based behavioral health

services.

• Create centers of excellence to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, foster professional

networks throughout the community, and incubate innovative and effective practices in youth

behavioral health.

• Provide training for doctors, licensed mental health professionals, teachers and providers to raise

awareness of behavioral health problems.

• Develop cultural awareness in professionals who work with young children and youth, and create

ways to address barriers to programs and services (e.g., services for English learners and new

immigrant populations).

• Invest in a public awareness campaign about behavioral health issues and risky behaviors.

• Develop a centralized database of behavioral health services and providers to improve access to

appropriate and high-quality services.

Components of an Effective Early Childhood Behavioral Health System:

• Ensures positive relationships among children, families and practitioners.

• Implements preventive practices at the classroom or program level that target all children.

• Offers training so providers become comfortable with strategies to effectively manage difficult

behavior.

• When necessary, involve trained early childhood behavioral health specialists to provide indi-

vidual interventions either at a center or at the child’s home, depending on the child’s needs.

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Recommendation 10: Equip Families to Support Healthy Child Development

FAMILIES SHOULD BE the primary source of adult support in a child’s life.

Families are children’s first teachers. For young children, positive parenting practices – including

talking with children and reading books to them – and a home environment that supports learning and

social-emotional development are associated with better outcomes in general and school readiness

specifically. Having parents who are engaged in their education as advisors, advocates and decision-

makers is a key predictor of children’s academic achievement, regardless of socioeconomic status or

ethnicity.

Nurturing, stable and positive relationships promote school readiness and academic achieve-

ment by:

• Helping children develop trust, empathy and compassion;

• Supporting curiosity;

• Building confidence;

• Encouraging cooperation with others; and

• Helping children persist with challenging tasks. 65

POSITIVE PARENTING BEHAVIORS are crucial to prepare children for learning and for life, and resources should be available to help people de-velop parenting skills.

Certain parenting behaviors are critical for promoting physical, cognitive and social-emotional de-

velopment, especially for young children. These behaviors include being nurturing and responsive,

being emotionally and physically available, engaging in positive parent-child interactions, providing

predictable routines, and promoting literacy and learning at home.

Some parents and families exhibit these behaviors instinctively; others need support to do so. For

example, in a national survey of children’s health and well-being, only about half (49 percent) of parents

in Nebraska reported that they (or others) read to their child every day.66 For parents who are stressed

or struggling with mental health issues, it is a challenge to provide a supportive home environment in

which children thrive.67

Because no single approach works for all parents and families, several kinds of parenting programs

Components of an Effective Youth Behavioral Health System:

• Provides comprehensive behavioral health screening and assessment; identifies children and

adolescents with behavioral problems and refers them to appropriate services.

• Ensures that interventions and care are affordable to families.

• Involves high-quality, well-trained mental health professionals.

• Uses evidence-based practices.

• Makes decisions based on data about outcomes.

• Provides coordination across multiple agencies.

Having parents who are en-

gaged in their education as ad-

visors, advocates and decision-

makers is a key predictor of

children’s academic achieve-

ment, regardless of socioeco-

nomic status or ethnicity.


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exist. They include home visiting, parenting classes, parent-child interaction groups, family resource

centers, and information and resource-referral services.

Home visitation programs are a unique model for supporting parents. They primarily involve

families with younger children. Home visitation leads to more individual attention and relationship

building between family and provider, giving parents a powerful tool to improve their children’s health

and well-being.

PROGRAMS THAT HELP FAMILIES support their children’s development should be grounded in effective practices.

Parenting programs aimed at providing support and information enhance parents’ capacity and

competence. These skills, in turn, lead to more positive parent-child interactions and, ultimately, to

children’s enhanced social, emotional and cognitive development. High-quality programs that address

barriers to providing optimal parenting do the following:

• Effectively screen for parents’ potential mental health or substance abuse issues.

• Provide counseling, job training and parenting support.

• Connect families to the resources and services they need.

Task Force RecommendationsTo Help Families Support Positive Child Development:

• Involve parents, grandparents and other caregivers (including licensed care and informal family,

friend and neighbor care) in developing parenting skills through home visitation, parenting

programs and parent-child interaction groups.

• Establish family resource centers to connect parents with community resources, parent educa-

tion and home visiting.

• Target home visitation services and care coordination for identified at-risk families (e.g., those in

which the parents struggle with mental health problems).

• Provide adult education/GED/ESL/life skills education for parents.

• Provide parenting education and parent facilitators to teach parents to support their child’s aca-

demic achievement.

Building Bright Futures board chairman Richard Holland discusses challenges with two-county audience.

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• Take into account the diversity of families, the unique challenges that families face and the

difficulty of managing multiple stressors.

Home visiting programs can be particularly effective in supporting and educating parents about child

development, and connecting families to services. Some components of effective home visiting pro-

grams are summarized in the box below.68

Recommendation 11: Promote More Mentoring Relationships

YOUNG PEOPLE NEED support and care from adults outside their families.

Stable, caring adults are a cornerstone of positive child and youth development. Through positive

relationships with adults, children and youth experience a sense of physical and emotional safety, which

is an essential component of healthy development. They also learn that they are valued and accepted

by others. According to some experts, that sense of belonging is the single most important ingredient

we can add into the lives of young people.

The Search Institute, an organization that promotes healthy children and youth, recommends that

youth receive sustained support from three non-parent adults. Involvement in positive social relation-

ships and activities with non-parent adults has been associated with the following outcomes:

• A decrease in risky behaviors.

• Stronger communication skills and leadership experience.

• Increased status and stature in the community.

• Increased connectedness to school.

