Authors
Wenger, Jennie W., Kushner, Jonah, Nguyen, Peter, Falgoust, Grace, Trail, Thomas E., Mihaly, Kata, Wrabel, Stephani L., Eagan, Joshua, Kramer, Jenna W., Kroger, Jack, Ness, Erik C.
- Division
- RAND National Security Research Division Personnel, Readiness, and Health Program
- Pages
- 132
- Published in
- United States
- RAND Identifier
- RR-A1229-3
- RAND Type
- report
- Rights
- RAND Corporation
- Series
- Research Reports
- Source
- https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1229-3.html
Table of Contents
- About This Report 3
- RAND National Security Research Division 3
- Acknowledgments 3
- Summary 5
- Focus of This Report and Description of Project Tasks 5
- Data Sources and Methodologies Employed 6
- Key Findings 6
- Recommendations 7
- Contents 9
- Figures and Tables 11
- Figures 11
- Tables 12
- Introduction and Background 15
- Overview of Youth ChalleNGe and Job ChalleNGe 16
- RANDs ChalleNGe Research 20
- Contribution and Organization of This Report 22
- Youth ChalleNGe Participants and Their Home Communities 23
- Trends in the U.S. Youth Population 23
- Describing Youth ChalleNGe Cadets Communities 25
- Data and Methods 25
- Comparing Cadets Neighborhoods with All U.S. Neighborhoods 27
- Subgroup Analysis Comparing the Neighborhoods of Different Groups of Cadets 29
- Have Cadets Neighborhoods Varied over Time 29
- Limitations 31
- Conclusion 32
- Job ChalleNGe Implementation 33
- Prior Job ChalleNGe Findings and Study Contribution 34
- Data and Methods 34
- Standardized Information Request 35
- Staff Interviews and Participant Focus Groups 35
- Limitations 39
- Program Implementation Findings 39
- Joining Job ChalleNGe 39
- Motivated to Find a Job 39
- Interested in Continuing the ChalleNGe Experience 40
- Hesitant Due to Prior ChalleNGe Experience 40
- Unsure About Program Length 40
- The Residential Experience 41
- Training Program 43
- Challenges 44
- Services and Supports 45
- Educational Resources 45
- Health Services 47
- Career Services 48
- Personal Development and Interpersonal Skills 52
- Role of Education Partners 53
- Budgeting Priorities and Shortfalls 54
- Conclusion 55
- Long-Term Outcomes for Youth and Job ChalleNGe Graduates in Georgia 57
- Analysis Overview 58
- Data Sources 59
- Analytic Methods 60
- Descriptive Analysis of Geographic Distribution of Youth ChalleNGe Cadets 60
- Descriptive Analysis of Background Characteristics 60
- Descriptive Analysis of Long-Term Outcomes 61
- Impact Analysis of the Youth ChalleNGe Program 63
- Analytic Samples 65
- Analysis Samples for Long-Term Outcomes 66
- Results 67
- What Is the Distribution of Youth ChalleNGe Cadets Across Schools in Georgia 67
- How Do the 8th-Grade Background Characteristics and Behaviors of Youth ChalleNGe and Job ChalleNGe Graduates Compare with Non- ChalleNGe Graduates in Georgia 67
- How Do the Outcomes Among Youth and Job ChalleNGe Participants Compare with Each Other and Non-ChalleNGe Graduates in Georgia 71
- What Is the Impact of Youth ChalleNGe on Postsecondary and Labor Force Outcomes 75
- Limitations 79
- Conclusion 80
- Summary and Recommendations 83
- Summary of Key Findings 84
- Recommendations 85
- Identify Opportunities to Assist Graduates Who May Require Additional Supports to Realize the Benefits of the Program 85
- Utilize the Full Scope of Resources Provided by Job ChalleNGe Training and Education Partners 86
- Support Job ChalleNGe Sites to Develop Consistent Messaging and Recruitment Materials 86
- Continue Exploring Avenues for Data Collection and Long-Term Outcome Analyses 87
- Areas for Future Research 88
- Additional Information About Neighborhood Analyses 91
- Additional Information on Data and Methods 91
- Results for All Variables Comparing Zip Codes with Cadets to All U.S. Zip Codes 93
- Differences in Social Capital 94
- Differences in Demographic Measures 96
- Differences in Poverty and Income Levels 97
- Differences in Labor Market Outcomes 99
- Additional Tests for Robustness 100
- Long-Term Outcome Supplemental Materials 103
- Overview of Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems Data 103
- Facilitating a Linkage Between Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems and ChalleNGe Data 104
- Estimation Methodology for Impact Analysis 104
- Supplemental Results 106
- What Is the Distribution of Youth ChalleNGe Cadets Across Schools in Georgia 106
- How Do the 8th-Grade Background Characteristics and Behaviors of Youth ChalleNGe and Job ChalleNGe Graduates Compare with Non- ChalleNGe Graduates in Georgia 107
- How Do the Outcomes Among Youth and Jobs ChalleNGe Participants Compare with Each Other and with Non-ChalleNGe Graduates in Georgia 109
- What Is the Impact of Youth ChalleNGe on Postsecondary and Labor Force Outcomes 111
- Survey Development and Administration 119
- Instrument Development 119
- Instrument Development Process 120
- Preparing for Survey Administration 120
- Selecting Site Survey Administrators 121
- Selecting a Survey Platform 121
- Producing a Crosswalk 121
- Deploying the Survey 122
- Transferring Data to RAND 122
- Survey Administration and Response 122
- Barriers to Implementation 124
- Staff Capacity 124
- Maintenance of Unique Identifiers 124
- Structuring Survey Administration with Participant Schedules 125
- Lack of Participant Contact Information 125
- Abbreviations 127
- References 129