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OCSE Home Page Return to Table of Contents ACTION FOR BOSTON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, INC.
EXCERPT FROM SUMMARY OF FINAL EVALUATION FINDINGS FROM FY 1991 DEMONSTRATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM PROJECTS Agency: Action for Boston Community Development, Inc. 178 Tremont Street Boston, Massachusetts 02111 President/CEO: Robert M. Coard Evaluator: Andrew Sum, Evaluator Center for Labor Market Studies Northeastern University Contact Person: Roy Turner, Project Director Jay Ostrower, Director of Planning Telephone: 617-357-6000, ext. 210 Type of Project: Demonstration Partnership Program Continuation Grant Project Title: The Club Model:Minority Male, Youth at Risk Job Development Case Management Target Population: African-American and Hispanic Males ages 18 to 26 Project Period: December 1, 1991 to November 30, 1993 I. Background From 1989 through 1993, Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD)'s Career Life United in Boston (the CLUB's) Demonstration Partnership Program piloted a new approach to the delivery of education, job training, job placement, peer group support, mentoring, and social support services to jobless Black and Hispanic young men in Boston. The CLUB's comprehensive and individually tailored approach to service delivery was designed to improve the long-term employability and earnings prospects of young minority men. While the educational, labor market, and social problems of the target group were well-documented at the CLUB's initiation in 1989, the impact of an integrated and comprehensive approach to improving the lives of this group was unknown. The day-to-day experience of operating the CLUB program over the 4 years and ongoing assessments of program operations, outcomes, and impacts have provided valuable insight into the strengths and limitations of the program's structure and management and the complex nature of the personal employment and schooling/training barriers faced by these young men on a daily basis. This document attempts to build on previous reports for CLUB1 (the first phase of the CLUB, which operated from 1989 through 1991). This report summarizes the spring 1994 formal follow-up survey of members conducted by the third-party evaluator, and includes the observations of the evaluators, staff, mentors, and members. The project period specifically discussed herein is the final 2 years of operating the CLUB (CLUB2), with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Demonstration Partnership Program (DPP). Currently, the CLUB is supported by a 3-year grant from the Kellogg Foundation and has funds to continue through November 1996. A. Purpose of the Program The primary goal of the CLUB program was to increase the long-term self-sufficiency of its members by providing them with access to employment, education, training, mentoring, peer support, and a range of other support mechanisms in a comprehensive, individually tailored, service delivery model. If CLUB members held jobs at the time they entered the program, the jobs they held were typically low-wage service sector jobs. Without further education or training, ABCD assumed that there was little likelihood of a major improvement in the members' economic status, particularly given the severe deterioration of the local labor market. The CLUB hypothesis posited that the support and assistance provided through the synergy of all the program elements would generate demonstrable improvement in the lives of disadvantaged young men, in contrast to findings for previously tested single service and short-term program models. ABCD expected that many CLUB members would have a history of involvement with the criminal justice system. ABCD hoped to show that this involvement could be diminished by the perceived increase in opportunity, employment, and earnings as well as the support provided through the peer support network, program staff, mentors, and community. That supportive environment would also demonstrate a clear value system favoring work, education, and commitment to family. Speakers, CLUB activities, program requirements, and incentives would be used to reinforce these values. It was also assumed that the child support efforts of CLUB members who were parents and the intensity of their commitment to parenting were be directly related to their ability to earn an adequate income and resolve their personal problems. With increases in employment and other economic opportunities, it was assumed that support to children, both financial and emotional, would increase. In sum, improvements in the members' economic status over time were expected to result in reduced public assistance dependency, lower rates of involvement with the criminal justice system, and for those CLUB members who were fathers, increased provision of financial and personal support to their children. B. Description of the Program Recruitment The CLUB program targeted educationally and economically disadvantaged young minority males living in Boston. Recruitment efforts included word of mouth networks, pre-release centers, local access cable TV, alternative education programs, street workers, youth service groups, and other ABCD direct service programs. Intake and Assessment Potential new members of the CLUB came to the program's office in downtown Boston to interview with staff and complete an assessment process. These new recruits first became provisional members; this involved attending weekly CLUB meetings, completing a personal career and life plan, participating in at least one program service (job search with staff assistance, GED program, or other education or training program), and committing to regular meeting attendance. Members remained on provisional status for 2 months, after which they became full members, increasing their involvement with the CLUB program to include job search/placement, education, job training, driving classes, peer group activities, social activities, and/or match-up with a mentor. The name CLUB was not simply an acronym but a fundamental organizing concept upon which the program was based. Program Services Each CLUB member participated in an individualized mix of program services, intended to assist him in achieving the short- and long-term goals identified in his career and life plan. CLUB program staff assisted each member in developing his plan and accessing appropriate services. For instance, staff would assist members in accessing needed social services, free legal services, counseling, etc. Members were expected to make progress over time and access sequential services. They might improve employment status, progress from a GED program to college, or enter job training. Membership in the CLUB had no pre-determined endpoint, and members who left were encouraged to return when and if they desired. Over time, ABCD expected the CLUB members to make progress in employment status, educational status, and life stability. To reward progress, the CLUB awarded cash incentives for benchmarks achieved, such as holding a job for 90 days, achieving an educational credential, completing a training program or college course, or obtaining a driver's license. Staff The program staff for the CLUB2 grant consisted of a Program Director and a Resource and Employment Coordinator. The Resource and Employment Coordinator was a new position created for the continuation grant. CLUB membership was open to African-American and Hispanic males age 18 to 26 who had not completed any post-secondary schooling and whose income did not exceed 125 percent of the poverty level. Other requirements for entrance included a minimum reading level of fifth grade, the absence of major alcohol or drug abuse problems, and in CLUB2, a stable housing situation. Numerous partnerships with a range of Boston organizations have helped the CLUB access employment and services for its members. The CLUB and the Massachusetts Department of Employment and Training have developed an effective employment partnership. Other employment and training partnerships include the Boston Private Industry Council, Massachusetts General Hospital, Youthbuild/Boston, the Boston Food Bank, Polaroid /Inner City, and Home Builders Institute. Partnerships providing access to social services for CLUB members include Boston City Hospital, Greater Boston Legal Services, Boston Legal Defenders, UMass/Boston Department of Athletics, Roxbury YMCA, Brandeis University, and Boston Cable Access. II. Study Approach and Evaluation Methodology A. Operational Definition of Outcome Measures Certain assumptions guided the development of the original CLUB program design: 183Major efforts were needed to increase the employability of young, low-income minority males. 