Iowa Youth Development Results Framework
The Iowa Collaboration for Youth Development has used several prominent youth development models and research to create a results framework for youth development in Iowa. The Iowa youth development framework identifies four broad result areas designed to be used across state departments, state agencies, and community levels to guide youth policy, organize planning activities, and monitor youth development outcomes.
- All youth have the benefit of safe and supportive families...schools...communities.
- All youth are healthy and socially competent.
- All youth are successful in school.
- All youth are prepared for a productive adulthood.
Primary and Secondary Sources for Local, State and National Level Data
The following sites are excellent sources of multiple indicators that may be helpful to community planners and youth development organizations. We've provided a brief description of each of these sources and a link to their page. You can also view a list of the indicators each of these sources tracks here to determine if they have the data you're looking for.
Iowa Youth Survey
The 2008 Iowa Youth Survey was conducted by the Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation. More than 100,000 students in the 6th, 8th, and 11th grades across the state of Iowa answered questions about their attitudes and experiences regarding substance abuse and violence, and their perceptions of their peer, family, school, and neighborhood/community environments. You can find more information here.
Iowa Kids Count
The Iowa Kids County Initiative annually updates and disseminates statewide and county-level trend data on eight key indicators of well-being for Iowa children, ranging from health to education to welfare. The most recent report contains data available from the 2000 Census on population trends by race and ethnicity and on family composition. The report also provides county-by-county data for a full twenty years on six key indicators of child well-being, along with county data from 1980 to 2000 on population and family characteristics.
Social and Economic Trends
Sources for social and economic trends include the following. These agencies compile, analyze, and distribute information about Iowa's population, housing, agriculture, business, industry, and government. County-level data are provided for numerous indicators and provide a major secondary data source for community planners and youth serving organizations.
National Youth Data Sources
Several sources of nationally collected or compiled data are available that provide important information on indicators for youth development. We've summarized some of the most useful sources for national data about youth here. In addition to being good sources of information for state level comparisons, many of these sites also contain or link to state and county level data.
Monitoring the Future
Monitoring the Future is an ongoing study of the behaviors, attitudes, and values of American secondary school students, college students, and young adults, conducted at the Survey Research Center in the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan.
Trends in the Well-being of America's Children and Youth
The Forum on Child and Family Statistics tracks data on trends in the well-being of our nation's children and youth. The report presents the most recent estimates on more than 41 indicators of child and youth well being. Excellent source for national comparison data.
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)
The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) monitors six categories of priority health-risk behaviors among youth and young adults, including alcohol, tobacco and other drug use and sexual behaviors, among others.
Youth Tobacco Survey
The Youth Tobacco Survey was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and includes national and state school-based surveys of middle school and high school students. This report summarizes data from the national survey and state surveys.
National KIDS COUNT Data Book
Maintained by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the annual Kids Count Data Book presents a broad array of indicators of child well being; population change; economic characteristics; child health and education; child care; juvenile justice; and access to phones, computers and the Internet. State profiles and rankings are included.
FedStats
FedStats provides the full range of official statistical information available to the public from the Federal Government. The site allows access to official statistics collected and published by more than 70 Federal agencies. State and county level data can also be accessed from this site.