Results of the first year evaluation

The Status of Caring Communities July, 1997

 

CORE RESULT #1: Parents Working

CORE RESULTS #2: Children and Families Safe

CORE RESULT #3: Children and Families Healthy

CORE RESULT #4: Children Ready to Enter School

CORE RESULT #5: Children Succeeding in School

CORE RESULT #6: Youth Ready to Enter Productive Adulthood

 

Caring Communities seek to improve results for children and their families in six core areas through changes in the organization, financing, and governance at the state, community, neighborhood, and school levels. While residents decide how to best address the issues in their own local communities, a set of uniform benchmarks across communities demonstrate the changes which are taking place. Except where noted, the following data describe the status of Caring Communities at the end of the 1997 fiscal year.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In fiscal year 1997 seven Caring Communities Partnerships coordinated the efforts of sixty-two Caring Communities. Almost 200,000 children and youth lived in these communities in 1990. In 1997, 27,550 attended schools where Caring Communities were based.

The Benchmarks indicate that:

Things are changing for the better for children and youth in Caring Communities (and are getting better faster than in the rest of the state).

Between fiscal year 1996 and 1997:

Substantiated child abuse or neglect decreased 7% in Caring Communities neighborhoods and 5% statewide.

New commitments to the Division of Youth Services increased statewide but decreased 20% in Caring Communities neighborhoods.

Recommitments to the Division of Youth Services decreased 4% statewide but 43% in Caring Communities neighborhoods.

Between 1995 and 1996:

Hospital treatment because of injuries decreased 3% statewide but 6% in Caring Communities neighborhoods.

Preventable hospitalizations decreased 16% statewide but 24% in Caring Communities neighborhoods.

Caring Communities are currently in the neighborhoods with the highest needs, in the schools with the highest needs, working with the children and youth with the highest needs. This suggests that Caring Communities have been targeted where they are most needed.

Benchmarks indicate that problems are greater in the neighborhoods than in the state and greater among core participants than among others in the schools.

CORE RESULT #1: Parents Working

BENCHMARK #1: Number of People Employed

BENCHMARK #2: Retention of Employment

BENCHMARK #3: Earnings of People Employed

Currently information about employment and earnings is held by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations while information about place of residence is held by the Department of Revenue. The two departments are working on an agreement to share information making it possible to measure these benchmarks.

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CORE RESULTS #2: Children and Families Safe

BENCHMARK #4: Substantiated Child Abuse or Neglect

Child abuse has decreased 5% statewide while in Caring Communities neighborhoods it decreased 7% between 1996 and 1997.

In fiscal year 1997 rates of child abuse were much higher in Caring Communities neighborhoods and among core participants. This suggests that Caring Communities are working in neighborhoods with the greatest need and reaching those for whom the need is greatest.

BENCHMARK #5: Out of Home Placement Because of Abuse or Neglect

The rates of out of home placement because of abuse or neglect have risen in Caring Communities' neighborhoods faster than the rest of the state.

In fiscal year 1997 rates of out of home placements because of abuse or neglect were much higher in Caring Communities neighborhoods and among core participants. This suggests that Caring Communities are working in neighborhoods with the greatest need and reaching those for whom the need is greatest.

BENCHMARK #6: Hospitalizations Among Children and Youth Due to Injury

The rates at which children and youth received hospital treatment for injuries were higher in Caring Communities' neighborhoods than in the state. State rates declined 3% between 1994 and 1996 while rates in Caring Communities' neighborhoods have decreased 6%.

BENCHMARK #7: Delinquency and Habitual Delinquency

The rate at which adolescents were committed to the Division of Youth Services for the first time because of delinquency remained stable statewide, but decreased 20% in Caring Communities' neighborhoods.

Recommitments because of delinquency decreased 43% in Caring Communities' neighborhoods while remaining stable statewide.

BENCHMARK #8: Suspensions or Expulsions From School

Among Caring Communities reporting, suspensions were lower among core participants.

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CORE RESULT #3: Children and Families Healthy

BENCHMARK #9: Preventable Hospitalizations Among Children and Youth

Rates of preventable hospitalizations have been moving consistently lower in Caring Communities' neighborhoods while fluctuating statewide. Since 1994 the state rate has decreased 15% but the rate in Caring Communities' neighborhoods has decreased 26%.

BENCHMARK #10: Immunization Rate at Kindergarten Enrollment

The average percentage of students with complete immunizations at kindergarten enrollment reported by a Caring Communities' school was 68%.

BENCHMARK #11: Out of Home Placements for Psychiatric Reasons Among Children and Youth

Since fiscal year 1995 DSS placements for psychiatric reasons have declined statewide and in Caring Communities.

DMH placements for psychiatric reasons among youth increased statewide and in Caring Communities' neighborhoods.

BENCHMARK #12: School Absences

Among Caring Communities' schools reporting, core participants missed fewer days of school.

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CORE RESULT #4: Children Ready to Enter School

BENCHMARK #13: Kindergarten Readiness

Among Caring Communities' schools reporting, the average Kindergarten readiness test score was 46.75%.

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CORE RESULT #5: Children Succeeding in School

BENCHMARK #14: Grade Retention

Among Caring Communities' schools reporting, core participants were more likely to be retained.

BENCHMARK #15: Reading and Mathematics Levels

Statewide reading scores among elementary school students have been stable since 1995. Among Caring Communities' schools reporting 1997 MMAT scores, the average score of students in Caring Communities' schools was 13% below the state average. The average score of core participants was 19% below the state average.

Statewide math scores have improved since 1995. Among Caring Communities' schools reporting 1997 MMAT scores, the average score of students in Caring Communities' schools was lower than the state average. Scores among core participants were 18% below the state average.

BENCHMARK #16: Grades

First and last quarters' grades were provided for elementary schools in St. Joseph. Both core participants and school-wide averages improved.

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CORE RESULT #6: Youth Ready to Enter Productive Adulthood

BENCHMARK #17: High School Graduation

The high school drop out rate among reporting Caring Communities was 10.4%.

BENCHMARK #18: Teen Pregnancy

We have not been able to obtain these data.

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