Multi-Agency Partnership to Improve Education and Work Outcomes After Juvenile Detention Through Systemic Change

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Advocacy and Community Engagement in Special and Inclusive Education

Abstract

This presentation describes a countywide collaborative partnership supported by the U.S. Department of Education to improve education and work outcomes of older youth/young adults detained in secure juvenile confinement facilities. The partnership, between a university, local education agency, and three county agencies, met regularly, streamlined procedures, and collected data on two cohorts of older youth/young adults. Results showed significantly lower achievement scores in mathematics for those eligible for special education and in reading for English Learners. Fifty-two percent attained a high school diploma, with a significantly lower attainment for the cohort with a higher frequency of African Americans and special education identified; and 9.5% gained employment. Findings led to changed interagency procedures with some implementation difficulties related to the pandemic.

Authors

• Lois A. Weinberg, California State University - Los Angeles

• Catherine Sturm, University of California - Los Angeles