[USA & Canada] Sinclair, R. (2011). “To evaluate literacy and numeracy programs offered to Indigenous and disadvantaged youths in juvenile detention centres – USA and Canada”.

1 | R a e S i n c l a i r C h u r c h i l l F e l l o w s h i p R e p o r t 2 0 1 1

THE WINSTON CHURCHILL MEMORIAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA

Report by Rae SinclairBEd (Prim & Mid) MEd PG Cert SpEd (LD)

PG Cert TESL Dip Rad (Diag) Cert IV TAA, MIR MACE

2011 Churchill Fellow

To evaluate literacy and numeracy programs offered to Indigenous and

disadvantaged youth in juvenile detention centres – U.S.A. and Canada.

Contact Details:Youth Education Centre,1 Jonal Drive Cavan SAPh 82606433Email: [email protected]

STATEMENT ON LEGAL RISK AND COPYRIGHT

I understand that the Churchill trust may publish this Report, either in hard copy or on the internetor both, and consent to such publication.

I indemnify the Churchill Trust against any loss, costs or damages it may suffer arising out of anyclaim or proceedings made against the Trust in respect of or arising out of the publication of anyReport submitted to the Trust which the Trust places on a website for access over the internet.

I also warrant that my Final Report is original and does not infringe the copyright of any person, orcontain anything which is, or the incorporation of which into the Final Report is, actionable fordefamation, a breach of privacy law or obligation, breach of confidence, contempt of court, passing-off or contravention of any other private right or of any law.

Signed: _____________________________________ Dated: _______________________


Evaluation of the Literacy and Numeracy Programs for Youth in Detention Contents

Contents

ContentsAcknowledgements ....................................................................................................4Executive Summary......................................................................................................5Dissemination / Implementation..................................................................................6Program ..................................................................................................................... ...6Biographic Information................................................................................................7Background to Project.................................................................................................8

Recidivism...........................................................................................................8

Language and Literacy Acquisition.....................................................................8

Characteristics of Youth in Juvenile Justice Settings .......................................10

Other Factors Affecting Delivery of Educational Services.................................11

Educational Services in South Australia............................................................12

Educational Approaches Underpinning Literacy and Numeracy RemediationsSocial Emotional Learning.................................................................................13

Five Pillars of SEL ............................................................................................13

Positive Behavioural Interventions & Supports ................................................15

PBIS Framework...............................................................................................15

Considerations for Implementing PBIS into a Juvenile Justice setting.............17

Behaviour Programs (other)..............................................................................17

Examples of Incentives.....................................................................................18

Encouraging Family Involvement with the School............................................19

A Family Guide to Getting Involved with Correctional Education .....................20

Identifying Best Practice ...........................................................................................21Literacy..........................................................................................................................21

Assessment in Reading Programs ..............................................................................21

Reading Problems .......................................................................................................21

Group 1: Severe Reading Disabilities..........................................................................22

Group Two: Struggling Readers.............................................................. ...................22

Group Three: Non-Fluent readers................................................................................23

Comprehension............................................................................................................23

Monitoring Comprehension..........................................................................................23

Metacognition Strategies..............................................................................................23

Effective Questioning...................................................................................................23

Levels of Questioning- Webb’s Depth of Knowledge...................................................24


Additional Recommendations ......................................................................................25

Summary.....................................................................................................................................26

Numeracy.......................................................................................................................27Assessment Recommendations NDTAC.............................................................27

Screening Assessment.......................................... … ..................................................28

Diagnostic Testing…......................................................................................................28

Curriculum Based Assessment ….................................................................................28

Curriculum Based Measure ….......................................................................................28

Early Numeracy Skills....................................................................................................28

Dyscalculia.................................................................................................................. ...28

Common Indicators- Dyscalculia....................................................................................29

Other Considerations: Cultural Awareness....................................................................30

Numeracy Instruction.....................................................................................................30

Instructional Recommendations for Numeracy Instruction: NDTAC..............................31

Subtraction: Considerations for Learning Disabled Students........................................32

Subtraction the Cavan way............................................................................................32

Staffing................................................................................................................... .......34Reading Specialists ...........................................................................................34

Paraprofessionals...............................................................................................35

Conclusions and Recommendations.........................................................................36Literacy Best Practice..................................................................................................37Numeracy Best Practice..............................................................................................38References....................................................................................................................40

Appendices ..................................................................................................................451. Guiding Questions .................................................................................................452. San Francisco: Queen’s Bench.............................................................................463. PACE Center for Girls Jacksonville Fl..................................................................474. William E. Hay Centre Ottawa................................................................................485. Stadium View Comprehensive Detention School Minneapolis..........................496. Lancaster County Youth Services, Pathfinder Education Program, Lincoln...507. Maya Angelou See Forever Foundation Charter School Washington DC........538. Passages academy, New York City.......................................................................579. Judge J. Connelly Youth Center Boston .............................................................5910. Frazer Park Secondary Detention School Vancouver........................................6011. Victoria Youth Custody Centre Vancouver Island.............................................61ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


I would like to extend my thanks to the many people who made this fellowship possible. Firstly, theChurchill Memorial Trust of Australia for the opportunities these fellowships afford. Secondly, myemployer, the S.A. Department for Education and Child Development and more specifically, the staffof the Youth Education Centre and the South Australian Youth Training Centres, my colleagues, whoremain committed to educating and caring for our state’s most disadvantaged students. I amextremely grateful to those of you who encouraged and supported me during this fellowship.

I would also like to extend a special note of thanks to my referees, Dr Rosie Kerin and my principalMs Gerri Walker, who not only supported my efforts but shared my delight when I gained thisfellowship. Both have been there since I began teaching. As a lecturer Rosie challenged me, as amentor she reassured me and as a friend she inspires me. Gerri likewise has both challenged andinspired me. She is a true advocate for the education of disadvantaged youth, and uses her passion,dedication and boundless energy to continue to help improve the lives of these young people. Shecontinues to set the bar very high for those of us wanting to work with disadvantaged students. Ithank you both for your kind words and support.

Whilst it is appropriate to acknowledge a number of individuals, I would initially like to extend mythanks to the students and staff members of the various schools and facilities, who graciouslyallowed me to disrupt lessons and took time out of their busy schedules to answer my manyquestions. Additionally, as many visits were to secure centres I would like to thank the host facilitiesfor allowing me such extensive access and therefore enabling this study.

Of special note are the following individuals whose hospitality, knowledge and professionalismmade significant contributions to my research: Ms Lynn Bertram, Executive Director Pace Center forGirls, Jacksonville Florida; Mr Gordon Boyd, Superintendent, William E .Hay Centre Ottawa; MsPatricia Bovan and Ms Nancy Walter , The Queen’s Bench San Francisco; Mr Larry Lucio, Principal,Stadium View Academy Minneapolis; Mr Randal Farmer, Principal, Pathfinder Education Program,Lancaster County Youth Services Lincoln Nebraska; Dr Marion White-Head, Director of Academics,Principal Carter, Principal Geddis, and Dr Kamal Wright-Cunningham, Lead Clinical Counsellor, The DrMaya Angelou Public Charter School & See Forever Foundation Washington D.C.; Mr Stephen Wilder,Principal, Passages Academies New York City Department of Education; Ms Christine Kenney,Director of Education Massachusetts Division of Youth Services; Mr Reno Ciolfi, Director ofInstruction Burnaby Board of Education; Mr Chris. Lekakis, Head Teacher, Fraser Park SecondaryProgram Burnaby Youth Custody Centre Vancouver Canada and Mr Blade Tickner, Director ofPrograms Victoria Youth Custody Services, Victoria BC Canada.

Finally, my family; my thanks to my husband Mark and sons Cameron and Haydn, who kept thehouse in order and successfully kept alive the pets and livestock during my absence; my mother- in-law Dorothy, for feeding and supervising them; and a big thank you to my daughter Bridie, whoaccompanied me, carried the bags, kept me amused and shared the experience. I would also like totake this opportunity to express my appreciation to them all for their unswerving support andpatience as I have pursued my studies over the last six years. This extraordinary experience wouldnever have happened without you...so thank you.

Rae Sinclair


Executive Summary

Rae Sinclair, Special Education Teacher,Youth Education Centre1 Jonal Dr Cavan 5094 SAPh: 82606433, Email: [email protected]

Project Description:Academic outcomes achieved during incarceration have an important impact on the achievements of youthafter their release and have been shown to reduce recidivism. Studies in the U.S.A. suggest that 37 percent ofyoung offenders were less likely to re-offend if they learnt to read during incarceration. Although evidenceindicates that those juveniles at greatest risk of reoffending have concomitantly the lowest literacy levels;literacy instruction and improvement has not yet been fully recognised as a significant contributor to reducingrecidivism. This project aims at identifying “Best Practice” for teaching literacy and numeracy remediations tostudents in detention.

Highlights:Undoubtedly, the highlight was the professionalism and dedication to improving the educational outcomes fordisadvantaged and marginalised students displayed by both leadership and staff at all the centres visited. I wastreated to extraordinary levels of hospitality and given great access to the students, staff and facilities. Ofparticular assistance were Mr Larry Lucio and his staff at the Stadium View Detention School in Minneapoliswhere amongst other meetings, I was afforded the opportunity to meet with the parents of severalincarcerated students. They spoke of the importance of parental involvement in detention schools andprovided me with an unexpected insight into a neglected area of our work. Likewise, Mr Randolph Farmer inLincoln Nebraska’s detention school and Mr Stephen Wilder in New York’s Passages Academy Detentionschools shared their wisdom and determination to improve the learning experience for incarcerated studentsalong with curriculum material that has already enhanced the learning experience of my students. The MayaAngelou Schools in Washington DC and the Pace Center for Girls in Jacksonville showed what disadvantagedyouth can achieve when provided with an appropriate support and the Canadian detention schools in Ottawa,Vancouver and Vancouver Island provided me with both resources and an overview of the possibilitiesavailable to incarcerated Indigenous youth. In Boston, Ms Christine Kenney provided insight into educationalreform for incarcerated students, while in San Francisco I was treated to an evening with the girls in JuvenileHall and an evening with the members of the Queen’s Bench; where artwork from a student at Cavan wasauctioned alongside the artwork of American senator Diane Feinstein to raise money for juvenile hallprograms. Finally, the opportunity to talk to and spend time with students struggling to find their place in theworld, and who despite their circumstances recognise the benefits of education, reaffirmed my determinationto work towards improving the service we provide to our students here.

Major Lessons and Conclusions:Adolescents in juvenile detention facilities have the most complex educational, behavioural, and mental healthneeds of any youth in our society. They are nearly 7 times more likely to have a disability, with 80 percenthaving one or more psychological disorders and 75 percent having behavioural disorders. Few have ageappropriate literacy and numeracy skills with many reading below grade 4 standard. Education is moreeffective if systems are in place to support student’s social and emotional needs and is delivered in anenvironment that systematically teaches positive behaviours.

As language underpins every conscious thought and all communication, poor language skills limit anindividual’s ability to think, understand and to communicate. Given the scope of defining best practice forstudents whose educational requirements range from K- 12, across two content areas; this summary providesbroad outlines for recommended practice. However, it is clear that these students need intensive, explicitsupport delivered by skilled instructors over an extended period of time, with student achievement primarilydetermined by the amount of instruction (time) and the content of that instruction. This is expensive.Acommitment to funding and resourcing is essential to the success of these interventions.


Dissemination/ Implementation:This report will passed onto the CEO of the SA Department of Education and Child Development, the Centremanager Cavan Training Centre and the principal of the Youth Education Centre Cavan/Magill. Teaching staffwill be able to access it and in- servicing will be offered regarding its findings. It will be offered for presentationat the next Australian Juvenile Justice Conference. Hopefully, there will in due course be some consideration ofthe possibilities of implementation and /or further investigation into some of these suggestions.

Programs and Centres Visited:

Date Program/Centre Type of Program Primary focus16-18Nov

San Francisco : QueensBench @ Juvenile JusticeCenter

1. Mentoring/ femalespecific

1. Female Judges and lawyersprovide mentoring programs forincarcerated girls.

21 Nov Jacksonville: Pace Center forGirls

Gender specificPreventative/diversionary for atrisk girls

Educational re-engagement, GED(yr12).Social –emotional supportLife skills

24 Nov Ottawa: William E. HayCentre

Juvenile Detentiongeneral education/Indigenous

General high school education/life skills plus Literacy andnumeracy.

30 Nov Minneapolis: Stadium ViewDetention School

Juvenile Detention Literacy/ numeracy, SocialEmotional support/ Familyinclusion program, high schoolcredits.

1 Dec Lincoln: Lancaster CountyYouth Services PathfindersAcademy

Juvenile Detention Literacy Numeracy High Schoolcredits.

3 Dec Washington D.C. MayaAngelou See ForeverAcademy Evans Campus

Alternative/preventative re-engagement

Social Emotional support,Positive Behaviour programsHigh school credits /tertiarypreparation.

7-8 Dec New York City: PassagesAcademy (3 sites)

Juvenile detention LiteracyHigh school credits.

14 Dec Boston: MassachusettsDivision of Youth Services

Juvenile Detention LiteracyHigh school credits.

16 Dec Vancouver: Frazer ParkSecure Secondary School

Juvenile Detention High school creditsNumeracy.

21 Dec Victoria Youth CustodyService (Vancouver Island)

Juvenile Detention High school Credits vocational/Indigenous.