• Improved competencies and self-esteem.69

An April 2007 article in The Omaha World-Herald called on readers to envision a community in which

students had the guidance of mentors and other adults who stepped in when they were in danger of

falling off track. Building Bright Futures has accepted this challenge. We believe that realizing this vi-

Home Visiting Programs Help Families Support Positive DevelopmentHome visiting programs that are diverse, but effective share some features, including the

following:

• Focus on parenting behaviors and practices that will influence children’s development.

• Require active participation and full engagement of parents over an extended period.

• Emphasize the development of a positive relationship between the home visitor and parent/

family members.

• Employ experienced and well-trained staff.

• Are connected to or embedded in a comprehensive package of services (for example, home

visiting services to children who are also attending high-quality ECE programs).

• Are implemented in communities that are receptive to information and support services de-

livered in the home. Home visiting programs that are sensitive to cultural and linguistic prefer-

ences may have greater success in serving families.

Mentoring WorksAfter 18 months in the Big Brothers

Big Sisters program, “Littles” were:

• 46 percent less likely to begin us-

ing illegal drugs;

• 27 percent less likely to begin

using alcohol;

• 52 percent less likely to skip

school;

• More confident of their school

performance;

• One-third less likely to hit some

one; and

• Getting along better with their

families.J. P. Tierney, J. B. Grossman, & N. L. Resch, Making a Difference: An Impact Study of Big Brothers Big Sisters (Philadelphia: Public/Pri-vate Ventures, 1995).


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sion will take a conscious effort to forge relationships between youth and caring adults. Whether the

adult is an assigned mentor or a favorite coach, youth development worker, church member, teacher or

school bus driver, our vision is for youth in Douglas and Sarpy Counties to know that adults care about

them and are willing to provide the guidance to help them succeed.

GREATER OMAHA has a vibrant mentoring and youth development tra-dition, but we need more adults to form connections with our young people.

Greater Omaha is home to more than 75 formal mentoring organizations that serve about 3,000

children and youth. Tens of thousands of young people also attend after-school programs on a regu-

lar basis, where they have the potential to establish relationships with adult staff members. Countless

others enjoy supportive relationships with adults through other activities.

The Building Bright Futures After-school Mentoring and Tutoring for Excellence Task Force estimates

that 8,000 youth in Douglas and Sarpy Counties need extra guidance. Specific populations of youth in

the two-county area who could be particularly vulnerable and in need of positive relationships with

non-parent adults include the following:

• 11,746 youth who live in subsidized housing supported by the Omaha and Douglas County

Housing Authorities;

• 2,153 foster children;

• An estimated 39,144 students who are responsible for their own care after school;

• 5,855 juveniles arrested in 2006; and

• 3,210 teens who became pregnant in 2006.70

All of these children and youth could potentially benefit from having a mentor. A 2007 report

prepared by the BBF After-school Mentoring and Tutoring for Excellence Task Force says that finding

effective ways to recruit mentors on a large scale is one of the greatest challenges facing individual

mentoring programs. After-school programs also have a difficult time recruiting and retaining high-

quality staff members; in fact, the task force reports that some local after-school programs are over

their capacity in terms of staff/child ratios.

Task Force RecommendationsTo Promote Formal and Informal Mentoring:

• Find 3,000 new mentors for at-risk students by 2010 through targeted mentoring recruitment.

• Undertake a public awareness campaign about the importance of mentoring.

• Strengthen the Midlands Mentoring Partnership.

• Adopt quality standards for mentoring programs.

• Create a resource directory of mentoring opportunities.

• Help after-school agencies hire people who are informally working with, coaching and mentoring

children in their neighborhoods.

• Train youth from local neighborhoods and after-school programs to become future youth devel-

opment professionals.

The Building Bright Fu-

tures After-school Mentor-

ing and Tutoring for Excel-

lence Task Force estimates

that 8,000 youth in Doug-

las and Sarpy Counties

need extra guidance.

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PROGRAMS THAT INCLUDE formal and informal mentoring should be grounded in effective practices.

High-quality mentors and after-school program staff have the skills and dispositions to forge sup-

portive relationships with youth, so it is important to attract and retain these people. Some research-

based strategies for recruiting and retaining mentors and after-school staff are summarized below.71

Quality mentoring experiences will attract young people and mentors alike. As a way of ensuring

quality, many of the area’s mentoring programs adhere to the National Mentoring Partnership’s Ele-

ments of Effective Practice,72 a set of guidelines developed by mentoring experts to help organizations

provide high-quality mentoring experiences. The guidelines include specific recommendations for pro-

gram design and planning, program management, program operations and program evaluation.

Recommendation 12: Expand Enrollment in After-school Programs

PARTICIPATION IN CONSTRUCTIVE after-school activities helps young people avoid negative behaviors and prepares them for life.

High-quality after-school programs offer a diverse array of activities that include tutoring and help

with homework, academic enrichment activities, life skills and sex education programs, and arts or

other cultural enrichment activities. These activities offer young people the opportunity to develop a

wide range of competencies. Strong peer groups in an after-school program also provide children with

support and structure for building self-esteem and learning to work cooperatively.73

Regular participation in social and cultural enrichment activities has been associated with numer-

ous positive outcomes, including

• Better attitudes about self, school and community;

• Better school attendance and more time spent on homework;

• Fewer delinquent and risky behaviors and greater resistance to peer pressure;

• Improved social skills;

• Greater civic involvement;

• Increased creativity, fluency and originality in thinking; and

• Better social integration into adult society.74

Recruiting and Retaining Mentors and After-school StaffMentors and after-school staff can be attracted and retained in the following ways:

• Mentors should be given a choice of mentoring options tailored to mentors’ schedules and interests.

