Merging Two Worlds: A Transition/Career Planning Curriculum for Youth in the Justice System

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Merging Two WorldsA Transition/Career Planning
Curriculum for Youth in the Justice System

• Dorothy (Dottie) Wodraska
• Correctional Education Specialist
• Director Federal Education Grants Program
• Arizona Supreme Court
• Administrative Office of the Courts
• Juvenile Justice Services Division

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Arizona Secure Care Education

• Secure Care education is defined as every
  education program which exists in a county
  detention, county jail, state juvenile
  corrections, and state prison facility in the
  State of Arizona excluding Native American and
  federal facilities.
• AOC 14 county juvenile detention facilities (age
  8-18)
• Jails 15 county jails (age 14-22)
• ADJC 4 state juvenile correction facilities
  (age 8-18)
• ADC 10 state prisons and 3 private prisons (age
  14-22)
• TOTAL 46 facilities statewide

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Arizona Secure Care Education

• Secure Care Education must address these
  acknowledged needs
• 1) Institutional confinement programming must
  prepare youth for a successful reintegration back
  to their community.
• 2) Lessons and skills learned in secure care
  environments must be monitored and reinforced
  outside of the institution.
• 3) Reintegration of students from the juvenile
  justice system requires cooperative and
  collaborative relationships with local school
  districts prior to release from a secure care
  facility to ensure a continuum of services and
  appropriate placement which can reduce
  recidivism.

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Local ChallengesNational Focus

• Transient student population
• Students have attended various public
  schools/charters and/or have dropped out of
  school due to lack of success.
• Records exchange for prompt provision of
  specialized instruction if a student has a
  history of special education.
• Multi-jurisdictional issues prompted by
  legislatively-mandated structure
• Conflicting organizational philosophies within
  agencies between security (punitive) and
  education (rehabilitative).
• Reintegration lack of cooperative and
  collaborative relationship with the local school
  districts prior to release from a secure care
  facility to ensure continuum of services and
  appropriate placement which can reduce
  recidivism.
• Shortage of adequately trained personnel in the
  area of correctional education.

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Secure Care Education Committee (SCEC)

• Mission
• To advocate for excellence in secure care
  education which leads to student centered
  seamless reintegration from correctional
  facilities into community settings in order to
  reduce recidivism.
• History
• The SCEC was formed in 1998 by staff of the
  Arizona Department of Education and secure care
  educators from across the state to address the
  glaring educational needs of youth and adults in
  correctional settings.
• Accomplishments
• The SCEC has developed the Merging Two Worlds
  (MTW) Curriculum through a ADE grant-supported
  partnership with the Pima County School
  Superintendents Office, Special Programs
  Division. www.ade.az.gov/ess/securecare
• Since 1999 the SCEC has hosted four statewide
  conferences for training educators on
  implementation of the MTW, developed a statewide
  regional structure for ongoing training,
  mentoring and technical assistance and
  standardized special ed reporting forms to
  facilitate electronic transfer of records.

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Merging Two Worlds Curriculum(MTW)

• A Transition/Career Planning Curriculum
• Prepares Students for reintegration into the
  community, school or world of work upon release
  from a secure care environment
• Emphasizes the interconnection between the
  worlds of secure care and the community
• Instruction in life skills, career development
  skills, resiliency and social skills which meet
  Arizona Academic Standards
• Based on Resiliency Skills Research

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What Is Resiliency?

• Resiliency is the ability to spring back from and
  successfully adapt to adversity.
• Bouncing back from problems and stuff with more
  power and more smarts. (Student, Age 15)
• Research from psychology, psychiatry and
  sociology conclude that individuals have an
  innate capacity for resiliency, a self-righting
  tendency
• Resiliency-building conditions are needed
• (Source Resiliency In Action, Inc. 2004)

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Resiliency Building SkillsConditions and
Attitude

• Conditions for Resiliency
• Caring and Support
• High Expectations for Success
• Opportunities for Meaningful Participation
• Positive Bonds
• Clear and Consistent Boundaries
• Life Skills

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Resiliency Building SkillsConditions and
Attitude Contd.

• Resiliency Attitude What is right with you
  is more powerful than anything that is wrong with
  you.
• Focus on personal strengths more than problems
  and weaknesses.
• Provide the conditions for building resiliency
  for self and others.
• Have patience..successfully bouncing back from
  trauma and/or crisis takes time.
• (Source
  www.resiliency.com)

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MTW Curriculum FocusResiliency Building Skills

• Sense of Purpose
• Inner direction
• Bases choices on internal evaluation
• Internal focus of control
• View of future
• Optimistic
• Spirituality
• Personal faith in something greater
• Perseverance
• Doesnt give up despite obstacles

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Resiliency Building Skills (contd)

• Social Competence
• Relationships
• Able to form build relationships
• Able to be a friend, and keep close
• Humor
• Can see the funny
• Perceptive
• Insightful understanding of people and situations
• Assertive
• Clearly expresses opinions, feelings, ideas
• Understands how attitude influences others

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Resiliency Building Skills (contd)

• Problem Solving
• Flexibility
• Can adjust to change
• Can adapt to cope
• Love of Learning
• Needs to know
• Loves to find out
• Creativity
• Sees unique choices, consequences
• Individualistic
• Goal Setting
• Knows power of goals
• Decision Making
• Uses process and can explain

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Resiliency Building Skills (contd)