183Services needed to be provided sequentially and comprehensively over many years. 183Most current short-term, job placement, group-oriented programs now supported by federal funds were unable to address the critical needs of this target group. 183Most of the young men would enter the program with a multiple but variable range of employability barriers, including a lack of a high school diploma or GED, low basic academic skills, limited work experience outside that of relatively low unskilled service and laborer positions, and prior alcohol and other drug abuse and criminal justice problems. To successfully address these needs, the CLUB program was designed to: 183Respond to the individual needs, goals, and aspirations of participants rather than trying to find participants to meet the needs of a predesigned program. This objective would be accomplished through the development of an individual employability and career advancement plan and individually brokered education, training, employment, and social services. 183Be of variable length with the goal of not simply assisting a participant to obtain a job or access a school or training program but to advance educationally, economically, and socially over time. This would be accomplished by encouraging continuous and multiple participation in program activities and consistently assisting participants to take the "next step." 183Assist participants to focus not only on job and training goals but also on a variety of issues that affect their day-to-day lives with family, children, and friends. This would be accomplished by linking participants to social services when needed, and to personal counseling/peer support/mentor support services. 183Create a positive climate of support and cooperative activity for the life and career changes that are expected to occur as a result of the comprehensive intervention. This would be accomplished through the meetings of the CLUB, support of the mentors, and other group activities. Given these program development assumptions and the establishment of objectives for the participants, we constructed a number of outcome measures: 183Were CLUB members employed at the time of the formal follow-up survey and at review points? What were their wages? Were they higher wage or higher skilled positions than those formerly held or those obtained by members of the control group? 183Did the men enroll in employment-oriented training and education activities? Did they successfully complete these activities, e.g., by earning GED certificates or college credits? 183Were they receiving public assistance? What types? Did their reliance on such payments diminish over time? 183Had they fathered children? If so, were they living with the mother of their child(ren)? Were they providing financial and/or emotional support to their child(ren)? 183Did they avoid problems with the criminal justice system? How many were arrested since program entry? For what types of crimes? We intended to measure CLUB members' status and experiences in each of these areas at intake and at various points throughout the program. Members would provide baseline information on these key indicators at the point of entry, and staff would track changes in status at periodic points during the program. In this CLUB2 evaluation, the status of the treatment group, the CLUB2 members, would be compared to results in CLUB1. The third-party evaluator completed a formal follow-up survey of CLUB members in the spring of 1994. Findings included here are based on this survey and the evaluator's analysis of the results. In addition, the CLUB program was evaluated on several process measures: 183Participants--Did we recruit the planned number of participants? Who were they and how did their backgrounds affect the ability to achieve the desired outcomes? 183Implementation--What major factors affected the program's efforts to deliver services to participants and achieve desired results? How did program implementation problems affect outcomes? 183Issues of Program Design--Were our assumptions concerning the employment barriers of participants and the program design confirmed by experience? To what degree were any of our key assumptions unsupported by actual experience? Finally, analyzing our process and outcome evaluation results, we have made recommendations for improvement in the continuing CLUB program, and included observations about the CLUB's contribution to research and policy development surrounding anti-poverty efforts aimed at the target group. The CLUB model assumed that staff mentors and others would assist CLUB members with job searching and preparation. Members would access ABCD's education and training programs where appropriate, and would have the opportunity to take specialized computer classes. Members would access, with staff assistance, needed social services. Staff would contact members and track their status even when they were not attending weekly meetings. Staff were charged with identifying services and programs that would serve CLUB members, and assisting members to access those services and programs in accordance with their individual plans and needs. The group support, mentoring, and staff assistance was designed to provide members with the encouragement and motivation to continue their process of mobility and to seek assistance when needed. Staff would be responsible for organizing and staffing the groups and finding the mentors. It was expected that members themselves would also begin to organize CLUB activities and community service projects. A. General Discussion of Findings CLUB2 continued all processes started with the first Demonstration Partnership Grant, with little change in basic modalities. At the start of the continuation grant in December 1991, 76 CLUB members had been recruited and had participated in the program. The characteristics of those recruited for CLUB2 were to be similar to those who participated in CLUB1. At the time they applied for CLUB services, the ages of the CLUB2 members ranged from 18 to 26 years old (Table 1). Six of the CLUB members (11%) were over the age of 24, the original maximum age for CLUB eligibility; however, no one was older than 26. The age distribution was quite varied--28 percent of the applicants were 20 or younger, 40 percent were 21-22 years old, and the remaining 32 percent were 23 or older. The median age of the CLUB2 members was 22, 2 years higher than the median age (20) of the original cohort of CLUB participants. The CLUB2 program clearly was more successful in attracting older males into the program. Approximately 25 percent of the CLUB2 members were Hispanic males, and the remaining 75 percent were African-American. These percentages were almost identical to those of the original