• After-school staff should be offered wage and career ladders, scholarship programs, registries for

tracking professional development and credentialing opportunities.

• After-school staff should have opportunities for training linked to pathways of advancement and

to compensation and benefit structures that will make it possible for staff to remain in the field.

• Both mentors and after-school staff should have initial and ongoing training related directly to

working with young people.

Extracurricular Activities MatterStudents who spent no time in extracur-

ricular activities, compared with those

who spent 5-19 hours per week, were:

• Six times more likely to drop out of

school by their senior year;

• Three times more likely to be suspend-

ed in high school;

• Twice as likely to be arrested by their

senior year; and

• About 75 percent more likely to smoke

cigarettes.B. Miller, Critical Hours: After-school Programs and Educational Success (Quincy, MA: Nellie Mae Educa-tion Foundation, 2003).


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Studies have shown that the children who gain the most from these programs are the ones who

have the most to gain: low-income youth, youth from non-English-speaking families, students who

underperform in school and young people who live in dangerous neighborhoods. However, students

from higher income families are twice as likely as students from lower-income families to spend 5 or

more hours a week in extracurricular activities.75

LOCAL AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS must serve more young people, because too many youth in the two-county area are unsupervised after school.

Statewide, 31 percent of Nebraska youth are unsupervised after school. In the two-county area, that

translates to 39,144 children.76 A 2006 survey conducted by the University of Nebraska at Omaha con-

cluded that in the City of Omaha, more than 11,000 OPS students in grades K through eight – includ-

ing roughly 2,800 students in grades K through

four – were home without supervision after

school. In that survey, parents with a family in-

come of less than $50,000 were more likely to say

that their child was home without adult supervi-

sion than parents with higher incomes.77

The survey also revealed that 19,041 youth in

the City of Omaha live in geographic areas that

are underserved by after-school programs.78 Be-

cause most after-school programs do not provide transportation, these young people face significant

barriers to regular participation in the programs and are more likely to be unsupervised after school.

The relatively low participation rates in youth programs hurt our community as a whole, because

participation in constructive programs is associated with lower rates of negative behavior. That is why

young people who are responsible for their own care after school and those who live in underserved

areas are the prime targets of our efforts to expand enrollment in youth programs. They represent an

unserved population because they are not regularly participating in after-school activities. In addition,

as noted earlier, because they are unsupervised, they are more likely to perpetrate or be the victims of

crime and to engage in risky behaviors.79

Community Input

HIGHLIGHTS

67%

33%

Do you have a mentor?

Yes

No

Teen Rankings of BBF Task Force Recommendations

14%

86%

Would you like a mentor?

Yes

No

67%

33%

Do you have a mentor?

Yes

No

Mentoring – Teen Summit (Washington Library)

36%

64%

Would you like a mentor?

Yes

No

Mentoring – Bridge-To-Success Students

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AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS should follow research-based practices.

The youth development literature teems with principles of effective programming.80 These prin-

ciples can be sorted into three broad categories:

• Place. After-school providers need to create safe, warm and inviting places where chil-

dren want to be and that are trusted by parents.

• Program. Youth development programs are most effective when they include a wide range

of structured options for academic, social and cultural enrichment. Programs should be

attractive options that compete for the attention of youth and adolescents.

• People. Well-designed programs offered in youth-friendly buildings fall flat unless they are

delivered by caring and trained adults who have the capacity to engage children and youth.

The After-school Mentoring and Tutoring for Excellence Task Force emphasized the arts because

after-school settings have become increasingly important venues for arts programming. Research has

provided some insight into how to structure after-school arts programs.81 Some effective practices are

summarized in the box to the right.

Task Force Recommendations To Increase the Number of Youth Served by High-Quality After-School Programs:

• Expand access to safe, affordable and comprehensive youth development programs.

• Expand youth violence prevention and gang rescue programs.

• Offer more arts, recreation and life skills programs, as well as programs that expose young people

to higher education options.

• Develop art therapy programs, including programs that focus on the performing arts.

• Establish teen centers.

• Increase coordination and improve relationships between schools and service or care providers.

• Provide transportation services for youth in need.

• Increase access to schools for after-hours programming.

Effective Programming in the ArtsThe following are some specific features

of high-quality arts programs:

• They offer innovative and complex

learning opportunities in the arts.

• They facilitate direct connections be-

tween youth and professional artists.

• They provide opportunities to modify

performances or products on the basis

of external review and critique.

• They have high-quality staff.

• They encourage family and commu-

nity member involvement.

Community Input

HIGHLIGHTS

9%

76%

Teen Summit – Washington Library

Very Important

Important

Somewhat Important

Not Very Important

Not Important At All

Teen Rankings of BBF Task Force RecommendationsHow important is it that you have a job or the opportunity

to make money while in school?

6%

6%

3%

18%

58%

Bridge-To-Success Students

Very Important

Important

Somewhat Important

Not Very Important

Not Important At All

18%

6%

0%


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4. Ready for Work

TODAY, BEING READY FOR WORK requires more skills and abilities than ever before.

There has long been consensus among educators, career development specialists and employers

that young people need to develop a broad range of skills to be ready for work.82 With advances in tech-

nology, increasing globalization of the workforce and other changes in the job market, most jobs re-

quire a complex and evolving set of skills. Being ready for work today means demonstrating basic skills

– thinking skills and life skills – and being prepared to learn and develop as the workplace changes.

According to a recent report from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, success in the future work-

force will require mastery of the following:

• Core subject – English, reading or language arts, math, science, foreign languages, civics,

economics, government, arts, history and geography.

• 21st-century content – Global awareness; financial, economic, business and entrepre-

neurial literacy; civic literacy; and wellness awareness.

