Curriculum in Juvenile Corrections - College of Education

University of Florida Project LIBERATEMary Anne Steinberg &Erica JacobsUniversity of Florida

Opening Activity Think of 1 word and 1 word only to describe thecurriculum that is currently being used at your facility. Share your word with the group. If your word is shared before you are called upon, youmust come up with a new word to describe the curriculumat your site. What do you notice about the words that were used todescribe curriculums in juvenile facilities?University of Florida Project LIBERATE

Curriculum defined 1935 Caswell & Campbell defined curriculum as: “The experiences students have under the guidance ofteachers” 1974 Saylor and Alexander defined curriculum as: “All the learning opportunities that are provided to thestudent from the school” 1982 Oliva defined curriculum as: “Was a plan or program of all the experiences that a studentwould encounter while under the direction of the school”University of Florida Project LIBERATE

Curriculum defined 2009 Burroughs and Smagorinsky definedcurriuculum as: “The ‘what’ of instruction” The learning expectations of teachers and otherstakeholders outlined in the requirements of statestandards, scope and sequence outlines, and lessonplansUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

Curricular Issues in:Juvenile Corrections Student diversity in academic functioning level A Criminological Perspective vs. Principles of PositiveCriminology Morrison and Epps (2002) stated: “Youth in JC are the most educationallydisadvantaged in our society.” ( p. 218) Krezmien & Mulcahy, 2008;Morrison and Epps ,2002University of Florida Project LIBERATE

There are several reasons why curriculum inJC needs to be explored. Youth in JC are functioning below the means on allmeasures of achievement Baltodano, Harris & Rutherford, 2005 Standards for core content may not be addressed inclassrooms where students are working at multiple levelsand working out of workbooks Leone & Cutting, 2004 Students who are special education continue to sufferacademically because they lack access to general educationcurriculum O’Rourke & Gordon, 2003University of Florida Project LIBERATE

Why continued… It can be the last opportunity that some students willever have to receive academic and vocationaleducation We need to provide them with: Research based materials Professional development to support curriculum Resources to support curriculumUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

What curriculum can provide… By moving toward the principles of positive criminologywe can provide juveniles with educational opportunities,especially those that go beyond walls of facility and allowstudents to adopt legitimate roles in society and help withrehabilitation . Empey & Stafford, 1999 Since the overall purpose of correctional education is toengage youth with positive educational experiences andprepare them for successful reentry to their schools andcommunities ; we must find ways to increase the academicfunctioning of these students while they are in our care. Leone, Krezmien, Mason & Meisle, 2005University of Florida Project LIBERATE

And as if that wasn’t reasonenough… By improving their academic functioning we may alsobe able to lower the recidivism rates for these students Shelley‐Treblay, O’Brien, & Langinrichsen‐Rohling, 2007University of Florida Project LIBERATE

NCLB, IDEA & Florida StatutesUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

No Child Left Behind One goal of NCLB (1401.a.1 ) is to ensure that : improvements are made to the educational servicesfor students in local and state juvenile corrections, so that they are being given the opportunity tointeract and engage with the state academiccontent standards so that they may continue toachieve the same educational goals as their nonincarceratedpeers. Access to this core curriculum is important if studentsare to be able to show adequate yearly progress asmandated by NCLBUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

IDEA IDEA is another document that has a tremendous impacton the curricular decisions made concerning students withdisabilities. IDEA (2006, 34 C.F.R.71 Sec. 300.110) says the state mustensure that public agencies (including JC) take steps toensure children with disabilities have available thevariety of educational programs and services availableto nondisabled children in the area.This includes art, music, industrial arts, consumer andhomemaking education, and vocational education, as well as thecore content areas of reading, writing, mathematics, social studiesand science.University of Florida Project LIBERATE

Florida State Statutes Students are required to work with core curriculumcontent for language arts, science, math, and socialstudies (09 FL Stat 1003.41(1)) Additionally, students in JC must have access tovocational and career education programs (09 FLStat 1003.52 & Stat 1003.01(4); NCLB 1421.1) District school boards in Florida must also provideadequate instructional materials for all students,including those in JC (FL Stat 1006.28)University of Florida Project LIBERATE

