Michael P. Krezmien

Detained and Committed Youth: Examining Differences in Achievement, Mental Health Needs, and Special Education Status

Currently, there is limited research about the relationship between academic, mental health needs, and special education status among populations of incarcerated youth. Additionally, little is known about differences between special education and general education students, or about differences between detained and committed populations. This article reports the results of an investigation of the academic achievement, mental health history, and special education status of 555 detained and incarcerated boys in one mid-Atlantic state. Descriptive data and results from a logistic regression analysis are reported. We found that mean standard scores of participants on standardized achievement tests were one standard deviation below the population mean. We also found high rates of participants with disabilities, and high rates of participants reporting prior therapy and prior use of psychotropic medication. In addition, we found that student academic and mental health characteristics obtained through an intake screening protocol were predictive of special education status, but not of placement in detention or commitment settings. Finally, we found that African American students had a significantly higher risk of being committed than Caucasian students. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Juvenile Court Referrals and the Public Schools: Nature and Extent of the Practice in Five States

Federal legislation and concern about high-profile school shootings have placed attention on safe schools and school discipline. Anecdotal evidence and several reports indicate that in response to calls to promote safety, schools are increasingly referring students to the juvenile courts for acts of misbehavior. Using data from the National Juvenile Court Data Archive, the study reported here examined school referrals (SR) to the juvenile courts in five states from 1995 to 2004. We studied SR over time as well as the proportion of total referrals originating in schools. There was variability in the number of referrals to the juvenile courts originating in the schools and in the trends of SR across states as well as the odds that referrals originated in schools. We found evidence that in four of five states, referrals from schools represented a greater proportion of total referrals to juvenile courts in 2004 than in 1995. We also found differences in the odds of SR to out-of-school referrals (OSR) by race and by gender in some states but not in others. The findings suggest that states may differ in the way in which their schools respond to misbehavior and in the way their schools directly refer students to the juvenile courts. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of the findings.

Lessons Learned: Barriers and Solutions for Conducting Reading Investigations in Juvenile Corrections Settings.

Few research studies have investigated the effectiveness of instructional strategies for students in juvenile corrections. The dearth of research on effective instruction for this population may be due in part to difficulties encountered in carrying out methodologically rigorous studies in these settings. This article reports barriers and challenges we experienced while conducting a multi-site intensive reading intervention study in juvenile corrections. We discuss the issues we encountered, including adequacy of collaboration with administrators, facility staff, and research staff; defining roles and responsibilities of research staff; sampling and attrition; securing appropriate instructional settings; and identifying instrumentation and materials. For each area, we discuss the outcomes and make recommendations for future research.

Literacy and Delinquency: Current Status of Reading Interventions With Detained and Incarcerated Youth

This article presents the findings of a literature review of reading research investigations in juvenile corrections settings. Six studies met criteria for inclusion in the review and were examined for methodological rigor and the importance of the findings. Authors of two of the articles reviewed demonstrated adequate experimental control, and concluded that intensive, empirically validated research programs can improve reading outcomes for incarcerated youth. The remaining studies had methodological shortcomings that limited the interpretation and generalization of the findings. Recommendations for future research are provided and discussed.

A Multiyear National Profile of Racial Disparity in Autism Identification

Disproportionate representation of racially diverse students in special education is a well-documented problem, yet few studies have systematically evaluated disproportionate representation of diverse students with autism. This study examined disproportionate representation of racially diverse students with autism by determining risk and logistical odds ratios among racially diverse and White students from the national population between 1998 and 2006. Although overall risk of autism increased for all racial groups every year, White students were twice as likely to be identified with autism as Hispanic and American Indian/Alaskan Native students during most years of the sample. Although initially overrepresented, the odds ratios for Asian/Pacific Islander and Black students with autism continuously declined in recent years. Hispanic and American Indian/Alaskan Native students were significantly underrepresented every year in the analysis. Potential cause and implications of underrepresentation are described, along with directions for research.