• Learning and thinking skills – Critical thinking and problem solving, communication,

creativity and innovation, collaboration, contextual learning, and information and media

literacy.

• Information and communications literacy – Using technology to learn, think critically,

solve problems, use information, communicate, innovate and collaborate.

• Life skills – Leadership, ethics, accountability, adaptability, personal productivity, personal

responsibility, people skills, self-direction and social responsibility.83

Middle school is not too early for students to begin thinking about potential careers and planning

educational pathways to reach their career goals. In high school, students need opportunities to pursue

course work that is rigorous and relevant to their career aspirations. High school completion alone does

not guarantee that youth will acquire the full range of skills needed for success in the 21st-century

workforce. To advance beyond low-skill, low-wage jobs, all students need to acquire skills that will al-

low them to extend their education beyond high school. To enter career pathways that lead to viable

employment, young people need to graduate from high school and then complete some form of post-

secondary education or training.84

LOW EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT among young people in Omaha is a significant barrier to future employment and earnings potential.

Among young people in Douglas and Sarpy Counties, as elsewhere, higher levels of educational

attainment increase opportunities for employment and earning potential. The U.S. Census, American

Community Survey for 2006 estimates that 31,206 of the 64,476 18- to 24-year-olds (48 percent) in

Douglas and Sarpy Counties have a high school education or less. Census figures also show that low

levels of educational attainment among young people translate into a lifetime of greatly reduced earn-

ings potential (see chart on following page).85

Middle school is not too

early for students to be-

gin thinking about poten-

tial careers and planning

educational pathways to

reach their career goals.

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Source: U.S. Census, 2006 American Community Survey.

THE BUILDING BRIGHT FUTURES task forces recommend career and vo-cational development to prepare Omaha youth for work.

These recommendations include the following:

• Recommendation 13: Emphasize early career awareness and career planning.

• Recommendation 14: Strengthen career and technical education and work opportunities.

• Recommendation 15: Develop programs to bridge the transition from high school to post-

secondary education and training.



Douglas and Sarpy Counties, list the specific recommendations from the BBF task forces and summarize

some effective practices related to the recommendations.

Recommendation 13: Emphasize Early Career Awareness and Career Planning

YOUNG ADULTS who are ready for work in metropolitan Omaha will have good career opportunities.

The Omaha area’s children and youth will be able to choose from among a wide variety of career

opportunities. The Nebraska Department of Labor Occupational Projections estimates that the 10 oc-

cupations that will grow fastest from 2004 to 2014 are (in order of projected growth):


Early career awareness.

Strong career and technical education and

work experience.

Bridge programs from secondary to post-

secondary education.

Scope of the Challenge(Douglas and Sarpy Counties)

1,500 10th-graders (43 percent) in OPS expressed a need for help in “making plans for after high school”.

4,651 Douglas/Sarpy public school students dropped out of school from 2003 to 2006.

12,182 Douglas/Sarpy 18- to 24-year-olds have not completed high school.

19,024 Douglas/Sarpy 18- to 24-year-old high school graduates have no post-secondary education.

What Children Need

Career awareness

College and career readiness

Post-secondary education and

trainingSources: Omaha Public Schools Office of Research, 2007; U.S. Census, 2006 American Community Survey.

Being Ready for Work: Needs and Challenges

Douglas and Sarpy CountiesEducational Attainment and Median Annual Earnings for 25 and Over Population

High School

$43,014

$53,896

Graduate orProfessional Degree

4-Year Degree (BA)Some College or2-Year Degree (AA)

Less ThanHigh School

$21,359

$31,981$25,547


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• Network systems and data communications analysts.

• Physician assistants.

• Computer software engineers (applications).

• Home health aides.

• Computer software engineers (systems software).

• Medical assistants.

• Dental hygienists.

• Dental assistants.

• Hazardous materials removal workers.

• Network and computer systems administrators.

Each of these occupations requires, at a minimum, post-secondary participation in a job certification

program. Many require much lengthier post-secondary education.86

While those occupations will grow the fastest, other jobs will require the largest number of new

workers. The list below includes the occupations projected to have the largest number of job openings

in Nebraska from 2004 to 2014 (in order of the number of workers required):

• Retail sales persons.

• Cashiers and wait staff.

• Food preparers.

• Truck drivers and tractor-trailer drivers.

• Registered nurses.

• Farmworkers; crop, nursery and greenhouse laborers.

• Customer service representatives.

• Post-secondary teachers.

• Janitors and cleaners.

• Office clerks.

Many of these jobs – such as those in the service sector and those involving physical la-

bor – may be available to high school graduates. But even those jobs will require high-level

skills (e.g., teamwork, problem solving and interpersonal skills) to move beyond entry-level po-

sitions. Many jobs on this list require substantial post-secondary education or training.

AWARENESS OF CAREER OPPORTUNITIES and personal career planning should begin early.

Parents and children alike need to understand that rigorous academic preparation is need-

ed for students to succeed in the 21st-century workplace, regardless of whether they choose

careers that require a 4-year college education, plan to enroll in a 2-year technical college pro-

gram, or plan to enter the workforce directly after high school.87

Elementary and middle school educators can help children develop an understanding of

career opportunities and begin making personal career plans before they reach high school.

This early start in career awareness and planning should motivate students, support their at-

A High School Diploma May Not Be Enough to Get a Job

A recent nationwide survey of employers

found that many employers plan to hire fewer

job applicants who have only a high school di-

ploma. At the same time, employers plan to in-

crease hiring of 4-year college graduates and

2-year college/technical school graduates.

