National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk
April 2007
SPOTLIGHT: Professional Developement
Title I, Part D State Coordinator's Orientation Handbook
The Center's newest product, the Title I, Part D State Coordinator's Orientation Handbook, provides an overview of the Part D program and the roles and responsibilities of a Title I, Part D coordinator. The handbook attempts to address basic as well as advanced questions that new coordinators and staff members working with Part D programs may have about topics such as funding, reporting, monitoring, and planning. more »
Title I, Part D Jeopardy
This Jeopardy PowerPoint helps test your knowledge of Title I, Part D regulations and common N or D issues through a series of 25 True or False questions. When played as a slide show, the presentation becomes an interactive game as questions of different categories and values are chosen. State coordinators may use this new tool as a dynamic way to educate new N or D directors on the Title I, Part D statutes. more »
Six Tips for Planning a Successful Statewide Conference
Statewide conferences offer a unique opportunity for program coordinators to disseminate information, provide training, share successful strategies, and form collaborative ventures. To help you plan your own statewide conference, NDTAC gathered recommendations and resources from several Title I, Part D coordinators and other professionals seasoned in planning State or regional N or D-related conferences. In this document, we consolidate information from these veterans into six detailed recommendations and provide links to sample materials and resources. more »
Title I, Part D Glossary
Heard of an "IEP," but not quite sure what it is? Have trouble distinguishing between a "juvenile detention" and a "juvenile corrections" program? Particularly for those new to the Part D program, the number of specialized terms and acronyms used in reference to the field of N or D education can seem overwhelming. But becoming conversant with these terms is an important first step towards untangling the complexities of the law. The Title, I, Part D Glossary provides a quick reference guide to the terms commonly used in Part-D-related law, guidance, and other resources. more »
January 2007
SPOTLIGHT: Drop Out Prevention and Students At Risk of Academic Failure
At-Risk Portal
NDTAC ’s new At-Risk Portal is home to the Center’s prevention resources devoted to youth defined as at risk. In the Portal you will find reports and briefs that examine various risk factors affecting youth; population data and other statistics; prevention and intervention strategies; resources written by and for NDTAC; and further readings on youth at risk for academic failure. more »
Students Highly At Risk of Dropping Out: Returning to School After Incarceration
Youth transitioning from juvenile justice facilities back to their local public school system are an often overlooked segment of the at-risk population. Successful transition to a public school, however, does not come easily, as youth reentering their communities need an array of support services to help them get back on their feet. This NDTAC Issue Brief addresses the challenges of transitioning youth highly at-risk of dropout, provides readers with advice from the field, and highlights a few innovative practices for successful transition. more »
Legislation and Interagency Relationships Aid in the Successful Transfer of Student Records
Effective records transfer procedures provide the best possible start for incarcerated or neglected juveniles transitioning to a new placement. Two important components of successful records transfer procedures are advantageous Federal or State legislation and collaborative relationships between and among schools, courts, and agencies. This brief discusses how legislation and interagency relationships work together to aid in student transitions. more »
November 2006
SPOTLIGHT: Family Involvement (continued)
Working With Families of Children in the Juvenile Justice and Corrections Systems: A Guide for Education Program Leaders, Principals, and Building Administrators
Research shows that involving families in institutional settings may help maximize the educational experiences of youth who are neglected or delinquent while in care, as well as improve their transition to community education or work programs upon release. Designed for the juvenile justice program director and school administrator, this new guidebook presents strategies to help increase family involvement in the institutions that educate youth who are neglected or delinquent. more »
Family Involvement in the Field
An area of increasing concern in the juvenile justice community is how to involve families throughout the process of a youth’s incarceration. Experience in the field shows that involving families is not an easy undertaking, but is possible. This article describes areas of opportunity for family involvement, as well as current practices in three States, with practical strategies for facilitating family participation in the juvenile justice system. more »
NDTAC Issue Brief: Family Involvement
Experts have found that family involvement is correlated with successful transition and reduced recidivism. This NDTAC Technical Issue Brief provides the research basis for involving families in the juvenile justice process. more »
Strategies To Engage Families
