NCJ Number
63001
Date Published
1978
Length
42 pages
Annotation
THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN FLORIDA'S TRAINING SCHOOLS AND START CENTERS FOR JUVENILES WERE EVALUTED USING ACHIEVEMENT TEST DATA ON ALL STUDENTS FURLOUGHED FROM THE SCHOOLS DURING THE LAST 6 MONTHS OF 1977.
Abstract
THE FOUR TRAINING SCHOOLS AND FIVE START CENTERS ARE FLORIDA'S PROGRAMS WITH IN-HOUSE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENTS FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENTS. THE PROGRAMS ARE OPERATED BY THE YOUTH SERVICES PROGRAM OFFICE OF THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND REHABILITATION SERVICES. THE EVALUATION SOUGHT TO ASSESS THE BASIC SKILLS ACHIEVEMENT, VOCATIONAL TRAINING, PLACEMENT FOLLOWING FURLOUGH, AND FOLLOWUP FOR THE STUDENTS. PRETESTS AND POSTTEST SCORES OF ACHIEVEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT WERE USED IN THE EVALUATION. THE TRAINING SCHOOL STUDY POPULATION OF 1,256 STUDENTS WAS 88 PERCENT MALE AND 57 PERCENT BLACK. OVER THREE-FIFTHS WERE 16-YEARS OLD OR OLDER WHEN THEY LEFT THE TRAINING SCHOOLS. A TOTAL OF 90 STUDENTS, AVERAGING 15.7-YEARS OLD, FURLOUGHED FROM START CENTERS WERE STUDIED. RESULTS SHOWED THAT TRAINING SCHOOL YOUTHS SHOWED FAVORABLE PROGRESS IN READING, LANGUAGE PERFORMANCE, AND ESPECIALLY MATH. A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE HAD SEVERE READING DISABILITIES. AT THREE OF THE START CENTERS, STUDENTS MADE LARGE GAINS IN TEST SCORES, BUT AT ONE CENTER READING ABILITY DECLINED AND GAINS IN MATH AND LANGUAGE WERE MINIMAL. ONLY 43 PERCENT WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT AFTER FURLOUGH FROM TRAINING SCHOOLS, WHILE 37 PERCENT WERE NOT PLACED IN EITHER A JOB OR SCHOOL. AMONG STATE CENTER YOUTHS OVER AGE 16, 28 PERCENT WERE NOT PLACED IN SCHOOLS OR JOBS. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT (1) THESE PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE BASIC SKILLS, (2) MONITORING PROCEDURES BE EXPANDED TO ENSURE OPTIMAL EVALUATION OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE, (3) EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS BE MORE CLOSELY EXAMINED TO DETERMINE CAUSES OF WIDE VARIATION IN STUDENT PERFORMANCE, AND (4) JOB PREPARATION AND JOB PLACEMENT SERVICES RECEIVE GREATER EMPHASIS. TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)