Source: The Conference Board, Partnership for 21st Cen-tury Skills, Corporate Voices for Working Families, & So-ciety for Human Resource Management, 2006, Are They Really Ready for Work? Employers’ Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of New Entrants to the 21st Century U.S. Workforce New York: The Confer-ence Board.

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tachment to school and sustain their academic development. Moreover, helping students and their

families understand the educational pathways that lead to future career opportunities – and helping

them believe they can succeed in these pathways – will encourage students and their families to de-

velop high expectations for educational attainment.

MANY STUDENTS EXPRESS A NEED for support in planning for life and work beyond high school.

As part of the ACT PLAN test administered to students in Omaha Public Schools in the 10th grade,

students are asked to identify areas of need. The need expressed most often among 10th-graders who

took the survey in 2006 was for assistance in planning beyond high school.

PROGRAMS AND POLICIES to promote early career awareness and plan-ning should be guided by research-based practices.

Exemplary early career awareness and development programs share the features summarized in the

box on the following page. 88

Task Force Recommendations To Support Early Career Awareness and Career Planning:

• Introduce early career exploration activities in upper elementary school.

• Conduct awareness activities in all 16 career clusters in middle school.

• Give students the support they need to create personal learning plans.

• Introduce career advising programs.

• Give all students access to career counseling.

• Introduce career exploration opportunities:

– Leader lunches: Business and industry workers are invited to lunch with 10 to 15 students.

– Online mentoring: Each student is paired with an online mentor.

– In-school explorer posts: Businesses provide industry-specific projects or learning opportuni-

ties for students.

– Student organizations: Students are encouraged to participate in appropriate student chap-

ters and organizations relating to their career field.

– Business tours: Students with similar interests visit four businesses in their career pipeline.

Student-Selected Areas of Need (OPS – PLAN 2006-2007) Need Area Number of Students Expressing Need

Making plans for after high school 946

Improving study skills 858

Improving mathematical skills 792

Improving public speaking skills 770

Improving writing skills 594

Improving reading speed/comprehension 550

Improving computer skills 396Source: Omaha Public Schools Office of Research, 2007.


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Recommendation 14: Strengthen Career and Technical Education and Work Opportunities.

STUDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY to stay in school if coursework is engaging and related to work and career opportunities.

Making school more relevant and engaging and more connected to work and career opportunities

is an essential step to keep students from dropping out. Young people who drop of school report a vari-

ety of reasons for doing so, but nearly half (47 percent) of the high school dropouts who were included

in the nationwide survey for the Silent Epidemic study reported that feeling bored and unmotivated

by classes was a major factor in their decision to drop out. More than two-thirds (69 percent) said they

would have worked harder in school if expectations had been higher.89

A BALANCE OF ACADEMIC RIGOR, career relevance and relationships with adults can lead to higher educational achievement.

Bridging the gap between the world of school and the world of work requires the efforts of many

sectors of the community. Business leaders and workers should become more connected with schools,

sharing their experiences and mentoring youth. Educators can embrace new career-related content

and hands-on approaches for connecting school to work. Parents should guide their children toward

post-secondary options and become knowledgeable about the skills employers expect.

TOO MANY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS graduate without acquiring criti-cal college or work readiness skills.

There is no longer a meaningful distinction between being ready for college and being ready

Key Components of Early Career Awareness and Career Planning ProgramsSchools and teachers with an interest in developing early career awareness and career planning

programs should do these things:

• Create career awareness opportunities: visits to the classroom by professional members of the

community, career talks, career fairs and similar activities.

• Provide students with real-life and practical experiences, such as field trips to local workplaces to

learn firsthand about various occupations.

• Ensure that the program addresses work readiness skills.

• Introduce students to information about the job market.

• Provide students with opportunities to incorporate career information in related academic areas.

• Make the program culturally responsive.

• Maximize family involvement.

• Invite interdisciplinary involvement and support.

• Use well-trained and dedicated staff.

• Promote individuality in the program, rather than making it “one size fits all.”

• Incorporate technology.

Making school more rel-

evant and engaging and

more connected to work

and career opportunities

is an essential step to keep

students from dropping

out.

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for work. The goals of equity and excellence require high expectations for knowledge and skills

development for all students. Unfortunately, not all students who graduate from high school have

acquired the skills and knowledge they need to be ready for either work or college. Researchers

have estimated that only a third of high school graduates have the skills they need for college. Na-

tionwide, about 40 percent of white high school graduates, 23 percent of African-American graduates

and 20 percent of Latino graduates are ready for college.90

EMPLOYERS ARE INCREASINGLY SKEPTICAL about the work readiness skills of high school graduates, even for entry-level positions.

A national consortium of workforce development organizations and major employers recently com-

pleted an in-depth study of

the corporate perspective

on the readiness of entrants

into the U.S. workforce.

The consortium conducted

a national survey to collect

employers’ perspectives on

the work readiness skills

of employees with differ-

ing levels of educational

attainment. The majority

of the employers respond-

ing to the survey said high

school graduates were defi-

cient in a number of critical

work readiness skills.91

Task Force Recommendations To Provide Strong Career and Technical Education and Work Opportunities:

• Create high school career academies that integrate academic and career/technical studies aligned

with career pathways in industry sectors important to the Omaha economy.

• Create a Business Advisory Council.

• Create Small Learning Communities or Schools Within a School. Smaller learning environments

in secondary schools allow teachers to work with fewer students and students to be well-known

by their teachers and peers.

• Offer academic courses integrated in a career cluster (where appropriate) to provide contextual,

relevant learning.

• Expand access and funding for dual credit, concurrent enrollment with post-secondary or state/

national certifications.

