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2014 NDTAC National Conference Technology in Education Removing unnecessary barriers to learning Education 4 Change Slide 2 The Mission While it is imperative that communities strengthen school, family, and community supports to prevent youth from having any contact with the justice system in the first place, educational and juvenile justice agencies must also ensure that youth who are already confined receive the services they need to meet their educational goals, obtain employment, and avoid recidivism. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan & Attorney General Eric Holder June 2014 Slide 3 Quick Overview of Juvenile Justice Education in Oregon The Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) houses youth from 12 to 25 years of age. The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) provides funding and the education until a youth has attained a regular high school diploma or is over the age of 21. OYA provides vocational and post-secondary education to youth that have graduated or that are over the age of 21. ODE and OYA work intently to ensure smooth transitions for youth from K12 to post-secondary and from the facilities to the community. Both agencies fund education at twice the funding rate of an average K12 student in Oregon and run a 220-day (11- month) academic year with 5.5 hours of instruction per day Slide 4 High Expectations for Both Youth and Adults No matter what field of study or vocational interests an OYA youth has, it is important to begin preparation for college and career studies while under OYA supervision. Access to technology and skill development is vital in preparation for todays world. ODE and OYA have worked together to meet the varied educational and vocational needs of all of the diverse youth. Slide 5 OYA - Continuous Improvement with a Focus on Education OYA created a position within the agency to serve as a liaison with ODE and to develop vocational and post- secondary educational offerings. OYA assessed the challenges of Internet access for youth for both K12 and college courses. OYA developed a formal policy for youth access to the Internet with a focus on online education resources and transition preparation. ODE staff have open communication with the OYA Director Slide 6 Cultural Shift towards digital learning Slide 7 Obstacles Management and staff attitudes, fears, and lack of understanding of technology Constant pace of technological innovation wireless contraband Systemic and physical infrastructure to enable access to technology Rural/remote areas with limited technological access, experience, and expertise Last 6 years of financial hardship and constant change in leadership Slide 8 Removing Obstacles Positive and can-do attitude Identify and address issues head-on: focus on a solution path; seek feedback from peer states and technical aid from NDTAC and other organizations, such as Center for Educational Excellence in Alternative Settings (CEEAS). Involve stakeholders, including students, and keep the lines of communication open Slide 9 How Technology is Improving the Educational Experience Oregon Student Transcript Exchange (OSTX) saves time in youth transcripts moving between schools Lets Go Learn online assessment system for multi-systems Career Information System (CIS) allows for smoother transition to the community Students have access to a wider range of courses taught by High Qualified Teachers (HQT) Youth have access to college courses and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Students have access to courses at different facilities and beyond the school day Mobile GED testing lab that travel to different facilities Training and classes for adults too, including iLearn Slide 10 The Learning Network ODE and OYA have contracted with local educational and Internet service providers Local school districts, educational service districts, community and 4- year colleges Two separate high speed dedicated networks for different purposes: education and juvenile justice Both agencies share resources with educational providers Slide 11 BASIC Blended Learning Slide 12 Infractions and Solutions Breech of security compromised logins and password Adult staff impropriety and myth of anonymity Youth access internet and email inappropriately OYA and ODE work together on investigations OYA and law enforcement have access to education staff and equipment for investigations without warrants Intergovernmental Agreement and contracts spell out security protocols and technology safeguards Slide 13 Safety in Numbers United View Slide 14 Why Digital Learning Provides access to Highly Qualified and credentialed teachers and professors Addresses capacity challenges for education, especially for rural sites Emulates general trends and moves content to Virtual Schools, E-Learning-based platforms, and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) Allows more students to be educated in a reduced space and at the students' pace E-Learning methods can reduce per-student cost of education, allowing correctional systems to efficiently