Although documented that parent and family involvement in a student’s schooling has a positive impact on student and school outcomes, involving parents and families can be an on-going challenge for youth who are neglected and delinquent or at risk and placed outside of their home and community. While these challenges may be significant, there are a number of practical strategies available for establishing communication and building relationships among the school or facility, students, and family members. more »
September 2006
SPOTLIGHT: Mentoring
The Mentoring Toolkit: Resources for Developing Programs for Incarcerated Youth
NDTAC’s Mentoring Toolkit provides an overview of mentoring research, insight into the special needs of incarcerated youth, and practical strategies for designing mentoring programs to meet those needs. more »
NDTAC Technical Issue Brief: Mentoring Youth Who Are Delinquent or High Risk
The Center’s latest Technical Issue Brief explores the state of research on mentoring programs for youth currently in or at risk of involvement in the juvenile justice system and offers several ways in which programs have adapted mentoring best practices to successfully work with this unique population. more »
NDTAC Innovative Practice Brief: Aftercare for Indiana through Mentoring (AIM)
This Innovative Practice Brief offers an overview of the AIM program, which provides statewide mentoring support for delinquent youth. more »
August 2006
SPOTLIGHT: Family and Parental Involvement
NDTAC Issue Brief: Family Involvement
Experts have found that family involvement is correlated with successful transition and reduced recidivism. This NDTAC Technical Issue Brief provides the research basis for involving families in the juvenile justice process. more »
Strategies To Engage Families
Although documented that parent and family involvement in a student's schooling has a positive impact on student and school outcomes, involving parents and families can be an on-going challenge for youth who are neglected and delinquent or at risk and placed outside of their home and community. While these challenges may be significant, there are a number of practical strategies available for establishing communication and building relationships among the school or facility, students, and family members. more »
June/July
2006
SPOTLIGHT: Reading Literacy
NDTAC Issue Brief: Reading Literacy
Many youth involved in the juvenile justice system struggle academically. Although poor school attendance plays a part in the underachievement of this population, a larger issue may be that these students never fully mastered reading. Evidence suggests that their period of incarceration can be an excellent opportunity for students to reengage educationally. Research also suggests that the consequences for youth who continue to lack adequate literacy skills upon release can be severe. In order to best prepare students for success following incarceration, juvenile facilities should make reading instruction a cornerstone of their education programming. more »
Innovative Practice: READ 180
Publishers, researchers, and practitioners have developed a number of literacy intervention programs to address the issues of struggling adolescent readers, and several of these programs are in use with students who are neglected or delinquent. This month, NDTAC highlights one such program, READ 180, which has been adopted by some U.S. Department of Education grantees to raise the reading achievement levels of middle and high school-aged students in Title I schools. Publisher-led research also suggests that the program has positive results for students. more »
April/May 2006
SPOTLIGHT: Pre-Post Assessments
A Brief Guide for Selecting and Using Pre-Post Assessments
NDTAC has developed a guide titled A Brief Guide for Selecting and Using Pre-Post Assessments for State, agency, and/or facility administrators who provide education for children and youth who are neglected, delinquent (N or D), or at risk. The guide provides basic information about the ideal characteristics of a pre-post test and highlights important features to consider when requesting and evaluating information from test publishers. more »
The NDTAC Assessment Toolkit: Measuring Student Academic Performance
The Assessment Toolkit is designed to help State administrators and local program managers track and improve their academic assessment procedures and results for students who are neglected or delinquent. The toolkit includes an overview of the benefits of collecting and using academic assessment data; a variety of data collection materials, including interactive electronics tables and graphs; and a discussion of how to use the results of the data collection to guide educational programming at the student, facility, and State levels. more »
A Look at Legislation: Common Pre-Post Assessments
Realizing the importance of adequately evaluating and reporting the academic performance of youth involved in the juvenile justice system and the value of consistency between facilities, some States have mandated the use of a common or preapproved pre-post assessment test for Title I, Part D facilities and programs. This piece examines legislation in both Florida and California that is designed to improve program accountability through consistent evaluation of students’ academic achievement in facilities and programs for youth who are N or D. more »
March 2006
