Improving Outcomes for California Conservation Corpsmembers

Improving Outcomes for California Conservation Corpsmembers MAC TAYLOR LEGISLATIVE ANALYST FEBRUARY 2018 analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT LEGISLATIVE ANALYST’S OFFICE analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT Executive Summary Background California Conservation Corps (CCC) Provides Work and Educational Opportunities. The CCC provides about 1,450 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 (and veterans to age 29) work experience and educational opportunities. Program participants, referred to as corpsmembers, enroll in the CCC for one year to work on projects that conserve and improve the environment. They also provide assistance during natural disasters. Work projects are sponsored by various governmental and nongovernmental entities that reimburse CCC for the work performed by corpsmembers. CCC Has a Multifaceted Mission. The CCC’s mission consists of multiple facets. For example, part of CCC’s mission is to instill basic skills and a healthy work ethic in youth by building their character, self-esteem, and self-discipline. It is also to establish within California’s youth a strong sense of civic responsibility and an understanding of the value of paid work. State law tasks CCC with blending academic and job skills training with personal growth opportunities in order to develop productive youth who can make substantial contributions as workers and citizens. State law further directs CCC to increase awareness of California’s natural resources and improve them. In order to fulfill its mission, the CCC provides its corpsmembers with a range of work experience, job training, educational opportunities, and opportunities for volunteer services. LAO Assessment Program Goals Are Not Clearly Prioritized. In order to carry out its multifaceted mission, the CCC pursues several program goals. Based upon our review of state laws, the CCC’s goals fall into five main areas: (1) promoting basic work skills, encouraging a healthy work ethic, and providing employment-related training; (2) providing corpsmembers with educational opportunities; (3) increasing corpsmembers’ and the public’s environmental awareness; (4) performing individual public service; and (5) building corpsmembers’ character and a strong sense of civic responsibility. All of the program goals are intended to be achieved within the broad context of conserving or developing natural resources. The CCC’s authorizing statute does not clearly prioritize the program’s goals. Funding Model Incentivizes Completion of Reimbursable Projects. Funding for the CCC comes primarily from the General Fund and the Collins-Dugan Reimbursement Account (CDRA)—both fund sources typically make up around 45 percent of the CCC’s total annual operating budget. The CDRA was established to accept funds received by the CCC in payment for work projects. Due to this funding structure, CCC generally prioritizes the completion of reimbursable work projects over other activities the corpsmembers could be engaged in. These work projects often support the goals of promoting basic work skills, protecting natural resources, increasing environmental awareness, and developing character, but do not always support the program’s other goals such as completing individual community service, or providing educational opportunities. CCC Tracks Only Few Program Outcomes and Does Not Establish Targets. The CCC tracks some in-service metrics while corpsmembers are in the program, such as corpsmembers’ progress towards fulfilling training modules. However, CCC has a very limited ability to track key post-service outcomes for corpsmembers after they separate from the program. In addition, CCC has not established www.lao.ca.gov 1 analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT targets for in-service and post-service performance measures. The lack of specific measurable targets makes it difficult to assess the CCC’s success in meeting its goals for corpsmembers. CCC Already Collects Data Needed to Establish Targets for Some Objectives. Some of the in-service data the CCC already collects could be used to establish outcome targets for a few of its in-service measures. For example, CCC collects data on corpsmember retention and would like to improve in this area (currently, only about one-fourth of corpsmembers complete one year of service). However, CCC has not established retention targets. While CCC has data to establish targets for a few in-service objectives, it does not currently have data to establish targets for most post-service objectives, such as increasing the number and/or percentage of corpsmembers who transition into higher education or employment upon leaving the CCC. Lack of Outcome Data Makes it Difficult to Evaluate Programs. Better outcome data would help inform CCC’s decisions about what program areas to focus on improving. For example, the lack of outcome data on the percentage of corpsmembers who transition into higher education and employment upon leaving the CCC makes it difficult to assess what steps should be taken to improve in these areas. LAO Recommendations Prioritize Program Goals. We recommend the Legislature clarify in statute its prioritization of the CCC’s program goals. The CCC’s mission and corresponding goals have evolved over time with the adoption of new legislation. Clearer legislative prioritization of the CCC’s goals would (1) provide the CCC with clearer guidance on how it should allocate its resources and corpsmembers’ time, (2) facilitate the implementation of outcome measures that could be used by the Legislature to guide policy and budget decisions, and (3) improve the Legislature’s ability to hold the CCC accountable. Align Funding With Program Goals. We recommend the Legislature align the CCC’s funding model with its decisions regarding the prioritization of the CCC’s program goals. A change in what goals the Legislature prioritized could result in a significant shift in the mix of fund sources—particularly General Fund and CDRA—that would be needed to cover department costs. Require CCC to Adopt Performance Measures. We recommend the Legislature require CCC to measure in-service and post-service outcomes for corpsmembers. These measures should be tied to the Legislature’s prioritization of the CCC’s goals and focus on measuring progress towards realizing the objectives that support the Legislature’s highest priorities for CCC. For example, to the extent the Legislature prioritizes training for corpsmembers, we recommend the Legislature require CCC to measure the outcomes of its training programs. In addition to requiring CCC to measure in-service and post-service outcomes for corpsmembers, we recommend the Legislature require CCC to establish targets related to key outcomes. Require CCC to Provide Regular Reports on Performance Measures. We recommend the Legislature require the CCC to provide periodic reporting on its progress at meeting targets for different performance measures. This could take the form of an annual written report the CCC would prepare for the Legislature or an online performance dashboard. Require a Report on How to Improve Corpsmember Retention. Corpsmember retention has a broad impact on CCC’s ability to achieve its goals. Given its importance, we recommend the Legislature require CCC to prepare a report by 2020 on how corpsmember retention can be improved. This report should include an evaluation of the main reasons why corpsmembers leave CCC prior to completing one year of service, as well as an assessment of the key factors that positively and negatively affect retention. 