leverage federal and state revenue streams Slide 15 Facing Costs The rising costs of K12 and post-secondary education across the country is enlarging the divide of equity and access for youth in the juvenile justice system to quality educational experiences. Slide 16 Learning Offline Some youth prefer computer-assisted instruction Learning according to their own self-pace Levels of supervision and assistance vary There are advantages of greater access time and lower cost of administration Facilities can expand their instructional course offerings and reach Slide 17 Freedom to Explore All living units have access to college courses Youth have freedom to explore interests and potential areas of study Slide 18 Technology is not just the Internet: Master Gardening All facilities gained Master Gardening DVDs from partnering university with text books. Conduct green technology and ecology projects Slide 19 Orientation and Encouragement: Online Courses Mentoring and exposing youth to research and business skills helps in transition Slide 20 Communication Skills and Processing Before designing on a computer, youth engage staff in their ideas and possibilities, which promotes soft and technical skills Slide 21 Interest in Wood Leads to an Interest in Computer Design Youth gain confidence from their love of wood working to technology and design Slide 22 Making it Real Slide 23 Online to Assess Current Trends Youth learned styling trends and techniques online. MOOC on business helped with opening a barbershop Slide 24 Being a Part of a Cause Learning computer skills and helping peers to gain college courses. Civic duty and technology. Slide 25 Digital Music Studio Youth have attended online music schools Youth have set up audio and video projects Youth gained employment at local radio station and other careers Slide 26 Entrepreneurial Spirit: Facility Geek Squad Class to prepare state surplus computers to be repurposed. Teaching youth basics of A+ Certification including: o Hardware recognition and service. o Software installation. o Troubleshooting techniques. o System maintenance. Slide 27 Drivers Education: From Simulator to Road Test Slide 28 Machine Shop: Computer Diagnostic and Design Slide 29 Youth in firefighting course learn online, and gain skills to operate emergency radio equipment Slide 30 Technology Kits Wind Power Technology kits for 6 facilities. Popular hands-on project with youth Youth also visited wind farm Slide 31 OPEN E-Learning System Internet School/Facility Organize Sites - White List OpenCourseWare from Internet: Kahn Academy GED Study Guides Odysseyware College classes / MOOC Read 180 Career Info System (CIS) Oregon Library Express Lets Go Learn National Career Readiness E-learning content resides on secure server and standalone systems: Software organizes subjects and class material Students can navigate through subjects and courses CLEP Course Catalogue Self-paced or study group participation Transition and treatment Build portfolio Student terminals options: State surplus recycled computers Open Source Resources Donation OYA youth program build LINUX systems Open Source applications and freeware: Google Docs Open Office Adobe Reader PDF Real Player/iTunes Slide 32 Noted MOOCs Udemy: 16,000 courses (in 10 different languages!) Class Central: high-quality MOOCs from reputable providers Stanfords SEE: Technology SEE (Stanford Engineering Everywhere.) edX: non-profit online initiative created by founding partners Harvard and MIT. Coursera: education to improve youths lives, the lives of their families, and the communities they live in. Saylor: a very simple, very earnest, and very bold idea: Education should be free. Khan Academy: Khans Mission is to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Academic Earth: Academic Earth has curated links to over 750 online courses and 8,500 individual online lectures, unparalleled access to college. Harvard Online Courses: Distance education classes at Harvard Extension School - online video or live Web-conference format. Slide 33 The Fundamentals Slide 34 Future Hopes Equity in access to education for those in secure facilities Resource Warehouse Web base E-Learning utilization of MOOC content bring mass education to mass incarceration. Virtual School District that encompasses K12 & post- secondary CLEP testing offered at all correctional facilities Slide 35 Our Goal Youth will attain educational achievements that they would not have otherwise attained Through education there is a reduction in recidivism Youth will be employable in the community and lead productive, crime-free lives All systems will view technology as a necessary tool that facilitates educational success Slide 36 Thank you Russ Sweet Statewide Title I, Part D N&D Coordinator - Oregon Department of Education russ.sweet@state.or.usruss.sweet@state.or.us and (503) 947-5638 Sam Ko Subpart 1, Title I, N&D Grant Recipient - Oregon Department of Education sam.ko@state.or.ussam.ko@state.or.us and (503) 947-5745 Frank Martin - Education Administrator - Oregon Youth Authority frank.martin@state.or.usfrank.martin@state.or.us and (503) 986-0362