CLUB program. The CLUB2 program was designed to serve young males who either lacked a high school diploma or had completed only 12 years of schooling. The CLUB was successful in meeting its educational targeting criteria. The number of years of schooling completed by CLUB2 member at time of enrollment ranged from a low of 7 to a maximum of 12. The median numbers of years of school completed was 10, and only 28 percent of the enrollees had obtained a high school diploma. On average, the CLUB2 participants were less well educated than their counterparts in the CLUB1 demonstration program. The median number of years of school completed by the original cohort of CLUB participants was 11, and 35% of them had a high school diploma when they entered the program. Complete information on the employment status of CLUB2 members when they applied for program services was available for 44 members. Only 10 of these 44 members (or 23%) were working at the time of enrollment, and a majority of this group were working part-time. The remaining 34 members were either unemployed (28) or not active in the labor force (neither working nor looking for work). A more detailed examination of their work histories revealed that nearly all applicants had worked at some time in the past 2 years, though most jobs involved relatively unskilled service occupations or laborer/helper positions in the retail trade and service industries. Very few CLUB members had previously been employed in either white-collar (technical, sales, administrative support) or skilled blue collar occupations. A key challenge for the CLUB program staff was to upgrade the educational abilities and vocational skills of CLUB2 members to enable them to secure higher wages and more highly skilled positions. Demographic Characteristics of CLUB2 Members at Time of Initial Application for CLUB Services (N - 59)
Parental Evaluation Forms were completed by 44 of the enrollees in the CLUB2 program. At the time of initial enrollment, 17 of the 44 respondents (39%) had fathered one or more children. This proportion was slightly above the percentage of CLUB1 members (36%) who were fathers when they entered the original CLUB program. Of the 17 CLUB2 members who were fathers, 13 had fathered two or more children. None of the fathers were married when they entered the CLUB program; however, three of the fathers were living with their children either in the home of their own parents, or with the mother of their children. Approximately 60% of the fathers were providing some financial support for their children, but none of this child support was occurring through the formal child support system. Instead, the payments to the mothers of their children were informal and sometimes irregular. As part of the assessment process, each CLUB member was expected to complete a Police Report/Criminal Justice Survey through a personal interview with the CLUB program staff. Such surveys were fully completed for 40 participants in the CLUB2 program. Seventy-five percent of these 40 participants indicated that they had been stopped by the police at some time--11 percentage points higher than for CLUB1 participants. Of those members who had been stopped by the police, most had been stopped numerous times. Sixty-six percent reported that they had been stopped six or more times, and 43 percent of them indicated that they had been stopped more than 10 times. A very high percentage of the members in the CLUB2 program had been arrested for crimes other than minor traffic violations prior to enrolling in the CLUB. Slightly over 70 percent of the members had been charged with one or more crimes prior to joining the CLUB, and 15 of these 40 members had been charged three or more times. Nearly half of these 40 individuals had spent some time in jail or prison before enrolling in the CLUB program. The high ratio of ex-offenders in the CLUB2 program was attributable in part to the outreach efforts of CLUB staff at pre-release centers and parole offices in Boston. Because CLUB2 experienced a slower flow of new members from the "grapevine" and CLUB1 recruitment sources, the staff expanded its recruitment base, primarily by building relationships with these pre-release centers. Nine of the CLUB2 participants enrolled in the program while they were residing in a pre-release center. Overall, the participants in the CLUB2 program closely matched the desired target group characteristics in terms of age, race/ethnic origin, educational attainment, geographic residence, and employability barriers. On average, the CLUB2 members were somewhat older, less well educated, less proficient in reading, and more likely to have been involved with the criminal justice system than their counterparts in the original CLUB demonstration. CLUB2 continued the program operations of CLUB1. The start of CLUB2 marked the end of a period of financial insecurity that dampened the morale of staff, members, and mentors. Although the program maintained staff continuity, funding was uncertain for more than a year after the initial CLUB1 grant period. The Office of Community Services assisted in obtaining funds from the Office of Minority Health, and ABCD secured a $25,000 grant from the Hyams Foundation to bridge the gap between the original and the continuation Demonstration Partnership Program grants. Despite the success in obtaining support to continue the CLUB, the funding uncertainties did have a negative impact on program morale. Fifty-four men were enrolled over the 2 years, below the proposed target. A greater percentage of CLUB2 members had recently been incarcerated. Also CLUB2 members were almost all unemployed upon entrance, and scored significantly lower on academic tests than had CLUB1 members. A greater percentage of CLUB2 members were fathers. These factors combined to make the CLUB2 population harder to serve than CLUB1. During CLUB2, the staff strengthened and expanded partnerships with a range of organizations. 183A new partnership with the State Department of Employment and Training (DET), supported by Wagner-Peyser funds, enabled DET to assist the CLUB with job identification and to hire two CLUB members. 183Outreach to the Lotus Foundation resulted in a grant for a CLUB computer literacy class. 183A collaboration with Boston Cable Access enabled members and staff to put on a television program, for almost a year, on local cable TV. 183The Boston Private Industry Council convened meetings between CLUB members and staff, and human resource representatives from several of Boston's leading corporations, including Mass General Hospital, State Street Bank, Boston Gas, and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission. 183Work with U.S. Senator John Kerry's office resulted in the Senator hiring a CLUB member. 183One of the CLUB mentors founded the Male Health Clinic at Boston City Hospital, opening health resources for men who had special needs and lacked health insurance. 183One mentor was elected to the Boston City Council. 