Calculating WIA Youth Outcomes

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Calculating WIA Youth Outcomes
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A Look At The Seven WIA Youth Measures

• Older Youth (19-21)
• Entered Employment Rate
• 6-Month Retention Rate
• 6-Month Earnings Change
• Credential Rate
• Younger Youth (14-18)
• Skill Attainment Rate
• Diploma/Equivalent Rate
• Retention Rate

All measures are employment-related except Skill
Attainment, Diploma Attainment (Skill Attainment
is also 1 of 2 measures that arent exit-based)
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Calculating Youth Measures

• Measures start at registration (only registrants
  incl.)
• Measures are based on exit w/ 2 exceptions
• YY Skill Attainment - not dependent on exit
  (expect attainment of skills will occur
  throughout participation)
• Employer Satisfaction - concept of exit doesnt
  apply to employers
• Measures follow the funding
• Separate measures for each funding stream
• Individual served with multiple funding streams
  included in all relevant measures

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Older Youth Entered Employment Rate
Number Employed in 1st Quarter After Exit
divided by
Number of Exiters
Same as saying exit cohort
? Similar measure for Adults and Dislocated
Workers ? Exclude those Older Youth employed at
registration ? Also exclude those in advanced
training or college in quarter after exit
(unless theyre also employed) ? Wage records
are primary data source ? Supplemental data
okay for those not found in wage records
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More On Those Exclusions

• There are two kinds of Older Youth who register
  for WIA
• Those employed at registration
• Those NOT employed at registration
• For the Entered Employment Rate (EER), youre
  accountable for those who were NOT employed at
  registration
• Example 100 Older Youth in exit cohort 80 not
  employed at registration and 20 employed at
  registration.
• For Entered Employment, youre accountable for
  the 80

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And More

• 3 basic positive outcomes for this population -
  if one isnt achieved, there are two other
  possibilities
• For the EER, anyone whos employed is counted,
  but if an Older Youth is in advanced training or
  college, theyre excluded (unless theyre also
  employed)
• Example 100 Older Youth in exit cohort 80 not
  employed at registration, 20 employed at
  registration
• For the EER, youre accountable for the 80
• Consider Of the 80, 20 entered employment the
  1st quarter after exit, 15 entered college, 5
  entered advanced training, 10 entered employment
  and college or advanced training
• Now accountable for 80 - (155) or 60
• Of the 60, how many positives (for employment)
  are there? 30
• 30/60 50 EER

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A Different View - OY EER
20
Is youth employed at registration?
100
Exclude from calculations
YES
80
NO
Numerator
30
YES
Is youth employed 1st Qtr after exit?
30 3030
30
YES
Denominator
50
NO
30
NO
Is youth in post-secondary education or advanced
training in 1st Qtr after exit?
20
Exclude from calculations
YES
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Older Youth Employment Retention Rate
Number Employed in 3rd Quarter After Exit
divided by
Number Employed in 1st Quarter After Exit
? Similar measure for Adults and Dislocated
Workers ? Based on all those employed 1st Qtr
after exit (registration status doesnt
matter) ? Exclude those in advanced training or
college in 3rd quarter after exit (unless
theyre also employed) ? Wage records are
primary data source ? Supplemental data okay for
those not found in wage records
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A Different View - OY ERR
Is youth employed 1st Qtr after exit?
Exclude from calculations
NO
YES
Numerator
YES
Is youth employed 3rd Qtr after exit?
YES
Denominator
NO
NO
Is youth in post-secondary education or advanced
training in 3rd Qtr after exit?
Exclude from calculations
YES
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Older Youth Average Earnings Change
Gross Earnings in 2nd 3rd Quarters After Exit
minus Gross Earnings in 2nd 3rd Quarters
Pre-Registration
divided by
Number Employed in 1st Quarter After Exit
? Same measure for Adults (same calculations) ?
Based on those employed in 1st Qtr after exit
(same population, group, or cohort as
retention) ? Exclude those in advanced training
or college in 3rd Qtr after after exit
(unless theyre also employed) ? Wage records
are only data source no supplemental data
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A Different View - OY Earnings
Is youth employed 1st Qtr after exit?
NO
Exclude from calculations
YES
YES
Was supplemental data used to determine 1st Qtr
employment?
NO
Is youth employed 3rd Qtr after exit?
YES
YES
Included in calculations
Was supplemental data used to determine 3rd Qtr
employment?
NO
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Older Youth Credential Rate