Biographic information:

I am employed as the Special Education teacher at the Youth Education Centre (Cavan) withresponsibilities for literacy and numeracy remediation. Following a 30 year hiatus; during which timeI was a medical radiographer, radiography tutor, director of my own company and a school sciencelaboratory manager; I returned to teaching, retraining as a science teacher and graduated from theUniversity of South Australia’s graduate entry Bachelor of Education (Primary/Middle) program withthe University Award for the that program.

To better cater to the unique learning requirements of the student cohort at YEC, I undertook PostGraduate studies in Special Education (Learning Difficulties) at Macquarie University which focussedon Literacy and Numeracy remediations and Applied Behavioural Analysis. This was followed by aMaster of Education at Flinders University, and more recently a Post Graduate Certificate in TESL atFlinders University.

My fellowship took 6 weeks during which I travelled 33,000 kilometres, visited 15 states, 2 provincesand saw a range of facilities and programs including: preventative, gender specific, diversionary,secure and nonsecure care, high security, community and charter schools.

Note:

Whilst the aim of this paper is to evaluate literacy and numeracy programs it is difficult to divorce

these from broader school practices, given that academic progress occurs in tandem with

improvements in mental health and behaviour. I have therefore, tried to contextualise the successful

literacy and numeracy practices by providing insights into the successful frameworks used by many of

the centres.

Moreover, it is an inescapable truth that intensive literacy (and numeracy) remediation requires a

large investment of time and specialised staff- both of which are expensive. “Best practice” assumes

adequate funding.

Background


1. Recidivism:South Australia has Australia’s second highest incarceration rates for Indigenous youth at 528 per100,000 (Martin, 2007). Incarceration of juveniles is expensive and does not appear to provide asignificant disincentive from re-offending for Indigenous youth. In 2007, The Hon. Wayne Martin,Chief Justice of Western Australia, reported that the cost of dealing with the group of 250 youngpeople that had had the most contact with the W.A. juvenile justice system between the ages of 10and 17 was $100 million, or $400,000 per child. He concluded by saying “The rates of return tocustody show that even expenditure at these extraordinary levels is spectacularly unsuccessful indiscouraging young Aboriginal offenders from reoffending.”

During 2010, several research projects were undertaken by a number of Australian stategovernments to identify and determine best practice for psychological and criminogenic interventionprograms aimed at reducing juvenile offending/ recidivism. It was noted that some states have madesignificant reductions in recidivism by moving to a differentiated case management model andoffering the most intensive programs to those identified as having the highest needs (and greatestrisk of reoffending). Also, attempts were made to make programs more developmentallyappropriate as per Farrell (2001), who proposed that programs for juveniles aged 8-11 should focuson social competence, while those aimed at 12-18 year olds should address the development of pro-social peer groups, conflict resolution and work / job skills.

Whilst comprehensive investigations into improvements in service delivery are essential, to date thefocus primarily has been on criminogenic / psychological programs. The contribution of educationand vocational training to reducing recidivism has not been fully investigated with most reportssimply commenting that juveniles have access to school during incarceration. U.S. research hashowever, looked more closely at the impact of education and states:

“Academic outcomes achieved during incarceration have an important impact on theachievements of youth after their release and have been shown to reduce recidivism.”

Primarily this impact has been attributed to improvements in literacy and numeracy. Whilst it isobvious that learning to read is not a therapeutic intervention, it does appear to have a significantrole to play in reducing recidivism. The U.S. Criminal Justice Policy Council Study, 2002, concluded:

“37 percent of young prisoners were less likely to re-offend if they learnt to read duringincarceration”.

37 percent is a significant reduction and compares very favourably to the results of the criminogenicprograms assessed by The 2010 Center for Juvenile Justice Reform in the U.S.A report, whichconsidered program types achieving mean reductions in recidivism of 6 -13 percent to be effective.For example, recidivism was reduced by 6% in surveillance programs, 10% with restorative justiceprograms, 12% with skills building programs, 13% with counselling and a 12% reduction wasachieved with a multiple service approach. Discipline and deterrence programs actually increasedrecidivism with -8% and -2% respectively (Lipsey and Howell, 2010).

Whilst it is difficult to draw precise conclusions from the comparison of statistics taken fromdifferent studies, it is clear that efforts made to improve literacy (at 37%) have an important, if notyet fully recognised role to play, in the overall rehabilitation of young offenders.

2. Language and Literacy acquisition:


Juveniles at greatest risk of reoffending have concomitantly the lowest literacy levels. As “language”enables problem solving, understanding and the ability to express feelings, the effectiveness oftargeted therapeutic and educational programs is likely to increase when consideration is given tothe age, developmental needs and cognitive limitations of the students.

Language is the foundation for all conscious thought and all forms of communication. Poorlanguage skills therefore limit an individual’s ability to think, to understand and tocommunicate.

Many students with literacy acquisition problems also have language disorders. Literacy isdeveloped through listening, speaking, reading and writing, and can be compromised in studentswith language impairments. Deficits in both expressive and receptive language skills are common instudents with delayed literacy skills (Wagner, Kutash, Duchnowski, Epstein & Sumi, 2005), and willimpact on a student’s ability to listen, speak and understand language form, content and use.Typically, students with language disorders also find it difficult to retain information due to poorworking memories (Bloom & Lahey, 1978).

Listening: Students with receptive language difficulties, despite having normal hearing, havedifficulty understanding what is being said to them. They have problems with attending to andprocessing spoken language, comprehending spoken language and usually have a poor

understanding of grammatical rules and semantic word knowledge. Receptive language disorders

often appear in conjunction with an expressive language disorders (Bloom & Lahey, 1978).

Speaking: Students with expressive language difficulties, have problems with all aspects ofproducing spoken and written language. Typically they have poor semantic knowledge, difficultywith syntax in spoken and written sentences and difficulty with grammatical rules in spoken andwritten sentences. This is evidenced in their tendency to speak in short sentences that lack detailand/or their difficulty in finding a word they need to use, or recounting a story or narrative (Bloom &Lahey, 1978).

Language Forms, Content and Use: Students with language disorders struggle to identify andmanipulate the sounds of words and word parts, i.e. syllables, onset and rime due to their difficultywith language forms. They have a poor understanding of morphology and word structure, syntax,phonological awareness, rhyming and syllabication. They also struggle with knowledge of semantics,word knowledge and vocabulary. Additionally, they experience difficulties with pragmatics, i.e. thesocial aspects of language and the varied use of language in different social contexts. For example,while they are able to understand literal language where words do not stray from their meaning,they are challenged by figurative language, where words exaggerate or alter the usual meanings ofthe component words. Likewise these students struggle with social milieu, i.e. understanding thesocial context of writing (Bloom & Lahey, 1978).

Characteristics of youth in Juvenile Justice Setting


Whilst it is clear that academic outcomes achieved during detention have a positive impact on

student outcomes it is also clear that adolescents in juvenile detention facilities have the mostcomplex educational, behavioural, and mental health needs of any youth in our society (Gagnon &Richards, 2008).

Juvenile offenders typically experience a number of interrelated difficulties including histories ofabuse, neglect, violence, substance abuse and educational disabilities. They frequently displayinappropriate behaviours at school and in the community and suffer from a range of mental healthproblems. Consideration for, and an understanding of their very specific needs is necessary toadequately formulate the provision of services to them (Gagnon, Barber, Van Loan, & Leone, 2009).

Researchers in the U.S. estimate that up to 70 percent of juveniles in detention facilities havedisabilities as compared to 12 percent of the general school populations (Comstock-Galagan andBrownstein 2008). Of these, 47 percent have Emotional /Behavioural Disabilities (EBD), a rate 7times higher than those found in public schools (U.S. Department of Education 2005), and SpecificLearning Disabilities (LD) account for 38.6 percent of students with disabilities in detention.

While Gagnon, Barber, & Van Loan (2008) report almost 5 percent of youth with disabilities in U.S.facilities have an intellectual disability, Australian researchers undertaking the 2009 Young People inCustody Health Survey, found that 20 percent of Aboriginal and 7 percent of non- Aboriginal juvenileoffenders in Australia had intelligence (IQ) scores below 70 and as such would be consideredintellectually disabled (mild retardation). A further 39 percent of Aboriginal and 26 percent of non-Aboriginal juvenile offenders scored in the borderline range or intellectual ability (IQ 70-79). Whilstthe impact of cultural bias cannot be excluded completely, researchers were cognisant of thispossibility and attempted to minimise its influence on these results. These figures suggest thatjuvenile offenders in Australia are up to 7 times more likely than the general population (at 3percent), and more than 4 times more likely than their U.S. counterparts to have an intellectualdisability (Frize, Kenny & Lennings 2008).

Additionally, in 2009, 87 percent of young people in custody in NSW were found to have at least onepsychological disorder, and 73 percent were found to have two or more psychological disorders.Young women were significantly more likely than young men to have an attentional or behaviouraldisorder (82% v 68%), an anxiety disorder (54% v 28%), a mood disorder (56% v 19%) or two or morepsychological disorders (92% v 70%).

Aboriginal young people were more likely than non-Aboriginal young people to have an attention orbehavioural disorder (75% v 65%) or an alcohol or substance use disorder (69% v 58%), while 21percent of incarcerated youth reported symptoms of schizophrenia (NSW Department of JuvenileJustice, Disability Action Plan, 2004-2006). U.S. researchers further suggest that 11 percent of theirjuvenile offenders have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Teplin, Abram, Charles, Longworth,McClelland, & Dulcan 2004) stating that 90 percent had experienced a traumatic event such aswitnessing a death or serious injury (Teplin et al. 2002).

Of all the disabilities, youth with EBD are the most highly represented group in custody, frequentlypresenting with multiple issues including behavioural and academic problems, mental health issuesand histories of drug and alcohol abuse. Within the U.S.A. they are four times more likely to havebeen suspended or expelled from school (Wagner et al. 2005), with 58 percent performing belowgrade level in reading and 93 percent below grade level in maths (Greenbaum, Dedrick, Friedman,


Kutash, Brown, Lardieri, & Pugh, 1996). Students with EBD are consequently, 13.3 times more likelyto be arrested, with about 70 percent being arrested within three years of leaving school (Doren,Bullis, & Benz 1996, in U.S. Department of Education, 2005).

Student Cohort in Context: In a 60 bed detention centre with an assumed ratio of 5:1 male tofemale and a 50:50 ratio of Aboriginal to non-Aboriginal the cohort might look like this:

Type of Disability/ Disorder Number of students (60)

Psychiatric Disorder 52

2 or more Psychiatric Disorders 35 M 9 F

Attention / Behavioural Disorders 34 M 8 F

Anxiety Disorder 27 M 3 F

Mood Disorder 28 M 2 F

Schizophrenia 12

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 6

Drug or Alcohol Issues ABORIGINAL

20

NON-ABORIGINAL

17

Break down of DisabilitiesTotal Number with a disability 42 +

Specific Learning Disability 23

Intellectually Disabled ABORIGINAL

5

NON-ABORIGINAL

1

Borderline Intellectual Disability ABORIGINAL

10

NON-ABORIGINAL

6

Emotional/ Behavioural Disability 19

Question:Do current funding, staffing and programming adequately reflect this student population’s needs?

Other factors affecting the Delivery of Educational Services:

Education delivery within a secure facility is challenging, and is complicated by a number of factors:high student turn-over with students entering and leaving programs at irregular intervalscomplicating beginning and ending points for units of instruction, security concerns limitingequipment and academic activities, teachers instructing across multiple subject areas, teachersneeding to accommodate widely different ages and /or ability levels in the same class and the lackof literature specific to effective or “best practice” in juvenile justice education.


Educational Services

South Australia:

All young people in secure care are required to attend school regardless of age. Students spend aconsiderable portion of their week with education staff and are provided with year roundeducational services with the exception of a 3 to 4 week break over the Christmas /New Year period.

Whilst education has a major role to play in the rehabilitation of young offenders, the provision ofeducational services to them is complicated. Detention schools have less autonomy thanmainstream schools as they are located within a host facility that necessarily prioritises security.Security concerns can therefore impact on behaviour management philosophies /strategies, accessto equipment and academic activities (e.g., laboratory, Internet), and even subject matter.

Although S.A. figures appear comparable to the U.S. and Canadian figures, and suggest as many as90% of students have numeracy skills below their appropriate grade level, a significant differenceexists between the degree of literacy deficit reported overseas and the levels evident in S.A.U.S. and Canadian figures suggest that while nearly all students present with below grade levelliteracy skills, the majority are at least independent readers (grade 4/5 level). Significantly, this is notthe case in South Australia where the majority of students are not yet independent readers; with alarge proportion of these still learning to decode. Typically, there is about one third of the studentcohort with independent reading skills (although most of these operate well below their grade levelstandard). Resources and staff are consequently directed towards instruction for the two thirds whoare acquiring early reading skills resulting in a greatly reduced capacity to provide intensiveinterventions to independent, below grade level readers.

Whilst there are some funding options and state wide literacy strategies in South Australia, thesituation in the U.S.A. appears to have a greater focus on providing high levels of specialist supportto struggling readers. The “No Child Left Behind” reforms provide Title 1 federal funding to facilitatethe employment of reading specialists, Special Ed. teachers and librarians to support at-risk / belowgrade level readers. These teachers work in a variety of capacities across the school, for example:reading specialists work individually with struggling readers, Special Ed. teachers work alongsidestudents and teachers in content area classes and teacher-librarians foster literacy across the schoolby supporting subject teachers to embed subject specific literacy skills into the curriculum. Fundingconditions /restrictions require schools to employ only qualified specialist staff (see page 34) thusproviding students with a range of support teachers across a variety of classes.