183Recently, another mentor was appointed Director of the Boston Housing Authority. The mentoring effort, while successful in retaining a few long-term volunteers, suffered during CLUB2 from a lack of mentors overall. CLUB2 experimented with a range of mentoring techniques, including traditional one-on-one relationships and mentoring group activities. The Resource and Employment Coordinator (now titled Assistant Director) assisted almost all the CLUB members in their employment searches, and in developing job search skills. Because so many members had severe academic skill needs, many entered the ABCD Adult Literacy Initiative program, and a few entered the Alternative High School program. A few individuals with higher literacy levels at the outset entered ABCD's Central Artery skill training program, which provides training for engineering and architectural aide positions. Members also entered Youth Build Boston, the ABCD Urban College, and community college programs. Lack of program availability, low literacy levels, work readiness issues, and immediate income needs combined to prevent the expansion of training and education opportunities for the men. However, efforts to identify and place the men in available education and training opportunities should be increased. Obtaining employment in a short period of time has consistently been the main focus of CLUB members, and a significant number of CLUB members obtained employment during the period of their program participation. Members accessed jobs with the direct assistance of CLUB staff and DET staff (CLUB members hired under a special partnership between DET and the CLUB). Members also accessed jobs themselves and through friends and contacts--most after having undergone job search skills training with the CLUB staff. There are wide disparities in the types of jobs and the employment success of CLUB members; wage levels generally correlate with basic skills levels. Many of the men were unable to advance out of the unskilled labor market. A smaller number of members accessed career-oriented positions with higher wage levels, most with the assistance of the CLUB. Overall, members were generally able to access more career-oriented, higher-paying jobs than they were holding before their CLUB program involvement. CLUB2 members' basic skill levels when they entered the program were lower than in CLUB1. Although the CLUB was able to help many members enroll in education, training, and higher education programs, completion rates were very low. Classroom attendance in the evening programs (ABCD's adult GED program met in the evening) was often sporadic, affected by personal and work issues. Although the correlation between educational level and income earning has been demonstrated repeatedly among policy makers and researchers, the young men in the program often quit school upon finding full-time work. If greater gains are to be achieved, this is one area that requires reconceptualization. In contrast to the traditional stereotype, the men were in most cases in contact with the mothers of their children and provided income support when they were working. (Some even provided support when not working.) Job instability and low wage levels affected their ability to provide greater support. Almost all income assistance was provided outside the formal child support system. Current public assistance regulations discourage cooperation and formal declarations of paternity. Several CLUB members became fathers during their period of participation in the program. Parenting issues require much more attention than given in the current program design. With the expansion of linkages to pre-release centers, the incarceration rates and recidivism rates increased. Most of the incarceration was caused by probationary violations. Most of the criminal justice cases involved drug trade and firearms. Some men moved between legitimate jobs and the underground economy. The official start date for the CLUB2 program was December 1, 1991. The enrollment goal for the program was to recruit 50 eligible young African-American and Hispanic men by the end of the first full year of the program (November 1992). A minimum of 35 men would graduate from provisional to full membership status. Recruitment activities for the CLUB2 program began in the late fall of 1991. At the time of the first formal program review in July 1992, only 14 applicants for CLUB program services had achieved at least provisional membership status. During the early summer of 1992, a number of new outreach efforts were made by CLUB program staff to recruit new members. These outreach activities included contracts with local health clinics serving young inner-city males, other local agencies serving youth, local high schools and alternative high schools with recent dropouts in need of employability services, several pre-release centers in the city, and an office of the Massachusetts Parole Board. The relationships with the pre-release centers would prove to be useful in recruiting new CLUB members; however, these linkages altered the composition of program participants by increasing the number of ex-offenders in the program above the levels in CLUB1. Expanded recruitment activities did lead to an increased number of enrollments in the CLUB2 program through the early fall of 1992. By the time of our mid-October program review, 25 young men had achieved at least provisional CLUB membership status; however, 2 of these first 25 enrollees were incarcerated in jail or prison in mid-October. The recruitment timetable was revised by CLUB staff in the fall of 1992, with the goal of recruiting at least 40 members by the end of December 1992 and the remainder of the 50 members during the first few months of 1993. Our program review in the early winter of 1993 revealed that only 28 applicants had become CLUB members by the end of December 1992. Recruitment would continue through all of calendar year 1993. By the end of November 1993, 54 young men had become official members of the CLUB2 program. During the first 2 years of the program, there were many more applicants than the 50 who ultimately became members. A review of the CLUB application files for the period August 1992 through December 1993 revealed the names of 34 young men who stopped by the CLUB office to obtain information about the program and completed at least part of an intake form, but did not officially become CLUB members. Some of these young men came at the request of a friend or relative, but chose not to commit themselves to CLUB membership or did not wish to abide by the provisions of CLUB membership. Others came into the CLUB offices in search of an immediate job, but when they discovered that the program was not a simple labor exchange office that would provide immediate job referrals, they decided not to complete the entire application and assessment process. More young men clearly could have been served by the CLUB2 program, given the staff resources available and the fact that most educational and training services were provided to participants by other ABCD staff, including the agency's GED program, and outside training agencies and post-secondary educational institutions. Expanded enrollments, however, would have required somewhat more aggressive outreach activities and stronger linkages with other agencies serving youth in the city. Although we have summarized the findings, it is useful to detail outcomes and provide the evidence for our conclusions drawn from the third-party evaluation and follow-up survey carried out by Andrew Sum, Director of the Center for Labor Market Studies, Northeastern University. By the end of November 1993, 54 young men had become official members of the CLUB2 program. On the average, CLUB2 members were somewhat older, less well educated, less academically proficient, and more likely to have been involved with the criminal justice system than their counterparts in the original CLUB1 demonstration. When the incarcerated CLUB members are included in the totals, the estimated labor force participation rate at the time of the survey was 62 percent (i.e., 62% of the CLUB members were either working or actively looking for work at the time of the follow-up interview). This rate was well below the 92 percent observed for CLUB1 members at the time of the 1990-91 follow-up interviews, despite overall improvement in local labor market conditions in recent years, including renewed job growth in the city and a substantive reduction in the city's overall unemployment rate. The