• Facilitate internships: All Career Academy students should have the opportunity to intern at a

business related to their career field.

• Create opportunities for paid summer work with eligibility tied to school attendance.

Employer Ratings of New Workers on Critical Work Readiness Skills by Level of Educational Attainment High School Graduates Deficient Excellent

Written communications 81% –

Professionalism/work ethic 70% –

Critical thinking/problem solving 70% –

Oral communications 53% –

Two-year College/ Technical School Graduates Deficient Excellent

Written communications 47% –

Writing in English 46% –

Information technology applications – 26%

Four-year College Graduates Deficient Excellent

Information technology applications – 46%Source: The Conference Board, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, Corporate Voices for Working Families, & Society for Human Resource Management, Are They Really Ready to Work? Employers’ Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of New Entrants to the 21st Century U.S. Workforce (New York: The Conference Board, 2006).

Researchers have estimated

that only a third of high school

graduates have the skills they

need for college. Nationwide,

about 40 percent of white high

school graduates, 23 percent

of African-American graduates

and 20 percent of Latino grad-

uates are ready for college.90


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PROGRAMS AND POLICIES to provide career and technical education and work opportunities should be guided by research-based best practices.

Several popular high school reform models that integrate academic and career/technical studies

(Career Academies, First Things First, Talent Development High Schools) have common features that

are directly related to their effectiveness in meeting five key challenges:

1. Creating a personalized and orderly learning environment.

2. Helping students who enter high school with poor academic skills.

3. Improving instructional content and pedagogy.

4. Preparing students for the world beyond high school.

5. Stimulating change.92

Some features of programs that meet these challenges are summarized in the box below.

Recommendation 15: Develop Programs to Bridge the Transition from High School to Post-secondary Education and Training

In today’s increasingly technical and information-based job market, a high school diploma is no lon-

ger an adequate credential for employment. All students need access to some kind of post-secondary

education and training to prepare for viable careers in the 21st century.

Realizing the goal of post-secondary education for all will require a significant change in beliefs

and practice, especially for students who were once labeled “not college material.” High schools must

refocus their efforts to offer all students the opportunity to take a rigorous course of study that prepares

them to enter a post-secondary environment. And families that previously might not have considered

college will be challenged to provide their children with the supports – emotional, academic and finan-

cial – to prepare for and succeed in college.

POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION is a barrier for many.

College is a daunting prospect, especially for first-generation college-going students, low-achieving

If everyone needs an edu-

cation through two years

of college or its equiva-

lent, then the nation has

an obligation to provide a

far more certain pathway

to post-secondary success

than it does now.93

Key Features of Programs That Integrate Academic and Career/Technical Studies: Career Academies

• School-within-a-school structure.

• Integrated academic and occupational

curriculum.

• Employers that provide career awareness

activities and internships.

First Things First

• Four-year, theme-based small learning

communities.

• Family advocate system (faculty advisory

program).

• Instructional improvement efforts.

Talent Development High Schools

• Ninth Grade Success Academy.

• Career Academies for students in grades

10 through 12.

• Catch-up courses in reading and math for

ninth-graders with low skills.

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students, and students who face financial constraints. The table below shows that fewer than half of

the young adults in Douglas and Sarpy Counties (38 percent) have at least some college experience,

and only 12 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

In the Midwest, most students who intend to enroll in a 4-year college take the ACT. Nearly two-

thirds (65 percent) of 12th-graders in Douglas and Sarpy Counties took the ACT in 2006-07. Statewide,

77 percent of 12th-graders took the test.

In Douglas and Sarpy Counties, proportionately fewer African-American, Native American and La-

tino 12th-graders took the ACT compared with white and Asian American students: 41 percent of Latino

12th-graders and 42 percent of African-American 12th-graders took it, compared with 61 percent of

Caucasian 12th-graders. College readiness scores were also lower for Latino, African-American and Na-

tive American students; for instance, only 5 percent of African-Americans who took the test in Nebraska

met all four benchmarks for college readiness, compared with 27 percent of Nebraska students overall.

These ACT participation rates and scores suggest that Latinos, African-Americans and Native Americans

from greater Omaha will be under-represented in 4-year institutions.94

Every year, Omaha Public Schools conducts an annual follow-up survey of that year’s graduating

class. For students who graduated in 2006:

• 64 percent attended colleges, universities, trade schools or work-related training in

the fall after their graduation. This figure is slightly less than the national average of 69

percent.

• 53 percent of students who were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in high school

were enrolled in post-secondary education, compared with 72 percent of full-price lunch

students.

Young Adult Educational Attainment Douglas and Sarpy Counties (2006)

Number of Some College Bachelor’s Young Adults Less Than High School or Associate Degree or Ages 18-24 High School Graduate Degree Higher

Douglas County 49,221 10,062 14,214 17,884 7,062

Sarpy County 15,255 2,120 4,810 7,172 1,153

Total 64,476 12,182 19,024 25,056 8,215Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey.

Participation in ACT Testing Douglas and Sarpy Counties Public Schools (2007)

Number of Number of Percentage of Students in 12th-Graders 12th-Graders 12th Grade Taking the ACT Taking the ACT

Latino 541 224 41%

African-American 842 356 42%

Native American 43 21 49%

Caucasian 5,082 3,080 61%

Asian American 191 122 64%Source: Nebraska Department of Education, 2006-2007 State of the Schools Report (http://reportcard.nde.state.ne.us/Main/Home.aspx).


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Source: Omaha Public Schools, Follow-up of 2006 graduates (Omaha, NE: Author, 2007).

