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Quarterly Report of the Technical, Consulting, and Advisory (TCA) Team at the Challenger Memorial Youth Center (CMYC)

Casey A. v. Gundry 1 November 25, 2011 Introduction and Executive Summary


This is the second quarterly report submitted by the TCA Team for the Casey A. Settlement Agreement. The provisions address the Challenger Memorial Youth Center (CMYC) operated by the Los Angeles County Department of Probation (Probation) and the Christa McAuliffe School operated by the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) at CMYC. In many respects, the education program and probation activity related to supporting school in the camps is only marginally better than when members of the TCA team visited CMYC as part of the 2010 Review Team in April 2010. 2 While the TCA has observed and documented positive changes in areas such as literacy programs (4.0), special education services (6.0) and career and technical education (7.0), in many other areas the current status of operations is no better than it was in April 2010. In several areas, initial gains in programming that we reported in our July 2010 first quarterly report 3 have evaporated following the closing of three camps and the substantial changes in personnel at the school.

Administratively, LACOE appears to be hobbled by its inability to select and appoint quality teachers to the McAuliffe School and to develop a school calendar that provides more continuity for instruction. Our discussions with LACOE regional and central office staff often include reference to LACOEs difficulty operating under existing employment contracts and the inability of HR (human resources) to move quickly to advertise positions, identify a pool of eligible candidates, and complete paperwork necessary to have successful candidates begin employment. Among other things, the current school calendar for McAuliffe enables teachers to take vacation time throughout the school year. This practice is a major reason for the high percentage of substitute teachers, currently at about 42 %, teaching in McAuliffe classrooms on any given day. An additional cost of the high number of substitute teachers is that training provided by LACOE in compliance with
The TCA Committee is composed of Richard Krause, Peter Leone, and Alice Parker. Areas of responsibility for each of the Committee members, consistent with the Action Plan, are: Krause - #1 Administration, #8 Special Activities, #11 Safety and Crisis Management, #13 Sustainability and Quality Assurance; Leone - #4 Literacy, #5 Positive Behavioral Support, #7 Career and Technical Education, #9 Transition and Aftercare, #12 Discipline and SHU; Parker - #2 Data Management, #3 Instruction, # 6 Special Education, #10 Partnership. 2 See On the Adequacy of the Education Program at Challenger Memorial Youth Center, July 14, 2010, the 2010 Review Team. 3 See TCA Interim Report, July 2011.
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TCA Quarterly Report, November2011

Clearly there is considerable work to be done. Using the Action Plan as a guide, this quarterly report discusses and makes recommendations in each of the each of the 13 areas of the Action Plan. We then provide a set of tables that list each of the tasks in the Action Plan and provide a rating for each task. We first present LACOEs Action Plan and tasks followed by Probations Action Plan and related tasks. Each of the tasks in the Plan was rated using the following system: SC, substantial compliance; PC, partial compliance; NC, non-compliance; and NR, not reviewed. For an explanation of these ratings and a list of dates members of the TCA were at Challenger see Appendix A.

With several notable exceptions, the tasks of the Action Plan that we rated as SC (substantial compliance), involve paper and pencil tasks (e.g. creating forms, a matrix, design of systems, etc.) or training for LACOE or Probation staff in specific areas. While this work is important, too frequently because of staff turnover and failures in other areas, the impact on the student-residents of CMYC has been minimal. Other critical areas such as administration, instruction, discipline and the SHU that we rated as PC (partial compliance) or NC (non-compliance) have a very direct impact on youth on a daily basis.

provisions of the Settlement Agreement is wasted. That is, while the training may be high quality and responsive to specific tasks, when a high percentage of those receiving the training are substitute teachers, the impact of training on classroom practices is diminished. With regard to classroom practices, our observations reveal little or no rigor, minimal differentiation of instruction, and very minimal use of research-based instructional strategies. While the new principal and many of the staff cares deeply for these students, systemic issues within LACOE make it extremely difficult to provide the school with the support it needs. For example, the school calendar, the large number of substitutes, and problems with the data management systems (EPIC, Optical Imaging, HR supports) all severely hamstring any efforts to improve instruction and provide support for the students at McAuliffe. To date, the LACOE central office in Downey has been unable to fix problems that have a profound impact on practices at the McAuliffe School in Lancaster.

Area 1: Administration, Leadership & Management

In many respects this area of the Settlement Agreement provides the foundation for the work needed to bring the McAuliffe School at Challenger into compliance with the Settlement Agreement. However, in a number of areas the education program is only marginally better than when the 2010 Review Team reported on the status of the education services for youth at CMYC. Since July 1, 2011, two-thirds of the teaching staff and several other LACOE professionals have been replaced. A new principal and a new assistant principal were appointed during this period. During July and August it became apparent that many of the new teachers did not want to be at McAuliffe. Several newly appointed

TCA Quarterly Report, November2011

teachers were on medical leave, several teachers retired, and many substitute teachers, some long-term subs, were hired. Our observations revealed that the quality of instruction deteriorated from earlier in 2011. LACOEs office of Human Resources appeared to be unable to respond to concerns that we shared with LACOE administrative staff about the quality of instruction at McAuliffe High School. During TCA Team visits in July, August, September, and October we briefed LACOE administrators, the regional director, and the school principal on significant shortcomings in the implementation of the Settlement Agreement.