share of employed CLUB2 members holding white-collar jobs at the time of the follow-up survey (61%) was twice as high as those doing so before joining the CLUB program. Clearly a fair amount of occupational upgrading had occurred among employed CLUB members. Even among those employed in service occupations, there was a shift from relatively unskilled service positions in the food service industry to health service jobs and to somewhat more highly skilled positions in the cook and counterman service occupations. The unemployment rate of CLUB2 members at the time of the follow-up survey was approximately 18 percent, a rate well below that of the CLUB1 members (40%). Those CLUB2 members available for work were thus able to secure employment at a rate well above that of CLUB1 members (82% vs. 60%). However, the below average participation rate reduced the employment/population ratio for CLUB2 participants to 51 percent, barely exceeding the minimum job placement performance standard. Many of the men who were employed at the time of the follow-up survey had held one or more jobs during their participation in the CLUB. Of those who were not working at the time of the follow-up interview, only one-third had been laid off, and one-sixth had been fired. The other half voluntarily quit, citing a variety of reasons for doing so, including personal reasons unrelated to the job, hours of work, disagreements with the supervisor, moving from the area, and dissatisfaction with wages. The median hourly wage of the jobs held by CLUB members was $8.00; the median hourly wage of the jobs these men held previously was $6.50--a median hourly wage advantage of $1.50. Small sample sizes for hourly wage observations prevent a rigorous multivariate statistical test of the independent influence of wages on job stability of CLUB members; however, the current findings seem to hold important implications for future job development and placement for CLUB participants. Improving job stability would not only boost the current employment rate of CLUB members but would significantly enhance their longer-term earnings prospects by providing them with more weeks and hours of employment during a given calendar year. The distribution of hourly wages ranges from a low of $5.25 to a maximum of $12.00, with a median wage of $8.00 and a mean hourly wage of $7.61. Full-time workers had a mean hourly wage of $8.35, versus only $6.15 for those employed part-time. Nine of the eleven employed CLUB members with an hourly wage of $8.00 or above held full-time jobs at the time of the follow-up survey. Improving access to full-time jobs would clearly assist in increasing the average wages of future CLUB members and increasing the likelihood of their receiving key employee benefits. The survey also revealed that higher wage positions induce a higher level of job stability among CLUB participants, a finding consistent with that of previous research on urban labor markets in low-income, central city neighborhoods. Of the 32 CLUB members who had enrolled in education and training programs at the time of the 1994 follow-up survey, 3 completed their programs, 12 were still enrolled, and 17 dropped out of their programs before completion. Recent findings on the earnings experience of 2-year college graduates in the Boston metropolitan area reveal substantial earning advantages relative to similar-aged high school graduates with no secondary education. Retaining these young men in community college programs through graduation could be of substantial economic value to them and to the CLUB program's performance record. Education/Training Program Completion Status (n=32)
Reasons for Terminating from Education/Training Programs Those CLUB members who dropped out of an educational or job training program were asked to cite their reasons for leaving the program. A variety of reasons were cited by non-completers (Table 3). Keeping the educational doors open for many of these young men to re-enroll once their personal lives have been put back in order is likely to be critical for the CLUB to eventually achieve its education goals for participants. This clearly means, however, a considerably longer period of intervention than that originally envisioned by the CLUB. Reasons that CLUB Members Dropped Out of Educational Training Programs ( = 37) By achieving substantive gains in their reading and math proficiencies future CLUB members are likely to make lasting economic and social gains. Comparisons of the pre-program reading and math proficiencies of CLUB2 members in various employment, wage, and schooling categories at the time of the follow-up survey revealed that those who were employed at the highest hourly wages had the highest mean reading and math proficiencies at the time of intake (Table 4). Reading and Math Scores Compared to Employment /Schooling Status
*Note: Mean hourly wage of those earning $8.00 or more was $9.18 versus a mean hourly wage of only $6.08 for those with hourly wages under $8.00 per hour. Parenting Experiences and Child Support Behavior of CLUB Members The mean monthly child support payment among all employed fathers (including those who paid nothing) was $144 versus only $30 for non-employed fathers. Among those fathers making some positive monthly payment, the mean payment of employed fathers was $247 versus only $120 for non-employed fathers, several of whom appeared to have earnings from the underground economy. Clearly, increasing the number of CLUB members with steady, full-time jobs should increase the incidence and amount of future child support payments. The CLUB program has had positive and lasting effects on ABCD's development and the delivery of anti-poverty programs in Boston. The CLUB has become an ongoing ABCD initiative, with funding assured until 1996 from the Kellogg Foundation. It has been the base for reaching out to this particularly disaffected population, for opening up entrance into other programs for them, and for formulating policy recommendations and innovative ideas to contribute to ongoing local, state, and national discussions. The new Demonstration Partnership Program, the Career Ladder, builds on the CLUB experience and targets the identical population. The critical correlation between education, employment, and self-sufficiency, as illustrated by the CLUB experience, has heightened awareness across the ABCD network of the need for education and employment connections, even if they are not the primary program activities. In addition, other ABCD programs have incorporated elements of the CLUB into their designs, including individualization, the development of a personal career and life goals plan, long-term membership, and the brokering of services for each participant. The high attrition rate from education programs has signaled the need for ABCD's education division to integrate work and education more closely in the CLUB and male-oriented program designs. The DPP Career Ladder, requiring half-time work and half-time education in a linked program, increases the emphasis on educational objectives and provides access to guaranteed jobs brokered directly by program staff. The Career Ladder is a direct result of the knowledge gained from the CLUB's experience. The CLUB and the DPP Career Ladder program are now organizationally part of the education and youth division of the agency. The program has had mixed success in its collaborations with partners. The Boston Private Industry Council set up a limited series of discussion groups between CLUB staff and members and several of the city's major employers. The Economic Development and Industrial Corporation, Boston's Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Service Delivery Area, has understood its lack of services to the population, but funding cutbacks and other demands have prevented a significant change in its service orientation. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has hired members of the CLUB since the project's initiation and has continued to work with the program. MGH will be a flagship partner with the Career Ladder as well. MGH had developed an internship program targeted at this population to help them transition into successful employment. The successful partnership between the CLUB and the Roxbury office of the State Department of Employment and Training is continuing. The men whom the DET hired as full-time job counseling staff have brought valuable experience and insight to the job of assisting members of their peer group in finding employment. They have also positively influenced the Roxbury office staff, and have enabled the office to serve young men better. ABCD staff have developed several position papers addressing the needs of the CLUB target population for submission to the Massachusetts Jobs Council (the Human Investment Council). The ABCD Director of Planning is a member of the Council's Strategic Planning Committee. The new Chair of the MJC is the General Manager of Polaroid/Inner City, a recent CLUB partner. He considers placing a major service emphasis on the men, using the knowledge gained from the CLUB, as a major priority to be addressed by the Council. (He will serve as the Chair of the Employer Committee on the new DPP Career Ladder program.) The State Department of Public Welfare (DPW) is increasingly aware of complex child support and paternity declaration issues, and of the need to provide services to fathers. DPW has consulted ABCD and is exploring possible joint program development using the CLUB model as a base. 183The former and new Boston Housing Authority Directors had learned of the CLUB and its success with the men it serves. The CLUB has therefore been integrated into BHA's most important rebuilding project, the Housing and Urban Development-funded HOPE6, a $50 million effort with the Mission Hill Housing project. A small CLUB initiative is about to begin as part of this comprehensive development project. ABCD has hired a successful CLUB member to manage the pilot project at the housing development. 183Boston City Hospital has initiated its Young Male Health Clinic, a major health initiative. The Director still maintains his involvement with the CLUB. 183Boston's application for empowerment zone declaration integrates the CLUB and its design. If funded, the CLUB will be replicated in many neighborhoods of the city. 183The ABCD Planning Director, along with the CLUB evaluator, prepared a policy paper, Fathers, Child Support and Welfare Reform: The Missing Link, for the Pioneer Institute, a local policy think tank that has considerable influence on state policy. The paper, which describes the CLUB's emphasis and experience, is one of the Institute's 1994 winners. The Institute is beginning to circulate the paper to the media, the Governor, the Legislature, and state agencies. 183The CLUB's model and experiences have been written up as an article for inclusion in a national book on how to serve fathers in Head Start: Getting Men Involved: Strategies and Models that Work For Fathers and Others in Early Childhood Programs, James A. Levine, et.al, Families and Work Institute, Scholastic, Inc. 1993. 183Senator Kerry's office through its experience with the CLUB member that it hired is now more aware of the issues faced by low-income, minority males and the need to focus on these needs as part of its operation and federal policy. 183ABCD and the CLUB program ran a charette, with OCS and National Association of Community Action Agencies (NACAA) support, in the spring of 1992. The charette resulted directly in the DET partnership and also educated the regional Department of Labor staff, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, the School Committee, and others. 183The CLUB has been covered numerous times by Boston and local media, including The Boston Globe. Although the impact of the CLUB's media coverage cannot be measured, it has undoubtedly better educated the city's residents on the problems and challenges faced by these young men. 3. Discussion of Expected Versus Actual Outcomes As part of the evaluation design for CLUB2, specified program performance objectives were constructed. The following compares these objectives against performance, as measured by programmatic data and the follow-up survey. As indicated, the CLUB exceeded some, slightly missed others, and clearly failed to meet its educational objectives. 183At least 50 percent of the members will be employed at the 12-month follow-up, with an expected average wage of $6.00 and a minimum of $5.00. 183Seventy-five percent will retain their job for 6 months and 60 percent will complete a full year of employment (not necessarily with the same employer). At the time the survey was completed, 52.3 percent (23) of the enrollees had worked since January 1993 and were currently employed, exceeding the 50 percent mark. Forty percent (9) of those employed had held their jobs since January 1993. The average wage for those working was $7.61, with a median wage of $8.00. No employed CLUB member earned less than $5.00. Wages ranged from $5.25 per hour to $12.00. In all cases, these figures exceeded the minimum performance standard. Only 59 percent of jobs held by participants were held for more than 6 months and only 37 percent held their jobs for 12 months or longer. On the job stability performance standard, the program failed to meet the minimum threshold. Education and Training Objectives 183Seventy-five percent of participants will enroll in education and training programs. 183Of those who enroll in basic skills and GED programs, 25 percent will complete their GEDs and 50 percent will make gains of at least one grade in reading and math skills. Fifty percent of those who enroll in training will complete the program. 183Fifty percent of enrollees in vocational programs will complete their programs. 183Seventy-five percent of those who enter college-level courses will complete them with a passing grade. Of the 45 CLUB members who completed the survey questionnaire, 71 percent reported participation in at least one education or training activity. This is slightly short of the 75 percent standard. Only 9 percent of those enrolled in GED programs obtained their certification before leaving the program; 37 percent were still enrolled in the education programs. Also, only 15 percent of those enrolled in education and training programs completed their programs, falling significantly short of the 50 percent minimum goal. A key objective of GED/academic remediation programs was to boost the reading and math proficiencies of half the participants by at least one full grade level. Unfortunately, the GED instructional staff did not provide any post-testing for those who dropped out before they obtained the GED certificate. Knowledge of the academic progress of all enrollees during their participation in GED programs is essential in order to properly evaluate this educational component of the CLUB and the long-term success of the CLUB program. Among enrollees in alternative high school and vocational training programs, a more satisfactory completion rate of 42 percent is reported. Three members dropped out of junior college/community college programs without obtaining their degrees. Two of these members completed the individual courses in which they were enrolled. Criminal Justice Involvement Objective 183Ninety percent of the members will avoid arrest during the first year of their participation in the program. The criminal justice involvement in CLUB2 was considerably different from CLUB1. The