SPOTLIGHT: Title I, Part D Data Reporting
NDTAC Instructional Guide to Reporting Title I, Part D Data in the Consolidated State Performance Report—School Year 2004–2005
The NDTAC Instructional Guide to Reporting Title I, Part D Data was developed by NDTAC as a tool to help guide reporting at the State level. The guide provides detailed instructions on how to complete the Title I, Part D reporting requirements and is now available. more »
Title I, Part D Nonregulatory Guidance
This month, the U.S. Department of Education released new nonregulatory guidance for the Title I, Part D program, which replaces the prior 1997 guidance. The new guidance describes the requirements of the Subpart 1 (State agency) and Subpart 2 (local education agency) programs, as well as the evaluation requirements of Subpart 3. more »
January/February 2006
SPOTLIGHT: Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
NDTAC Issue Brief: PBIS
How can schools and juvenile justice facilities decrease discipline and antisocial behavior problems and create environments conducive to teaching and learning? A systematic approach to positive behavior support and discipline has long been the standard approach to classroom management used by successful practitioners. These practitioners create environments using positive strategies and processes that facilitate socially competent behaviors rather than just punish inappropriate behaviors. more »
PBIS in Juvenile Justice Settings
As data showing the successes of the PBIS model in both schools and institutions
spreads, more neglected and delinquent facilities are becoming interested
in the possibilities of PBIS for their populations. Two institutions that
have implemented PBIS with dramatic results are the Iowa Juvenile Home (IJH)
in Toledo, Iowa and the Illinois Youth Center (IYC) in Harrisburg, Illinois.
In this article, NDTAC highlights how PBIS was implemented, how it works,
and what the results have been at each of these facilities. more »
December 2005
SPOTLIGHT: Monitoring
Monitoring 101
All State and local N or D programs will be monitored by the U.S. Department of Education within the next 3 years. Do you know what to expect? Would you like to find out more about monitoring procedures that are conducted by the U.S. Department of Education? If so, take a look at our "Monitoring 101" guide. more »
Preparing for Federal Monitoring—Suggestions From States
As a State education agency (SEA), how do you prepare for Federal monitoring? How should you approach the planning process, and what are important planning activities? What can you learn from States that have been monitored previously? Read this summary of the Department of Education’s April 2004 Title I Monitoring Web cast to learn eight tips for readying your SEA for Federal monitoring. more »
The Consent Decree Experience: Interview With the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (GDJJ)
To learn about how the GDJJ was able to achieve and maintain its goal of Federal compliance in education after coming under a consent decree in 1997, NDTAC interviewed Dr. Tom O’Rourke, the DJJ’s Associate Superintendent of Educational Programming. Dr. O’Rourke shared the steps the DJJ took to overcome some of the challenges it faced and offered advice to other States at risk for being investigated. more »
August/September 2005
SPOTLIGHT:
Data Collection
Self-Study Toolkit: Collecting and Using Data
Programs funded by Title I, Part D are required to be evaluated at least once every 3 years to determine how well they help students improve their educational achievement and prepare for a successful transition into the community. Meeting the evaluation and reporting requirements of Title I, Part D necessitates effectively collecting and using student data. Fortunately, collecting mandated student demographic and achievement data can also help improve the quality of the programming offered at your facility. Use the NDTAC Data Collection Module to learn more about collecting and using high quality student data. more »
E-Rate Funds Available for Communication and Technology Needs
The Federal E-Rate program provides subsidies to public and private schools, libraries, and consortia of libraries to help with the purchase of telecommunications services, Internet access, and internal networking equipment. This article provides an overview of the program and includes information to help your local education agency or facility take advantage of this funding opportunity to develop electronic data systems and expand opportunities for the education of youth who are neglected or delinquent (N or D). more »
July 2005
SPOTLIGHT: HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS
Self-Study Toolkit: Highly Qualified Teachers
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) mandates all teachers in core academic areas, regardless of grade level, be highly qualified by the end of the 2005–2006 school year. Use the NDTAC Teacher Quality Module to learn more about teacher quality resources and to determine how your facility is doing in terms of staffing highly qualified teachers. more »
June 2005
SPOTLIGHT: NEGLECTED YOUTH
National Foster Care Month
National Foster Care Month is a call to action for foster parents, volunteers, mentors, employers, and others on behalf of the children and youth in the foster care system. Learn more about the history of this national effort and how you can get involved. more »
