SOLUTION STATEMENT: There is a ceiling to the impact a school system, health system, public safety system, or otherwise can have if the environment presents the greatest barrier to those systems effectively delivering services. The overarching goal of THEZONE Project (TZP) is to change the environment children are coming from as a mechanism for them reaching their full potential.
TZP is located in the city’s northeast quadrant, where a poverty rate of 34.09% doesn’t begin to describe the intergenerational struggle that has long inhibited positive change. THEZONE area is home to 23% of Spokane’s residents but accounts for 48% of the city’s violent crime and 49% of its property crime. The area is challenged to connect some of the City’s highest educational, social, economic, and health needs. Within the boundary of TZP there are 13 public schools and 2 charter school that serve approximately 7,000 students k-12. TZP is focused on all 7,000 students, 4,500 of which meet the Children's Wellbeing criteria.
An average of 90% of the students in TZP area receive free or reduced lunch. The county race demographic is only 10% persons of color, while TZP area student demographic is almost is almost 45% persons of color. The perpetual and complex issues that plague there area are very much an equity issue, with systems and policies that do not promote diversity and inclusion. TZP solutions are anchored with the lens' of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
TZP solutions are holistic and quite comprehensive. TZP uses Results Based Accountability to set, implement, and evaluate progress toward goals.
The Results and Indicators Plan includes:
GOAL: Education
Result: Children in THEZONE Project neighborhoods will achieve educational success from pre-school through postsecondary school.
Indicators:
- High School Graduation rate
- Postsecondary graduation rate
- Kindergarten readiness rate
- Middle school reading and math test scores
- School Suspensions (disaggregated by race)
Program/Strategy
Kindergarten Registration Project
Performance Measures
How much - # of individuals involved in the project
How well – #/% of participants that stay in the program for the prescribed # of months
Better off - #/% of children entering kindergarten ready to learn (Target: 10% increase by 2019)
Program/Strategy
Early Achievers
Performance Measures
How much - # of Early Achievers participants
How well – #/% of Early Achievers participants that stay in the program for the prescribed # of months
Better off - #/% of Early Achievers participants that achieve a rating of 3 or higher (Target 50% by December 2017)
Program/Strategy
Community Option School
Performance Measures
How much - # of Schools and students in the Community Option School
How well - #/% of the students who stay in the program for the prescribed # of months
Better off - #/% Students participating the Community Option School increasing their school attendance and course completion.
Program/Strategy
Alternatives to Suspension
Performance Measures
How much - # of schools with an Alternatives of Suspension program in their school
How well - #/% of the students who stay in the program for the prescribed # of months
Better off - #/% of students enrolled in the Alternative to Suspension Program with reduced suspensions (Target: reduce suspension in The Zone by 25% by the end of the 2016-2017 school year)
Program/Strategy
T-2-4 (Technical School, 2 year, or 4 year pursuits post HS)
Performance Measures
How much - # of participants in the program
How well - #/% of participants who stay in the program for the prescribed # of months Better off - #/% of adults without GEDs in the T-2-4 program will obtain GEDs (Target: 10% of Zone residents without GEDS will receive their GED by 2017)
Better off - #/% College-direct rates at Rogers High School (Target: increase of 20% by 2020)
Better off - #/% of students persisting toward a T-2-4 degree (Target 20% increase by 2020)
GOAL: Job Creation
Result: Create new living-wage jobs and prepare a skilled workforce from the THEZONE Project neighborhoods to fill them
Indicators:
- #/% of households in THEZONE Project neighborhoods with incomes above 200% of poverty
Program/Strategy
Policy Implementation for favorable hiring practices
Performance Measures
Better off - #/% jobs available in the Zone (Target 15% increase 12/2019)
Better off - #/% of refugees employed in the Zone (Target 10% increase by 12/2018)
Program/Strategy
Youth Job Program
Performance Measures
How much - # of Schools and students in the Youth Job Program
How well - #/% of the students who stay in the program for the prescribed # of months
Better off - #/% Graduation rates for youth participating in the program. (Target: 15% increase by 2018)
Program/Strategy
Workforce development resources in the neighborhood
Performance Measures
How much - # of current Zone residents enrolled in CCS programs (Target 10% increase by 2018)
How well - #/% of current Zone residents enrolled in the CCS programs that stay in the program for the prescribed # of months
How much - # of Zone residents enrolled in INAGC Apprenticeship (Target 10% increase by 2018)
How well - #/% of Zone residents reporting customer satisfaction
Better off - #/% of Zone residents successfully completing the INAGC Apprenticeship (Target 10 % increase by 2018)
How much - # of neighborhood-based work force development services and supports
Better off - #/% of neighborhood-based work force development services and supports
How much - # of employers offering internships and work study opportunities in The Zone (Target 10% increase)