Although 64 percent of OPS students attended post-secondary education in the fall after their gradu-

ation, only 56 percent attended for a full academic year. Sixty-eight percent of the students who stopped

attending did so for financial reasons. Most others stopped attending so they could work or address

family matters, or because of poor academic performance. Only 29 percent of students who completed

a full freshman year of training or education were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch during high

school. In contrast, 53 percent of students who did not attend post-secondary training during either se-

mester or enrolled only in the fall semester were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in high school.95

Percent of Students AttendingPost-Secondary Education in the Fall After Graduation

Caucasian LatinoAfrican AmericanOverall

60% 64%68% 66% 70%74%

50% 56%61%47% 52%56%

Males Females Total

Community Input

HIGHLIGHTSCommunity Rankings of BBF Task Force Recommendations

What keeps students from going to college?

Finances

Not knowing about scholarships

Students think high school is enough

Students take a break after high school, then never go

Students discouraged by test and ACT requirements

Students don’t know anyone who experienced asuccessful college experience

45%

75%

15%

35%

0%

20%

Helping Kids Succeed – Participant Generated RecommendationsBridge-to-Success Students

1. Create an after-school program with a career emphasis.

2. Find an alternative to suspending students so they do not fall further behind in their schoolwork.

3. Assess teacher performance to determine if teaching style is appropriate to the students they teach.

4. Make classes innovative, relevant and more challenging.

5. Assign teachers to activities who have a sincere interest in those activities.

6. Present career options in earlier elementary grades.

7. Provide more one-on-one after-school mentoring and tutoring.

8. Keep parents and guardians informed about student’s performance.

9. Provide more transportation.

10. Provide free/low-cost after-school or summer activities that stress academics. (more)

Although 64 percent of

OPS students attended

post-secondary education

in the fall after their grad-

uation, only 56 percent

attended for a full aca-

demic year.

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OPPORTUNITIES TO BEGIN post-secondary education while in high school smooth the transition to post-secondary education and training.

A number of strategies have arisen in the past decade to bridge high school and post-secondary educa-

tion so youth can be better prepared for today’s workforce. The American Youth Policy Forum identified

four broad approaches to creating secondary/post-secondary learning options:

1. Dual enrollment – High school students take college courses for credit. Advanced place-

ment is included in this option.

2. Tech prep – As part of a sequence of study in a technical field, students earn post-secondary

credits that count toward a technical certificate. States receive federal tech prep grants un-

der the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technology Education Act.

3. Middle and early college high schools – High schools partner with institutions of higher

education to provide a sequence of study that includes credit-bearing college courses. Stu-

dents graduate from high school in 4 or 5 years with a number of college credits. They can

earn an associate degree or the equivalent while in high school.

Community Input

HIGHLIGHTS continued

15%

28%

10%

8%

39%

36%

14%Very Safe

Safe

Neutral

Not Safe

Don’t Feel Safe At All

14%

22%

14%

0%

0%Very Safe

Safe

Neutral

Not Safe


58%

21%

21%


Very Often

Often

Once In A While

Not Often

Never

Teen Rankings of BBF Task Force RecommendationsHow often do transportation issues keep you from getting to school?


17%

7%


Very Safe

Safe

Neutral

Not Safe


37%

13%

26%

How safe do you feel at school?


19%

19%


Very Safe

Safe

Neutral

Not Safe


29%

4%

29%

How safe do you feel in your neighborhood?


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4. Programs serving disadvantaged youth – Community colleges or community-based or-

ganizations partner with school districts to offer opportunities for out-of-school or disad-

vantaged youth to take college-level coursework.96

For first-generation college students, lower-income students and lower-performing students, these

kinds of programs bridge the gap between high school and post-secondary education and training in

several ways. First, they ease some of the financial burden of higher education, because college tuition

fees are usually paid for through the grant programs. Second, they challenge students with high expec-

tations and rigorous coursework, which provides motivation to persist and succeed. And finally, by tak-

ing college courses, students come to believe that post-secondary education is appropriate for them.

PROGRAMS TO LINK high school with post-secondary education and training should be guided by best practices.

The body of evidence about the importance of integrating grades nine through 14 is growing. Some

guiding principles related to program design are summarized in the box below. 97

Task Force Recommendations To Ensure That All Youth Have Opportunities for Post-secondary Education and Training:

• Provide incentives for students to earn college credit or complete post-secondary coursework

while in high school.

• Recognize academic success that is related to readiness for college.

• Provide scholarships to remove financial barriers to post-secondary education.

Key Components of Programs That Bridge Secondary and Post-secondary EducationPrograms that enable high school students to take college courses should include the following:

• Strong partnerships among institutions of higher education, high schools and school districts.

• Agreement regarding the transferability of college credits.

• Strategies for overcoming physical and logistical barriers between high schools and institutions

of higher education.

• Sustainable strategies for covering the costs of college tuition, fees and textbooks.

• Cohorts of high school students taking college courses.

• Opportunities for students to take non-credit-bearing courses before credit-bearing courses.

• Extensive supports for students who are enrolled in high school and college courses.

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1 The information in these paragraphs came from the Nebraska Department of Education (http://reportcard.nde.state.ne.us/Main/Home.aspx), the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data (http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/) and the U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey (http://www. census.gov/acs/www/). 2 Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.). (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience and school: Expanded edition. Washington, DC: National Acad- emy Press. 3 Shonkoff, J. P., & Phillips, D. A. (Eds.). (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. Washington, DC: National Research Council, Institute of Medicine.

Belsky, J., Vandell, D. M., Burchinal, M., Clark-Stewart, K. A., McCartney, K., & Owen, M. T. (2007). Are there long term effects to early child care? Child Development, 78, 681-701.

