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Youth Development in Education Reform

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Youth Development in Education Reform
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YDI’s work in education reform focuses on supporting the application of youth development principles in classrooms and schools and building partnerships between schools and non-school partner organizations, such as community-based organizations, museums, libraries, and others that enrich student experience with special skills and knowledge.  

A. Building School Capacity:  YDI seeks to strengthen student performance and improve graduation rates by working with schools that serve mainstream students, as well as Multiple Pathways schools that provide alternatives to traditional schools. YDI trains leaders, instructors, and other staff members to work with non-school organizations to create more personalized and engaging school environments.

YDI’s Networks for Teachers and Youthworkers help educators create projects that integrate youth development concepts into school curricula and instruction, and supports their implementation through coaching and training and networking opportunities. Projects range from individual classroom projects to those that involve the whole school. The networks address themes such as youth development in schools, personalization, advisory, successful ninth-grade transition, partnership, and others.

B. Partnership Study.  YDI consultant, Dr. Janice Hirota, is conducting a multi-year study of the New York City school-community organization partnership strategy within the New Visions for Public Schools’ New Century High Schools Initiative. This initiative asserts that multiple stakeholders must work together to make quality education available and accessible to all of the city’s youth. Each New Century high school is expected to reflect—both in concept and practice—a working partnership that engages and integrates efforts of New York City Department of Education educators and staff from a non-profit partner organization. This innovative strategy draws on the rich and varied resources of knowledge, experience, opportunities, and skills that such partnerships can bring to implement the initiative’s ten guiding principles toward strong academic and personal student growth.

Dr. Hirota’s study explores the relationship between the partnership strategy and high student achievement.  Employing ethnographic methodology tied to quantitative analysis of student outcomes data, it examines on-the-ground practices and organizational structures in schools with mid to high outcomes and strong, integrated partnerships. Two reports have been completed and a third will be available in the summer of 2008.

Youth Development in Education Reform: Key Themes

Caring and Trusting Relationships with Adults and Young People (Personalization in Education)
Young people who have strong and sustained relationships with caring adults and other youths have higher educational and career aspirations.

High Expectations
High student performance is associated with an emphasis on academic success, problem-solving, and high standards of behavior, in combination with caring relationships.

Youth Participation: Making a Difference to Others
Strong schools provide students with opportunities to contribute their ideas and actions to help shape their classrooms and schools, and to contribute to their communities.

Designing Effective Learning Experiences In and Out of the Classroom
Students are engaged and perform better if they are involved in learning experiences that present them with real options and choices; combine emotional, sensory and intellectual involvement; have clear goals and rules; allow them to take on diverse roles and use different strengths; allow time for self-reflection; and provide feedback specific to the work they complete.

Opportunities to Learn New Skills and Knowledge in Authentic Projects
Experiences such as classroom-based team projects and other structured activities that require collaboration with others and allow students to reflect on these experiences, help prepare young people to work with others, communicate clearly, and solve problems similar to those they will encounter in higher education and the workplace.

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