2 LEGISLATIVE ANALYST’S OFFICE analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT INTRODUCTION The California Conservation Corps (CCC) provides processes that has not allowed them to capture key young adults 18 to 25 years old a year of paid service data and use it to assess program performance. to work on environmental projects and respond to The department has recently taken steps to begin natural and man-made disasters. Corpsmembers addressing some of these issues. For example, the receive job training that prepares them to work in CCC is currently implementing a new data management these areas. In addition, corpsmembers can advance system called C3 that should help modernize many their education while serving in the CCC through high aspects of its operations and management. school and community college classes and by earning In this report, we begin by providing background scholarships. While serving in the CCC, corpsmembers material on the types of training and educational either live in a residential center that provides room and opportunities the CCC offers and how the CCC board, or make their own housing arrangements and is funded. We also discuss the CCC’s goals and report to a nonresidential center. The department has a objectives for improving its training and work program state operations budget of $101 million in 2017-18 and and the corpsmember outcomes it currently tracks. enrolls about 1,450 corpsmembers at any given time. Next, we assess the lack of corpsmember outcome Over the years, the department has struggled to data and the feasibility of establishing meaningful measure how effective its programs are in terms of corpsmember outcome measures. We conclude by enhancing corpsmembers’ employment opportunities recommending steps for the Legislature to improve and assisting them to achieve their educational goals. outcome measurements for corpsmembers and This is mainly due to the department’s reliance on an improve the overall performance of the department. antiquated data management system and manual BACKGROUND CCC Provides Young Adults With the years, consists of multiple facets. For example, part of the department’s mission is to instill basic skills Job Training, Work Experience, and and a healthy work ethic in youth by building their Education character, self-esteem, and self-discipline. It is also to California Established the First State establish within California’s youth a strong sense of civic Conservation Corps. CCC is the oldest and largest responsibility and an understanding of the value of paid state conservation corps in the nation. Since the work. State law tasks CCC with blending academic and CCC’s establishment in 1976, programs that provide job skills training with personal growth opportunities youth and young adults with opportunities to work on in order to develop productive youth who can make resource conservation projects have been established substantial contributions as workers and citizens. in more than 40 other states. Common reasons State law further directs CCC to increase awareness of corpsmembers give for joining the CCC include wanting California’s natural resources and improve them. After to complete high school, learn job skills, and overall one year of service, corpsmembers are expected to self-improvement. At the present time, there are roughly graduate from CCC with good work habits, positive 1,450 corpsmembers—about 75 percent men and attitudes, and broadened horizons. In order to fulfill 25 percent women. (Please see the box on page 4 to its mission, the CCC provides its corpsmembers with learn more about the CCC’s history.) a range of work experience, job training, educational Maintains Multifaceted Mission. The department’s opportunities, and opportunities for volunteer service, mission, which has been modified in state law over which we discuss in more detail below. www.lao.ca.gov 3 analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT Enrolls Corpsmembers Ages 18 to 25 and their IDP goals with them during monthly performance Veterans to Age 29. The department enrolls young evaluations. adults between the ages of 18 and 25, and veterans Performs Various Types of Work Projects. The to age 29. It currently is funded for slots for about CCC is an entrepreneurial organization that contracts 1,450 full-time equivalent (FTE) corpsmembers. (This with federal, state, and local government agencies amount includes about 20 veterans enrolled in CCC and nongovernmental entities for conservation and working mainly in the areas of forestry or fisheries emergency response work in both urban and rural restoration.) Initial enrollment in the CCC is for one year, areas. Statewide, CCC crews—usually consisting of but corpsmembers may serve up to three years under 10 to 15 corpsmembers—typically, undertake more certain circumstances (for example, corpsmembers than 2,000 projects annually. These projects include: promoted to crew leader positions). • Resource Conservation Projects. Under Requires Corpsmembers to Have an Individual state law, state agencies considering the use Development Plan (IDP). Corpsmember IDPs set of contracted labor for resource conservation short-term and long-term goals in each of the following projects must give priority to the CCC if the areas: (1) work skills and conservation practices, mission of the CCC and the nature of the state (2) education and training programs, (3) personal agency’s project are substantially consistent. development, and (4) career development. The plans Projects are generally selected by CCC are intended to help corpsmembers measure their on the basis of their (1) environmental and progress towards achieving their developmental goals natural resource benefits; (2) opportunities for while they are in the CCC. The department’s staff community support, participation and funding; review corpsmembers progress towards meeting and (3) corpsmember education and job-training Brief History of the California Conservation Corps (CCC) Modeled on Federal Civilian Conservation Corps. CCC is modeled after the federal Civilian Conservation Corps established by President Franklin Roosevelt with an executive order in 1933. The Civilian Conservation Corps was part of his New Deal program to combat high unemployment during the great depression by putting hundreds of thousands of young men to work on environmental projects. Corpsmen fought forest fires, planted trees, cleared and maintained access roads, re-seeded grazing lands, implemented soil-erosion controls, and built infrastructure such as bridges and campground facilities. Some corpsmen received supplemental basic education and vocational training while they served in the corps. Congress discontinued funding for the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1942, at the onset of World War II. It is estimated that nearly 3 million men, mostly between the ages of 18 and 25, served in the Civilian Conservation Corps. Established in 1976. Governor Jerry Brown signed today’s CCC into law in 1976 saying he envisioned the program as “a combination Jesuit seminary, Israeli kibbutz and Marine Corps boot camp.” By the end of 1979, the CCC had opened 18 centers throughout the state. B.T. Collins, the CCC’s director from 1979 to 1981, coined the CCC’s motto: “hard work, low pay, and miserable conditions.” When Governor Deukmejian took office in 1983, he signed legislation to eliminate the CCC’s sunset clause and made it a permanent state department under the California Natural Resources Agency. Expanded Over Time. In 1984, the Legislature passed a new law directing the CCC to develop nonresidential programs in urban areas and communities that have high levels of youth unemployment and a need for conservation work. Between 1984 and 1991, the CCC consolidated various residential centers and expanded the number of nonresidential centers. Today the CCC operates 8 residential centers and 16 nonresidential centers. More than 120,000 young men and women have been a part of the CCC over the course of its history. 