On Wednesday, September 26, 2007, the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) sponsored the Best Practices in School Re-Entry for Court Involved Youth Conference. More than 225 people from all areas of the state participated in the conference to represent local school systems, juvenile courts, community advocates, and parents. National speakers and speakers from Maryland programs presented a variety of workshops on topics of critical importance for youth involved with the juvenile courts. Because we are eager to maintain the focus on school re-entry that the conference helped to initiate, we have created a resource library that includes information from the various conference workshops.
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Virginia's Re-Entry Plan was explained with emphasis on the Reenrollment Plan instituted a year ago. This plan is designed to have students reenrolled in local schools within two days of release from secure juvenile justice settings. Information was also presented on correctional education and transitional services in Virginia.
Virginia's
Re-Entry Plan Power Point Presentation
Virginia
Re-Enrollment Information
Virginia
Re-Enrollment Form |
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There are a number of school related issues in Connecticut that make it difficult for youth returning from secure facilities and residential facilities to successfully complete their education. These problems range from short enrollment delays to complete exclusion from the school environment. However, even minor delays and problems can result in difficulties for this population. Multiple problems almost guarantee failure in successfully achieving a high school diploma. This workshop presented the community based STEP Program, which was created to provide a high quality, transitional education program that provides support services, and workforce preparation to successfully reintegrate these youth into the traditional education setting, the home, and in the community.
Connecticut's STEP Program Power Point Presentation
Connecticut's
STEP Program Synopsis
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Best practices in providing educational services and support to families necessarily means that staff in stakeholder agencies, including education and DJS, should hear from this constituency, value their involvement, and make them part of a team effort to identify strategies for meeting unmet needs. In this panel, parents and adult care givers of youth, who have been or are currently involved with the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, provided their insights and ideas for meeting the needs of these children. They were joined by advocates and professionals whose job it is to work with youth and families to facilitate strategies for smooth transitions back into schools or other positive educational environments. Conference attendees showed their support for an inclusive family process by engaging the panelists in a unique discussion that can only happen when families are part of the dialogue.
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This presentation focused on the unique educational opportunities available to the students in DJS care as we create an umbrella of higher education and apprenticeship programs building on existing resources and proven expertise. In addition, this approach facilitates the development of a sustainable long-term consortium of state agencies, public and private organizations, and private businesses to serve the needs of our transitioning youth leading to the development of a true continuum of care. |
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Following a brief Power Point introduction, the panel conducted a mock transition team meeting to demonstrate the process used by members of the Frederick County team to place youth in community schools following their release from residential facilities. Each panel member briefly discussed his/her respective role on the team. The audience had the opportunity to ask questions of the team members in order to fully understand the transition process.
Frederick
County Transition Team Meetings Power Point Presentation
Student
Transition Meeting Form |
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Baltimore City is one of five jurisdictions to be awarded $4.6 million for a unique and dynamic education and workforce development program funded by the United States Department of Labor. The grant will be administered by the Baltimore City Public Schools System in partnership with local partners including Baltimore Mental Services, Johns Hopkins University, and the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. The panelists discussed the unique nature of the grant, current education and workforce initiatives to be enhanced by the grant, new ventures including using workforce development as incentive to stay in school and as a seamless tool for re-entry into the community, and collaborations that will allow greater access to all of these resources. |
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Spotlight on Schools is an initiative in which a Department of Juvenile Services community case manager (probation officer) is assigned to a public school. Eighty-seven schools in Maryland are currently involved in this partnership, which began in 1998. This session described the main features of the program, essential characteristics for success, and the outcomes that have been achieved.
Spotlight
on Schools Power Point Presentation
Spotlight
on Schools Caseloads Document
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