This document presents a theory of change model for an alternative high school network called The Miracle Center. It was created to help high school dropouts successfully pursue higher education or employment. The model is based on the assumptions that youth in high-risk, high-poverty areas are more likely to engage in risky behaviors and need comprehensive programs to build skills. The alternative school network aims to provide core education, concentration areas, leadership skills, and job readiness to help youth engage in successful careers. A list of interventions are included to ensure pre-conditions of the model are met to achieve the program goal of higher education or employment success for dropouts. Indicators and thresholds are identified to measure outcomes of the program.

1. !
The Miracle Center
Alternative High School Model
Based on a Theory of Change Framework
!
Karla Moon, MSM
All Synergistic Solutions, Inc.
!
1

2. !
Narrative
!
!
The
need
for
TMC
to
develop
a
Alternative
High
School
Network
was
based
on
the
following
assumptions,
which
can
be
sustained
using
IYS
data:
!
Youth
living
in
high-­‐risk
areas
under
high-­‐poverty
conditions
are
most
likely
to
engage
in
high-­‐risk
behaviors
such
as
drug
use,
violence,
and
criminal
activity
while
dropping
out
of
school.
Youth
who
have
engaged
in
high-­‐risk
behaviors
need
exposure
to
culturally
sensitive
comprehensive
programs
that
offer
educational
advancement,
job
readiness,
leadership
development,
resiliency
skill
building,
and
accessible
child
care
in
order
to
lead
successful
careers
and
futures.
To
end
the
cycle
of
poverty,
violence,
and
drug
use
in
communities
of
color,
youth
must
focus
on
education.
For
high
school
drop
outs,
exposure
to
an
alternative
high
school
model
in
which
youth
develop
quality
academic
and
job
readiness
skills
while
learning
coping
skills,
team
building
skills,
and
leadership
skills
via
the
arts
will
ultimately
enable
their
future
academic
success.
!
TMC’s
Alternative
High
School
Network
is
based
on
the
need
to
help
high
school
drop-­‐outs
successfully
pursue
higher
education
or
employment
opportunities.
TMC
believes
that
in
order
for
high
school
drop-­‐outs
to
engage
in
a
fruitful
and
successful
future
through
higher
education
and
employment,
they
must
receive
knowledge
in
core
educational
components,
they
must
develop
skills
in
specific
concentration
areas,
they
must
build
leadership,
team-­‐building,
and
resiliency
skills,
and
they
must
develop
job
readiness
skills.
For
this
reason,
TMC
has
developed
a
comprehensive
model
that
provides
youth
with
all
the
areas
specified
above
while
providing
them
with
childcare
and
transportation
assistance.
!
The
model
presented
below
has
been
developed
using
a
Theory
of
Change
Framework
that
focuses
on
maximizing
TMC’s
social
impact.
The
program
goal
has
been
placed
on
the
top
of
the
model,
however
this
is
a
bottom
up
model,
which
means
that
the
relationships
between
outcomes
and
intermediate
outcomes
have
been
marked
by
a
solid
arrow
in
a
bottom-­‐up
approach.
This
means
that
in
order
to
fulfill
the
program
goal,
many
pre-­‐conditions
(in
the
bottom)
must
take
place.
If
the
pre-­‐conditions
(broken
arrows)
are
not
met,
the
program
goal
will
not
be
met.
!
Furthermore,
in
order
to
ensure
that
all
pre-­‐conditions
are
met,
it
was
necessary
to
develop
interventions
in
each
step.
!
!
!2

3. Interventions
!
!
!
Interventions
listed
below
are
illustrated
in
the
model
by
numbers,
thus
in
order
to
accomplish
a
pre-­‐condition,
the
identified
intervention
must
be
met.
!
1. Media
Marketing
for
community
at-­‐large
and
partners
2. Strong
partner
referral
process
!
3. Strong
internal
information
and
intake
process
identifying
youth’s
individual
needs
!
4. Strong
Enrollment
Process
and
Data
Management
System
!
5. Strong
eligibility
and
placement
procedure
for
childcare
and
transportation
!
6. Curriculum
for
Core
Educational
Components
that
is
based
on
Standard
National
Education
Measures
!
7. Concentration
areas
defined
with
a
certification
component
for
accreditation
8. Extra-­‐curricular
activity
offerings
!
9. Service
Learning
Standards
!
10.
Curriculum
for
YEP
based
on
evidence-­‐based
standards
!
11.
Standards
for
YEP
project
12.
Standards
for
Internship
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!3

4.
TMC Alternative H.S Model
!
!4

5. !
!
Indicators
!
!
!
Outcome
1:
Successful
higher
education
pursuit
or
employment
for
High
School
Drop-­‐outs.
!
!
Outcome
2:
Receive
core
educational
components
!
Outcome
2:
Receive
core
educational
components
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Indicator Higher
Education
Enrollment
or
Employment
Population
Program
Graduates
Threshold
Attended
Higher
Education
for
at
least
one
semester
or
remained
employed
for
at
least
three
months
Indicator Graduation
Rates
Population
Program
Graduate
Threshold
Participant
received
a
certificate
of
completion
and
GED
from
program
Indicator Test
Scores
and
Academic
Grades
Population
Program
Participant
Threshold
Participant
received
a
passing
grade
on
program
tests
and
academic
grades
!5

6. !
!
Outcome
3:
Drop-­‐outs
Build
leadership,
team-­‐building,
and
resiliency
skills
!
!
Outcome
3:
Drop-­‐outs
Build
leadership,
team-­‐building,
and
resiliency
skills
!
!
Outcome
4:
Job
Readiness
!
!
Outcome
4:
Job
Readiness
!
!
Indicator Service
Learning
Project
Grades
Population
Program
Participant
Threshold
Participant
implements
a
service
learning
project
following
specific
standards
in
which
a
passing
grade
is
received
Indicator Extra-­‐Curricular
Activity
Attendance
Population
Program
Participant
Threshold
Participant
attends
80%
of
the
program,
to
constitute
daily
average
attendance
of
4
out
of
5
days
of
programming
Indicator YEP
Grades
Population
Program
Participant
Threshold
Participant
receives
a
passing
grade
for
each
knowledge
base
concept
in
YEP
program
Indicator YEP
Projects
Population
Program
Participant
Threshold
Participant
receives
a
passing
grade
on
the
design
and
implementation
of
YEP
project
!6