4 LEGISLATIVE ANALYST’S OFFICE analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT value. Figure 1 summarizes the main types of their first two weeks in CCC, all trainees must resource conservation projects the CCC has complete the COMET curriculum, which includes undertaken in recent years. modules on job safety, first aid, equal employment • Emergency Response Work. Corpsmembers opportunity rights, sexual harassment prevention, respond to various kinds of disasters and violence prevention, life skills, effective emergencies. For example, the CCC assists state communication techniques, and goal setting. and federal agencies by supplying firefighting In the second week of COMET, corpsmembers and fire camp support crews, and CCC assists receive additional training that may include the Department of Water Resources and local modules on emergency camp support (for fire flood protection agencies by installing sand bags camps) and flood fighting. on river banks and levies. The amount of time • Conservation Awareness Program (CAP). corpsmembers spend on emergency response This program is a mandatory 12-hour course work varies from year to year depending on the that includes modules on (1) the food chain, number and intensity of emergencies in the state. (2) the water cycle, (3) being an environmentally conscious consumer and citizen, and (4) debating Provides Mandatory Corpsmember Training. environmental issues. In addition to coursework, Throughout their service, corpsmembers are required corpsmembers must design and complete an to participate in training for at least three hours eight-hour environmentally focused volunteer each week in addition to their normal work day. project. (High school classroom time and volunteer hours • Community and the Environment Competency can be applied towards this requirement.) In addition, (CEC). All corpsmembers must (1) complete 48 all corpsmembers are required to participate in the hours of volunteer service (no more than 16 hours following training and service programs (which mostly may be performed at a CCC facility) and (2) attend apply towards the three-hour-per-week training at least half of available CCC community meetings requirement): and/or serve on a Corpsmember Advisory Board. • Corpsmember Orientation, Motivation, • Career Development Training (CDT). This Education and Training (COMET). During training is a mandatory 36-hour course that Figure 1 Major Resources Conservation Projects Project Type Corpsmember Work Center Energy conservation • Building energy use surveys. Fresno, Norwalk, Sacramento, • Install basic energy-efficiency improvement San Jose, Vista measures, such as lighting replacement. Fisheries and • Watershed assessments. Camarillo, Fortuna, San Luis Obispo, watershed restoration • Instream and watershed restoration Ukiah activities. Forest health • Fuel load reduction. Auburn, Chico, Fortuna, Greenwood, • Tree plantings. Redding, San Bernardino, San Diego, • Other work intended to improve forest health San Luis Obispo, Tahoe, Ukiah and reestablish natural conditions for native flora and fauna. Trail work • Build and maintain trails in both state and All locations national parks and forests. Wildland fire • Initial response to wildfires. Auburn, Butte, Camarillo, Fortuna • Cleanup activities after fires are contained. Redding, San Diego, Tahoe, Ukiah • Fire camp support crews. www.lao.ca.gov 5 analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT prepares corpsmembers for employment to preparing corpsmembers for the types of projects or continuing education following their CCC they are most likely to work on, such as energy service. The curriculum is designed to teach conservation. When applicants submit their application corpsmembers how to assess their job skills, to CCC, they are encouraged to identify the types of prepare resumes and cover letters, organize their projects they would like to work on and specialized job search, and succeed at interviews and at training they are interested in receiving. The department work. tries to accommodate applicants by assigning them to a center that offers the type of training that interests Provides Specialized Job-Related Training them. Figure 2 summarizes the primary types of for Some Corpsmembers. The department also specialized training CCC offers. provides specialized job-related training that can lead Educational Opportunities. Corpsmembers may to professional certifications for certain industries. For attend high school and community college classes, as example, CCC offers training for corpsmembers to well as earn scholarships. Specifically, they can pursue earn a Firefighter I Certification that is typically needed the following educational opportunities: to obtain employment with state and local firefighting agencies. In addition, corpsmembers serving in • High School Diploma. The department requires internships with state, local, and federal government corpsmembers without a high school diploma agencies might receive specialized training from those to enroll in high school and attend a minimum of agencies. The department’s training is usually linked ten hours of classroom instruction each week. Two Figure 2 California Conservation Corps Primary Specialized Trainings Training Certification Description Basic chainsaw ✓ Safe cutting techniques, saw maintenance, and identification of operation hazards. (Does not qualify participants to fall trees.) Culinary arts ✓ Culinary techniques, culinary sanitation, and nutrition (taught at residential center kitchens). Energy Corps ✓ How to survey a whole building to identify energy efficiency projects and how to perform simple retrofits, such as lighting replacement, lighting occupancy detectors, and “smart” power strips. Firefighting ✓ Firefighter safety and survival, first responder medical training, introduction to Incident Command Systems, and other topics consistent with state and federal fire fighter training requirements. First responder ✓ Techniques to assess a medical emergency, ensure an injured party has sufficient airway to breathe, monitor vital signs, and prepare and move an injured party. Fisheries restoration — Advanced watershed assessment procedures and how to restore worker streams and upslope areas. Hazardous Waste ✓ Post emergency response activities and cleanups/remediation for Operations and various types of sites involving hazardous materials such as oil spills. Emergency Response Sawyer training ✓ Safety procedures and best practices for falling trees. (Also referred to as faller training.) Specialized vehicle ✓ Operation of industrial trucks, forklifts, tractors, bucket trucks, and training and industrial certain other vehicles. truck certification Statewide trails — Building and maintenance of trails. program 6 LEGISLATIVE ANALYST’S OFFICE analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT charter schools provide the CCC’s high school CCC Funding Primarily Comes education program. Over the past five years, From Two Main Sources roughly three out of every ten corpsmembers Figure 4 (see next page) shows CCC state did not have a high school diploma or equivalent operating expenditures for the prior year, current when they enrolled in the CCC. Over that period, year, and budget year. The 2018-19 budget proposal an average of about 200 corpsmembers earned includes $106 million for CCC operations. (In addition, a high school degree each year (not including the budget includes $14.1 million for capital outlay General Educational Development [GED] tests, projects.) Funding for CCC historically has come which CCC does not track). from two primary sources—the General Fund and the • Community College Classes. The