• Definition of credential is flexible (USDOL
  policy)
• States/Locals can expand on definition
• Opportunity to work w/ employers to develop
  meaningful credentials/certificates for OJT and
  customized training
• Must attain credential by the end of Q3 Post-Exit
• Must have two things for positive outcome
• Attainment of Credential by end of 3rd quarter
  post-exit
• In Employment, Post-Secondary Education OR
  Advanced Training in 1st quarter post-exit
• In other words, the credential must be coupled
  with another Older Youth positive outcome

A nationally recognized degree/certificate or
state/locally recognized credential - incl. HS
diploma, GED/other recognized equivalents,
post-secondary degrees/ certificates, recognized
skill standards and licensure/industry-recognized
certificate.
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Older Youth Credential Rate
Number Employed, in Advanced Training, or in
Post-Secondary Education in 1st Qtr after exit
and Received a Credential by the end of the 3rd
Qtr after Exit
divided by
Number of Exiters
? Credential must be coupled with another older
youth positive outcome ? Similar measure
for Adults and Dislocated Workers (except
credential must be coupled with employment) ?
ALL Older Youth included ? Credential
attainment can occur anytime during
participation but must occur by end of Q3
post-exit
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A Different View - OY Credential
Is youth employed 1st Qtr after exit?
Is youth in post-secondary education or advanced
training in 1st Qtr after exit?
NO
YES
YES
NO
Did youth receive a credential by end of 3rd Qtr
after exit?
NO
YES
Denominator
Numerator
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Younger Youth Skill Attainment Rate
This is the basic definition
Number of Goals Attained (Basic, Work Readiness,
Occupational)
divided by
Number of Goals Set
? This measure looks at (i.e., counts) skills
- not youth ? First goal must be recorded as set
on registration date (even if not actually
set until a short time after) ? If basic skills
deficient, must have at least 1 basic skills
goal ? If youth exits before attaining a goal,
considered negative outcome ? Flexibility in
defining goals (e.g., goal setting around what
you want to do, have, or be - within 30
days, 6 months, 1 year) ? Info on goal
attainment should be derived from case mgt or
follow-up services
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More On Skill Attainment

• Although easier to think of goals attained
  divided by goals set, looking at the denominator
  (or universe) that way can skew the resulting
  outcome (and not for the better)
• There will always be lots more goals set than
  attained, but some of the goals set shouldnt
  be part of the denominator because the 12
  months hasnt expired!
• More specific (and preferred) definition

Number of Goals Attained(Basic, Work Readiness,
Occupational)
divided by
of Goals Attained of Goals not attained
within one year of Goals set for those who
exit without attaining set goals
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And More

• Consider the following simple data set

Goals Attained divided by Goals Set 5/8 or 62.5
But what if Mary actually had more time left to
attain her second Work Readiness goal? (Theres
nothing here about timeframes.) Using the
3-part denominator, which is more specific,
wed have 5/7 or 71.4
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Skill Attainment Can Be Confusing

• One reason - people inevitably think the
  calculation is tied to the number of youth No.
  Nada. Uh Uh.
• Youre counting skills not youth
• What does a 62.5 skill attainment rate tell us?
• We cant relate it back to youth numbers
• Another reason how and when local boards/local
  contracts review performance
• Quarterly performance can be very misleading on
  this measure

?
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So Where To Begin?Getting The Goals

• Set the right goals
• Assessment! (Basic Skills is easy (tests
  available) - Work Readiness/Occupational skills
  more difficult to assess)
• Set realistic expectations
• Engage youth - keep them engaged (or they wont
  show up)
• Relevance (activities support youth goals (not
  just WIA) incl. career exploration, school
  completion, college exploration, community
  service)
• Incorporate Youth Voice (to get buy-in, increase
  relevance)
• Incentives (e.g., for community service, goal
  attainment, academic achievement, HS graduation,
  leadership development)
• Tie achievements (incl. participation) to Paid
  Work Experience
• NOTE Goal attainment must be documented
  according to methods adopted by Local Board