How well - #/% of students remaining in the internship program for the prescribed time
Better off - #/% of number of students placed in internships and work study opportunities in The Zone. (Target 10% increase)
Program/Strategy
Financial asset-building
Performance Measures
How much - # of economic literacy and financial asset building services for the
general populations in The Zone (Target 15% increase)
How much - # of economic literacy and financial asset building services for
immigrants and veterans in The Zone. (Target 20% increase)
Goal: Economic Development
Result: Transform The Zone into a sought-after place to bring and place businesses, developments, and economic activity
Indicators:
- # of businesses in The Zone
- # of small businesses in The Zone
- # of jobs in The Zone
Program/Strategy
The YARD financing strategy/infrastructure
Performance Measures
How much - # of new infrastructure projects completed in the Zone that will be attractive to a diverse business mix
Better off - Define and implement a comprehensive financing strategy for The Yard (Target by 12/31/2017)
Better off - # of new businesses/employers opening in The Zone
Program/Strategy
Entrepreneurship
Performance Measures
How much - # of small business boot camps in The Zone (Target at least one per year starting 2017)
How much - # of individuals participating in the small business boot camps
How well - #/% of participants of the small business boot camps that complete the program
Better off - # and $ of loans to Zone businesses (Target 20% increase by 2018)
How much - # of small business trainings to Zone businesses (Target 20% increase by 2018)
How much - # of consultations provided to Zone businesses by 2018 (Target 20% increase by 2018)
How much - # of entrepreneurial events each year in The Zone through Startup Spokane program beginning 2018. (Target 2 a year beginning in 2018)
Better off - # of small businesses locating in or expanding within the Zone (Target 15% increase by 2019)
Program/Strategy
Expand employers in The Zone
Performance Measures
Better off - Implement the City’s 5-year, $90 million plan of utility, roads, and other infrastructure
improvements in The Zone (Target: by 12/2022)
Better off - # of new jobs in the Zone developed through economic development activities that support recruiting new and retaining/expanding existing businesses in The Zone (Target 15% increase over 3 years)
Program/Strategy
Integrated approaches to hiring
Performance Measures
How much - #/% of available jobs in the Zone (Target 15% increase by 12/2018)
Better off - Build and launch corridor-based bus rapid transit service in The Zone (Target: by 1/2019)
Goal: Reduce Violent Crime
Result: Create a safer community for all Zone residents.
Indicators:
- # of violent crimes in the Zone
- # of property crimes in the Zone
Program/Strategy
Restorative Justice
Performance Measures
How much - # of alternatives to incarceration approaches launched
How much - # of non-violent crime offenders diverted from the judicial system into services that address the root causes of their crimes.
Better off - Implement Zone-specific alternatives to incarceration approach (e.g., Community Court or Mental Health Court) (Target: by 12/31/2017)
Program/Strategy
Neighborhood crime prevention
Performance Measures
Better off- #/% of hot spot crimes in The Zone (Target 15% reduction by 12/31/2018)
Better off - #/% of violent crime in The Zone (Target 15% reduction by 12/31/2018)
Better off - #/% of property crimes in the Zone (Target: 5% reduction by 12/31/2018)
Better off - #/% of disparities in police-citizen contacts in The Zone (Target: 20% reduction by 12/31/2018)
Program/Strategy
Expand police presence and trust
Performance Measures
How much - # of ZONE youth served by 3 Spokane Police Department youth programs (YPI, ROK, PAL). (Target Double the # of Youth served)
How well - #/% of the youth participants in the Spokane Police Department youth programs who stay in the program for the prescribed # of months
Better off - Reduce disproportionality of police-citizen engagement with residents of so their rate is no longer greater than that of white residents. (Target: Reduce disproportionality by 20% by 12/31/2018)
Program/Strategy
Neighborhood safety – Safe Homes Initiative
Performance Measures
How much - # of Zone residences provided Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) supports and services (Target: 15% of Zone residences)
How much - # of new volunteers engaged to support ongoing Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and CPTED activities (Target 40 new volunteers)
Goal: Housing
Result: Secure and sustain affordable, safe and quality housing for individuals and families in The Zone
Indicators:
- Long-term housing vacancy rate in the Zone
- Home ownership rate in the Zone
- Program/Strategy
- Rental assistance voucher pilot
Performance Measures
How much – # of households in the program
How well – #/% customer satisfaction rate
Better off - #/% rental voucher success rate among referral voucher recipients (Target: referral voucher recipients will exceed by 25% the overall voucher program success rate by the end of 2017)
Better off - The Zone’s mobility rate (Target: The Zone’s mobility rate will be in line with the district-wide average by 2020)
Program/Strategy
Project Restoration/Improve housing stock
Performance Measures
How much - $ of Single Family Rehabilitation funds expended in The Zone (Target: 15% increase by June 30, 2017)
Better off – Crimes reported in relationship to vacant home rehabilitation.