program recruited eight members from pre-release programs, and 40 percent of enrollees had previously been incarcerated in a jail or prison. As a consequence of serving this more at-risk group, the CLUB2 program fell short of achieving its criminal justice goals. Twenty-seven percent or 12 of the 45 young men were arrested one or more times after joining the CLUB. Fourteen percent (6) were incarcerated at the time of the survey; 3 had been released previously. However, 73 percent (33) had no arrests during the CLUB enrollment. Parental Involvement Objectives 183Of those who are fathers, 80 percent will maintain weekly contact with their children, and 80 percent will provide weekly child support. Twenty-four or 53 percent of the CLUB2 members interviewed are fathers. None were married to the mothers of their children. Eighty-three percent visit their children and families monthly; 72 percent either weekly or daily (39% daily, 33% weekly). Seventy-five percent of fathers responded positively when asked if they were providing any financial support to their children, a ratio slightly below the 80 percent minimum performance standard, but several percentage points above the performance of the CLUB pilot program. Only one-half of the 24 men who were fathers were employed at the time of the follow-up survey. Three-fourths of the employed members reported that they were making some child support payments at the time of the survey versus only one-half of the non-employed. Working fathers also paid higher mean monthly amounts of child support than their jobless counterparts. Club Support and Mentoring Objectives 183 No less than 50 percent of the members will be provided with mentors. Fifty percent of the members will be retained at least one year, i.e., they will attend meetings, participate in education and training, and/or work with their mentors. Approximately one-half of the respondents to the follow-up survey indicated that they had been assigned a mentor after enrolling in the program--the CLUB program came quite close to achieving its minimum performance standard in this area. The mentors and their assigned CLUB members engaged in a diverse number of activities, depending on the relationships that they developed with each other. The most frequently cited activities were social engagements (going out to dinner, visiting in their homes) and personal counseling. Several members noted that they had attended church with their mentor and received help in finding a job; several men were hired at a local store owned by one of the mentors. The CLUB2 evaluation results continue to indicate the importance of many of the findings cited in the CLUB1 Evaluation (The CLUB Men's Program: A Summary of Lessons from Experience During the Demonstration Phase, 1992): 183The emphasis on the need for employment by the members 183The need for a linked literacy program 183The need for long-term, flexible, and comprehensive services to assist the young men who move in and out of the program 183The importance of effective peer and mentoring support 183The lack of appropriate social and training services 183The link between income and child support The CLUB2 evaluation sheds additional light on several of these issues, particularly the difficulties in achieving educational outcomes and the employment dynamics of the target group. The negative impacts of criminal justice involvement and parenting obligations on the ability of the young men to reach employment and education goals also emerged more starkly in CLUB2. These areas are in urgent need of additional research and improved intervention designs in order to achieve greater success with this target group. Employment--The CLUB was able to assist several members in progressing from unstable, unskilled labor market jobs in the service sector to career-oriented employment with wage gains, job stability, and health benefits. The CLUB played a crucial role in providing "networking" assistance for low-income men; without this many men would have remained in the unskilled labor market despite their ability and potential to progress to professional careers. The CLUB essentially acted as a publicly funded brokering effort between the professional occupations and the targeted group of young men, illustrating the importance and potential of such efforts to help these young men achieve lasting economic and social gains. The CLUB experience suggests that programs must have very strong employer involvement if they are to move the men out of the unskilled market. CLUB2 also highlighted the fact that job stability results in sustained progress in other areas, such as school and parental involvement. Education--The correlation between higher academic proficiency and greater employment success in CLUB2 re-emphasized the importance of providing effective remediation and education programs for young men whose low academic skills constitute barriers to employment or advancement. The difficulty in keeping this target group in education programs long enough to earn a degree or certificate is further testament to the need to develop improved interventions and programs that address the parenting, incarceration, attitudinal issues, work conflicts, and other facts that account for high educational program attrition. Perhaps a more pronounced link between education and work, as ABCD will implement in the Career Ladder Demonstration Partnership Program beginning in the spring of 1995, will provide some answers. At any rate, it is clear that personal crises will continue to arise in the men's lives, and program designs that enable the men to leave and then return would be optimal to encouraging their success. Parenting--The CLUB2 results reinforced the link between employment levels, income, and provision of child support. Throughout the CLUB program, the member's parenting behavior contradicted stereotypes and prevailing assumptions that young, low-income, unmarried men do not provide support for their children. The influences on when and how they provide support, their responsibilities as fathers, the motivations and disincentives for legal paternity declaration, and the role of child support in welfare reform are all issues which will begin to draw much attention in the near future. The CLUB positively influenced fathers toward providing financial and emotional support to their children, but was not successful in convincing its members to delay fatherhood. This issue is complex and influenced by a myriad of factors that are perhaps outside of the CLUB's reach, but nevertheless, strategies must be examined closely and improved if any headway is to be made in convincing these young people to delay parenthood. Criminal Justice--The expanded links with pre-release centers for outreach and recruitment resulted in a higher criminal involved population in CLUB2 than in CLUB1. The incarceration rates illustrate the impact of drug sales, drug possession, and gun possession in inner-city Boston. The members' peer environment and the widespread availability of drugs and guns often results in recidivism. The impact of criminal justice issues on the CLUB requires greater investigation and analysis, as well as further work with the criminal justice system. The CLUB design is straightforward and relatively simple. The core staff is composed of at least two to three staff members who bring to the program a mix of skills. The Program Director requires: 183High energy and time commitment 183Strong leadership and management skills 183Group facilitation skills and a good sense of group dynamics 183The ability to handle several tasks simultaneously 183Strong marketing and networking skills within the low-income communities and the corporate sector 183Experience working with the target population of