State Legislation Impacting the Education of Children and Youth in Foster Care
Children and youth in the foster care system face many challenges not encountered by the general population. Recent statutes have been enacted at the State level to improve the quality of education services made available to children and youth while they are in the foster care system. Learn more about what some States are doing to improve the education of these youth. more »
May 2005
SPOTLIGHT: CURRICULA
Self-Study Toolkit: Academic Assessment and Curricula
Academic assessment is an integral part of any student’s educational experience. Consistently updating the academic achievement levels of students in juvenile justice facilities is especially important. Use the NDTAC Academic Assessment and Curricula Module to determine how successful your facility is at assessing student achievement and providing standardized curricula. more »
Curricula for Youth in Detention
California's Santa Clara University merges ethics with language arts to create a new curriculum that maps to State standards, and according to Bob Michels at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at the University, it's being used in more than 215 schools. more »
April 2005
SPOTLIGHT: SPECIAL POPULATIONS
IDEA and the Juvenile Justice System: A Factsheet
NDTAC provides a factsheet on the primary components of the Individuals with Disabilties Education Act (IDEA) and discusses the prevalence of youth with disabilities in the juvenile justice system. more>>
IEP Resource Guide
The process to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each student with a disability is a fundamental part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The IEP is a written document that provides the educational and supportive foundation for the special educational services that the student will receive. NDTAC has compiled resources on Federal regulations, IEP definitions, process walkthroughs, guidance on effective IEP construction, and more. more>>>
Self-Study Toolkit: Comprehensive Assessment Module
It is estimated that between 30 and 50 percent of incarcerated juveniles have a learning disability, at least four times the proportion of the public school population. A comprehensive assessment of students upon entry to a new facility is vital in determining student needs and correctly developing student-specific programming. Use the NDTAC Comprehensive Assessment Module to determine how successful your facility is at assessing students at entry. more>>>
March 2005
SPOTLIGHT: STATE PLANS AND COLLABORATION
State Plans for Title I, Part D
NDTAC outlines the requirements for the Title I, Part D State plan and includes a State Plan Checklist. Excerpts from various States are used as examples of what to include for each subsection. more>>>
Formalizing Connections Between Corrections and Education: Maine's Reintegration Teams
NDTAC spotlights Maine's legislation that formalizes a specific procedure for transitioning students by requiring every school district to convene a formal reintegration team for each student who returns to public school from residential care in the State of Maine. more>>>
Transition Toolkit: Communication, Cooperation, Collaboration
Use the NDTAC Transition Toolkit to learn how to better communicate and collaborate with other stakeholders involved in the education and transition of youth who are neglected or delinquent. more>>>
January/February 2005
SPOTLIGHT: TRANSITION AND ACCREDITATION
Nebraska's Rule 18 Accreditation
NDTAC spotlights one State's approach to ensuring credits earned at interim-program schools transfer toward high school diplomas at local educational agencies: accreditation through Nebraska's Rule 18. All four of Nebraska's detention centers are Rule 18 accredited. more>>>
Self-Study Toolkit: Records Transfer and Maintenance
Use the NDTAC Records Transfer Module to determine how successful your facility is at transferring student records. more>>>
NOVEMBER 2004
SPOTLIGHT: MONITORING, PBDMI
Federal Monitoring
A key component of Title I, Part D is the monitoring of States by the Federal Government to assess their compliance with No Child Left Behind (NCLB). more>>
Performance Data Management at the Federal Level: A Look at the Performance-based Data Management Initiative (PBDMI)
The U.S. Department of Education is improving the exchange of performance data between State education agencies (SEAs) and the Federal Government through PBDMI. This initiative brings the U.S. Department of Education, SEAs, and industry partners together to improve the quality and timeliness of education information through the Education Data Exchange Network (EDEN). more>>>
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2004
SPOTLIGHT: EXISTING MATERIALS
The Office Of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
The OJJDP provides national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization. more>>>
ACCESS Center
The Access Center for Improving Outcomes for All Students K-8 is a national technical assistance center funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). more>>>
Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF)
Since 1948, AECF has worked to build better futures for disadvantaged children and their families in the United States. more>>>
Technical Assistance Partnership
The Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health operates under a contract with the Federal Center for Mental Health Services to provide community driven technical assistance to grant communities funded by the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program. The goal of the Technical Assistance Partnership is to support grant communities in their efforts to successfully develop and implement local systems of care. more>>>
JULY 2004
SPOTLIGHT: ENHANCING EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
Corrections Learning Network Expands Education of Confined Audiences
For many delinquent youth in restricted facilities, exposure to educational resources and transition-based information can be limited. Distance learning programs can provide valuable resources for juvenile populations who would otherwise not have access to such information within the juvenile and adult correctional facilities in which they are placed. more>>>
Performance-based Standards (PbS) for Youth Correction and Detention Facilities
In 1994, the results of OJJDP’s study on the conditions of confinement in juvenile justice facilities brought to light a disconcerting situation: Juvenile correction and detention facilities were not guaranteed to be safe or more productive for youth, despite their strides to strictly conform to existing standards. In response, OJJDP approached the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators (CJCA) to develop and implement a set of performance-based standards for juvenile correction and detention facilities. Read more about the PbS system. more>>>
JUNE 2004
SPOTLIGHT: PENNSYLVANIA
Spotlight on Pennsylvania: Internal and External Collaboration Aims To Improve Transition Planning
Every day youth who are delinquent make the transition back to their homes, communities, schools, or jobs. Whether or not that transition is successful depends upon the services and programs provided to youth by the juvenile justice system. The Pennsylvania juvenile justice system decided it must go through its own transition process to improve the facilitation of transition services for this population. more>>>
The Case-Closing Project: An Evaluation of BARJ in Pennsylvania
The Case-Closing Project evaluation, conducted by the Pennsylvania-based National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ), looks at outcomes of balanced and restorative justice (BARJ) programs in 13 counties in Pennsylvania. BARJ programs seek to provide the victim, the community, and offender “balanced attention” and address community protection, offender accountability, and the development of competencies. Learn more about The Case Closing Project that evaluates the use of BARJ principles in Pennsylvania. more>>>
The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Project in Pennsylvania
Girls in the juvenile justice system have much higher rates of physical abuse, sexual abuse, trauma, and mental health disorders than boys. The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Project is a gender-specific program in Pennsylvania that targets the area of mental health for juvenile female offenders. The 15-week curriculum developed through the PTSD Project at the Alternative Rehabilitative Communities’ Zimmerman Home for girls is designed to help girls work through their traumatic experiences in a group setting and learn to cope with PTSD. more>>>
MAY 2004
SPOTLIGHT: ARIZONA
The Arizona Detention Project (ADTP)
ADTP addresses the transfer of youth with disabilities and their education records across public schools, detention centers, community and employment agencies, and juvenile and adult corrections. more>>>
Arizona's Secure Care Education Committee (SCEC)
Arizona's SCEC has developed the Merging Two Worlds curriculum to develop transition and reintegration skills for students in the juvenile justice system. more>>>
Arizona's Building Blocks Initiative
The Building Blocks Initiative is part of a nationwide effort to combat disproportionate minority representation in the juvenile justice system using community partnerships and developing funding strategies to implement recommendations. more>>>
Arizona: Merging Two Worlds
Merging Two Worlds is a transition and career exploration and planning curriculum designed to help students prepare for reintegration into the community, school, or workforce upon release from a secure care environment. more>>>
APRIL 2004
SPOTLIGHT: ALTERNATIVE MODELS
Character Based Literacy Program (CBLP): A Curriculum for Youth in Detention
CBLP focuses on replacing antisocial behaviors, thoughts, and values with prosocial behaviors, thoughts, and values. The curriculum was developed at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University and used in over 215 schools in 3 States. more>>>
The Alternative Schools Accountability Model (ASAM) in California
ASAM is an accountability system developed for alternative schools in the State of California. ASAM provides the tools to assess student and school performance measures by mandating a standardized, uniform evaluation model of data that also gives some flexibiility in reporting to diverse institutions. more>>>
Florida's Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement Program (JJEEP)
The mission of JJEEP is to ensure that each student assigned to a juvenile justice program in Florida receives high quality and comprehensive educational services that increase the student's potential for future success. more>>>