Drop-Out Predictors Among Students With High-Incidence Disabilities A National Longitudinal and Transitional Study 2 Analysis

Students with disabilities have high rates of dropping out of school despite safeguards from Individuals With Disabilities Education Act provisions. The purpose of the study was to explore the effects of disability classification, demographics, and selected academic experiences on school drop-out rates among youth with disabilities. Variables related to youth characteristics and school experiences were drawn from selected participants (N = 5,018) in the first three waves of the National Longitudinal and Transitional Study 2 database. Data were entered sequentially into a logistic regression model to identify factors associated with dropping out. Findings indicated that students with emotional and behavioral disorders had a significantly higher risk of dropping out but that disability classification was not significant with consideration of academic factors. Disciplinary exclusion, grade retention, and lower than average grades were associated with a higher risk of dropping out. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Racial Disparity in Administrative Autism Identification Across the United States During 2000 and 2007

Evidence of disparate identification of autism at national and local levels is accumulating, but there is little understanding about disparate identification of autism at the state level. This study examined trends in state-level administrative identification of autism under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Prevalence rates and odds ratios were calculated for each state using enrollment counts for years 2000 and 2007. Results indicated increases in administrative prevalence of autism for all racial groups from 2000 to 2007, but increasing underidentification of Black and Hispanic students in 2007 compared with White students. Variability existed in the identification of autism among Black and Hispanic students across states over time. Implications for the findings are discussed in the context of the field’s need to establish rigorous policies and practices for eligibility determinations due to autism and equitable access to evidence-based intervention practices.

Improving Mathematics Performance Among Secondary Students With EBD: A Methodological Review

In this methodological review, the authors apply special education research quality indicators and standards for single case design to analyze mathematics intervention studies for secondary students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). A systematic methodological review of literature from 1975 to December 2012 yielded 19 articles that met inclusion criteria. Findings revealed eight studies investigated functional relation between mathematics interventions and mathematics performance for secondary students with EBD. The remainder investigated functional relation between behavioral interventions and mathematics performance. The body of research had limitations in methodological rigor that prevented identification of evidence-based practices for mathematics interventions for learners with EBD. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Teaching Mathematics to Secondary Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Challenges and Practical Suggestions for Teachers.

While the Common Core State Standards and state learning standards guide teachers in what mathematical content knowledge should be addressed as well as the processes and proficiencies necessary for developing mathematical competence, several student- and teacher-related factors may hinder student access to the general education curriculum for secondary students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Consequently, secondary students with emotional and behavioral disorders often fail to receive equitable, high-quality mathematics instruction that is age-appropriate. The authors identified the challenges associated with teaching mathematics to secondary students with emotional and behavioral disorders and provided practical suggestions, on the basis of the limited existing research base, to help special educators understand how to teach mathematics to secondary students with emotional and behavioral disorders.

Disparate Disciplinary Confinement of Diverse Students in Juvenile Corrections

Abstract Youth in juvenile corrections settings have significant academic, behavioral, and mental health needs. Additionally, a disproportionate percentage of them are identified with a diagnosed disability, with Emotional Disturbance (ED) as the most common diagnosis. Despite these facts, appropriate education and intensive mental health care is often lacking in these settings. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that some facilities use methods such as disciplinary confinement as a response to behavioral infractions; a practice that is not only counterproductive to rehabilitation, but violates federal education law and established legal standards. This study examined the use of disciplinary confinement in a juvenile justice system and investigated factors associated with frequency of this practice and time spent in disciplinary confinement. Participants were 2,353 youth with and without identified disabilities at state-run juvenile corrections facilities. Results indicated that students with disabilities spent considerably more time in disciplinary confinement than students without disabilities. Students with ED spent considerably more time than students in other disability categories and students without disabilities. Additionally, Black students, Black students with ED, and Hispanic students with ED spent considerably more time in disciplinary seclusion than other groups. The authors discuss results with respect to disproportionate use of disciplinary confinement and provide subsequent recommendations including the reexamination of disciplinary confinement practices by leaders in juvenile corrections.