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Barriers and Facilitators of ProvidingStudents in JC with Quality Education Purpose of the study: The authors of this article complied a list of barriers andfacilitators to providing youth in DJJ a quality education9 themes emerged: personnel concerns, academics, studentconcerns, discipline, materials and supplies, parentalinvolvement, funding, communication & facilities Method: 78 teachers form 3 facilities in the south completed the survey2009, Houchins, Puckett‐Patterson, Crosby, Shippen & JolivetteUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

Results Academics: expectations of state and facility not meeting needs ofstudents outside problems interfering with class work lack of student access to extracurricular activities heterogeneity of class a negative effect on reachingacademic goalsUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

Results continued… Materials & Supplies: poor facilities and supplies a barrier needed more academic material in general Funding: to purchase materials and supplies upgrade libraries new technology hire more staffUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

Characteristics & Approaches toCurriculum Purpose of Study: To investigate school‐level curriculumpolicies and practices in JC schools; Current study investigated(a) What are the principal, school and student characteristics?(b) How do student characteristics relate to length of enrollment?(c) What are the primary responsibilities of the school?(d) What are the curricular policies, practices, andphilosophies and how do they compare across schoolcharacteristics? Method:Survey of 131 principals from a national databaseIn 2009, Gagnon, Barber, VanLoan, and LeoneUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

Results: Primary emphasis Helping students get a high school diploma Helping students get a GED diploma Other primary emphasis Remediation College preparation Help students with individual needs Transition to public school Treatment CitizenshipUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

Results continued… Curriculum and supports aligned with state assessments toa great extent: SEA or LEA curriculum…………………………………………………68.2% Math aligned with state standards…………………………………73.6% Reading aligned with state standards…………………………….74.4% Instruct materials aligned with state standards…………….68.5% Supervised to ensure alignment with curriculum and stateassess……………………………………………………………………………..61.5% Professional development offered to ensure alignment….61.5%NOTE: 54.5% of administrators felt grade level expectationsshould not apply to every student with emotional behavioraldisorders or learning disabilitiesUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

State‐Level Curricular Practices for ExclusionarySchool Settings Purpose of study: To investigate:1. What is the basis of the curriculum?,2. What were the respondents view of the curriculum?,3. What was the respondents view of students takingstate level assess?,4. What are the state level assessment and accountabilitypolicies? Method: A national survey of LEA directors of specialeducation, and administrators of JC and DTR schools 2010, GagnonUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

Results on Curriculum Questions Juvenile Corrections schools reported: Reported that curriculum was based on SEA or LEAapproved curriculum……………………………………………….56%10.42% LEA did not have policy Use SEA curriculum………………………………………………..25% Use LEA curriculum……………………………………………..31.25% Schools develops own curriculum ………………………16.66% IEP used to determine curriculum……………………….10.42%University of Florida Project LIBERATE

Results Continued 89.13% (n=41) reported that helping students earn a high school diploma wasthe most important thing they did; earning GED was the next priority 66.67%(n=30) Priority for special education students in juvenile correctionsHigh school diploma Most important= 89.13% n=41 Important= 2.17% n=1 Least important= 8.70% n=4GED Most important= 6.67% n=3 Important= 66.67% n= 30 Least important= 26.66% n=12Vocational Education Most important= 11.63% n=5 Important= 34.88% n=15 Least important= 53.49% n=23University of Florida Project LIBERATE

Results Continued Gagnon (2008) 37% of schools create school based or individualstudent curriculum vs. district curriculum The problem with using a school developed or individualcurriculum is that:It may not prepare students to pass state level assess and cause lackof AYP, By using IEPs to decide student curriculum you may be inhibitingthe student’s access to general education curriculum What remains to be discovered is how or when functionalalternatives should be used with older students or students whohave few to no high school credits when they exit the juvenilecorrections facility…University of Florida Project LIBERATE