department Collins-Dugan Reimbursement Account (CDRA)—as partners with community colleges to provide well as some funding from special funds and bond credit and noncredit classes to corpsmembers. funds. In some cases, these community college courses General Fund. The Legislature appropriates are part of the training corpsmembers receive General Fund support to the CCC through the annual to prepare them for the work they will do in the budget process. The General Fund supports almost CCC. For example, corpsmembers training to half of the CCC’s operations budget. (This excludes be firefighters in Butte enroll in an Emergency Proposition 98 funding for charter schools that provide Medical Training course at Butte College. The high school classes to corpsmembers—these funds department also introduces corpsmembers totaled about $13 million in 2016-17.) The average to academic and career technical education General Fund cost per corpsmember slot (including opportunities at local community colleges through administrative support costs) is estimated to be about tours and financial aid workshops. $36,000 in 2018-19. • Scholarships Based on Eligibility. The Collins-Dugan Reimbursement Account. This department offers corpsmembers the opportunity account was established by legislation in 1994 to to earn a $2,000 state Brad Duncan Scholarship accept funds received by the CCC in payment for that can be used for enrollment in a post-CCC work projects. The money in the CDRA is continuously academic, vocational, or apprenticeship program. appropriated to the CCC and may be used for the (Corpsmembers who remain in the CCC longer following purposes: (1) program expansion to hire more than one year may earn up to $6,000.) As corpsmembers, (2) enhancement of corpsmember shown in Figure 3, CCC has provided over education and educational support services, 1,900 scholarships worth about $1.5 million (3) enhancement of equipment used by corpsmembers over the past five years. Eligibility for the in projects, and (4) program support. scholarship is based on (1) completion of one year in the CCC and a minimum of 1,700 paid Special Funds. The department also receives some hours; (2) completion of CAP, CDT, and CEC; special funds for completing certain types of projects. and (3) receiving at least three satisfactory For example, in recent years, CCC has received funding monthly performance evaluations. In addition, from the State Responsibility Area Fund for completing corpsmembers can earn federal AmeriCorps forestry projects. (Recent legislation shifted these Education Award Program scholarships of up to activities to be funded from cap-and-trade auction $5,900 per year. revenues.) Figure 3 Brad Duncan Scholarships Awarded and Disbursed 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Totals Scholarships awarded 375 327 387 439 405 1,933 Scholarship funds disbursed $345,591 $324,011 $285,096 $257,299 $253,757 $1,465,754 www.lao.ca.gov 7 analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT Most Corpsmembers Assigned Figure 4 to Nonresidential Centers. State Operations Expendituresa About 56 percent of the roughly (Dollars in Millions) 1,450 corpsmembers report to nonresidential centers. The typical 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 Actual Estimated Proposed nonresidential center includes classroom space and administrative Fund Source offices and normally serves General Fund $42.6 $45.1 $52.3 between 30 to 60 corpsmembers. Collins-Dugan Reimbursement 40.1 44.8 39.9 Account Corpsmembers are responsible Special and bond funds 10.4 11.4 13.7 for providing their own living Totals $93.1 $101.2 $105.9 arrangements in the surrounding Percent communities and report to the General Fund 46% 45% 49% nonresidential centers for work, Collins-Dugan Reimbursement 43 44 38 classes, and other CCC activities. Account About 44 percent of Special and bond funds 11 11 13 corpsmembers live in residential a Excludes capital outlay. centers. The typical residential center includes a dormitory, dining Bond Funds. Some bonds allocate funds directly room and kitchen, administrative offices, recreational to CCC. For example, Proposition 84 (2006) provided facilities, classroom space, and warehouse space. $45 million to the CCC and local conservation corps Each residential center normally houses between for resource conservation and restoration projects 80 to 100 corpsmembers. In addition, corpsmembers and for other specified purposes consistent with the from nonresidential centers sometimes are brought to CCC’s mission. Other bonds encourage the use of the residential centers for training and other events because CCC and local conservation corps to implement their these centers are better equipped to support events provisions. For example, Proposition 1 (2014 water attended by large numbers of corpsmembers. bond) specified that for restoration and ecosystem Governor Proposes Major Expansion of protection projects, the services of the CCC (or one Residential Centers. The Governor’s 2018-19 budget of the several conservation corps licensed by CCC proposes a major expansion of the CCC residential but established and administered by local nonprofits center program. The administration proposes to spend and agencies) had to be used whenever feasible by $185 million from the General Fund and lease revenue government agencies contracting for such work. bond funds over five years to complete the construction CCC Operates Residential Centers and of four new residential centers. Under this plan, the Nonresidential Centers total number of corpsmembers is projected to increase by 350. This includes capacity for 35 additional As shown in Figure 5, CCC operates 8 residential corpsmembers at Ukiah when the existing facility is centers and 16 nonresidential centers throughout the replaced. The department would shift from a primarily state. The residential and nonresidential centers are nonresidential center based-program to a primarily grouped into 14 districts for administrative purposes. residential center based-program, with the share of When prospective corpsmembers apply to CCC corpsmembers in residential centers increasing from they may express a preference for a residential 44 percent to 58 percent. center or nonresidential center. The department tries to accommodate the prospective corpsmember’s Some Program Metrics Are Tracked preference. In addition, CCC generally prioritizes The department tracks some in-service program applicants who are homeless or in unstable housing metrics while corpsmembers are serving in CCC, situations for placements in residential centers. but has a very limited ability to track key post-service outcomes for corpsmembers after they separate from 8 LEGISLATIVE ANALYST’S OFFICE analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT CCC. Notably, CCC is in the process of implementing Certain In-Service Metrics Tracked. While a new data collection and information technology corpsmembers are serving in the CCC, the department system, known as C3, that will facilitate the collection of tracks their progress towards meeting program program metrics in the future. requirements and the corpsmembers’ goals as outlined Figure 5 California Conservation Corps Residential and Nonresidential Facilities Yreka Residential Nonresidential Fortuna Redding Butte Chico Ukiah Auburn-Placer Sacramento Lake Tahoe Greenwood Napa Stockton San Jose Watsonville Fresno San Luis Obispo Santa Maria Camarillo Pomona San Bernadino Los Angeles Norwalk North San Diego San Diego www.lao.ca.gov 9 analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT in their IDPs. For example, for each corpsmember left for positive reasons, such as accepting the department tracks (1) the number of hours employment, returning to school, or joining the