Educational Approaches Underpinning Literacy and Numeracy Remediations

1. Development & Implementation of a Social Emotional Learning Approach

Social and Emotional Learning is widely utilised in schools across the United States, and severalAustralian states have trialled/adopted this framework. SEL programs were a strong focus at each ofthe centres visited, not only as part of the curriculum but as a scaffold for all other learning. Thebelief is that learning won’t/can’t be successful until the “issues” in students’ lives are addressed.Centres supported this in a number of ways with most schools/centres augmenting the school basedprogram with full time psychologists, therapists and social workers who work with studentsindividually and in small groups to deliver programs that were evidence based and bothdevelopmentally and age appropriate.

Principal Carter at the Maya Angelou School in Washington D.C. contends that it is difficult to holdseverely traumatised young people accountable to the same standards as non traumatised youth;however, he believes that well implemented SEL programs provide a means through which thesestudents can become incrementally accountable for themselves and their actions. His school has ateam of specialists working with SEL and catering to the needs of 210 students. This team includes atrained therapist (PhD), 4.5 counsellors, a mental health worker, and at each grade level, a socialworker.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is defined as the ability to recognise and manage emotions,solve problems effectively and establish positive relationships with others; skills most youngoffenders lack. SEL targets a combination of behaviours, cognitions, and emotions through a processof acquiring and effectively applying the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to recognise andmanage emotions; develop care and concern for others; make responsible decisions; establishpositive relationships; and handle challenging situations capably. (CASEL, 2007)

The Five Pillars of SEL

Five key competencies are taught, practiced, and reinforced through SEL programming (CASEL,2003):

Self-awareness: Identification and recognition of one’s own emotions, recognition ofstrengths in self and others, sense of self-efficacy, and self-confidence.

Social awareness: Empathy, respect for others, and perspective taking. Responsible decision making: Evaluation and reflection, and personal and ethical

responsibility. Self-management: Impulse control, stress management, persistence, goal setting, and

motivation. Relationship skills: Cooperation, help seeking and providing, and communication.

SEL programs and curriculum provide the skill development for these social and emotionalcompetencies.


Skills are developed through (SAFE) programming that is:

Sequenced

Active

Focused

Explicit interactive instruction. Includes opportunities for practise and feedback. Observation of modelling by adults and peers. Reflection on one’s experiences. Instruction that is developmentally/culturally competent. Provision of opportunities for community-building activities. Opportunities to contribute to their class, school, and community. Application and generalization within the school.

Research shows that SEL has positive effects on academic performance, physical health andcitizenship. It reduces the risk of maladjustment, failed relationships, interpersonal violence,substance abuse, and unhappiness (Elias et al., 1997; Zins, Weissberg et al., 2004). Furthermore, ithas been shown to have positive effects on mental health with improvements in students’ abilitiesto adapt to change and to cope with adversity. SEL skills taught in school are likely to enhance theeffectiveness of psycho-social programs offered to students.

This framework in various guises was an integral part of educational programs at all centresvisited. Given the degree of known dysfunction within the juvenile justice population, an SELmodel may warrant consideration.


PBIS

“Relying on punishment as a primary intervention may actually increase the level of unacceptablebehaviours” (Henning 2004).Whilst practices vary greatly between institutions, observations in the U.S.A. suggest that in general,there is minimal behavioural instruction provided to youth in secure facilities, and some of thepractices in use are not supported by science. Furthermore, it is common for youth with disabilitiesto receive more frequent behavioural incident reports than their nondisabled peers, be restrainedduring behavioural incidents more frequently and spend a disproportionate amount of time infacility disciplinary settings such as confinement or segregation (Leone, 1994).

The National Council on Disability (2003) suggested that most facilities were more concerned withpunishing problem behaviours than promoting and reinforcing positive behaviours, concluding thatinconsistent punishment and the lack of reinforcement of positive behaviours fosters antisocialpatterns of behaviour.

Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Framework:The PBIS framework is composed of three tiers and includes principles of behaviourism (Dunlap,2006) and applied behaviour analysis; which investigates the motivation for specific undesirablebehaviours,(Carr et al., 2002). Routines and a predictable environment are created withreinforcement contingent on appropriate expected behaviours.

Behavioural psychologists suggest that all problem behaviours serve a function: To get something (power, attention, approval). To avoid or escape something (teachers, class work, a situation). To have control.

Although all behaviours are governed by consequences, punitive consequence fails to teachreplacement behaviours. As it is the behaviour, not the function of behaviour that is the problem, itis possible for new more appropriate behaviours to be taught to serve the same function. Thereforeif a student achieves the desired outcome through appropriate behaviours the need for the negativebehaviour no longer exists.

Current research indicates positive outcomes for social skills instruction, academic restructuring,and behavioral interventions in addressing inappropriate behaviours, facilitating positivebehavioural changes, and encouraging academic achievement (Gottfredson, 1997; Elliot, Hamburg& Williams, 1998; Tolan & Guerra, 1994; Lipsey, 1992). Four essential concepts therefore form thebasis of the PBIS model (OSEP, 2005):

1. Clearly defined academic and social behavioural outcomes that are linked to theschool’s/centre’s improvement objectives.

2. Problem behaviours are addressed by using behavioural and biomedical strategies.3. Only practices, interventions, and strategies that have been validated by research are used

to achieve goals.4. Existing systems are examined and changed to improve life and learning for all students,

simultaneously reducing problem behaviours on a large scale.


PBIS is implemented using a three-tiered, strategic approach:

1. Primary prevention:Targets the entire school and focuses on teaching behavioural expectations for every schoolsetting (e.g., units, classrooms, cafeteria, gym). All students and staff members are explicitlytaught the expected behaviour, AND the positive and/or negative consequences forappropriate or inappropriate behaviours. Research indicates this level of intervention canprevent about 80 percent of behavioural problems (NDTAC, 2006).

2. Secondary prevention:Provides more intensive instructional strategies and supports for students (about 15–20percent) who fail to respond to the primary prevention strategies. Secondary strategiesinclude academic tutoring for struggling students and instruction for those with behavioralchallenges e.g., anger management, social problem solving, and social skills instruction(NDTAC, 2006).

3. Tertiary prevention:Provides highly individualized interventions for the 3-5 percent of students with seriousand persistent behavioral and academic challenges and usually requires the use of afunctional behavioral assessment (mandated in the 1997 for students with special needsIDEA) and interagency collaboration (NDTAC, 2006).

While PBIS has had excellent results in mainstream school across America, researchers are nowfinding similar results for students in juvenile detention and correctional facilities. Punishment and“get –tough” policies have been shown to be ineffective especially for those students withdisabilities and/or mental health conditions. Nelson (2005) cites a youth development centre insouthern Illinois that reports an 89 percent reduction in major behavioural incidents and a 95percent reduction in minor behavioural incidents after one month of PBIS implementation.Follow-up observations revealed that there were no fights reported for the following two years.

Likewise, following the adoption of a PBIS model, the Iowa Juvenile Home’s residential facilityreported a 46 percent reduction in restraints over 12 months for girls and a 37 percent reduction inthe number of classroom removals over a 3-month period for boys. In addition, data indicates thatall students improved academically (Rosen, 2004).

PBIS standardizes expectations and consequences across the facility so students understand theappropriate behaviours for each setting and receive the same interventions, regardless of thesupervising adult. This is achieved through carefully training and supporting educational andsecurity staff in the use of positive behavioral approaches to create environments that facilitateappropriate behaviours.

A crucial component of PBIS is using data to inform decision making with respect to decisions aboutthe effectiveness of changes to rules, routines, and arrangements in the facility. It enables staff topinpoint problem areas and make targeted changes rather than continue using a process orintervention that is ineffective.

In short, PBIS acknowledges that behavioural skills require instruction, reinforcement, andpractise, and encourages students to treat themselves and others with respect by adhering tosimple expectations for behaviour.


Considerations for Adapting PBIS to Secure Juvenile Justice Settings

Several detention centres in the U.S.A. have successfully adapted and implemented PBIS and suggestthere are some basic steps required for the implementation of the PBIS framework (Simonsen, 2010)into a juvenile facility.

1. Establishment of a PBIS leadership team: that represents all key stakeholders, e.g.administration, security, housing, treatment, etc., and commits to building capacity forimplementation across several years.

2. Has at least 80% staff support: in all areas, e.g., education, food services, housing units,security, with each having equal representation and an active voice on the team.

3. Establishment of a data-based action plan: 3 to 5 positively stated simple behaviouralexpectations that can be applied across the facility. For example: Be ready for learning,Follow instructions, Do your best, Respect others and how each of these would “look” invarious locations/situations such as the classroom, the unit and the sporting field. Theseexpectations are then explicitly taught for each of these situations.

The Center on Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports has developed the School-widePositive Behavior Support Implementers’ Blueprint and Self-Assessment, which provides a rationaleand advice for implementing PBIS the self-assessment checklist for accountability.

The blueprint can be accessed online at www.pbis.org.

Other Behaviour Programs:

Positive Behaviour interventions allow for incentive schemes that reinforce good behaviour, to beimplemented. Without exception, all facilities and schools visited during this research used anincentivized behaviour scheme. It is important to note that these are quintessentially different fromthe “levels system” most detention staff are familiar with, these having been comprehensivelydiscredited due to poor implementation. The NSW Ombudsman (1996) stated:

“Most behavioural management systems (in juvenile detention centres) rely on the use of apoints system which permits detainees increasing levels of privileges. Unfortunately mostschemes operating are more linked with control and punishment than with encouraging andrewarding detainees to manage their own behaviour. The philosophy behind incentiveschemes is extremely misunderstood. Most schemes operating have had little or any inputfrom psychologists or others trained in this area for some years. The poorly designed schemesare implemented by staff that have never been trained in the aim of the schemes. Manyoperational staff now consider them to be used to deduct points and remove privileges inresponse to inappropriate behaviour and they have become part of most centres’ disciplinarysystems.”

A central idea driving PBIS is that positive reinforcement is contingent on appropriate behaviour andexplicitly teaches these preferred behaviours. That is, a student is rewarded for displaying an


appropriate behaviour, not punished for failing to display the behaviour. It aims to replace negativebehaviours with positive behaviours and acknowledges and reinforces these replacementbehaviours. In conjunction with the SEL foci of: self-awareness, social awareness, responsibledecision making, self-management and relationship skills; students see the benefits of appropriatebehaviour and CHOOSE to use these (rather than be forced to use them).To minimise the subjectivityof awarding behaviour points, schools were explicit about the behaviours they valued and this wasfacilitated by the use of check lists. These were used by the supervisor to acknowledge appropriatebehaviour, and by the student as a reminder of behavioural expectations.

Using the earlier example of “treat others with respect” teachers and unit staff use the matricesdeveloped during the PBIS process describing what it “looks like” in their area as their reference toallocate points. For example, in school “respect” might be described as: raising your hand to speak,waiting for the teacher to finish speaking before talking, using appropriate language, beingconsiderate of other learners etc. etc. If a student displays these behaviours they are checked off thelist and points allocated accordingly. Likewise in the units, “respect” might be described as: followinginstructions, completing chores, assisting others, keeping room tidy etc. etc. and again if thesebehaviours are displayed, points are allocated against the check list. This has the advantage ofmaking it easy for staff to decide if appropriate behaviour has been used and explicit for thestudents, i.e. the students actually know what it is they need to do. Points are earned not removed.A student who fails to comply fails to earn points.

Examples of Incentives:

At the Victoria Youth Custody Centre BC, Canada, students were able to participate in workprograms such as grounds maintenance, horticulture and cleaning. Students received payment fortheir labour, earning more per hour for the more responsible jobs which were reserved for thosewith the highest points/levels.

At the PACE Centre for Girls in Jacksonville Florida, accrued points could be “cashed in” at variousend points. Girls could choose small stationery items, personal care items etc. or if they chose to“bank” the points, they could be used at a clothing stall with those having the most points, given firstaccess to the stalls.

At the Maya Angelou Charter School in Washington DC, students AND staff were given theopportunity to gain points. Students were able to purchase small stationery items or trade points towear denim jeans to school on a Friday. Additionally, students with the highest points wererecgonised at assembly or with certificates.

Teachers were handed “Teacher Tickets” if they were “caught doing something good”. Teacherscould trade their tickets for a lesson off (taken by the principal), lunch, morning teas etc. This wasmorale boosting for staff not only because there were rewards but because they were also beingrecognised for working well.


Encouraging Family Involvement with the School

In conjunction with the SEL program, and with the understanding that learning is a social process,family involvement in detention schools is strongly encouraged. The National Center of Family &Community Connections with Schools (2002) found “consistent, positive, and convincing evidencethat families have a major influence on their children’s achievement in school and throughout life”.Special efforts and programming aimed to increase family involvement should be considered.

Researchers found that:

The level of family involvement in the treatment and/or education of youth in juvenilejustice systems, affected successful outcomes.

Family involvement can be a crucial element for students who are returning to schoolfollowing an institutional placement.

As some parents of youth in correctional education settings face many challenges,additional supports to effectively navigate systems inside and outside residential facilitiesmaybe required.

