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Overview
of Major Objectives
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Coordination
The
DYS Education System is designed to establish continuity among each of
it school sites. The development of curriculum and consistency of
textbooks, instructional technology and materials is utilized to bring
about uniform construction of the education programs at each site. The
primary purpose here is to ensure that our students do not experience
an adverse effect on their schooling due to movement within the system
necessary to address treatment needs.
Other
items that are addressed in obtaining this goal are the sufficient
consideration of education need in placement decision, school year
calendar, teacher recruitment and retention and professional
development.
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Compliance
The
major compliance issues related to DYS education are found in the DOJ
settlement agreement and ADE compliance monitoring report. The most
challenging item listed in the DOJ settlement agreement is granting of
diplomas. The Division does not have the capacity to execute this
function. Other state established education programs are being
researched in order to draft a model that may be suitable to satisfy
this item.
On-going
"working" meetings are in progress with the ADE to develop a
systemic plan that will remedy each area of non-compliance. Joint
planning related to these compliance issues should eliminate
interpretation differences that have hindered this process in the
past.
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Teacher Recruitment and Retention
It
is imperative that DYS recruit highly qualified teachers while it
develops and retains its current teaching force. In order to be
competitive adjustments need to be made to the school year calendar
and teacher salaries. These adjustments are intended to move us to a
"look" that is more similar to public school in this state,
yet also meets the needs of our system and children we serve.
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Focus
The
goal of DYS education is to "mesh" not "match"
with the public school system in Arkansas. By offering courses in the
core subject areas that meet state standards and graduation
requirements we offer a consistent opportunity for all of our students
to make adequate progress toward graduation. This is primary, due to
the short length of stay for most students. Guidance services are in
place to properly identify students for grade placement and to advise
each student concerning progress toward graduation.
Vision
The
vision for the DYS Education system is enhancement of the knowledge
and skills of each child that will produce successful academic
experiences and outcomes that will be transferred and continued in the
community upon release.
Purpose
The
purpose of the DYS Education system is to insure significant academic
progress for each child that we serve in our institutional programs.
Mission
The
mission of the DYS Education system is to provide, in a manner
consistent with public education in the state of Arkansas as well as
the nation, a system of high quality education programs to address the
needs of juveniles, who come in contact with the juvenile justice
system. To accomplish this mission, DYS will:
1.
Identify and serve each child with a disability in the DYS
system.
2.
Improve the individual academic achievement of each child in
the DYS system.
3.
Provide an opportunity for progress toward state and
local graduation requirements for each high school age child in the
DYS system.
4.
Provide an opportunity for post-secondary education
preparation for each child that enters with or achieves graduate
status while in the DYS system.
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