military; worked, (2) progress towards fulfilling mandatory and (4) the remaining 50 percent left for programmatic training modules and specialized training courses, reasons, such as completing a year of service. (3) participation in high school education, (4) progress Most Post-Service Performance Measures towards earning scholarship benefits, and (5) progress Not Tracked. The only post-service metric that towards successfully completing leadership training and the department tracks is corpsmember use of their promoting into leadership positions. Brad-Duncan Scholarship awards. This metric provides The department also maintains data on some insight into the number of corpsmembers that go corpsmember retention. About one-fourth of on to pursue higher education, apprenticeships, and corpsmembers complete one year of service. vocational education after separating from the CCC. Many corpsmembers only stay in CCC for a few However, CCC does not track key post-service data weeks or months. In 2015-16, CCC had about such as employment status or earnings that would 3,500 corpsmembers that participated in the provide a broader picture of outcomes for former program—for various lengths of stay—and filled corpsmembers. about 1,500 FTE corpsmember slots. As a result, Strategies and Objectives to Guide Program the department has to recruit at least two new Improvement. Based on discussions with CCC, it is corpsmembers per year to keep each corpsmember in the process of identifying areas where the program slot filled over the course of the year. The department can be improved and of developing a strategic plan also maintains some data on why corpsmembers to guide program improvement over the next several separate from the program. In 2015-16, CCC reports years. Figure 6 summarizes some of the program that (1) 20 percent of corpsmembers left for negative improvement strategies and selected objectives reasons, such as absence without leave or misconduct; under consideration by CCC as part of its program (2) 15 percent left for personal reasons, such as a improvement and strategic plan development process. medical issue or family responsibilities; (3) 15 percent Figure 6 CCC Draft Program Improvement Strategies and Selected Objectives Strategies Selected Objectives Expand corpsmember • Maximize opportunities for corpsmembers to receive education and training enrollment and pathways to benefits from work projects. meaningful employment • Increase percentage of corpsmembers who make significant progress toward high school diplomas, certifications, and/or associate degrees. • Increase percentage of corpsmembers who successfully complete leadership training and promote into leadership positions. • Increase the number and/or percentage of corpsmembers who transition into higher education and/or employment upon leaving the CCC. Strengthen operations and • Establish and operate residential Energy Corps training facility. infrastructure at energy hubs • Construct and manage warehouse space at northern and southern California hubs. Expand and grow to 16 • Establish and maintain with Legislators the prioritization for funding of CCC residential centers statewide residential centers. • Re-establish geographic parity of residential programs whereby there are residential centers within the most heavily populated areas of the state. • Demonstrate correlation of expansion of residential facilities with expanded enrollment and increased reimbursement opportunities. Divest in non-residential • Populate new residential centers in currently underserved areas and increase centers the number of corpsmembers at residential centers that are converted from non- residential center operations. • Expand corpsmember positions in specific work and training areas. 10 LEGISLATIVE ANALYST’S OFFICE analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT MULTIPLE PROGRAM GOALS AND LACK OF OUTCOME DATA MAKE PROGRAM ASSESSMENT DIFFICULT In reviewing CCC’s goals and operations, we find highest priority. Nor does current law specify where that the existence of multiple program goals presents providing educational opportunities should fall in the list programmatic challenges for CCC. We also find that of priorities. CCC’s funding model incentivizes the CCC to prioritize Unclear Priorities Makes Program Administration the basic work skills corpsmembers develop while Challenging. Without a clear prioritization of goals, working on projects over the program’s other goals. CCC administrators must weigh competing priorities. In In addition, the lack of measurable programmatic particular, the existence of multiple—seemingly coequal objectives or collection of outcome data on how the goals—sometimes makes it difficult to prioritize among CCC performs in key areas makes it difficult to evaluate the different activities corpsmembers engage in. For the program’s performance. We discuss these findings example, the CCC must prioritize between the amount in greater detail below. of time corpsmembers spend working on projects that help them to develop basic job skills and the amount Program Goals Are of time they spend attending high school or community Not Clearly Prioritized college classes. Statute Establishes Main Program Goals . . . In addition, a lack of clear prioritization makes it In order to carry out the multifaceted mission difficult for CCC to know what outcomes are the most established for CCC under state law, the department important for administrators to focus on. For example, pursues several program goals. Based upon our if the primary goal of the program were clearly stated review of the state laws governing the CCC, its goals as providing corpsmembers with basic work skills, then fall into five main areas: (1) promoting basic work assessments of the program’s performance would first skills (such as being punctual and communicating focus on outcomes such as how often corpsmembers effectively), encouraging a healthy work ethic, and (1) arrive punctually for work, (2) are appropriately providing employment-related training; (2) providing dressed and outfitted for work, (3) communicate corpsmembers with educational opportunities; effectively with supervisors and coworkers, and (3) increasing corpsmembers’ and the public’s (4) take responsibility for their actions. Alternatively, environmental awareness; (4) performing individual if the primary goal of the program were clearly public service; and (5) building corpsmembers’ stated as providing corpsmembers with educational character and a strong sense of civic responsibility. All opportunities, then assessments of the program’s of the program goals are intended to be achieved within performance would first focus on outcomes such as the broad context of conserving or developing natural (1) progress made towards achieving a high school resources. diploma and (2) community college credits earned. . . . But Does Not Clearly Prioritize Among Funding Model Program Goals. The department’s authorizing statute Incentivizes Certain Activities does not clearly prioritize the program’s five main goals. One section of the statute indicates the Legislature’s Funding Model Creates Focus on Completion intent for the CCC to place greater emphasis on of Reimbursable Projects. As described above, teaching basic work skills and building corpsmember reimbursements provide about half of CCC’s funding. character than on increasing environmental awareness Due to this funding structure, CCC generally prioritizes and improving natural resources. However, state law the completion of reimbursable work projects over currently does not provide any further clarification other activities the corpsmembers could be engaged about how these various goals should be prioritized. in. These projects often support the goals of promoting For example, it