Helping Disconnected Youth Make a Successful Transition: Youth Perspectives on the Louisiana's Performance Partnership Pilot Program

Background and Purpose:

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 defines disconnected youth (DY) as low-income individuals between the ages of 14-24 and who are either homeless, in foster care, involved in juvenile justice system, unemployed, or not enrolled or at risk of dropping out of an educational institution. These youth are vulnerable to further failures and continued disconnection from society, often resulting in lifelong economic and social hardship. In efforts to remedy this social concern, a federal government initiative was implemented to carry out partnership pilot programs throughout the U.S. to serve DY. The Louisiana pilot was designed as a city-wide, cross-sector partnership with goal of creating a coordinated service delivery system to support positive educational, career, and social outcomes for DY enrolled in an alternative high school.

The purpose of the qualitative inquiry was to assess students’ experiences with pilot project during 2017-2018 academic school year. This research is significant in that it shares a perspective not often heard, the voices of young people who struggle to finish school and enter the workforce. Primary research questions included: How do disconnected, African American youth describe their experiences with the Louisiana pilot program and What components of the pilot support or present a barrier to academic and workforce success?

 Methods:

Sample consisted of students in grades 9^th-12^th who struggled academically and were overage for grade level. Participants were fifteen students (8 males/7 females) who identified as African American, were between the ages of 16-20, and were from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Youth were identified as at risk of disconnection because of high rates of absenteeism, failing grades, lack of educational progress, disciplinary referrals, and suspensions/expulsions. Nine individual interviews and two focus groups (four participants in each one) were conducted at the school site. Two sample members participated in both focus group and individual interview. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded thematically using ATLAS.ti 8.0 software.

Findings:

Analysis revealed that students had mixed perceptions about the pilot, but unanimously agreed that its function was to provide access to workforce opportunities. Participants noted varying levels of access due to eligibility requirements, describing the process as “unfair” and “showing favoritism.” The concept of care and support was a prevalent theme that emerged. For all youth, care and support was perceived as information sharing, career exploration/development, and assessment of social-emotional needs. Workforce modeling/experience was vital in students’ pursuits. In describing barriers to academic and workforce success, three themes emerged: career choice not valued/promoted, negative comments from pilot staff, and limited focus on academic deficits. 

 Conclusions and Implications:

Results have important implications for policy and practice efforts that focus on reducing racial and economic inequality. Findings voice critical insights into the youth program and highlight the importance of engaging marginalized groups in schools, particularly at alternative school sites. By actively supporting youth and providing access to educational and workforce training, key support staff such as counselors, social workers, and psychologists can create a safety network to keep youth on a stable pathway to continued schooling and workforce participation into adulthood.