2014
NDTAC
National
Conference
Technology in Education
Removing unnecessary barriers to learning – Education 4 Change
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
Quick Overview of Juvenile Justice
Education in Oregon
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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 K–12 to post-secondary and from the facilities to
the community.
Both agencies fund education at twice the funding rate of an
average K–12 student in Oregon and run a 220-day (11month) academic year with 5.5 hours of instruction per day
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 today’s world.
• ODE and OYA have worked together to meet the varied
educational and vocational needs of all of the diverse
youth.
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 postsecondary educational offerings.
• OYA assessed the challenges of Internet access for youth
for both K–12 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
Cultural Shift towards
digital learning
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
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
How Technology is Improving the
Educational Experience
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Oregon Student Transcript Exchange (OSTX) saves time in
youth transcripts moving between schools
Let’s 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
The Learning Network
• ODE and OYA have contracted
with local educational and
Internet service providers
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Local school districts, educational
service districts, community and 4year colleges
• Two separate high speed
dedicated networks for different
purposes: education and juvenile
justice
• Both agencies share resources
with educational providers
BASIC Blended Learning
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
Safety in Numbers
United View
Why Digital Learning
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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
Facing Costs
• The rising costs of K–12 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.
Learning Offline
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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
Freedom to Explore
• All living units have access to college courses
• Youth have freedom to explore interests and potential
areas of study
Technology is not just
the Internet: Master
Gardening
• All facilities gained Master
Gardening DVD’s from
partnering university with text
books.
• Conduct green technology and
ecology projects
Orientation and Encouragement:
Online Courses
• Mentoring and
exposing youth to
research and
business skills helps
in transition
Communication Skills and
Processing
• Before designing on a
computer, youth engage
staff in their ideas and
possibilities, which
promotes soft and
technical skills
Interest in Wood Leads to an
Interest in Computer Design
• Youth gain confidence
from their love of wood
working to technology
and design
Making it Real
Online to Assess Current Trends
• Youth learned styling
trends and techniques
online.
• MOOC on business
helped with opening a
barbershop
Being a Part of a Cause
• Learning computer skills
and helping peers to gain
college courses. Civic
duty and technology.
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
Entrepreneurial Spirit: Facility Geek Squad
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Class to prepare state surplus
computers to be repurposed.
Teaching youth basics of A+
Certification including:
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Hardware recognition and
service.
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Software installation.
Troubleshooting techniques.
System maintenance.
Drivers Education:
From Simulator to Road Test
Machine Shop:
Computer Diagnostic and Design
Youth in firefighting course learn
online, and gain skills to operate
emergency radio equipment
Technology Kits
• Wind Power
Technology kits for 6
facilities. Popular
hands-on project
with youth
• Youth also visited
wind farm
OPEN E-Learning System
Internet – School/Facility
Organize Sites - White List
OpenCourseWare from
Internet:
• Kahn Academy
E-learning content resides
on secure server and
standalone systems:
• Software organizes
subjects and class
material
Student terminals
options:
• State surplus
• recycled computers
• Open Source
Resources
• Odysseyware
• Students can navigate
through subjects and
courses
• College classes / MOOC
• CLEP Course Catalogue
• OYA youth program
• Read 180
• Self-paced or study
group participation
• build LINUX systems
• GED – Study Guides
• Career Info System (CIS)
• Oregon Library Express
• Let’s Go Learn
• National Career Readiness
• Transition and treatment
• Build portfolio
• Donation
Open Source applications
and freeware:
• Google Docs
• Open Office
• Adobe Reader PDF
• Real Player/iTunes
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Noted MOOC’s
Udemy: 16,000 courses (in 10 different languages!)
Class Central: high-quality MOOCs from reputable providers
Stanford’s SEE: Technology SEE (Stanford Engineering
Everywhere.)
edX: non-profit online initiative created by founding partners
Harvard and MIT.
Coursera: education to improve youth’s 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.
The Fundamentals
Stand alone College Computers
Content from Open Sources
• MOOC & education content on DVD or KIOSK
• OYA piloted program at a majority of facilities
Secure Network – OYA -YCEP and DOC
Contracted OYA / DOC Voc/Ed Providers
• MOOC online learning and transition
• Online community college courses
Content OPEN and Community Colleges
• E-learning course list and study material on MOOC
sites, Community College online courses on DVD
• Content Open Source, program material
Student
• Course study, transition, treatment, GED
• Online completion and CLEP exam for college
credit, where sites permit
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 K–12 & postsecondary
• CLEP testing offered at all
correctional facilities
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
Thank you
Russ Sweet – Statewide Title I, Part D N&D
Coordinator - Oregon Department of Education
russ.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.us and (503) 947-5745
Frank Martin - Education Administrator - Oregon Youth
Authority
frank.martin@state.or.us and (503) 986-0362