The use of collaboration, community involvement and vocational programming for youth with disabilities placed in six state-operated facilities for delinquents in Pennsylvania.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Collaboration among stakeholders, community involvement, and access to vocational programming as part of education, are three components researchers indicate contribute to successful transition of adjudicated juveniles from placement to post-placement. The researcher analyzed these three components in six of thirteen state-operated juvenile placement facilities in Pennsylvania for youth with disabilities.
This was a qualitative case study using, primarily, Yin's (1994) method of case study research. Interviews with key staff were conducted at five of the six sites and 296 student files were selected for review as part of the study. Students selected were: participating in career or vocational education, qualified for special education and had a transition component in their individualized education plan, released from the facility in 2000 or 2001.
Five questions framed the data collection: (a) how and why do students with disabilities placed in state-operated facilities for delinquents in Pennsylvania participate in vocational or career education, (b) how and why do educators in state-operated facilities for delinquents in Pennsylvania collaborate with the staff from the students home school to deliver education or transition services, (c) how and why do members of community organizations such as religious institutions or civic organizations and members of community service providers such as the office of Vocational Rehabilitation or Mental Health and Mental Retardation collaborate with education personnel from state-operated facilities for delinquents in Pennsylvania on transition and educational programming, (d) how and why do personnel teaching in state-operated facilities for delinquents in Pennsylvania select the programming components they use in their facility for youth with disabilities who are in placement and, (e) how and why do parents, and their children who have disabilities and who are in placement, participate in the education and transition process in state-operated facilities for delinquents in Pennsylvania?.
The researcher found that collaboration between stakeholders was problematic and community involvement was limited. However, vocational programming was extensive, was based on data from a variety of sources, and all students had access to participate.
A systems approach using Bronfenbrenners ecological model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) was used to analyze the results relating to collaboration, community involvement and vocational programming.