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Review of Education Services in Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities

NCJ Number
175443
Date Published
1998
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Interviews, a literature review, and a mail survey of juvenile residential education (JRE) programs in Florida found that most young people entered JRE programs performing below their grade level in reading and math but improved by at least one grade level during their stay.
Abstract
While some students made dramatic gains of 3 years of more, most young people remained below their age-appropriate grade level upon release. About 83 percent of teachers in JRE programs were certified. Most JRE programs offered a range of basic subjects and met corrections standards for student/teacher ratios. At more than 25 percent of facilities, however, the number of days instruction was not available due to summer vacation and other breaks constituted a problem. The success of JRE programs was not determined by whether school districts provided education services directly or hired contractors. Further, school districts were responsible for education services in residential facilities but were not held accountable for their performance. Because many young people will not return to school after release from residential facilities, it is recommended that education programs increase access to vocational education and General Education Diplomas and that more Exceptional Student Education teachers be hired. Appendixes contain additional information on effective juvenile justice education practices, math and reading gains due to JRE programs, and survey methods. 7 exhibits