• Autonomy
• Independence
• Health/wellness
• Adaptive distancing from unhealthy people and
  situations
• Self motivation
• Inner passion and direction
• Competence
• Is good at something
• Has skills to manage life
• Self worth
• Feeling self confident

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MTW Curriculum Organization

• Pre-Assessment Tools Structured Interview
  Individual Learning Plan Student Screening
  Report for Child Find Credit Information and
  Certificate Educational History
• Four Chapters with 10 Lessons in each Chapter
• Chapter 1 Transition Planning Who Am I?
• Chapter 2 Career Preparation Where Am I
  Going?
• Chapter 3 Transition Planning How Do I Get
  There?
• Chapter 4 Life Planning How Do I Keep It All
  Together?
• Teacher Resources Work Evaluation Rubric
  Lesson Resources
• My Resource Guide (MRG), Personal Transition
  Survival Guide Merge Checklist Certificate of
  Competency Chapter Reflection Sheet

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MTW Chapter Organization

• Acknowledgement
• Facilitation Tips
• Chapter Background
• Overview of Chapter Contents Format
• Table of Contents
• Work Evaluation Rubric Aligned with Arizona State
  Standards
• Lesson Theme, Objective Steps to Follow
• Materials Needed Handouts etc.
• Evaluation Rubric
• Enrichment

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Chapter 1 - Transition Planning Who Am I?

• Concept of Resiliency as Critical to Successful
  Reintegration
• Self-Awareness Strengthens Resiliency Bouncing
  Back
• Lesson Topics Include Value, Beliefs, Self
  Confidence, Learning Styles Interests, Personal
  Skills, Job/Career Paths, Decision Making
• Career Planning as a Dynamic Process
• Employment Trends Impact of Technology,
  Globalization, New Economy
• Managing Change through Process and
  Self-Awareness
• Building My Resource Guide (MRG) A Personal
  Transition Survival Guide

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Chapter 2 - Career Preparation Where Am I Going?

• All lessons include self talk, self-awareness,
  stop and think, resiliency, decision making and
  planning
• Each lesson concludes with the Self-Talk litany
• Lesson Topics Include Make a Decision, Values,
  The Power of Goals, Priorities, Lifestyle,
  Choices and Consequences, Gathering
  Information/Observe, Gathering Information/Ask
  Questions, Gathering Information/Listen, Other
  Points of View, Make a Decision
• Building My Resource Guide (MRG)

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Chapter 3 - Transition Planning How Do I Get
There?

• Concept of Self-Assessment leading to
  Self-Awareness
• Life Through a Wide-Angle Lens and Other Points
  of View
• Lesson Topics Include Self talk, Self
  Awareness, Decision Making, Social Skills,
  Planning
• Resiliency Successfully Bouncing Back from
  Adversity
• Planning Process Goal Setting
• Nine Life Areas Leisure, Spiritual,
  Health/Wellness, Learning, Career, Financial,
  Family Relationships, Community
• Social Skills Practice
• Building My Resource Guide (MRG)

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Chapter 4 - Life Planning How Do I Keep It All
Together?

• Continues concept of self assessment as
  self-awareness through emphasizing community
  resources
• Lesson Topics Include Transition into the
  Community, Self Talk, Self Awareness, Stop and
  Think, Resiliency, Decision Making, and Planning
• Lessons include Finding a Place to Live, Money
  Management, Food, Medical Treatment,
  transportation, Communication, Employment,
  Education, Leisure Time, Support
• Continues development of MRG (My Resource Guide)

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MTW Impact Feedback From The Field

• Curriculum well-structured and flexible
• 40 Lessons difficult to implement in short-term
  facilities Adapt Curriculum accordingly (Mini
  Version)
• Coordinate evaluation and assessment of impact on
  students while in the facilities and impact on
  recidivism
• Provide Pre-service and In-service training for
  correctional educators on implementing and
  adapting the curriculum

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Mini Merging Two Worlds (Mini M2W)

• Adaptation developed through a 2-yr. Grant from
  the Arizona Department of Education/Exceptional
  Student Services (ADE/ESS)
• Promoted through a collaboration of ADE/ESS ASU
  ADJC Pima County Schools SCEC
• 4 Chapters, 12 Lessons centered on skills for
  transition to provide student-centered portfolio
• Data collected through student and teacher
  surveys and reported to the ADE
• Curriculum aligned with Arizona State Standards

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Merging Two Worlds/Corrections Learning Network
(CLN) Project

• Arizona Detention Schools collaborating with CLN
  to convert M2W Curriculum for nationwide
  broadcast through CLN network
• Resource for 800 correctional sites currently
  receiving CLN programming
• CLN is a nationally recognized distance learning
  initiative funded through U.S. Dept. of
  Education, administered by ESD 101 in Spokane, WA
• Curriculum available through ADE website
• http//www.ade.az.gov/ess/securecare/

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Closing Thoughts

• Children are always the only future the human
  race has Teach them well.
• Research indicates that education and workplace
  preparation are the two most fundamental factors
  in reducing recidivism by assisting ex-offenders
  to obtain and retain employment and return to a
  law-abiding lifestyle.

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Contact Information

• Dorothy (Dottie) Wodraska,
• Correctional Education Specialist
• Director, Federal Education Grants Program
• Arizona Supreme Court,
• Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC)
• Juvenile Justice Services Division
• 1501 West Washington, Suite 337
• Phoenix, AZ 85007
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email
• DWodrask_at_supreme.sp.state.az.us
• ADE/ESS Website
• http//www.ade.az.gov/ess/secure care