Some of these challenges can be mitigated through collaboration and cross-training withstudents’ families.

Family organizations are an under used resource that can support and educate familiesabout the operation of youth facilities, develop their communication skills, and nurture theirdesire to become more involved.

Detention schools/ facilities also have the potential to provide educational support to familymembers e.g. literacy/ numeracy.

During my visit to the Stadium View Detention School in Minneapolis, I was afforded the uniqueopportunity to meet with two parents, (from the Latino and the African American communities)whose children were incarcerated for serious gang related offences. I would like to acknowledge thecourage and commitment of both these parents, who despite their acute apprehension aboutmeeting with a foreigner and stranger were gracious, honest and sincere. Their heartfeltappreciation about being able to remain involved with their children’s education was both movingand extraordinarily convincing. Their message was very clear: Parents need to be involved with ourschool.

These parents articulated the importance of knowing their children’s teachers, being able to attendparent teacher nights, knowing their children were spending their days actively engaged ineducation and the normalizing effect this common interest had on their relationships.

Both parents brought with them folders containing art work, poetry, stories and certificates ofachievement from the detention school to share with me. It was very clear that these folders werehighly prized items and represented much more than samples of school work. One mother read mea very personal poem her son had written apologizing to her for his crime, explaining that herinvolvement with the school was the catalyst for him to write to her, because “it showed him shestill cared about him”.


Along with the parents, I also met with the school Transitions Specialist, Ms Johnson, who has beeninstrumental in developing the family- school connections at Stadium View. She has accrued years ofexperience in successfully dealing with the complexities and intricacies of managing high stressrelationships, such as working with parents of students from rival gangs, parents who were formergang members, high poverty and drug and alcohol issues. She has offered her services as a mentorshould we invite parental involvement.

Ms Johnson shared some of the methods she uses to attract and develop parent involvement withthe school.

These included:

Holding school meetings in the community rather than at the facility (which parents mayfind confronting).

Invitations are sent out, and followed up with frequent reminder phone calls. The school pays transport costs. Supper is provided by the school. A $50 stipend is paid to those who attend.

Author, parent advocate and trainer, Bonnie Jean Smith likewise graciously attended the meeting.Bonnie Jean is an extraordinarily high energy advocate for youth in custody and participated in thelegal action taken against the school some ten years ago. She remains highly motivated to improveservices to at risk youth and has likewise offered herself as a mentor to facilitate parentalinvolvement.

A family Guide to Getting Involved with Correctional Education, can be accessed at

http://www.neglected-delinquent.org/nd/resources/spotlight/familyGuide2008.asp

This generic tool encourages families to become more involved with their child’s education andacknowledges some families may be reluctant and /or fearful. The vocabulary and language hasbeen chosen to ensure it is easy for families to understand. The strategies in the Family Guide aredesigned to make it easier for family members to develop constructive relationships with facilitystaff.

Serious consideration to facilitating parent involvement is recommended


Identifying Best Practice

Literacy

“Literacy is foundational to learning in every subject.” (Schmoker, 2011, p34). It is the mostimportant single goal of schooling in any nation”. (Hirsch, 2010 p.31)

A combination of the information collected during my fellowship, and current research intoadolescent reading problems suggests that there are a number of common elements in successfulreading programs that potentially represent “Best Practice” for literacy remediation in the juvenilejustice setting.

Firstly, best practice is inextricably linked to the commitment of the school to prioritise funding,resources and specialist staffing and secondly; it is more likely to succeed, and see greater gainswhen schools proactively attempt to address the social and emotional barriers young offenders haveto learning through the establishment of an SEL program, which in turn is supported by a centrewide engagement with Positive Behavioural Intervention Strategies (PBIS) and family support.

Observations made by U.S. researchers confirm that struggling adolescent readers need differentlevels of intervention depending on their reading abilities and skills deficits (Applebee, 1996).Effective remediation is dependent upon the use of effective assessment protocols which in turnallows for appropriate interventions to support students to maximise improvements. Variance instudent achievement is primarily determined by the amount of instruction (time) and the contentof that instruction (Vaughn, 2007).

Assessment in Reading Programs

High-quality, effective reading programs include rigorous reliable assessments including:

Screening assessments: Brief procedures designed to identify students at high risk and inneed of further diagnosis or additional reading instruction.

Diagnostic assessment: In-depth information on skills and instructional needs to supportplanning. These assessments identify specific areas of strengths and weaknesses todetermine appropriate interventions.

Classroom-based instructional assessments of progress: Determines if adequate progressis made or if additional support is required.

Along with: Access to reading material: Promotion of reading, library programs and engaging reading

material.

Reading ProblemsReading uses an extremely complex set of skills which make large demands on the reader. Problemswith learning to read can occur alone or in combination. Typical reading problems include: specificreading disabilities, difficulties in comprehension, limited vocabulary, a lack of reading strategies,difficulties with the thinking skills required to construct meaning, poor accuracy, low fluency andpoor comprehension. Poor readers can be loosely categorised into three 3 distinct groups: thosewith severe reading disabilities (highly deficient readers), struggling readers and non- fluent readers.Each group requires a specific (and different) interventional focus.


Group One: Severe Reading Disabilities“For adolescents at the initial stages of reading, intensive interventions directed toward meetingtheir needs in alphabetics (phonemic awareness, word analysis, sight word recognition, fluency,vocabulary, and strategies to encourage persistence) must be developed and delivered by teacherstrained specifically in those methods (Curtis, 1999)”. Interventions that directly improve readingaccuracy have a significant impact on comprehension (Torgesen, 2005).

Students require instruction within levelled texts across these skills: Phonemic awareness: To identify and manipulate individual phonemes in spoken words. Phonics/Decoding: To understand the predictable relationship between phonemes and

graphemes. Vocabulary: Listening, speaking, reading and writing vocabularies. Fluency and oral reading skills: Learning to read accurately and quickly and be able to

recognise and comprehend words simultaneously. Comprehension strategies: Purposeful strategies and active reading to enhance

understanding, remembering, and communication. Require between 50 and 100 minutes per day of reading instruction (Vaughn, 2007).

Effective programs emphasise: direct, systematic, intensive, and sustained reading, with:

Explicit instructional strategies to address students’ specific strengths and weaknesses. Coordinated instructional sequences. Ample practise opportunities, student materials, and targeted instructional strategies as

appropriate. Employment of a variety of reading assessments, including diagnostics and progress

monitoring, making effective use of instructional time and providing multiple readingopportunities.

Group Two: Struggling readersStudents in this group have basic mastery of decoding skills but lack strategies for identifyingcomplex, or multisyllabic words. Progress is hindered by limited vocabularies and this group needexplicit instruction to increase their range of sight words (Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2002).The focusof literacy instruction is directed towards improving phonemic awareness, word analysis, and sightword recognition, fluency, vocabulary, and strategies to encourage persistence. (Deshler, 2006)

Effective programs emphasise: Intensive, systematic, explicit instruction of content, strategies, and skills. Opportunities for intensive practise with controlled texts and constant corrective feedback. Reading interventions scheduled separately from the regular school coursework. Direct vocabulary instruction with multiple opportunities to learn new word meanings and

activities that encourage active processing of word meanings (Curtis, 1999). One hour of instruction per day.


Group Three:Non- Fluent Readers decode accurately but have poor fluency which limits comprehension. Aprincipal cause being a lack of accurate reading practice (Torgesen &Hudson, 2006). Intervention forthese students focuses on reading fluency, vocabulary knowledge, content knowledge, higher-levelreasoning and thinking skills, cognitive strategies specific to reading comprehension, motivation andengagement and opportunities to engage in sustained supported reading. Although it is suggestedthat fluency may be learned in 100 hours, it generally requires about 50 months of instruction togain sufficient knowledge to bring students to grade level in reading. (Guthrie, 2004)

Effective programs emphasise: Fluency and meaning vocabulary (Curtis, 1999). Comprehension strategies with continued emphasis on vocabulary building (Deshler, 2006). Intensive instruction in fluency, prosody and/or comprehension strategies. Use of a variety of texts at the appropriate level (Curtis, 1999). Levelled high interest reading materials (Deshler, 2006), including unpredictable texts to

increase decoding skills (Grossen, 2004). At least 60 minutes daily in addition to their schedule of content classes, with opportunities

for sustained engaged reading time of 40–60 minutes daily.

Comprehension

To become purposeful, active readers capable of monitoring their own understanding of a text as itis being read, comprehension strategy instruction is necessary for readers at all levels. Researchshows that poor readers struggle to understand idiomatic and figurative language and neitheradequately monitor their comprehension, nor employ metacognitive strategies to think about andadd to their understanding of a text.

Monitoring Comprehension

Comprehension monitoring instruction teaches students to be aware of what they understand,identify what they do not understand, and select the appropriate strategies to resolve problems incomprehension. Students become more aware of when they can or can’t understand a text and areable to employ strategies to assist when needed.

Metacognition Strategies

Assist students to think about and add to their understanding of a text. These strategies include:clarifying the purpose of the text, previewing the text, monitoring understanding, adjusting readingspeed to fit the difficulty of the text, re-reading to clarify meaning and checking for understandingafter reading.

Effective Questioning

Through targeted questioning, reading specialists can help students become actively involved inmaking meaning. Questioning increases cognisance of the strategies being used to generateanswers by understanding whether the information used to answer questions was textually explicitinformation, textually implicit or from the student's own background knowledge.


Suggested questioning formats:

Levels of questioning - Webb’s Depth of Knowledge

Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK) was used by several centres to enhance reading instruction andmonitor growth in comprehension (various DOK matrices are available for other subject areas).Although there are four “levels of knowledge” the first two are the most applicable to beginnerreaders and those that are below grade level.

WEBB’S Depth of Knowledge Reading Matrix: Examples

DOK Level 1: Reading (Recall of information with literal understanding of text).Students can read words in isolation and in connected texts, read multisyllabic words, locate orrecall facts or details explicitly and identify or describe characters, setting and /or sequence ofevents. Students are also able to use language/word structure e.g. prefix/suffix to determinemeaning and can select appropriate words in context (Webb and Wixson, 2002).

DOK Level 2: Basic Reasoning (Requires initial comprehension with subsequent processing of thetext or portions of the text).Students operating at this level can use contextual clues to make meaning, predict a logicaloutcome, make inferences or draw basic conclusions about text, recognise appropriategeneralisations, identify and summarise major events, determine if a text is fiction or non- fictionand distinguish between fact and opinion. Additionally students can describe characteristics of basictext types, obtain information from tables, side bar and charts, organise and summarise information,locate information related to implicit or explicit central ideas in information texts and identifyliterary devices such as imagery, idiom, exaggeration etc (Webb and Wixson, 2002).

DOK Level 3: Complex Reasoning (Explain, generalise and connect ideas using supporting evidence).Students operating in this level need to be able to draw inferences about author’s purpose, messageor theme, make and support inferences and go beyond the text to explain and generalise. They mustbe able to describe how word choice and point of view affects interpretation, analyse elements ofplot sub plot setting characters, analyse literacy devices and connect ideas, as well as makinginferences across or between passages using prior knowledge to make meaning (Webb and Wixson,2002).

Level 4: (Requires complex reasoning, planning developing and thinking over an extended period oftime and may involve comparing multiple works by e.g. same author).

Reminiscent of social theories of learning and Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, teacherslocate where students are operating from a matrix then adjust their instruction to incorporateopportunities for subject specific, higher level thinking skills to be incorporated into their instruction.If for example, a student was operating at level one, instruction would support students toincorporate some level 2 skills such as predicting, generalising and /or summarising. Students aretherefore provided with opportunities to achieve with help that which they are unable to achievealone.


Additional Recommendations from the Center for Reading Research Florida State University 2007:

1. Reading programs are enhanced by well supported general classroom programs with:Standards and accountability, clear expectations, strategies for monitoring progress, readingprograms that connect meaningfully to supplemental materials, grouping strategies that areflexible with placement, movement based on ongoing assessment, active student engagementin a variety of reading-based activities and high levels of on task time.

2. Reading programs are monitored by reading practitioners who:Know how contributory learning difficulties relate to literacy acquisition, understand anddemonstrate competency in all essential components of reading instruction (phonemicawareness, phonics progressions, vocabulary, oral reading skills, reading fluency andcomprehension strategies), understand the relationships between the essential componentsand the progression in which they should be taught and demonstrate competency in teachingthe underlying structure of the English language. They should also be able to administer andinterpret assessments of student progress, use data and observations to direct programmingand instruction, manage their classrooms and support staff to maximize time on task and haveaccess to ongoing professional development.

3. Literacy coaches to support teachers:Schools need both general as well as domain-specific reading specialists to provide customizedsupport to help teachers meet the needs of a diverse array of learners and for developing andmanaging systems of diagnosis, curriculum assessment, and professional development within aschool. (Lee, 2001).Having a site-based, well-trained literacy coach or reading specialist toprovide ongoing guidance and support to teachers is essential. (Vaughn, 2007)


Summary:

Literacy instruction within the juvenile detention setting has unique restrictions and requirements;however, those elements considered paramount to delivering effective literacy programs todisadvantaged students can be summarised as:

Students are assessed using reliable screening tools.

Instruction is based on diagnostic assessment.

Instruction is regular and individualised.

Instruction is delivered by skilled practitioners.

Opportunities for students to consolidate skills are provided.

Interventions are determined by ongoing formative assessment.

