The Effects of Educational Services on Juvenile Drug Offenders
Derrick Witherspoon
May 2004
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of instruction on the academic
achievement of male students enrolled at Morning Star Youth Academy. The Test of
Basic Education was administered as a pre test and a post test for the groups of students.
The results of both tests for 17 students were recorded. These 17 students were placed in
three groups. Group one included students in 9th grade classes (n=4), group two included
students in pre- GED classes (n=5), and group three included students in GED classes
(n=7). All groups received 8 months of classroom instruction in the areas of
mathematics, social studies, science, and English. An analysis was conducted using a
matched paired t-test that revealed an increase in the students’ reading and math skills
after the intervention. Findings suggest that the academic achievement was more
significant for the GED students than either the 9th graders or the pre-GED students.