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Extracted from Consolidated Report

This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.

Los Angeles County Grand Jury • 2011-2012

Education of Incarcerated Juveniles

32 pages

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⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.

⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.

Findings 10 findings

F1 Page 251

Substitute teachers are frequently employed because of the year-round calendar and teachers’ training schedule. Students who leave the camp schools frequently return to local schools that are on the traditional calendar.

F2 Page 251

There is uneven educational use of computers and technology by students. Some students are very comfortable using computers to share research and reports, while other students have no opportunity to work on computers.

F3 Page 251

The academic program at The Road to Success Academy is highly acclaimed by teachers, students and probation officers at Scott and Scudder Camps. Project- based academic programs are more efficient for record keeping. Project-based academic programs engage the students in learning more intensely than traditional education.

F4 Page 251

Teachers at the juvenile camps and halls’ schools are appropriately credentialed by the State of California. However, teachers do not all have the same level of competence. Some teachers are allowed to continue to teach despite their inability to manage a classroom.

F5 Page 251

Students at some of the camps are transported long distances to LAC+USC Hospital for a number of medical procedures so they miss valuable class time.

F6 Page 251

Vocational education opportunities are limited at the camps due to scheduling challenges.

F7 Page 251

Mentors and volunteers provide a strong motivation to youth for inspiration and are excellent role models.

F8 Page 251

Juveniles benefit from additional leisure reading materials.

F9 Page 251

Probation officers play a very important role in support of education of students at the camps.

F10 Page 251

The CGJ saw no court officers at the camps. The CGJ was told by probation officers that they have not seen court officers visit the camps.

Recommendations 10

R1
Page 229

Address the situation of the frequent use of substitute teachers. Long- term substitutes must be trained with the regular teachers for continuity of the education program. Change to a traditional, September-June calendar, to parallel other districts in Los Angeles, with staff development occurring primarily during the 2011–2012 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT 221 DETAINEE EDUCATION summer. Summer school could be provided for remedial and elective courses. This would give teachers, who prefer working year-round, an opportunity to do so.
R2
Page 229

Expand the use of computers and technology for students’ education, and provide technical support for teachers.
R3
Page 229

Have teachers observe classes at the Road to Success Academy, to better implement the reforms detailed in the CERC report to the Board of Supervisors.
R4
Page 231

1. DCFS technology and information system improvements. The Director of DCFS should work with the State of California to close the gap in the Department’s information needs and propose operational improvements to the systems, particularly interfaces with the State and County systems. This information should then be integrated into DCFS’s own Information Technology (IT) Plan with quick milestones – six months or less – for enhancing access to information critical to effective DCFS operations. A DCFS IT Plan should also outline needed:  Report writing tools  Key performance indicators, metrics, and dashboards for monitoring performance and outcomes  Standard management reports for analyzing data, identifying trends, and making empirically based decisions  Priorities for approaching the State for system upgrades and refinements, making access to needed data and information easier
R5
Page 229

Negotiate and provide a contract with local hospitals for inoculations and medical services so that juveniles are not absent from classes, and staff is not away from camp for extended periods of time. The Chief of the Los Angeles County Probation Department and The Superintendent of the Los Angeles County Office of Education
R6
Page 229

Address scheduling challenges of vocational education. Vocational education should be an integral part of the program at the camps.
R7
Page 229

Implement a program for volunteers at the camps. A dedicated coordinator position in LACOE, or at various juvenile detention sites, would expand the involvement of the community.
R8
Page 229

Provide soft-back leisure reading books to promote book clubs at the camps and to give to the students as they leave.
R9
Page 229

Form a task force to develop a process so that probation staff and teachers can communicate and work together in a more meaningful way.
R10
Page 229

Invite members of the juvenile court system to visit and observe the improved educational programs at the juvenile camps.