Provision of a range of appropriate interventions for the different phases of literacy

acquisition e.g. decoding, fluency, vocabulary comprehension, writing and analytical

processes.

Support remains available to students until they are reading at an age appropriate level.

Additional instruction in subject specific literacy skills is incorporated in subject areas.

Has school-wide support and commitment to uphold the integrity of the program'sinstructional approach and materials once programs are implemented.

Allows/provides opportunities for family involvement.


Numeracy

Providing appropriate instruction and remediation for young offenders is complicated by the highlevel of disability within this population, histories of poor school attendance and an underlying fearof mathematics. Curriculum offerings, just as with literacy, will differ between groups, with “bestpractice” reflecting the needs of each of these different groups. The scope of the curriculum offeredmust therefore reflect the capabilities of each student with sufficient flexibility to cater for studentswanting to complete year 12, or enter the work force, or simply manage their affairs.

Poor numeracy has been linked to low literacy by the National Adult Literacy and Learning

Disabilities Center in the U.S. (1995) which estimates that 50 to 80 percent of students in Adult Basic

Education and literacy programs also have difficulties with numeracy. These difficulties may appear

as difficulty with conceptual understandings, counting sequences, written number symbol systems,

the language of maths, basic number facts, procedural steps of computation, application of

arithmetic skills, and problem-solving skills (Garnett, 1992).

The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers defines numeracy as “the ability to use

mathematics effectively to meet the general demands of life at home, in paid work, and for

participation in community and civic life”. With nearly all young offenders working below grade level

and a significant proportion of these without mastery of the basic operations, appropriate

interventions / remediations to facilitate numeracy will differ between individuals and be based on a

number of considerations.

Mathematics learning disabilities may occur concomitantly with sensory impairment, intellectual

disability, social-emotional disturbances and be influenced by socio-environmental factors, cultural

differences, insufficient / inappropriate instruction, or attention deficit disorders (Garnett, 1992),

and may include language processing problems, visual spatial confusion, memory and sequence

difficulties, and or unusually high anxiety" (Bliss, 2000).

Just as with literacy remediation, there are several levels of “need” within the juvenile justice

population ranging from students needing instruction in basic counting skills to providing assistance

to students who are just below grade level. An effective screening tool is therefore the first

requirement to ensure students’ needs are rapidly identified, and should be used in conjunction with

skill specific assessments to inform individual programming and interventions.

NDTAC Assessment recommendations for Numeracy: (National Evaluation and Technical Assistance

Center for the Education of Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent or At Risk)

recommends a multiphase assessment protocol that includes: screening assessment, diagnostic

testing, curriculum based assessment and curriculum based measures.


Screening Assessment: NDTACrecommends a general assessment of mathematics skills should be administered within 5 daysof entry into a facility. The assessment should be broad and brief. Test items should accuratelyalign to the content priorities of the curriculum standards. A widely used test is theWoodcock–Johnson 111. Also recommended was the “WRAT 4” Wide Range Achievement Test(Math Computation) which measures an individual's ability to perform basic mathematicscomputations through counting, identifying numbers, solving simple oral problems, andcalculating written mathematics problems.

Diagnostic Testing:Should be based on the needs and strengths identified in the initial screening test and providein- depth follow- up diagnostic testing of areas of particular strength or weakness to provide thefocus for foundational skills remediation. Test appropriateness is essential and should assessacross all relevant content and process standards. Reliability and validity of tests should beconsidered and explained to consumers of reports.

Curriculum Based Assessment (CBA):Formative Assessment which relates to curriculum can be used to measure the instructionalimpact and allow for changes to instruction. It can also be used to determine if the student hasreached a level of mastery of the instructional objectives.

Curriculum Based Measure (CBM):CBA measures are sensitive to changes over a short period and can be normed. They havefeatures such as timed, standardized administration and can be repeated to provide progressmonitoring (NDTAC, 2010) for both student and teacher.

Early Numeracy Skills

There are several factors to consider when providing early numeracy interventions to adolescents.Firstly, unlike very young children, they arrive with an assortment of numeracy strategies that mayhave been taught or may have been self generated. They may also have a number of misconceptionsand incorrect and/ or inefficient procedural skills that have been reinforced over many years byrepeating the same mistake or using a cumbersome method. “Un- learning” these can be timeconsuming and challenging for both the teacher and the student. Additionally, there can beresistance to concrete materials that are seen as babyish, a reluctance to try more challengingactivities due to fear of failure, a degree of embarrassment and fear of ridicule, and often an acutedislike maths.

Dyscalculia

While it is not unusual for students to report having previously been diagnosed with dyslexia, it isuncommon for students to report a previous diagnosis of dyscalculia. Dyscalculia, that is, asignificant discrepancy between chronological age and maths skills of usually two or more years; isdefined by the Department for Education and Skills (U.S.A. 2001) as:

“A condition that affects the ability to acquire arithmetical skills, and difficultyunderstanding simple number concepts, lacking an intuitive grasp of numbers, and problemslearning number facts and procedures”.

With widespread low awareness of dyscalculia, it may be overlooked or misdiagnosed as dyslexia,with consequently, poorly targeted interventions provided to students.


Whilst inadequate instruction, intellectual disability and/or cultural differences may account forsome of the poor numeracy skills in young offenders, dyscalculia may in fact be the underlyingdiagnosis. Increased familiarity with the indicators of dyscalculia is therefore recommended.

Common Indicators for Learners with Dyscalculia

Counting on fingers to answer simple questions. Unable to do maths in head. Confusing maths symbols or performing them in the wrong order. Misinterpreting graphs and charts. Chronically late or early. Difficulty keeping score in games. Limited strategic planning abilities. Difficulty distinguishing numbers on a clock and following a schedule. Omitting steps in calculations/difficulty in following sequential procedures and directions in

maths steps. Errors with writing, reading and recalling numbers e.g. substitutions, omissions, reversals. Inconsistent results when adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. Inconsistent results when recalling number facts. Difficulties with abstract concepts of time and direction. Inability to recall schedules and sequences of past or future events. Inability to visualise. Appear absent minded or lost in thought. Difficulty with left right orientation. Difficulty understanding mathematical concepts in word problems. Confusing part to whole relationships. Difficulty in calculating change and budgeting (Dyscalculia .org, 2011).

As with other learning disabilities, there are a number of strategies that can assist maths disabledstudents. Garnett, Frank, & Fleischner (1983) suggest:

Reduction of memory load by providing manageable amounts of practice work. Reduction of processing demands by pre-teaching component skills and by teaching easier

knowledge and skills before teaching difficult knowledge and skills. Reducing interference between concepts and strategies by separating practice opportunities

until the discriminations between them is learned. Using uncluttered worksheets and graph paper to avoid visual overload and keep numbers in

line. Supervising practice to prevent students from practicing misconceptions and “misrules.” Building retention by providing frequent review. Helping students to "visualize" maths problems by drawing a picture. Using visual and auditory examples and real-life situations. Connecting practice of sub-skills to the performance of the whole task and what the student

has learned about mathematical relationships to what the student will learn. Teaching thinking strategies from one fact to another. Using interactive and intensive practice with age-appropriate games as motivational

materials.


Having students track their progress- which facts are mastered and which are still to belearned.

Ensuring that skills to be practiced can be completed independently with high levels ofsuccess. (Bliss, 2000)

Other Considerations – Cultural Awareness:Numeracy skills can be particularly challenging for students whose traditional number system differsfrom the Base 10 system. Aboriginal students with a traditional Pitjantjatjara background forexample, may have a culturally different understanding of numbers. Pitjantjatjara small numbers areformed as composite numbers, using combinations of one, two and three until they become toounwieldy, e.g. four is kutjara-kutjara, two and two, while precision with large numbers is rarelyrequired and these are therefore simply referred to as “tjuta” (lots) (DETE, n.d.). With a very short“mental number-line” the relational patterns between numbers becomes less obvious. While manystudents can for example, “see” that 15 lies midway between 10 and 20, this may not be apparent toa student who sees 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 as “lots” and thus the same.

Cognisance of these cultural differences is essential, as numeracy instruction for these students mayrequire significant pre teaching of skills such as counting/skip- counting, number lines and numberbonds to 20. Experience suggests that daily exposure to work that is minutely graduated and ensuresrepeated success, is effective in promoting these basic skills. Of note is the observation that incontrast with standard practice where students are encouraged to make abstractions from themanipulation of concrete materials, a number of students proclaim these to be both distracting andconfusing preferring to focus on a single repetitive task until a level of mastery has been achievedand then apply it to a variety of situations. Similar anecdotal evidence, which may or may not besignificant, was reported by Haslam (2007), and highlights the importance of responding toindividual learner preferences and employing an adaptable pedagogy. Best practice (and teacherpedagogy) may well look different for different learners.

Numeracy Instruction:

Instruction for low level numeracy should aim to quickly: Improve foundational skills. Improve procedural fluency. Improve conceptual understanding. Students with significant foundational gaps need intensive specialised instruction that

focuses on essential areas of knowledge. N.B. These students are remarkably unsuccessfullearning mathematics in larger group settings (Leone et. al, 2010).

Access to individual instruction that supplements regular class room instruction. “Even afairly small amount of time in an intensive intervention can make a difference for students”.

Instruction should be intensive and scheduled regularly for an extended period of time andbe targeted to address the student’s identified needs.

Instruction for more competent students should: Promote competence in applying mathematical skills to authentic problems by creating

meaningful activities relevant to the student’s life.


Instruction for students approaching grade level should include: Access to grade level material, concepts and domains. With high expectations for achievement.

N.B. Whilst small group instruction can be an excellent model; it relies on responsibility and self-control on the part of all students for it to be successful. Its value is therefore minimal to studentswho are yet to display these attributes.

Instructional Recommendations for Numeracy Teaching NDTAC:1. Mathematics proficiency and numeracy attainment is hierarchical: New skills must be

based on understanding previously learned foundational skills.2. Review and reteach foundational skills.3. Lessons should be focussed on just one skill or concept: each part of the lesson should

introduce and reinforce that skill or concept.4. Present new information in small steps: provide just enough for students to “get a taste for

it” AND have success with it.5. Use questioning and feedback loops to monitor learning: Students should have numerous

opportunities to explain their thinking both orally and by writing, though the use of openended “why” type questions.

6. Use explicit instruction by knowledgeable teachers to teach new numeracy skills and gradeappropriate maths concepts including teacher - directed instruction, modelling of targetskills, guided practice and independent practice.( “I, We, You” model)

7. Corrective feedback: students must receive corrective feedback.8. Follow-up/ reinforce: revise and extend (if ready) the following lesson.9. Provide instruction that is flexible, with teachers providing week long instructional units.10. Use guided and independent practice to review acquired skills: Use “ticket- out” strategy at

end of lesson to review lesson content with 5 quick questions that must be answered beforeleaving class.

11. Use and teach explicit problem solving strategies: Provide students with a “how to” plan tosolve problems e.g. Firstly read and understand the problem, then identify what informationhas been provided, then identify what information is missing, draw a pictorialrepresentation, then solve the problem.

12. Create a language rich environment: Explicitly teach the vocabulary around numeracy, useauthentic resources such as newspapers etc. for data problems and analysis.

13. Provide professional development opportunities to strengthen teachers’ understanding ofmathematics and basic numeracy.

14. Establish a culture that celebrates the importance of mathematics and numeracy.

15. Devote sufficient resources to support changes in instructional practice.


Some considerations for the instruction of subtraction for students with Learning

Disabilities:

The most common operational skill requiring remediation for students in South Australia’s detentioncentres is subtraction. For many students this has been a significant barrier to their progress innumeracy. A majority of students are unable to subtract when numerals in the subtrahend are largerthan the corresponding numerals in the minuend, and nearly all students have difficulty once a zerois placed in the minuend.

In South Australia the preferred method of instruction for subtraction is the decomposition method,and whilst there is merit in demonstrating from where the extra values come; students with learningdisabilities tend to find this method difficult to understand and use independently, as it requires anumber of different decisions to be made depending on the numeral in the minuend i.e. asubtraction problem may require a one, two or three step procedure. Additionally, as most learningdisabled students have difficulty keeping their working out neat; this method’s visual “messiness”frequently results in place value columns being compromised.

Special Education researchers at Macquarie University recommend the equal addition method as anexcellent alternative i.e. one up one down / borrow and pay back. Anecdotally, my experienceconfirms this, with most students who have been taught this method able to accurately subtract 4digit numbers from four digit numbers within a single lesson. The equal addition method isprocedurally consistent and if a numeral in the subtrahend is larger than its corresponding numeralin the minuend “one up one down” is used. The subtraction procedure remains consistent and the isworking out remains neater.

There has been however, one possibility for confusion with this method – i.e. the “one” added to theminuend represents (depending on which column it is in) 10, 100 or 100 etc. so for example, 6 in theunits column becomes 16, while the additional “one” paid back to the subtrahend increases thevalue of that numeral in the tens column by one e.g. 7 would become 8. This is indicated by using a“1” in front of each number during the procedure and typically any confusion that arises will bearound whether this “7” becomes a “17” or an “8”.

Recently, a learning disabled student at Cavan generated a more elegant procedure which is brilliantin its simplicity. It may assist other students struggling with subtraction.

The Cavan Solution:

When the student “pays back” to the next column in the subtrahend, rather than placing a “one” infront of the number to be altered, simply cross it out and rewrite the adjusted number (n+1) below.This immediate adjustment prevents confusion:

When the student returns to work on that column, the value is clearly recorded and nofurther decisions are required.