does not specify whether teaching basic work skills, protecting natural resources, basic work skills or building character should be the increasing environmental awareness, and developing www.lao.ca.gov 11 analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT character, but do not always support the other goals of • Advanced Tree-Faller Training. The department completing individual community service, or providing would like to provide advanced tree-faller training educational opportunities. to corpsmembers at certain centers that focus on As a general rule, the CCC needs to keep forestry work. corpsmembers working on projects about 70 percent • Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency of the time in order to earn sufficient reimbursement Response (HAZWOPER) Training. The revenues to keep the CCC from running a budgetary department would like to expand the availability of shortfall. Residential centers and nonresidential centers HAZWOPER training. Generally, it is only provided have annual targets for generating reimbursement to corpsmembers who work on a project where it revenues and are responsible for marketing the is a requirement, and the project sponsor agrees CCC’s services to prospective clients. In some to pay for the corpsmembers’ training. cases, CCC crews may be short-handed due to According to CCC, providing more training to corpsmember illness or other reasons. When this corpsmembers—at the expense of having them spend occurs, corpsmembers may spend 80 percent or less time working on projects—generates two types more of their time working on projects in order to meet of budgetary pressures. First, it reduces the amount of reimbursement targets. revenues generated by corpsmembers. Second, CCC Need for Reimbursements Limits Ability to would most likely have to pay for the training, which is Support Other Goals. The trade-off created by the an additional cost to the program. CCC’s reimbursement-dependent funding model is that it limits the amount of time corpsmembers have CCC Lacks Specific Targets for to spend on other program goals, such as performing Many Performance Measures community service and pursuing educational opportunities. Based on our conversations with the Metrics Do Not Include Targets. CCC has not department, it would like to expand the training and established targets for in-service and post-service educational opportunities it offers to all corpsmembers performance measures. As we discuss below, the to help make them more competitive in the job market lack of specific, measurable targets makes it very when they separate from the CCC. CCC staff at certain difficult to assess the CCC’s success in meeting its residential and nonresidential centers are qualified goals for corpsmembers. (As previously indicated, the to provide some types of training to corpsmembers. department is currently in the process of developing a However, CCC indicates that in order to expand the strategic plan, which could contain such information.) types of training if offers, and the availability of such For example, one of CCC’s in-service objectives training, it would need to contract with qualified trainers identified in its draft strategic plan is to increase from outside the CCC resulting in additional program the number of corpsmembers who successfully costs. The CCC would like to offer: complete leadership training and promote into leadership positons. To effectively measure its progress • Driver’s License Training. The department towards achieving this objective, CCC would need to would like to provide all corpsmembers an (1) determine the percentage of corpsmembers who opportunity to participate in training to obtain currently complete leadership training and promote their driver’s license. According to the CCC, many into leadership positions, (2) establish a specific corpsmembers lack a driver’s license when they target identifying what percentage of corpsmembers arrive, something that can be an impediment to should be promoted, and (3) establish a timeframe obtaining employment upon leaving the CCC. for achieving the target. Moreover, these measurable targets should be accompanied by an identification of • Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician the steps the CCC will take to improve corpsmember Training. The department would like to provide all outcomes. However, at this time the department has corpsmembers who are training to be firefighters not established such targets and a plan for meeting with Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician them. training. 12 LEGISLATIVE ANALYST’S OFFICE analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT Similarly, CCC has not established target retention outcome targets for a few of its in-service measures. rates for its corpsmembers. This is problematic given For example, the CCC collects data on the number of the likely importance of retention for other program corpsmembers who successfully complete leadership outcomes, including both in-service and post-service training and are promoted to leadership positions. The outcomes. For example, the less time corpsmembers department could use this data to establish a baseline spend in the program, the less likely they are to achieve for the percentage of corpsmembers who historically academic and professional goals, such as earning have promoted to leadership positions. Based upon high school diplomas, certifications, and scholarships. this information it could set a target for increasing This, in turn, may affect their ability to continue their the percentage of promotees and measure progress education and/or find employment when they separate towards achieving the target. from CCC. There are also operational costs associated The CCC also collects some data on retention of with low retention, such as for (1) outreach to recruit corpsmembers. For example, only about one-fourth new corpsmembers, (2) reviewing applications and of corpsmembers complete one year of service. The interviewing candidates, and (3) providing COMET to department could use data to establish a baseline for new corpsmembers. Moreover, the more turnover of corpsmembers leaving CCC prior to one year of service corpsmembers experienced by the department, the and as a basis for measuring its progress towards more difficult it is for the department to staff resource improving retention. (For further discussion of the conservation projects (which can also impact the possible causes of low retention in the CCC, please see amount of reimbursements CCC is able to receive). the nearby box.) CCC Already Collects Data Needed to Establish But Lacks Baseline Data to Establish Targets Targets for Some Metrics. Some of the in-service data for Other Objectives. While the CCC has data to the CCC already collects could be used to establish establish targets for a few in-service objectives, it does Several Factors Might Cause Low Corpsmember Retention Rates In discussions with California Conservation Corps (CCC) administrators, they indicated that there were several potential causes for the low retention of corpsmembers. Below, we highlight a few of the main factors that contribute to the high percentage of corpsmembers who separate from the CCC prior to completing a year of service. CCC Actively Recruits At-Risk Youth. Under state law, CCC is required to develop nonresidential programs in urban communities with high levels of youth unemployment. It is also required to adopt procedures for recruiting high school dropouts from the neighborhoods where these programs are located. CCC administrators indicated that corpsmembers living in an urban area and commuting to nonresidential centers are more likely to be sidetracked from their CCC responsibilities by events in their community than their