A single site examination of juvenile corrections education: From principle and pedagogy to practice

Most incarcerated juvenile offenders have progressed through an often disconnected system of alternative education that may begin with in school suspension, removal to district alternative education programs (DAEPs), referral to juvenile justice alternative education programs (JJAEP) and ultimately to state run juvenile corrections facilities, typically operated by a state’s Youth Authority (YA) or Youth Commission (YC). Correctional education programs are guided by contrasting theories of correction and education, often creating a gap in student learning. According to one Youth Authority, 30-70% of their system’s juvenile inmates are serviced by Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), predominantly for Learning Disabilities and Emotional Disorders (ED), further emphasizing the need to understand juvenile corrections education programming. The purpose of this study was evaluate the curriculum and teacher practices at the Ardmore Boot Camp1 facility, located in a southwestern state, to identify variables that may impact inmate academic achievement in the correctional setting. The contextual framework for this evaluation was a combination of Differential Association Theory, Social Learning Theory, and the CIPP Evaluation model. A variety of data sources was analyzed, such as test scores, program records, surveys, interviews, and student level data will be analyzed. A descriptive analysis was conducted using student pre- and post-test scores from the TABE for male residents of the Ardmore Boot Camp from November, 2003 to April, 2007 (n=186), using a 3X2 repeated measures General Linear Model design with Independent Variables (IV) of student TABE scores at Time 1 and Time 2 and Dependent Variables (DV) including Race and Special Education eligibility. Teacher instructional practices and opportunity to learn were evaluated using Porter’s model of opportunity to learn. Program documents were analyzed and compared to established domain standards. Results of this evaluation assist in the development of a framework of juvenile corrections education programming. Results may also inform correctional education programming and policy.