Youth Courts: An Empirical Update and Analysis of Future Organizational and Research Needs
The third in a series of OJJDP sponsored
reports on youth courts in the United States, this publication looks at
questions concerning their operation, the extent of volunteer activity,
how they function as they mature, and the resources they employ. It is
based on a national survey of youth courts that focused on program
outcomes and administration and operation.
The results will provide guidance on how
to build and sustain an organizational structure that allows youth
courts to successfully fulfill their mission of preventing young
offenders from repeating antisocial behaviors, while relying on
volunteers and even ex-offenders to be a part of the process.
Download it in pdf format here.
Hamilton Fish Institute News
Volume 1-3 of Hamilton Fish Institute News is now available.
Proceedings from The 2007 National Conference
Available online here, separately or as one download in PDF format.
SUMMER 2008 FEDERAL POLICY INSTITUTE
EDUCATING THE WHOLE CHILD: NCLB AND ACCOUNTABILITY
FOR
SPED/TRED 299.10,
CRN # 82276 (3 graduate credit hours)
Sponsored by the GSEHD
Department of Teacher Preparation & Special Education and the Department
of Counseling, Human and Organizational Studies, In collaboration with the Institute
for Educational Leadership and the National Association of School
Psychologists (NASP).
Instructors: Dr. Carol Kochhar-Bryant, Dr. Robert Ianacone, Dr.
Barbara McCloud
Date/Location: July 9, 10,
11, 14, & 15th , 8:30 am-4:30 pm, at The George Washington University, School of Media and Public
Affairs Building ,Rm. 310, 805 21st Street, Washington, DC. University
housing is available at very reduced rates.
Course Purpose: The purpose of the Policy Institute is to help
graduate and doctoral students:
1. Develop an
understanding of the historical and dynamic federal role in education;
2. Strengthen
knowledge of the policy making process and the No Child Left Behind Act;
3. Learn about
current research on (a) student engagement and its relationship to academic
progress; (b) the increasing population of children and youth with emotional
and behavioral needs who are not accessing support services essential to
academic progress (estimated 1 in 5 children); and (c) school environments that
promote emotional and behavioral health;
4. Consider the
emerging attention to addressing the needs of the ‘whole child’ in the
educational setting;
5. Appreciate the
current ‘disconnects’ in education and human services policies that perpetuate
a fragmented system challenged to address the needs of children and youth and
their families;
6. Be exposed to
people, organizations and governmental agencies involved in seeking solutions
to addressing the needs of the ‘whole child’; and,
7. Engage in
dialogue with national leaders on policy issues impacting the development of
children and youth.
This unique
Topical Focus: While the broader purpose of the Summer Institute is
to foster understanding of the policy making process and the Federal role in
education, the focus topic this year is the emotional development of students
as an aspect of educating the ‘whole child’. There is a rising population of
students with emotional and behavioral needs who are at risk of academic
failure, school dropout, unemployment, incarceration, and extended dependence
in adulthood. Furthermore, an area of increasing litigation for schools is
their role in ensuring educational results, particularly in relation to
addressing the non-academic needs of youth and providing appropriate supports
as they prepare for post-secondary goals of college and employment. A 2001
report from the U.S. Surgeon General estimates that 21percent of young people
in the U.S. between ages 9 and 17, about 15 million children (1 in 5), have
diagnosable emotional or behavioral health disorders, but less than a third get
help for these problems (Olbrich, 2003). A recent study by the U.S. General
Accounting Office (GAO, 2003) found that in 6 states an estimated 12,700
parents gave up custody of their children in 2001 to obtain the mental health services
they needed and could not obtain in schools. Furthermore, State data is
accumulating that reveals unanticipated consequences of the new ‘high stakes’
accountability system mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act – increasing
grade retention and dropout. The growing problem of students with emotional and
behavioral needs represents a major challenge to achieving the goals of NCLB.
For more information or to
register contact Dr. Carol Kochhar-Bryant, kochhar@gwu.edu Summer Registration Site: http://www.gwu.edu/~regweb/web-content/registration/
gen_info_summer2007.html
Registration begins, March 26,
2008. For more information, the complete summer schedule, registration details,
tuition and fees, and course specifics, please visit http://summer.gwu.edu , e-mail gwsummer@gwu.edu, or call
202-994-6360.
Safe Schools/Healthy
Students Fact Sheet Spotlights Juvenile Justice
The National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention has published Developing Safe Schools Partnerships: Spotlight on Juvenile Justice.
The information provided in this 2-page fact sheet draws on the experience of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, a collaborative effort of the U.S. Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services.
Among the resources cited for developing effective juvenile justice-school relations is the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Preventions' Model Programs Guide, an online portal to scientifically tested and proven programs that address a range of issues across the juvenile justice spectrum.
Resources:
"Developing Safe School Partnerships: Spotlight on Juvenile Justice" and related juvenile justice resources are available at http: //www.promoteprevent.org/Resources/briefs/
juvenile%20justice%20resources.html
To access the Model Programs Guide, visit http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/programs/mpg.html.