counterparts living in residential centers. According to CCC staff, the extent to which actively recruiting at-risk youth affects CCC retention rates is unclear. High Staff-to-Corpsmember Ratios Might Affect Retention. Conservationist I positions are the staff who most directly supervise work crews and often act as mentors and counselors to corpsmembers. Some CCC administrators have argued that richer staffing levels might improve retention by allowing Conservationist I to spend more time working with corpsmembers. CCC tries to maintain a ratio of at least one Conservationist I position for every 15 corpsmembers. Corpsmembers Might Leave to Pursue Other Opportunities. According to CCC administrators, some corpsmembers separate from CCC service to pursue other opportunities that are consistent with the CCC’s goals. For example, some corpsmembers separate from CCC before they complete a year of service in order to attend college. Others separate because they have been offered a job that pays higher wages than the CCC. In these cases, CCC does not necessarily view the corpsmember’s early separation from the CCC as a bad outcome for the corpsmember or program. www.lao.ca.gov 13 analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT not currently have data to establish targets for most to a primarily residential center model. However, we post-service objectives, such as increasing the number do not know that such a shift would better achieve and/or percentage of corpsmembers who transition into program goals because there is such limited data on higher education or employment upon leaving the CCC. how residential center corpsmember in-service and Historically, CCC has not attempted to systematically post-service outcomes compare to outcomes for their survey corpsmembers after their service to assess their nonresidential center colleagues. Furthermore, any subsequent employment or education status because such benefits would have to be weighed against the it is difficult to stay in contact with corpsmembers after significant additional capital outlay and operational they end their service. costs of providing corpsmember slots in a residential center setting compared to nonresidential slots. Lack of Outcome Data New C3 Data Collection and Reporting System Makes It Difficult to Evaluate Programs Will Help CCC Track Key Data. In the spring of 2017, CCC implemented the first modules of its Data Would Inform Operational Decisions. Better new C3 data system, which is designed to more outcome data would help inform CCC’s decisions systematically track a number of administrative and about what program areas to focus on improving. For programmatic information. Specifically, certain core example, the lack of outcome data on the percentage functions including administration of corpsmember pay of corpsmembers who transition into higher education and limited project management became operational. and employment upon leaving the CCC makes it In discussions with CCC staff, they indicated that a difficult to assess what steps, if any, the CCC should corpsmember development module that will allow take to improve in these areas. If the CCC had data them to better track corpsmember’s progress towards showing that it had a low success rate at transitioning meeting the goals established in their IDPs is planned corpsmembers into employment, this might suggest for launch in 2019-20, contingent on funding availability. the CCC should focus more attention and resources on However, none of the corpsmember modules that improving its job placement assistance and training. would allow CCC to track outcomes such as academic Better Data Would Inform Capital Outlay advancement or progress towards completing training Decisions. Better data would also help inform CCC’s have been implemented yet. Once the corpsmember capital outlay decisions. There might be benefits to development module is implemented it will make it shifting from a primarily nonresidential center model easier for CCC to assess corpsmember outcomes. RECOMMENDATIONS In order to address the above challenges, we goals to emphasize. However, the current funding recommend below steps the Legislature could take model that requires a high level of reimbursements to improve outcomes for corpsmembers. Specifically, effectively incentivizes work-related goals because it we recommend the Legislature clearly prioritize the requires CCC to generate funding by completing work program’s goals and align its funding to support projects. In practice, this means corpsmembers spend the Legislature’s highest-priority goals. We further the bulk of their time working on projects in order to recommend the Legislature require the CCC to develop generate revenue, as well as developing basic work outcome measures for high-priority goals and report on skills within the overall context of conserving natural these outcomes. resources. Accordingly, we recommend the Legislature clarify Prioritize Program Goals in statute its prioritization of the CCC’s program goals. The department’s existing core statute loosely As noted earlier in this analysis, the CCC’s mission, prioritizes some goals but does not specify how others and corresponding goals, have evolved over time are to be prioritized. The lack of clear prioritization gives with the adoption of new legislation. Clearer legislative the CCC broad discretion over which of the program’s 14 LEGISLATIVE ANALYST’S OFFICE analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT prioritization of the CCC’s goals would serve three main what goals the Legislature prioritized could result purposes. in a significant shift in the mix of fund sources— particularly General Fund and reimbursements—that • First, it would provide the CCC with clearer would be needed to cover department costs. For guidance on how it should allocate its resources example, if the Legislature wanted to increase the and corpsmembers’ time. (CCC should amount of community college classes provided to incorporate the Legislature’s priorities into its corpsmembers, there would likely be additional costs strategic plan.) (and a corresponding reduction in reimbursements) • Second, it would facilitate the implementation of as corpsmembers spent more time in the classroom, outcome measures that could be used by the and less time working on projects that generated Legislature to guide policy and budget decisions. reimbursement revenue. Similarly, if the Legislature • Third, it would improve the Legislature’s ability to wanted to increase the amount of training hold the CCC accountable for achieving results in corpsmembers receive by expanding access to existing the areas that are of the greatest importance to training programs and/or adding new ones, there would the Legislature. likely be additional General Fund costs to pay for the training (and reduction in reimbursements). Thus, any As the Legislature weighs prioritization of CCC’s shift away from the CCC’s current practice of prioritizing goals, there are several factors it might wish to work towards a greater emphasis on education, consider. For example, the Legislature might want to training, or some other goal such as performing consider how CCC fits into the broader continuum of individual public service is likely to require a funding government programs that provide similar opportunities increase. for young adults to earn high school degrees and receive job training. Community college districts Adopt Performance Measures and receive ongoing Proposition 98 funds for credit and Outcome Reporting noncredit courses in career and technical education (CTE). Community colleges also receive Proposition 98 Assess Outcomes During and After Participation funding to provide regionally focused CTE and in CCC. We recommend the Legislature require CCC