young, minority males 183The ability to manage data and record-keeping systems The Director will represent the program to the community, and must be able to access resources--education/training programs, social services, primary labor market jobs, volunteer mentors, and other resources. The other program staff members need the ability to develop effective recruitment networks, to assist with complex individual problem-solving, to refer and follow-up with participants who need education and training and social services, and to stay in contact with members over a multi-year period. Direct service experience and realistic expectations among staff are important keys to success. The program needs to have a strong organizational infrastructure. The program infrastructure should be able to assist in providing a strong educational program; it should also assist the staff and members with resource acquisition and program crises that might arise. A range of employment opportunities in the local economy, accessible to the participants with the assistance of job training and staff networking, is essential. Employment is essential for program success. The unemployment rate in the local economy cannot be so high as to shut the men out of any possibility of access to the primary labor market. If paid employment that matches the skills of the members, before and after education and training efforts, does not exist, there needs to be "subsidized" employment available as part of the program to assist the members. There must be an environment with available services that can be accessed to deal with the complexity and variety of issues faced by the men. The staff themselves should not be expected to provide services meeting all the needs that will arise within the target group; rather, they should assist the members to access a network of services that must be available locally: legal, health, drug treatment, housing, and a range of education and training services. It is important to regulate the size of the group. If the group is too large, the ability to serve group members individually diminishes. Clearly there is a relationship between group size and staff availability. If there is a desire to expand beyond an active membership of about 50, it is important to expand by creating additional units and to build a resource and servicing structure that can assist the staff and members in the new groups. This type of expansion, unit by unit, with a strong, central support service capability, is essential. There needs to be a multiyear commitment of resources and programmatic flexibility to cope with adjustments to the local economy, situation, and population. The program should operate for a minimum of 3 years. The funding also needs flexibility to allow for self-selective and voluntary enrollees as opposed to men who may be enrolling in response to a mandatory requirement (e.g., court or child support referral). Our evaluation and follow-up on the final 2 years of the DPP grant suggests that some changes will be required for the program, now supported by the Kellogg Foundation through 1996. 183An expanded network of recruitment is required. Given the knowledge of program success criteria, a more focused enrollment is also essential. Education levels that are closer to the minimum of fifth and sixth grades are essential. A strong commitment to employment success should be manifested and as complete a criminal justice history as possible should be available. 183An expanded network for mentor recruitment and a higher quality mentoring component are required. Innovations in mentor recruitment methods are required, including an effort to utilize current mentors in recruiting other mentors. The program also should develop and implement more comprehensive pre- and in-service mentor training, and provide clear specifications detailing the role of the mentor to all potential volunteers. 183A comprehensive redesign and rethinking of the educational program issues must be completed. The education effort must be more intense and should use computer-assisted instruction to assist progress; gains should be measured and acknowledged regularly and the education should be linked, as closely as possible, with the needs of employment. Staff follow-up with participants on educational progress is essential. 183A more focused staff and program effort on employment access and job stability needs to be emphasized. Given our knowledge that members obtain better jobs with staff assistance, a greater brokering effort is required that assists members in obtaining employment. Staff and mentors should work closely with members and employers to improve job stability. 183A standard operating procedure for member follow-up needs to be an integral part of the CLUB program. Given the demonstrated irregularity of activity for many members, an improved procedure for staying in contact and following up with members must be developed. 183A more intensive and structured group process is required. This should include a group orientation and a focus on values and expectations, a recognition of benchmark achievement, and a method for using senior members to assist new members. 183An emphasis on parenting and fatherhood needs to be integrated more intensely into the group process activity. The group activities, mentoring, and peer support need to emphasize the importance of parenting responsibilities and the benefits of delaying parenthood until one is prepared. The group needs increased focus on family planning and more consistent reenforcement of the long-term consequences of early and unprepared parenthood on education and employment progress, family, child welfare, and child support obligations. Given the knowledge and difficulty of integrating employment and education, new models need to be developed. In its new Demonstration Partnership Program, ABCD will be implementing a model that integrates group support with half-time brokered employment and half-time education. This new design hopefully will increase employment advancement, success, and educational program completion. The program will be compared with the current CLUB model. In addition, other new models should be attempted. Possibilities include efforts that integrate educational programs with the work site, programs that have greater ties between financial remuneration (either income supplements or subsidized internships or employment) and educational progress, and programs that integrate family members, e.g., fathers and mothers of children. The 5-year CLUB history has emphasized the dearth of appropriate services, the declining economic fortunes of young, low-income minority males, and the failure of public policy for the men and their young families. The consequences--community deterioration, crime, violence, and welfare and public assistance dependence--are increasingly obvious. The decline in education and employment opportunities for young, low-income minority males requires a national emphasis on this population that includes new public support for employment and training efforts, programs tailored to the target group's needs, changes in the child support and welfare reform system that emphasize educational and employment progress for both fathers and mothers, and the development of an expanded network of health and other social services for the men. The CLUB is one of a very few demonstration programs in this country that focuses on the 18-26 year-old disadvantaged male population. The implementation of a national network of demonstrations focusing on this population would greatly expand the knowledge about effective intervention strategies for young men, and would enhance the critical but often misinformed public policy debate currently surrounding these issues. |
