NCJ Number
222958
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 70 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2008 Pages: 40-43
Date Published
February 2008
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes actions taken by the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) in retaining highly qualified teachers in correctional education, as mandated by the No Child Left Behind Federal legislation.
Abstract
The Federal Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) gives the Federal Government the legal authority to address dangerous conditions and practices in juvenile justice facilities. One aspect of CRIPA calls for improvement or reform of the educational, vocational, and aftercare services for incarcerated students. This often results in Federal action to establish a memorandum of agreement between the Federal Government and a State for the purpose of improving the educational services provided to students. In 1998, such an agreement was established with the State of Georgia. Georgia agreed to implement reform measures in educational services for incarcerated juveniles. In meeting the mandates of the memorandum, the Georgia DJJ conducted a needs assessment that involved 360 teachers in the DJJ school system. The teachers were asked to list two of the greatest challenges or weaknesses of the DJJ school programs. Teachers noted the lack of resources, the outdated textbooks, and the need for more supplies and materials necessary for quality instructional programs. They also mentioned the need for better behavior management in the classrooms and requested a uniform discipline policy. This article describes actions taken by the Georgia DJJ in the areas of educational resources for students and teachers, behavior management in classrooms, standards and guidelines, and teacher involvement in the change process. In order to determine the impact of the reform measures and the overall satisfaction of DJJ teachers, all of the teachers were surveyed in 2003. The survey focused on common attrition and retention factors. The survey indicated that the DJJ system's improvement led to greater teacher satisfaction, a key factor in teacher retention. 5 notes