A literature review of the academic characteristics of incarcerated youth and the academic correctional education programs serving them was conducted.The outcomes of the review indicated incarcerated adolescents function in the low-average to below-average range of intelligence, perform academically between fifth- and ninth-grade levels, and have histories of high rates of academic failure and grade retention.The predominant feature of correctional education academic programs serving these youth is a broad continuum of curricular offerings, ranging from elementary school to postsecondary school levels. However, the availability of special education services for youth with disabilities varies from state to state. Effective instructional strategies for incarcerated youth appear to be direct instruction and tutoring-based approaches. Implications of the findings for program development are discussed.
Alternative education programs are often viewed as individualized opportunities designed to meet the educational needs for youth identified as at-risk for school failure. Increasingly, these programs have been identified as programs for disruptive youth who have been referred from traditional schools. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of the administrative structures and physical facilities of alternative education programs and to describe the student population and educational services being offered to youth attending such programs. The findings suggest programs appear to be largely site-based programs, often operating in physical facilities with limited access to academic supports. The student population appears to be mostly high school students with a large portion of students identified as disabled. The general education curriculum is reported as a predominant course of study among alternative schools, supplemented with vocational education. Students appear to be provided with a number of school and community support activities. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
The purpose of this study was to examine secondary school principals'
self-perceptions of their professional development needs to serve
as school leaders of collaborative-based approaches to the delivery
of educational services. Telephone interviews were conducted with
13 secondary school principals who volunteered to participate in
this study. Approximately 40% of the principals indicated a need for
additional training in methods for empowering and supporting teachers
in collaborative activities. The principals also reported the need for
professional development in areas of conflict resolution and development
of school-community partnerships, particularly as partners in interagency
systems of care. Implications for the professional development of school
administrators are discussed.
Individualized education programs (IEP) of 107 junior high students with behavioral disorders were reviewed. The review focused on the current types of behavior problems displayed by the students and the types and frequencies of the annual goals listed for each of the students. An average of 2.4 behavior problems were noted per student, while an average of approximately 4 goals were listed for each. There was a low correlation between the nature of the problems cited and the goals stated. The implications of these findings for an understanding of educational services for students with behavioral disorders and as a basis for change in current practices are discussed. HE PASSAGE OF The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) introduced the concept of an individualized education program (IEP) as documentation of the provision of a free appropriate education for students with disabilities. The intent of the requirement that an IEP be written on each student identified as disabled was that the focus of intervention needed to be placed on the individual rather than broader group needs. IEPs were intended to represent each student's right for a specially designed program. The primary intent of the IEP was based on the notion that the student &dquo;drives&dquo; the educational program rather than the program driving the student (Harvey, 1978). The document itself was to be developed by a team comprised of teachers, a school administrator, the parents, and, where appropriate, the student. Following a careful analysis of discussion and relevant diagnostic data, the multidisciplinary team was to write an IEP that would reflect the student's educational needs.
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