By recording the new numeral below the subtrahend it remains visually neat.

This simple improvement removes the only element of confusion and makes this method perfect forstudents with learning disabilities or those that find the decomposition method confusing.


The comment I hear repeatedly is “How come no one ever showed me how to do it like this before-it’s simple...” Within a few sessions of reinforcement most students reach mastery. Removing thisenormous barrier improves their confidence and tends to inspire them to keep working on theirmaths skills.

Decomposition

Students may find it difficult to keep this neatly organised and it requires a number of decisions tobe made.

Equal Addition Method

As can be seen in this example:

The one in front of the 9 could be interpreted as a 19.While the one in front of the 3 might be seen as a 13?

The “Cavan Method”

Makes it very clear that the 9 becomes 10

And the 3 becomes 4.

So simple! I wish I had thought of it myself.


Staffing

All juvenile justice schools visited, acknowledged the imperative of intensive specialist support forliteracy. In order to maintain their federal funding they are required to employ Reading Specialistswho “must possess suitable qualifications for engaging in consulting, clinical, or remedial work”.There are 4 levels of reading specialist: Special Teacher of Reading, Reading Clinician, ReadingConsultant, and Reading Director/Supervisor. Reading specialists are required to have a plannedMaster’s degree, while clinicians, consultants and directors are required to have a total of 6 yearspost graduate study.

Reading Specialists: Are responsible for remedial/ corrective reading instruction and:

Identify students needing diagnosis and/or remediation. Plan programs of remediation from data gathered through diagnosis. Implement programs of remediation. Evaluate student progress in remediation. Interpret student needs and progress to the classroom teacher and the parents. Plan and implement developmental or advanced programs as necessary.

All specialists must have a Master's Degree that includes at least one course in each of the following:

The psychology of reading. Diagnostic instrumentsStandard and informal tests.

Observation and interviewprocedures.

Causes of reading disabilities. Psychology: personality,cognition, and learningbehaviours.

2 + courses in the diagnosis andcorrection of reading disabilities.

Measurement and/or evaluation. Child and/or adolescentpsychology.

Literature for children and/oradolescents.

Reading- instructional techniques. Materials and methods ofinstruction.

Diagnose and treat disability casesunder supervision.

Diagnosis and correction ofreading disabilities.

Report writing. Observation and interviewprocedures.


Paraprofessionals

In the U.S. as in South Australia, the role of the paraprofessional was very highly valued by both staffand students, with each centre employing a number of paraprofessionals to assist with curriculumdelivery. There were however, significant differences in the scope of work paraprofessionals wereable to undertake. Federal funding requirements defines the role of the paraprofessional andoutlines how, when and where they are able to work with students.

These restrictions were partly in response to some 43 (approx.) legal cases taken against schools inthe past twenty five years and to several studies indicating that schools could be consideredvulnerable to litigation on the grounds of discrimination if paraprofessionals were used to teachand assist in teaching when their educational backgrounds did not qualify them for suchresponsibilities. Additionally, it was suggested that claims based on discrimination might be possiblewhen students were passed over to paraprofessionals instead of remaining with the teacher. That is,effectively allowing the most complex and educationally needy students to spend more of theirinstructional time with paraprofessionals than with qualified teachers.

Limitations include (US Department of Education, 2004):

With the exception of facilitating computer based screening assessments,paraprofessionals are not permitted to assess student progress.

Individual instruction limited to skills practice under the direct teacher supervision. All remedial instruction must be delivered by a teacher.

Paraprofessionals are not permitted to: Provide planned direct instruction. Introduce new skills. Introduce new concepts. Introduce new academic content.

Paraprofessionals may:

Provide instructional support under the direct supervision of a qualified teacher. May provide one-on-one tutoring at a time when the student is not otherwise

receiving instruction from a teacher. May assist with classroom management, such as organizing instructional materials. Provide instructional assistance in a computer laboratory. Conduct parental involvement activities. Provide instructional support in a library or media centre. Act as a translator.

Since 2002, paraprofessionals have been required to have formal qualifications to work in U.S.schools and since 2006 have been required to meet these new standards and work within clearlydefined roles. Paraprofessionals must now have completed 2 years study at an institution of highereducation; or have an associate’s (or higher) degree; or demonstrate through a formal academicassessment, knowledge of and the ability to assist in instructing, reading, writing, and mathematics(Paraprofessionals Guidance US Department of Education, 2004). Those students deemed to requirethe most help must now only receive instruction from qualified staff.


Conclusions and recommendations:Adolescents in juvenile detention facilities have complex educational, behavioural, and mentalhealth needs. Academic outcomes achieved during incarceration have an important impact on youthafter their release and have been shown to reduce recidivism by up to 37 percent.

Recommendation 1:

Funding and staffing should be made on the basis of student need and with an understanding thatthis is a unique learning environment.

Social -Emotional Wellbeing:

Academic improvement is increased when the student’s social-emotional needs are addressed. SELprograms provide a means through which these students can become incrementally accountable forthemselves and their actions which in turn enhances criminogenic intervention outcomes.

Recommendation 2:

Social Emotional Curriculum should be implemented by the school and supported by professionalproviders.

Positive Behavioural Intervention and Supports

Positive Behavioural Interventions and Support provides an essential framework for behaviourmanagement strategies and involves the entire school population in promoting and rewardingpositive behaviours. Punitive actions fail to teach replacement behaviours.

Recommendation 3:

Priority should be given to the implementation of a centre wide PBIS program.

Family Involvement with Detention SchoolsLearning is a social process, and family involvement has a positive impact on student outcomes.Meeting with parents confirmed this to be a high priority for them.

Recommendation 4:

Efforts should be made to facilitate parental involvement with the school.

Volunteers

A number of centres utilised volunteers to support the school e.g. university students or retiredprofessionals, tradesmen and teachers.

Recommendation 5:

Consideration should be given to attracting more volunteers to work in the school.

Literacy Best Practice:36 | R a e S i n c l a i r C h u r c h i l l F e l l o w s h i p R e p o r t 2 0 1 1


Recommendation 1:




Recommendation 2:




Recommendation 3:



Recommendation 4:


Volunteers


Recommendation 5:


Literacy Best Practice:36 | R a e S i n c l a i r C h u r c h i l l F e l l o w s h i p R e p o r t 2 0 1 1


Recommendation 1:




Recommendation 2:




Recommendation 3:



Recommendation 4:


Volunteers


Recommendation 5:


Literacy Best Practice:


(Best practice guidelines differ with the level of intervention required).

Variance in student achievement at any level of reading acquisition is primarilydetermined by the amount of instruction (time) and the content of that instruction.

Common elements of “Best Practice” include:

Commitment to funding staff and resources at a level sufficient to address the remediationneeds of the students.

Employment of skilled practitioners. Screening assessment of reading as soon as possible after admission. Diagnostic assessments of reading sub-skills to formulate a written literacy plan. Daily individual intensive instruction with opportunities for sustained reading – 1 hour or

more per day.

Student with Severe Reading Disabilities

For adolescents at the initial stages of reading, intensive interventions directed at improvingphonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary and comprehension strategies are required. Interventionsneed to be targeted, coordinated, explicit, systematic, intensive and sustained. Between 50 to 100minutes of instruction per day is recommended with ample practice time. Regular formal andinformal diagnostic assessments maximise literacy gains (daily informal, weekly formal).

Struggling readersStudents with basic decoding skills, but unable to decode complex, or multisyllabic words requireinstruction that focuses on phonemic awareness, word analysis, sight word recognition, fluency,vocabulary, and strategies to encourage persistence. Effective programs emphasise: Intensive,systematic, explicit instruction, opportunities for intensive practise with controlled texts andcorrective feedback. Reading instruction of 60 minutes per day scheduled separately from regularschool coursework.

Non- Fluent ReadersThese students decode accurately but have poor fluency (usually from lack of practice) which limitscomprehension. Intervention for these students focuses on reading fluency, vocabulary knowledge,content knowledge, higher-level reasoning / thinking skills, cognitive strategies specific to readingcomprehension, motivation and engagement plus opportunities to engage in sustained supportedreading. 60 minutes daily of instruction in addition to their schedule of content classes, withopportunities for sustained engaged reading time of 40–60 minutes daily.


Numeracy Best Practice:

90 percent of young offenders are below grade level in maths and a majority are not able toaccurately use the 4 basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division). Whilst dyslexiais a commonly identified learning disability, fewer teachers are familiar with the indicators of andramifications for teaching students with dyscalculia.

Factors to consider when providing early numeracy interventions to adolescents:Unlike very young children, they bring with them an assortment of numeracy strategies that mayhave been taught or self generated as well as a number of misconceptions and incorrect and/ orinefficient procedural skills that have been reinforced over many years. “Un- learning” these can betime consuming and challenging for both the teacher and the student.

All students should have an initial screening assessment e.g. Wide Range Ability Test IV or similar.This assessment should be relatively short, easy to administer and relate to the curriculum offerings.Additional diagnostic testing should be provided to accurately identify gaps and determine if theserepresent conceptual and/or procedural deficits to better target interventions. Interventions shouldbe appropriately sequenced with regard to the hierarchical nature of mathematics instruction.Information and recommendations should inform the learning pan.

Instruction for students with low level numeracy:Instruction should aim to quickly improve foundational skills, procedural fluency and conceptualunderstanding. It should be explicit and use the teaching cycle of directed instruction, modelling oftarget skills, guided practice and independent practice. Students must receive corrective feedback.Lessons should be focussed on just one skill or concept with new information presented in smallsteps to ensure success. Adequate time for follow-up and reinforcing material should beincorporated into the next lesson.

Instruction for more competent students should:Mathematics is hierarchical; therefore, new skills must be based on understanding previouslylearned foundational skills. This may require reviewing and reteaching foundational skills. Studentsmust receive corrective feedback. In addition to the methods previously outlined, these studentsbenefit from the opportunity to apply mathematical skills to authentic problems, relevant to theirlives.

Instruction for students approaching grade level:These students benefit from access to grade level material, with high expectations for achievement.The vocabulary of numeracy should be explicitly taught. Authentic resources improve engagement,and flexible instruction with weeklong instructional units ensures all students have adequate time toconsolidate skills. Problem solving strategies should be taught explicitly. As with the other groups,correctional feedback is essential.


















The numeracy curriculum should be sufficiently flexible to cater to the broad range of needs withinthe juvenile offender population. Identifying essential skills and prioritizing these for instructionprovides a base level of skill for the most at risk students. Students with learning difficulties benefitfrom a “learn to mastery” approach to skills acquisition and need significantly more opportunities toconsolidate basic skills through review and practise each lesson. Regular formal and informalassessment should be undertaken to monitor progress.

Intensive instruction scheduled regularly over an extended period of time that targets identifiedneeds is the most effective intervention; however, any opportunities for individual instruction tosupplement regular class room instruction appears to improve student outcomes, with even fairlysmall amounts of time in an intensive intervention making a difference.


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Appendix 1: Guiding Questions

1. Function of centre/ program : (Detention, Transition, Alternative school, Re-engagementprogram, other)

2. Number of students?: (enrolled, per annum, Average length of stay)3. What is the level of funding per students?4. Class size?: (number of students per teacher)5. Are teachers supported by teacher’s aides in class?6. How much individual tuition does each student receive? Provided by whom?7. What assessment procedures are used on admission?: Who is responsible? (education,

psychological, mental health, drug/ alcohol, physical, sight, hearing, speech pathology)8. Which educational assessment tools are used? (Literacy, Numeracy)9. How is this information used to generate Learning Plans? (Who writes them? How

frequently are they reviewed?)10. How is progress tracked? (How often? By whom?)11. Number of lessons per day?12. How much time each day is spent on lit /num?13. What is the general rate of reading progress? (How is this monitored?)14. How is lit/num integrated into other subject areas?15. How are GED credits accrued? (Modularised work units, Alignment to local schools?)16. Are there any highly recommended resources? (Literacy, Numeracy)17. How do students transition from centres?18. For how long are students supported after leaving the centre?19. What qualifications if any, do staff need?20. Are “life skills” Incorporated? (Credited?)21. Behaviour Management Strategies? (school, living units, aligned/different)


Appendix 2: Background information San Francisco

1. Queen’s Bench:Nancy Sullivan Walter [email protected]

Queen's Bench Bar Association of the San Francisco Bay Area was formed in 1921 by a group ofwomen lawyers seeking to advance the interests of women in law and society. It plays an integralpart in furthering the progress of women in the legal profession and is a non-profit voluntarymembership organization made up of attorneys, judges and law students.The Queen’s Bench Juvenile hall project is an evening program that provides companionship,enrichment activities and mentoring to incarcerated adolescent girls. With histories of violentvictimisation and low self-esteem girls are encouraged to express themselves through art and music.

Girl’s Recreation Area

Visit Details:

During my visit to San Francisco I was able to attend an evening program at Juvenile Hall where thegirls participated in making corn- husk dolls. They appeared to look forward to these evenings andhad an easy rapport with the visitors. The following evening I was able to attend the AGM of theQueen’s Bench and meet a number of the lawyers and judges that have been involved in this longterm program and gained a more extensive overview of the ways in which this program assists thegirls. A particular highlight was the auctioning of a painting by one of the students from YECalongside artwork painted and donated by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. The YEC painting raisedover $300 to go towards funding the evening program at Juvenile Hall.