Example
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Getting The GoalsKern High School District (CA)
(contractor for Kern/Inyo/Mono LWIA)

• Assessments
• Multiple methods CASAS for math/reading
  portfolios/proficiency tests for writing Use
  Life School 2000 for employability skills Use
  Steck Vaughn for life skills and work readiness
• Engaging Youth
• Relevance Youth adopted a run-down cemetery for
  the poor cleaned/maintained it every weekend
  (community service)
• Youth Voice Youth help select summer projects
  (read proposals, vote equal to management)
  represent program to media
• Incentives
• Higher pay scale for out-of-school youth (e.g.,
  incentives for getting drivers license and
  getting a California ID)
• In-school youth WIA goal attainment
  Participation Paid Work Experience (must do
  well during school yr participate in assigned
  activities to be eligible for WEX in summer)

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Getting The Goals Kern County (contd)

• Paid Work Experience (goal attainment
  participation)
• Important to Kern County youth
• Many cant attend programs because they need to
  care for younger children so
  parents can work in the
  fields paid WEX helps and youth are motivated to
  work towards a WEX opportunity
• If youth attend required workshops and achieve
  set goal, they earn the right to work 50 hours
• Up to 3 goals per year (e.g., possibility of 150
  work hrs)
• Still must apply for summer WEX, have references,
  interview
• Youth in paid WEX deserve it and worked for it
• Experience is less firing, disciplinary actions,
  behavioral problems
• Sample tools/reports included in materials

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Measuring Skill Attainment Another Way

• Local Board bound by federal definition/calculatio
  ns Contractors/providers bound by contractual
  provisions
• However, additional measures/measurements for
  program operators not prohibited (in fact,
  encouraged)
• Potentially useful measurement (for local
  purposes) might be
• of younger youth who attained at least one goal
  divided by total of younger
  youth with a skill attainment
  goal
• With previous example, 5/8 or 62.5 was outcome
• Using same data set and measurement, its 3/4
• Translation 75 achieved at least one of their
  goals
• Actually deals with youth - info on age of YY
  who achieved at least 1 skill attainment goal

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Younger Youth Diploma/Equivalent Rate
Number of YY who attained a diploma or equivalent
by the end of the 1st Qtr after Exit
divided by
Number of Exiters (except those still in
secondary school at exit)
? For Younger Youth only (14-18 at
registration) ? Exclude those YY who registered
with a diploma or equivalent ? Exclude those
still in secondary school at exit ? Attainment
of diploma can occur anytime during
participation must attain diploma by the
end of the 1st Quarter after exit ? The
measurement takes place after Q1 post-exit
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A Different View - YY Diploma
Is youth a high school graduate at registration?
Exclude from calculations
YES
NO
Numerator
YES
Did youth receive a diploma or equivalent by end
of 1st Qtr after exit?
YES
Denominator
NO
NO
Was youth in secondary school at exit?
Exclude from calculations
YES
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Younger Youth Retention Rate
Number of YY in at least one of the following in
3rd Quarter after Exit Employment,
Post-Secondary Education, Advanced Training,
Military and/or Qualified Apprenticeship
divided by
Number of Exiters (except those still in
secondary school at exit)
? All younger youth included in calculations
except those still in secondary school at
exit ? Positive outcome (numerator) is one or
more of 5 qualifying outcomes in 3rd Qtr
after exit ? 5 Positive Outcomes employment,
post-secondary education, advanced training,
military, qualified apprenticeship
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A Different View - YY Retention
Is youth in secondary school at exit?
Exclude from calculations
YES
NO
Numerator
Is youth in one of the following in the 3rd Qtr
after exit? Employment, Post-Secondary Ed.,
Advanced Training, Military, Qualified
Apprenticeship
YES
YES
Denominator
NO