West, J., Denton, K., & Germino-Hausken, E. (2000). America’s kindergartners. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. 4 Balfanz, R., Herzog, L., & MacIver, D. (2006). Preventing student disengagement and keeping students on the graduation path in urban middle-grade schools: Early identification and effective interventions. Educational Psychologist, 42, 223-235.

Biancarosa, G., & Snow, C. E. (2004). Reading Next: A vision for action and research in middle and high school literacy. A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education. Available at www.all4ed.org/ publications/ReadingNext/ReadingNext.pdf. 5 Stanovich, K. E. (1986). Matthew effects in reading: Some consequences of individual differences in the acquisition of literacy. Reading Research Quarterly, 21, 360-406.

National Reading Panel. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching children to read. Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Hu- man Services. Available at www.nichd.gov/publications/nrppubskey.cfm.

National Math Panel. (2008). Foundations for success: The final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. 6 Balfanz, R., Herzog, L., & MacIver, D. (2006). Preventing student disengagement and keeping students on the graduation path in urban middle-grade schools: Early identification and effective interventions. Educational Psychologist, 42, 223-235.

Biancarosa, G., & Snow, C. E. (2004). Reading Next: A vision for action and research in middle and high school literacy. A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education. Available at www.all4ed.org/ publications/ReadingNext/ReadingNext.pdf.

Hammond, C., Linton, D., Smink, J., & Drew, S. (2007). Dropout risk factors and exemplary programs: A technical report. Clemson, SC: National Dropout Prevention Center.

Southern Regional Education Board. (2004). Using rigor, relevance, and relationships to improve student achievement: How some schools do it: 2004 outstanding practices. Atlanta, GA: Author.

Harvey, J., & Housman, N. (2004). Crisis or possibility? Conversations about the American high school. Washington, DC: National High School Alliance. 7 Hair, E., Halle, T., Terry-Humen, E., Lavelle, B., & Calkins, J. (2006). Children’s school

readiness in the ECLS-K: Predictions of academic, health, and social outcomes in first grade. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 21, 431-454. 8 See Belfield, C. R., & Levin, H. M. (Eds.). (2007). The price we pay: Economic and social consequences of inadequate education. Washington, DC: The Brookings In- stitution Press. 9 Lee, V. E., & Burkham, D. T. (2002). Inequality at the starting gate: Social background differences in achievement as children begin school. Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute. 10 Balfanz, R. (2007). What your community can do to end its drop-out crisis: Learnings from research and practice. Paper presented at the National Summit on America’s Silent Epidemic, Washington, DC, May 9, 2007. 11 West, J., Denton, K., & Germino-Hausken, E. (2000). America’s kindergartners. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. 12 Nebraska Health and Human Services System. (2006). Nebraska Health and Hu- man Services System 2006 annual report. Lincoln, NE: Author.

Personal communication, Sandra Scott, DHHS, November, 15, 2007. 13 Bernstein, J., Brocht, C., & Space-Aguilar, M. (2000). How much is enough? Basic family budgets for working families. Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute. 14 Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. (2006). America’s children in brief: Key national indicators of well-being, 2006. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Table POP8.A, Child Care: Percentage of Children from Birth through Age 6, Not Yet in Kindergarten, by Type of Care Arrangement and Child and Family Characteristics, 1995 and 2001. Available at www.child stats.gov/americaschildren06/tables. 15 Cost, Quality, and Child Outcomes Study (1995). Cost, quality, and child outcomes in child care centers. Public Report (2nd. ed.). Denver, CO: University of Colorado.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Early Child Care Research Network (Ed.) (2005). Child care and child development: Results from the NICHD study of early child care and youth development. New York: The Guilford Press.

Peisner-Feinberg, E. S., Burchinal, M. R., Clifford, R. M., Culkin, M. L., Howes, C., Kagan, S. L., et al. (2001). The relation of preschool child-care quality to children’s cognitive and social developmental trajectories through second grade. Child Development, 72, 1534-1553. 16 National Reading Panel. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching children to read. Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Hu- man Services. Available at www.nichd.gov/publications/nrppubskey.cfm.

Biancarosa, G., & Snow, C. E. (2004). Reading Next: A vision for action and research in middle and high school literacy. A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education. Available at www.all4ed.org/ publications/ReadingNext/ReadingNext.pdf.17 National Mathematics Advisory Panel. (2008). Foundations for success: The final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. Washington, DC: U.S. Depart- ment of Education.

Balfanz, R., Herzog, L., & MacIver, D. (2006). Preventing student disengagement and keeping students on the graduation path in urban middle-grade schools: Early identification and effective interventions. Educational Psychologist, 42, 223-235. 18 National Reading Panel. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching

5. Footnotes


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children to read. Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Hu- man Services. Available at www.nichd.gov/publications/nrppubskey.cfm. 19 Allington, R. L., & Walmsley, S. A. (Eds.). (2007). No quick fix, the RtI edition. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

National Mathematics Advisory Panel. (2008). Foundations for success: The final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. Washington, DC: U.S. Depart- ment of Education.

Balfanz, R., Herzog, L., & MacIver, D. (2006). Preventing student disengagement and keeping students on the graduation path in urban middle-grade schools: Early identification and effective interventions. Educational Psychologist, 42, 223-235.

National Mathematics Advisory Panel. (2008). Foundations for success: The final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. Washington, DC: U.S. Depart- ment of Education.

National Reading Panel. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching children to read. Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Hu- man Services. Available at www.nichd.gov/publications/nrppubskey.cfm.

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Halpern, R., Barker, G., & Mollard, W. (2000). Youth programs as alternative spaces to be: A study of neighborhood youth programs in Chicago’s West Town. Youth & Society, 31, 469-506.

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