Better off – Property crime rate in The Zone (Target: 15% decrease by 2018)
Better off - Violent crime rate in The Zone (Target 15% decrease by 2018)
Better off - #/% Vacant houses in The Zone (Target: 12% decrease (approximately 70 houses) by 2020)
How much - # of youth participants in Project Restoration
How well - #/% of the youth participants in Project Restoration who stay in the program for the prescribed # of months
Better off - #/% of youth in Project Restoration who improve their academic achievement
Better off - #/% of youth in Project Restoration who graduate from high school on time
Program/Strategy
Rental quality and safety
Performance Measures
How much - # of renters & number of renters evicted
Better off - Crime rate in the Zone
Better off - Property crimes in The Zone (Target: 15% decrease by 2018)
Better off – #/% of residents spending more time outdoors and walking in their neighborhoods.
Better off - Property values (Target: will increase by 2020)
Program/Strategy
Expand availability of affordable, quality housing stock
Performance Measures
Better off - Student mobility rate (Target: The Zone’s student mobility rate will be in line with the district-wide average by 2020)
Better off - Home ownership rate in The Zone (Target 5% increase in The Zone by 2020)
Goal: Health
Result: Increase the health and life expediencies of the THEZONE Project residents.
Indicators:
- Life expectancy of residents of THEZONE Project compared to the life expectancy of the residents in Spokane.
Program/Strategy
Trauma-informed community
Performance Measures
How much – # of implementation partners and community partners trained in trauma-informed practices (Target: train 240 partners)
How much - # of parents trained in trauma-informed parenting practices (Target: train 240 parents)
How well - #/% of parents who stay in the program for the prescribed # of sessions
Better off - Establish and implement trauma-informed policies in schools (Target: Implementation by at least one Zone school)
Program/Strategy
Decrease food insecurity
Performance Measures
Better off - the # and/or frequency of healthy food distribution options in The Zone (Target increase by 25% by 12/31/2018)
Better off - # of new locations to implement neighborhood farming options. (Target: 3 new locations by 2017)
Better off - #/% of Zone Schools implementing healthy scratch cooking policies and practices (Target: all schools by 12/2018)
Better off - Create and implement a community policy to reduce food insecurity in The Zone (Target by 2017)
Program/Strategy
Community Health Worker model/service navigation
Performance Measures
How much - # of CHWs
How much - # of Zone residents provided CHW care coordination and community supports
How much - # of Zone refugee families provided customized CHW care coordination and community supports
How well - %/# of residents reporting high quality CHW care coordination
Better off – #/% of Zone residents reporting improved health and social supports
Better off - #/% of Zone refugee families reporting receiving culturally appropriate wrap-around social and health services
How much - # of Zone residents receiving housing vouchers by a CHW Housing Coach
How Well - # of trained CHW Housing coaches
Better off - #/% of housing defaults by Zone residents with referral housing
vouchers supported by a Community Health Worker Housing Coach
Program/Strategy
Behavioral Health
Performance Measures
How much - # of Mental health and chemical dependency psychoeducation services in the Zone (Target 15% increase in the Zone by 12/31/2017)
How much - # of partners trained in Mental Health First Aid (Target 200 by 6/30/2017)
How much - # of CHWs deployed to support care integration and care coordination for residents with multiple, complex health, mental health, substance abuse treatment, and social service needs (Target 5 FTE by 12/31/2017)
How much - New offices created to accommodate Children’s Home Society behavioral health counseling expansion (Target 4 new offices by 8/31/2016).
Over time TZP will empower its residents with the resources, tools, skills, and network to build a community of opportunity with regard to education, jobs, economy, safety, housing, and health to support a fundamental shift from intergenerational poverty to intergenerational prosperity. Activities center on the themes of resilience, resource navigation, restorative practice, and racial equity to achieve short-term wins that pour the foundation for longer, more sweeping innovations and outcomes throughout the 10-year plan. Integrated activities build the quality of the cradle to career continuum beginning with early childhood, implement restorative discipline and justice strategies, transform abandoned properties into homes, decrease food insecurity, address behavioral health needs, develop a workforce prepared to fill ample living-wage jobs, and attract public-private investments.
10 comments
Join the conversation:
CommentCharlotte Stites