Appendix 3: Jacksonville PACE Center for Girls, Inc.One West Adams StreetSuite 301 Jacksonville, FL 32202Phone: 904.421.8585Fax: 904.421.8599www.pacecenter.org Contact: [email protected] (Information from website)

PACE Center for Girls, Inc. was founded in 1985. It is a community-based, gender-responsive prevention,diversion and early intervention program serving girls, ages 12-17, in 17 locations across Florida. Theprogram fulfils the Department of Juvenile Justice’s statutory requirement to provide prevention andgender-specific programming for girls.

More than 50% of the girls who attend PACE are victims of physical or sexual abuse, with many havingfailed or dropped out of school. PACE recognises the relationship between victimization and delinquencyin girls. It provides education, counselling and career planning which has resulted in girls staying in school,thereby substantially reducing the chances of them being involved in crime or entering the juvenile justicesystem.

PACE’s model has been recognised nationally for helping girls find success in school, with their familiesand in their communities by integrating education, counselling, training and advocacy. PACE wasrecognized by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Girls Study Group as the mosteffective program in the nation for keeping adolescent girls out of the juvenile justice system, and TheAnnie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Report, in a state by state analysis, recognised PACE as anational model for reducing recidivism and improving school success, employment and self sufficiencyamongst girls.

Services Provided by PACE:Initial and Ongoing Assessment: Risk factors and support requirements are assessed for each girl.

Individual Counselling: In conjunction with a counsellor, the girls develop a care plan withindividualized goals based on the assessed strengths and needs.

Academic Education: Each centre has a cooperative agreement with the local school board toprovide daily academic instruction with remedial services, individual instruction and specializededucation plans.

Gender Specific Life Management Skills Enhancement: This PACE designed curriculum, known asSPIRITED GIRLS! Is a gender-specific program designed specifically for the needs of each girl.

Parental Involvement: Staff maintains regular contact with parents through home visits, officesessions and phone contacts. Parent groups help parents assist in their daughters’ growth.

Community Volunteer Service: Girls participate in monthly volunteer service projects. Career Readiness: Job skills assessment and curriculum to build school-to-work readiness skills and

assistance with finding, applying and interviewing for job placements. Transitional Services: PACE conducts three years of comprehensive follow-up to ensure girls

continue with their education, employment or appropriate referral services.


Visit Details: Introduction to the value of gender specific programs offered to the girls and the articulationof the differences between programs for females and males i.e. “girls need to know they are beinglistened to- unless they know you are listening to them you won’t be able to do anything with them.”

Appendix 4: Ottawa William E Hay Centre

William E. Hay Centre300 Hawthorne Rd, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaContact: Gordon BoydPhone: 613-738-2104 ext. 225Email: [email protected]

This is a 40-bed residential facility serving male youth aged 12 to 17, in secure detention (pre-trial) andsecure custody (post-trial). The centre provides educational options and life skills training. In collaborationwith local school boards, the McHugh School Program teaches a variety of high school courses for credit aswell as skills-building courses, such as dry-walling, woodworking, and small engine repair.

The Centre also offers the following life skills programs:

Young Men’s Work Young Men’s Parenting Alcoholics’ Anonymous / Narcotics Anonymous Courage Program Drumming Program Social Skills and Arts Program Faith Program Anger Management Cognitive Self-Change Cognitive-based Life Skills Program

Classroom

Residential unit (from central courtyard)

Visit Details:

This centre provided an excellent example of education and training as rehabilitation. Mr Gord. Boydarticulated the change process having moved from a very old setting with a punitive focus to the


current modern facility which promotes education and training alongside responsibility andrehabilitation. Teaching staff were able to recommend maths texts that are more readily aligned tothe numeracy needs of young offenders.

Appendix 5: MinneapolisStadium View Comprehensive Detention School.510 Park Avenue South.Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415.Office 612 596-1158, Cell 612 730-1850, Fax 612 596-9989

Contact: [email protected]

The Juvenile Detention Center is an 87-bed secure detention facility for male and female offendersup to age 18 who are awaiting court disposition. In 2010, the JDC admitted more than 2,044 youthsand had an average daily population of 40 residents.

In addition to a safe and secure environment, a variety of educational programs and services areprovided at the facility. Education classes are provided daily through a partnership with theMinneapolis Public Schools and provide residents the opportunity to earn high school credits thatare transferable to their home school. Residents 18-years-old and younger who have not graduatedfrom high school or have not earned a GED are enrolled in Stadium View School.

Chaplains provide counselling and liaison services, and non-denominational worship services. Thereis a full-time medical team that provides routine and emergency medical treatment and students areable to participate in a variety of leisure and group exercise activities. All residents are given apsychological evaluation and testing on arrival. Interns and volunteers provide youth and theirfamilies with ongoing support in the community on exit.

Accommodation podVisit Details:

This school stood out for the high level of professionalism displayed by its staff and leadershipteams. The Principal, Mr Larry Lucio has transformed the school, that 10 years ago was being suedfor failing to provide adequate education to its students, to being rated amongst the top detentionschools in the USA. Procedures and practices were highly developed and reviewed and staff wereencouraged and supported to aim for excellence in their teaching. All staff were provided with iPadsand moved between classrooms. The school worked cooperatively with the families of incarcerated


students and their advocates, even going into the communities to provide families with parentteacher contact twice a year.A highlight was being able to meet with a group of parents and the advocate to discuss the impact offamily involvement for both parents and students.

Appendix 6: Lincoln Nebraska

Lancaster County Youth Services,Pathfinder Education ProgramContact: Randal Farmer at [email protected]

Lancaster County Youth Services

There are sixty residential rooms in Secure Detention and nineteen in Staff Secure. Housing isdivided into four main areas. Each area has two living units or 'pods.' Secure pods have either nine oreleven individual locked bedrooms equipped with a mattress, desk, stool, toilet, sink and intercomunit.

Rooms in Staff Secure are unlocked, carpeted and equipped with a bed, desk and chair. There is asmall common area in each pod for quiet activities, use of the phone or shower. Between every twopods is a larger multi-purpose area designed for more active indoor activities such as ping pong orfootball.

Classification into these housing units encompasses several factors including gender, size, securityrisk, and behaviour issues. One of the units is specially designed to accommodate specialmanagement concerns. It has an additional sub-day area to provide an individual secure leisure areafor potentially dangerous youth who are unable to safely interact with the general population.

Females are housed in separate living units. Contact with males occurs only during structuredprograms and activities.

Library

The Pathfinder Education Program supports both the Lincoln Public Schools Philosophy Statement,and the Academic Requirements and the Philosophy and the Mission Statement of the PathfinderEducation Program.


The Pathfinder Education Program:

The students in the Pathfinder Education Program have diverse backgrounds, interests, needs, andacademic records. The education program introduces multiple pathways which might includeearning credits toward completing a high school diploma, preparation for the General EducationDiploma testing, and Skills needed for lifelong learning. Educational opportunities allow students toenhance basic academic skills, technology, career options, and develop personal growth skillsthrough individualized instructional study programs and individually prescribed educationalprograms. Students can work towards credit recovery work, GED preparation work/testing, andpost- high school work.

The education area includes two special rooms designed for testing, individual work, and time-outuse for youth struggling with behaviour or circumstances surrounding detainment. Also included is aspecially designed room for life skills and science which contains kitchen and laundry appliances,space for science activities, and the necessary space for community volunteers to work with theyouth. All instructional areas and living units have computers with controlled internet access, closedcircuit television, VCRs and access to the cable system.

Area for Individual work and testing General Classroom

Teaching Staff:

Teachers are sensitive to the needs of high at risk youth and have an understanding of their uniqueneeds as they move through the regular school programs and the juvenile justice system. Theprogram design is based on a multiple entry and exit design for each youth. Core program includes:English, social studies, math, science, computer skills, physical education and health and run parallelwith the regular school curriculum or graduation path. Additionally the program includes fine arts,special education, GED, reading, career planning, computer assisted instruction, and life skills.

Special Considerations:The program aims to provide a rich, literate, intensive information environment, individualizedinstruction and a low teacher-student ratio with high trust relationships developed as quickly aspossible. School runs a six period day, forty minute class periods to address time on task andattention span. Attendance is mandatory with the expectation that work will be accomplishedaccording to students' individual skill and ability levels. Credit recovery is an incentive for youth toearn credit while in detention. Lincoln Public Schools offers course credit for work completed that


meets the standards of the district curriculum and the Pathfinder Program. Credit earned andattendance record becomes part of each youth's permanent school file.

Life Skills ProgramPrimarily, the groups are provided after school, in the evening hours, and on the weekend.Volunteers from the community are used extensively and businesses and organizations provideeducation in their specific areas of expertise. Professionals from within the facility e.g. the nurse andthe detention centre staff, provide education through facilitating groups. All staff members aretrained in life skills education. The success of the life skills program requires extensivecommunication between education and detention staff.(Information taken from school’s website)

Life skills/ science room

Student accommodation Bed, desk, stool, toilet

Visit Details:This school is housed in a modern facility and has high expectations of teaching staff. The Principal,Mr Randolph Farmer was committed to employing high quality teachers with high standards ofprofessionalism. The school appeared to run very smoothly with expectations around pedagogy andstudent learning clearly stated and monitored. There was a clear focus on student learning. Theschool made use of computer delivered instruction for some students who were deemed able andresponsible enough to work at their own pace with less supervision.


Appendix 7: Washington D.C. Maya Angelou See Forever Foundation Evans Campus Middle andHigh School(http://seeforever.org/the-schools/maya-angelou-academy)

Ingrid Padgett, Director of Development and Communications1436 U Street, NW, Suite 203Washington, D.C. 20009Telephone: (202) 797-8250, extension 1005Facsimile: (202) 797-8284

The See Forever Foundation supports the Maya Angelou Schools, a multi-campus collaboration oftwo successful high schools and a middle school in Washington, D.C. In addition, See Forever alsooperates the Maya Angelou Academy at New Beginnings Youth Development Center (formerlyknown as Oak Hill Youth Detention Center) – the long-term secure facility for D.C. youth who havebeen adjudicated delinquent, as well as a Transition Center to support students released from NewBeginnings with their transition back into the community. See Forever/Maya Angelou servesapproximately 600 students across its campuses.

The New Beginnings Youth Development Center (formerly, Oak Hill Youth Detention Center), is theDistrict of Columbia’s secure facility for youth who have been adjudicated delinquent andcommitted to the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS).The See Forever Foundationassumed management of the school in June 2007.

Students learn with their residential units in small classrooms of 10-15 scholars. About 50 percent ofthe students have special needs and there is great diversity in the age, skill, and ability levels ofstudents. Each classroom is equipped with both a general education teacher and an assistingleadership corps member or assistant teacher.

Teachers use a variety of instructional methods, combining direct instruction with project-based,cooperative learning strategies. All students take core curriculum subjects of English, Math, SocialStudies, and Science. These are standards-based and aligned with the standards of the District ofColumbia’s Public Schools.

Credits can be transferred when leaving the Maya Angelou Academy. Curriculum is culturallyrelevant and responsive to the needs students and the curricula and schedules for all classes andactivities are organized into eight, modular, 4-week units which take about one month to complete,enabling students on different residency schedules to complete whole units of study before leaving.Units have themes which inspire a school-wide, cross-curricular focus on: Relationships, Change,Choice, Power, Justice, Freedom, Dreams, Ethics, and Systems. These themes help support the corecurriculum material with the principles of empowerment and social action. Additionally, GEDpreparation classes are offered to those students who wish to enroll and who are at least 17 andhave passed the qualifying examination.

Results:

Improvements of 1.3 years and 1.4 years in math and reading, compared with advancing 0.5 gradelevels per year in reading and math before attending the Academy; and, students earn credits at an86 percent rate, which is more than 3 times their previous rate before attending the Academy.


Detention School:

Has small classes, individual instruction, a wide range of wraparound services, tutoring, mentoring,career preparatory programs, enrichment classes, mental health services, residential opportunitiesand college access and transition support. The school addresses the student-turnover challenge bydividing the curriculum, which is aligned with standards for the District of Columbia schools, intoone-month units and awarding one-eighth of a credit for each unit.

The school provides nearly $30,000 per student each year—twice the per pupil amount of the nonsecure Foundation schools.

Recognition:

At public charter schools 73 percent of graduates enroll in college as compared with approximately50 percent of local low- income African American high school graduates; 87 percent persist throughthe critical first year of college, and 60 percent have earned college credentials.

In a national study by Mathematica Policy Research, the Maya Angelou Public Charter School (EvansHigh School Campus) was recognized with the EPIC Silver Gain Award for producing significant gainsfor students, one of only four schools nationally to earn this distinction. The Academy has beencalled ‘one of the best’ educational programs in a correctional setting by national experts, and theturnaround at the school termed ‘remarkable.’ (Information taken from school’s website)

Maths class

Visit Details:I met with Principal Carter and a number of his staff. He described the philosophy of the school andthe way in which they employ their teachers. He also spent considerable time explaining the SELmodel used. The school is located in ward 7, Washington’s most impoverished district characterizedby gangs, homelessness and poverty.

Students are usually referred by other schools and are nearly always over age and under credit.Students are heavily supported with the social/ emotional learning focus. The school tries to initiallydeal with the mental health issues and employs mental health clinicians, not counsellors, to workwith each student. Dr. Cunningham for example, is a trained therapist while other staff membershave either a PhD or a Master’s degree in therapy. Students have a full psycho-social history BEFOREclasses start and attempts are made to involve parents in this as well.