Of a North Florida Juvenile Justice FacilityUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

A Case Study of a North FloridaFacilityQualitative case study design was selected because: It facilitates exploration of a phenomenon within itscontext using a variety of data sources. This ensures thatthe issue is not explored through one lens, but rather avariety of lenses which allows for multiple facets of thephenomenon to be revealed and understood” Baxter & Jack, 2008, p. 544University of Florida Project LIBERATE

Our Research ProcessDocument Review• Student &FacultyHandbooks• EducationalQualityAssuranceStandards forResidentialJuvenile JusticePrograms• LEA DocumentsSurveys• Teachers• Administrator• ParaprofessionalsInterviews• Teachers• Administrators• Paraprofessionals• Youth CareWorkers• GuidanceCounselor• StudentsUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

Document Review Student & Faculty Handbooks: Teacher: lesson plans, curricular guides, screening & assessment,feedback on student performance Students: educational options if student already had a GED Educational Quality Assurance Standards for ResidentialJuvenile Justice Programs Options for GED, guidance counselor, educational options, meetingstate standards, vocational standards, curricular options LEA Documents Curriculum guides to meet SSS, course listings, student feedbackUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

Survey Teacher: “How often do you develop a school curriculum or part of it?”Of the 3 teachers who responded: 1 said “monthly”, 1 said less than“once per year”, and the third said “never” “Concerning the feedback and evaluations you have receivedat this school, to what extent have they directly led to orinvolved changes to your understanding of your main subjectfield?”2 teachers responded that this was “considered with highimportance,” while the 3 rd teacher stated it was “considered withmoderate importance”University of Florida Project LIBERATE

Teacher Survey Continued Thinking of your professional development needs doyou need professional development in:Content and performance standards in my subject area 2 teachers responded that this was a “high level of need” andthe other teacher stated this was a “moderate level of need”Knowledge and understanding of my subject area” 1 teacher stated this was a “high level of need”, the secondteacher responded this was, “ a moderate level of need”, andthe third teacher felt this was a “low level of need”University of Florida Project LIBERATE

Survey Administrator: “How frequently do you do you ensure that there isclarity concerning the responsibility for coordinatingcurriculum”Our administrator responded, “very often” “How important is teacher knowledge andunderstanding of instructional practices in their subjectarea?”The response was, “Considered with high importance”University of Florida Project LIBERATE

Interviews Teacher “Describe the curriculum you use.”“I have no textbooks, I try to follow the LEA curriculum and make adaptationsand modifications to it. I teach basic reading skills”“I don’t have full texts or even a teacher’s edition, I pull information from theinternet…” “How appropriate is it for the students you teach?”“I use EdHelper, it allows for flexibility.”“My son is in high school now so I ‘borrow’ a lot from his school and teachers” “How does it incorporate the Sunshine State Standards?”“I use them, I teach them”“I follow the plans from other teachers in the district” “How does it provide access for special education students?”“It doesn’t”“I don’t know what the Access Points are…”University of Florida Project LIBERATE

Interviews Continued Administrator “In what ways do you ensure that teachers are adheringto state, district and facility standards?”“We do walk throughs on a weekly basis, formal evaluations,distric level staff come out and do teacher observations” “How does your facility participate in accountability andmeeting AYP?”“We do not measure AYP (not true AYP) we set goals forstudents like reading at a certain percent, but we don’t getgrades like other schools”University of Florida Project LIBERATE

Case Study Conclusions Coming soon… What are your thoughts?University of Florida Project LIBERATE

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Contact Information Mary Anne Steinberg University of Florida manabet@ufl.edu Erica Jacobs University of Florida tiftay@ufl.edu For additional information, and to download a copy of thispresentation, please visit:http://coe.ufl.edu/Projects/liberateUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