workforce programs leading to certificates, degrees, to measure in-service and post-service outcomes for and other credentials. Looking at the CCC within the corpsmembers. These outcome measures should be broader context of all of the major job training and tied to the Legislature’s prioritization of the CCC’s goals educational programs throughout the state would and focus on measuring progress towards realizing help the Legislature to identify areas where CCC is the objectives that support the Legislature’s highest best positioned to provide training and educational priorities for CCC. opportunities. The Legislature might also want to For example, to the extent the Legislature prioritizes consider factors that make CCC unique and different professional training for corpsmembers, we recommend from other work training and educational programs. the Legislature require CCC to measure the outcomes One factor that sets the CCC apart is that it allows of its training programs. For each professional training corpsmembers to pursue multiple goals—including program, the department could measure the number work training and education—all under the auspices of corpsmembers who (1) successfully complete of a single program. Another factor that sets the the training and earn the relevant certification, CCC apart from other state programs is its focus on (2) find post-service employment in the areas of their conservation and the environmental issues. CCC training, and (3) earn post-service income. The department could also track the reasons why Align Funding Model Based on corpsmembers fail to complete each training, which Prioritization of Program Goals could provide insights into barriers to success. We recommend the Legislature align the CCC’s Alternatively, to the extent the Legislature prioritizes funding model with its decisions regarding the educational programs, we would recommend the prioritization of CCC’s program goals. A change in Legislature require CCC to emphasize measuring the performance of its educational programs. Such www.lao.ca.gov 15 analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT a prioritization could be accomplished by expanding Require Regular Reports on Performance corpsmembers options to attend community Measures. We recommend the Legislature require the college classes and/or placing greater emphasis on CCC to provide periodic reporting on its progress at corpsmembers completing their high school diploma meeting targets for different performance measures during their CCC service. Education outcome measures for its programs. This could take the form of an could include (1) gains in math and reading levels, annual written report the CCC would prepare for the (2) percentage of corpsmembers who earn a high Legislature or an online performance dashboard. The school diploma or GED during or after CCC service, data provided would help policy makers hold CCC or (3) percentage of corpsmembers who earn college accountable for achieving programmatic goals that credits and post-secondary credentials after CCC. reflect the Legislature’s priorities. Moreover, reporting These in-service performance measures would allow would provide young adults with information they can the Legislature to monitor CCC’s progress towards use to make decisions about whether the CCC or other improving corpsmember high school graduation rates. workforce development programs and educational To the extent possible, post-service outcome opportunities would best meet their needs. Since the measures should be consistent with common department is currently in process of implementing C3, measures used to assess the state’s other workforce reports including thorough outcome information might education and training programs. These measures not be available until after 2019-20. CCC should be include (1) percentage of program participants who developing C3 with these reporting requirements in receive a recognized postsecondary credential or mind. high school diploma or its recognized equivalent Require Report on How to Improve Retention. after separating from the program, (2) percentage of Corpsmember retention has a broad impact on CCC’s participants who are in unsubsidized employment ability to achieve its goals. Given its importance, we during the second and fourth quarters after separating, recommend the Legislature require CCC to prepare a and (3) median earnings of program participants who report by 2020 on how corpsmember retention can are in unsubsidized employment during the fourth be improved. This report should include an evaluation quarter after separating. (For more information on of the main reasons why corpsmembers leave CCC how such information is reported, see our 2016 report prior to completing one year of service, as well as Improving Workforce Education and Training Data in an assessment of the key factors that positively California.) Ideally, data on post-service outcomes and negatively affect retention. For example, this could also be used to evaluate in-service programs, could include evaluation of retention outcomes for such as professional training, by assessing post-service recruits with different socioeconomic or educational success rates for corpsmembers who participate in and backgrounds. The department could also assess how complete specific in-service programs. placement in a residential center versus a nonresidential Establish Targets. In addition to requiring CCC center affects retention. The department could also to measure in-service and post-service outcomes for evaluate how retention is affected by other factors, corpsmembers, we recommend the Legislature require such as staffing ratios, specific location, and work CCC to establish targets related to key outcomes. assignment. The report should also identify options to For example, if a desired outcome is improving the improve corpsmember retention and determine whether percentage of corpsmembers who are in unsubsidized these options could be implemented within the CCC’s employment after leaving the program, the Legislature existing resources or whether the CCC would require would want to set a desired target level. That is, it might additional resources to implement them. want to have at least 50 percent of corpsmembers in such jobs within one year of leaving the CCC. If CCC was currently at 20 percent, then it could also set tentative timelines for reaching the target, along with intermediate target goals. 16 LEGISLATIVE ANALYST’S OFFICE analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT CONCLUSION The state has both an interest and a responsibility It would also provide useful information to help guide to monitor the performance of the CCC to ensure state policy and funding decisions and ultimately it is effectively serving corpsmembers. Our result in better outcomes for corpsmembers and the recommendations to prioritize the CCC’s goals and state. Given that C3 will expand the department’s data implement outcome measures would increase the capabilities, we think now is an opportune time for the state’s ability to monitor the program’s performance Legislature to act to require CCC to develop targets and hold the CCC accountable for achieving results. and performance measures. www.lao.ca.gov 17 analysis full gutter AN LAO REPORT LAO PUBLICATIONS This report was prepared by Shawn Martin and reviewed by Brian Brown. The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) is a nonpartisan office that provides fiscal and policy information and advice to the Legislature. To request publications call (916) 445-4656. This report and others, as well as an e-mail subscription service, are available on the LAO’s website at www.lao.ca.gov. The LAO is located at 925 L Street, Suite 1000, Sacramento, CA 95814. 18 LEGISLATIVE ANALYST’S OFFICE