As 80% of students have suffered significant trauma, such as the death of a parent, sibling or closefriend, as well as other abuses and neglect, counselling for grief and loss as well as trauma isprovided. This is also provided for those students who have a family history of prison involvementand or family histories of mental illness. Interventions are evidence based, age appropriate anddevelopmentally appropriate therapies. Students are seen weekly and each student has acounsellor. In addition the therapists attend class several times a week to evaluate the student’sprogress in the classroom setting. SEL is designed to remove barriers to attending, to learning etc.

Measures of success used by the school include:

State measures. Improvements in scores plus improvements against school developed goals. Regular 4 weekly assessments in the remedial class Lead indicators are the number of students leaving the centre literate and / or more literate,

attendance (88-89%) and the number of students entering into college or work programs. Consideration is being given to tracking longer term indicators of success such as non-

reoffending, entering and staying in work etc.

The school provides family care at a local facility (Hill Crest) and can refer to outside agencies if themental health issues at the home need addressing. The school firmly places the relationshipbetween student and teacher at the forefront of everything they do. Evans High is the alternativeeducation facility for the region with a maximum of about 350 students as compared to the usual1500 kids at a high school.

Intervention Block:

Students are grouped according to skills deficiency and receive 2 lessons per week skills remediationand credit recovery.

Middle school with Principal Geddis:

As with the high school, there is a significant focus on supporting student’s social and emotional wellbeing. Social Emotional Learning Pillars: (www.casel.org)

self awareness self management social awareness relationship skills decision making

These are the overarching skills that direct programs and learning alongside the educationalprograms. Success in these areas facilitates success in education. The school has 4 full timecounsellors, along with a DMH (Department of Mental Health) worker who are responsible forreactive and proactive work. Each student gets 30 mins a week of 1:1 with workers. The bigdifference is that these are specially selected to work with adolescents , are employed by the schooland therefore support the school philosophy around education and SEL, and are experts inadolescent social work.

SEL is embedded into the curriculum which includes work around issues such e.g. empathy. Studentshold "town Halls" where they can work around solving problems like bullying etc. The school also has


an SST (student support team) for each year level, which monitors truancy and attendance. Ifnecessary they will make home visits as well.

Middle school reading program

All students participate in guided reading for 1 hour a day, with students grouped by Reading Agescores (SRI) which are assessed in the first 5-6 days. There are 2 teachers with the group and whenpossible individual tuition is made available. The program used is the SFA (Success For All) and theScholastic Reading Inventory (computer based program). During school holidays the school alsohosts the FREEDOM School where “read alouds” by mentors are a significant part of the program.Students are also allowed to take home one book a week.


Appendix 8: New York City Passages Academy:Summit Academy (nonsecure) and Horizon and Crossroads Centers Secure facilities.Principal: Stephen Wilder

The NYC Department of Education (DOE) operates Passages Academy, a full time educationalprogram that tailors its curriculum to the needs of youth in detention. A fully-staffed school islocated within each of the 5 Divisions of Youth and Family Justice Secure Detention facilities.Additionally, DOE operates four schools for youth in Non-Secure Detention.

Students are assigned classes according to academic levels. Program instruction includes class workmath, science and history and English. Passages Academy also provides instruction in computers, art,music, physical and health education. Project work and hands-on activities are emphasised for thestudents with monthly projects including science fairs, poetry readings and essay contests.

A comprehensive special education program, including a resource room, speech and languageservices and psychological counselling, is provided to students with special needs. Teachers,guidance counsellors and other school staff form a team, and also help residents transition back tothe regular school system, upon release from detention. (Information taken from school’s website)

Librarians:School has recently employed 2 full time librarians across secure care sites that in addition tolibrary duties assist with the literacy requirements of core subjects by:Collaborating with teachers in planning a lesson, a unit, or a library program, helping to locate andaccess library resources, co-teaching a co-planned unit , acquiring library materials to assist teacherswith curriculum, locating library materials for recreational reading and assignments, connecting withpartners in New York's three public library systems, planning programs that support curricularthemes, interpreting and applying the Standards for 21st Century Learners in the curriculum designprocess, interweaving appropriate technology into lesson plans, providing one-on-one tutorials ininformation literacy including computer applications like Googledocs, Wiki spaces, Excel, etc.

School Librarian


Reading Program

Secure care:

2 reading specialists work exclusively with students in a 1:1 situation for up to 55 mins. Readingteachers have Master’s degrees in Special Ed. and a Masters in Reading. They make use of leveledreaders, benchmarking, measures of fluency, sight words (which have been put onto computer in apower point), extended/prolonged reading and high interest texts with audio to prolongconcentration and to give student the experience which fosters reading for pleasure. Readingteachers use these to focus students on specific aspects of the book outside the technical such as;character development and depth of understanding (Webb’s DOK). Students are introduced togroup work (groups max of 3), and work together to build writing skills. Reading teachers also writeextensive individual literacy programs for students, update IEPs (including who is responsible for thestated outcomes) as well as updating the social worker and the educational goals.

Educational social worker:

The education social worker processes intakes (induction) before students can attend school.Students are placed according to the induction information. The social worker is also responsible fortracking transcripts from other schools. If a student is removed from class, the teacher, student,social worker, the A.P. and /or youth worker can and will call parents. Parents are involved with theschool and there are twice yearly parent days/evenings attended by the entire staff.

Each student has a social worker who manages the transition process and organizes:

Mental health- mental health team is attached to the school, consists of a school employedpsychologist to work across the academy, social worker and mental health counselor.

General health referrals also go through the social worker. Up to a third of the girls are on meds of some description. Girls make up about 23 /97 kids

Passages Academy NYCVisit Details: This school was extraordinary in its focus on improving literacy. Principal StephenWilder has shown great vision and commitment to introducing the school wide changes necessary tofacilitate literacy improvements. Although these changes are relatively recent there have beensignificant improvements to student outcomes already.


Appendix 9: Judge J Connelly Youth Center BostonContact: Christine Kenny Director of education Massachusetts

The centre offers GED programs and high school credits and has an average length of stay of about8-12 months. The majority of students at the time of my visit were independent readers. Studentnumbers were very small as major renovations were being undertaken and efforts had been madeto release as many students as possible for Christmas. The remainder of students were in the stepdown program and either out at work or attending their local school.

Detention numbers have reduced by half over the last few years with more and more studentsbeing adjudicated into non-secure facilities or diversionary programs. The Step -Down programallows students to reintegrate prior to release so students are able to attend their regular school orwork then return to the centre at night. Within the centre these students also have considerablymore freedoms/privileges.

Residents go through (up to) a 45 day orientation/ induction program at the Assessment Centre,during which time students are orientated and assessed for physical and mental healthrequirements. A team meeting is then called to discuss treatment options. Prior to attending schoolthe Special Ed. teacher carries out educational assessments using a variety of tests both at thescreening and diagnostic levels. A detailed learning plan is generated by Special Ed. teacher alongwith the literacy plan.

All teachers in detention schools in the state of Massachusetts are required to have or be activelyworking towards a master’s degree and are given five years to gain it or their contracts are revoked.All Special Ed. and Reading Specialists are required to have a master’s degree as a prerequisite foremployment.

Within Massachusetts, any child that has been involved with the juvenile justice system remainsunder the auspices of the state government until they are 18 and sometimes up to 21, regardless ofhow old they are at the time of the offence. I.e. a 10 year old will be monitored for 8 years or more.

Judge J. Connelly Youth Center Boston


Appendix 10: Fraser Park Secondary Detention School Vancouver

BC Ministry of Children & Family Developmentwww.mcf.gov.bc.ca/youth_justice/burnaby_centre.htm

Address:7900 Fraser Park DriveBurnaby, BCV5J 5H1

Description:Students attend from both secure custody and open custody units for both male and female youth incustody by way of remand order or sentence. Referrals are through the youth court. Services includea school program operated by the Burnaby School District, health care services, psychologicalservices, an alcohol and drug program, Aboriginal liaison workers, a multicultural worker, religiousservices, recreational activities, and a volunteer program.B.C.’s youth custody rates have fallen 75 per cent since 1996 from a high of 400 to an average of 105in 2011. Female youth in custody are to be relocated to Burnaby as part of a cut back andcentralization of youth prison services in B.C. The centralization of girl’s services is intended tocreate a larger grouping of girls and permit the development gender specific programs. Youth incustody places in B.C. will drop from 162 to 132 when this is implemented in January 2012. Theprovince’s three youth detention centres are currently 65 per cent full. (Information taken fromschool website)

Principal Chris Lekakis at Fraser Park Secondary School (Burnaby Youth Detention)

Visit Details: This school had excellent maths and science programs and teaching staff wereparticularly generous in providing me with access to these. Leadership was committed to studentlearning excellence and this was evident in their classroom practice. I was fortunate to be able toattend their Christmas lunch and spend time in a less formal environment with the staff.


Appendix 11: Victoria Youth Custody Centre- Vancouver Island:

Youth custody services house young offenders who have been ordered by the court to serve aperiod of time in open or secure custody or for youth who have been detained in custody pendingfurther court appearances. Youth may be held in custody centers for all types of offences, rangingfrom persistent property offences to serious violent offences.

Youth are sentenced by the court to either secure or open custody. Secure custody is for youth whohave been found guilty of serious offences or for youth who have a persistent pattern of offendingand cannot be reasonably supervised in a community setting or in open custody. Open custody is foryouth who are not appropriate for placement in a community setting but who can manageeffectively with less stringent controls and greater privileges within an open custody centre. Youthwill be placed in open or secure custody based on various factors, including seriousness of theoffence, the youth's prior court history, and previous behaviour while in custody and response tosupervision in the community.

Each youth custody services centre has a probation officer and case managers assigned to work withthe youth while they are in custody. The process is on-going and reviewed with consultation with theyouth, parent/guardian, and other involved persons (e.g., community probation officer, socialworker, program staff etc.). Case management for youth involved with the justice systemcommences and terminates with all continuous youth court orders requiring supervision.

Programs available to youth in custody fall into four categories:

1. Basic Programs address the basic needs of youth. Youth in custody have a right to receive theseprograms and services in accordance with legislative requirements and/or national and internationalstandards. Examples of basic programs include education, religious, recreational/ leisure programsand family visits.

2. Core Programs provide structured, interactive processes for individuals and groups of youth andare designed to directly influence beliefs, attitudes, lifestyles and skill deficits known to contribute tounlawful behavior. Core Programs are led by staff members and/or other professionals. Examples ofcore programs include substance abuse management, youth violence intervention and life skills.

3. Specialized Programs respond to distinct needs of particular youth or categories of youth. Theseinclude services for Aboriginal youth, female youth, violent offenders and youth requiring mentalhealth services or drug and alcohol counseling.

4. Reintegration Programs support a youth's return to the community through the provision ofcommunity based services. These programs include Intensive Support and Supervision andcommunity transition beds.


The Native Liaison aims to:

As part of creating a culturally supportive environment at VYCC the Native Liaison provides one toone support as well as culturally appropriate programming.

Increase cultural awareness of youths and staff at the VYCC Connect youths with familiesand resources prior to release.

Maintain and/or strengthen bonds between the VYCC, Native Communities and youths incare.

Assist in programming, care plans and release planning for youths in care. Support youths on the "Intensive Support and Supervision Program”.

Programs offered:

Smudging and talking circles - offered at least once a week for each unit, and as needed onan individual basis.

Rediscovering Histories of Spirits and Nations - a 6 week intensive program addressingcolonization, its effects on youths, and strategies for decolonization, offered 2-3 times a yearbased on volunteer availability.

Drum healing - offered individually as needed. Workshops/presentations i.e. : Indigenous Peoples and Drug Use, affirmations,

environmental videos, offered ongoing as needed. Arts and crafts - various projects such as drum making, dream catchers, talking sticks etc,

offered ongoing as needed. Reintegration Leaves - accompanying youths in care on cultural outings in the community to

support transition, offered ongoing as needed.

Details re: Aboriginal detention BC Vancouver Island

Aboriginal youth make up 47% of kids in custody but only 8% of general population. 64% have experienced abuse. 50% of girls have self harmed, 40% of Boys have self harmed. 100% have smoked marijuana, 90% have used illegal drugs, and 99% have used alcohol. 92% have been expelled from school. 95% report school in custody has been helpful. 78% have been in the care of the government. 20% suffer from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. 20% at risk of suicide (compared with the usual 11% in general pop). 72% of youth in custody have a disability. 20% are high risk for suicide compared with the 11% of general pop.

(Information taken from school’s website)

Aboriginal Ceremony


Accreditation: This centre has recently have passed accreditation although it needed to undertakethe U.S.A. accreditation process as there is no existing standard in Canada.

School has 5.5 teachers, plus the Aboriginal liaison.

Open custody: Students are able to open doors within the centre; but remain separate from thesecure care population, and go out to work. Students can also be paid to work in work partiesaround the centre e.g. gardening etc. As students move up the behaviour levels they also earn moremoney per hour for the work they do.

Volunteers: About 100 volunteers work across the centre over the period of a year. Most areuniversity students who need to do some work placement but are utilized to help with programs e.g.social work students, psychology students, and teacher ed. students.

Victoria Youth Custody Centre Vancouver Island