References Baltodano, H. M., Harris, P. J. & Rutherford, R. B. (2005) Academic achievement injuvenile corrections: Examining the impact of age, ethnicity, and disability. Educationand Treatment of Children, 28, 361‐379. Burroughs, R. & Smagorinsky, P. (2009) The secondary English curriculum andadolescent literacy. In L. Christenbury, R. Bomer & P. Smagorinsky (Ed.) Handbook ofadolescent literacy research (pp. 170‐182). New York, NY; The Guilford Press. Common Core Standards Initiative (2010) The Standards English Language Arts andMathematics. Retrieved July 4, 2010. From Common Core Standards Web site:http://www.corestandards.org/the‐standards/langugae‐arts‐standards. Florida department of Education (2010) Curriculum Frameworks. Retrieved July 4, 2010.From Florida Department of Education Web site: http://fldoe.org/workforce/dwdframe/. Foley, R. M. (2001) Academic characteristics of incarcerated youth and correctionaleducation programs. Journal of Emotional & Behavioral Disorders, 9, Gagnon, J. C. (2010). State‐Level curricular, assessment, and accountability policies,practices, and philosophies for exclusionary school settings. The Journal of SpecialEducation, 43, 206‐219. Gagnon, J.C., Barber, B. R., Van Loan, C. & Leone, P. E. (2009) Juvenile correctionalschools: Characteristics and approaches to curriculum. Education and Treatment ofChildren, 32, 673‐696.University of Florida Project LIBERATE

References Houchins, D. E., Puckett‐Patterson, D. S., Crosby, S., Shippen, M. E., & Jolivette, K.(2009). Barriers and facilitators to providing incarcerated youth with a quality education.Preventing School Failure, 53, 159‐166. IRA/NCTE (2010) IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts. Retrieved July 4,2010, from the National Council of Teachers of English Web site:http://www.ncte.org/standards Jackson, P. W. (1992) Conceptions of curriculum and curriculum specialists. In P.W.Jackson (Ed.) Handbook of research on curriculum (pp. 3‐40). New York, NY: MacmillianPublishing Company.Krezmien, M. P., & Mulcahy, C. A. (2008). Literacy and delinquency: Current status ofreading interventions with detained and incarcerated youth. Reading & WritingQuarterly, 24, 219‐238. Krezmien, M. P., Mulcahy, C. A., & Leone, P. E., (2008) Detained and committed youth :Examining differences in achievement, mental health needs and special education status.Education and Ttreatment of Children, 31, 445‐464.Leone, P. E., & Cutting, C. A. (2004) Appropriate education, juvenile corrections, and NoChild Left Behind. Behavioral Disorders, 29, 260‐265.Leone, P. E., Krezmien, M., Mason, l., & Meisle, S. M., (2005) Organizing and deliveringempirically based literacy instruction to incarcerated youth. ExceptionaliltyUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE

ReferencesMalmgren, K. W. & Leone, P. E. (2000). Effects of a short‐term auxiliary reading programon the reading skills of incarcerated youth. Education and Treatment of Children, 23, 239‐247.Morrison, H. R. & Epps, B. D. (2002) Warehousing or rehabilitation? Public schooling inthe juvenile justice system. Journal of Negro Education, 71, 218‐232.National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (2009) Principles and standards for schoolmathematics: An overview. Retrieved from The National Council of Teachers ofMathematics Web site: http://standards.nctm.org/documents/chapter7/index.htmPlatt, J. S., Casey, R. E., & Faessel,R. T. (2006) The need for a paradigmatic change injuvenile correctional education. Preventing School Failures, 51, 31‐38.Shelley‐Tremblay, J., O’Brien, N. O., & Langinrichsen‐Rohling, J. (2007) Readingdisability in adjudicated youth: Prevalence rates, current models, traditional andinnovative treatments. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 12, 376‐392. United States Census Bureau News (2010). Facts and Features Back to School: 2010‐2011.Retrieved July 5, 2010, from U.S. Census News Web site:http://ww.census.gov/newsroom/releases/pdf/cb1Off‐14_school.pdfUniversity of Florida Project LIBERATE