In this issue of Forum Focus, we focus on what researchers and policy makers are doing to help governments take stock of their efforts to make sure that every young person is "Ready by 21"--ready for work, ready for college, ready for life. "Research Update" reviews efforts to establish a coherent set of youth development…

States and communities across the country recognize that creating a shared set of desired outcomes for young people provides the opportunity to take stock in how well children and teens are doing on national and local levels. While some of this data is available across time and states, much of it focuses on the negative indicators (e.g., teen…