LACOE Human Resources and LACOE administration have largely failed to respond in a way that made a difference. TCA team members requested an additional assistant principal to do performance evaluations as the new assistant principal was not qualified to do them. The appointment of a media specialist took eight months to complete, the administrative assistant replacement took four months, and our request for the new assistant principal, made several months ago, is still being processed. We note that during this reporting period, a new superintendent for LACOE was hired, several key administrative positions were vacant, and a new Chief of Probation was selected. These changes would account for some loss of organization and continuity but not for placing a substandard quality education staff at McAuliffe. From our perspective, there has been too much rhetoric and not enough substantive problem-solving to tackle significant on-going problems.

The effects of a large number of substitute teachers, as well as the placement of several teachers at McAuliffe who appear to not want to be there, on the instructional program at McAuliffe are many. For students, instructional continuity is sacrificed as teachers who do not know students well are moved in and out of classrooms to fill vacancies on a daily basis. The TCA Team spoke to a number of students who described classes in which their teachers were subs as classes in which they learned nothing. While the TCA has observed several long-term substitute teachers who are doing a good job of providing instruction, in other

The education program at the Christa McAuliffe School at CMYC needs a school calendar that provides continuity of instruction and support for students. The current 12 month school calendar allows teachers to take vacation time at any point during the school year. Purportedly designed to ensure that school is open and that students receive services year round, the effect on instruction and student support is devastating. For example during September and October, substitute teachers including long-term subs were placed in McAuliffe School classrooms 44% and 43% of the time, respectively. While some substitute teachers were in classrooms for relatively short assignments, other substitute teachers were on long-term assignments for teachers on medical leave. These current numbers can be compared to a similar period six months earlier at McAuliffe. During a comparable time period six months earlier, March and April 2011, substitute teachers were assigned approximately 26% of the time each month.

TCA Quarterly Report, November2011

classes the conditions can best be described as chaos. The TCA Team met with students in one class where an apparently effective long-term sub was scheduled to be moved to another class after being with them for 30 days. 4 The students spoke quite passionately about their teacher as one who cared about them and from whom they learned a great deal. According to McAuliffe staff, this same group of students complained about this teacher when she was first appointed because she was requiring too much work from them and was pushing them too hard. We have appended to this report, several letters students wrote to a TCA team member complaining about the transfer of their teacher. 5 The TCA continues to believe that the assignment of quality, passionate instructional staff to McAuliffe School is critical. The Settlement Agreement is explicit about the obligation of LACOE with the support of Probation to provide students at CMYC with high quality instructional services and related activities. However, two major obstacles exist: the school calendar and the large number of substitute teachers in McAuliffe classrooms on a daily basis. These two issues are linked. Without significant changes in the school calendar for the McAuliffe School, we believe that it will be extremely difficult if not impossible for LACOE to achieve substantial compliance with many areas of the Settlement Agreement. Recommendations - Administration, Leadership & Management

Area 2: Data Management

Several robust electronic data management system have been created or adopted by LACOE. Systems which track student educational background, and some transition data, along with personnel, fiscal, and overall systems management resources are
LACOE regional staff has reported that under CA state law, substitutes cannot be assigned to a classroom for more than 30 days without changing the substitute teachers status. 5 Appendix B contains several letters from students who were very upset about the pending move of a long-term from their classroom.
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Provide site-based management and support for the McAuliffe High School Principal Working with the TCA, develop a school calendar that provides year round school in a 9 months plus 3 months or a 10 months plus 2 months configuration. Cut the average daily number of substitute teachers at McAuliffe from 40% to 10% by July 1, 2012. Clearly define the roles and expectations for Probation staff in the classroom. Ensure that high quality teachers are retained and recruited to CMYC. Examine the LACOE practice of moving effective long term substitutes after placement for 20 days; in particular review California Education Code provisions to identify those which allow for longer periods of placement by substitute teachers.

TCA Quarterly Report, November2011

Optical Imaging (OI) is an outstanding tool that allows for quick and easy digital access to student data and records upon receipt. The checks and balances in this system for the personnel who are currently trained and utilizing it support quality control and ensures that data that is available is at the finger tips of those who might use it. The manager of this system has astutely trained and completed quality control of personnel who follow through and up on OI information needs, however, he has left LACOE and the use of the system has floundered and not gotten out to those who truly need to be using it to ensure that students records are reviewed and needs are met. Transition activities (Title 1, Camp to Community, TPP and WAI) are strong and personnel appear committed to working with the youth at this camp. Two areas for follow up include: 1.) Checking with former students to see the efficacy and effectiveness of these options. 2.) Ensuring that the data systems from these programs are included in the larger data set so that individuals can have access to this data in real time. (Currently, there are separate data systems which are being scanned into the larger EPIC system as PDF documents.)

also available. Programs such as EPIC, HRS, and PeopleSoft are clearly outstanding systems that can readily manage and provide excellent information for the County Office as a whole and for McAuliffe in particular. EPIC, however is not easy to use; it needs to be streamlined so that staff outside of the central office in Downey know how to use it, particularly as it may effect the capacity to maintain timely IEPs when this function becomes active in January 2012.

Datawise is an instructional resource system that also includes assessments and informs instruction. This system has tremendous potential. Student assessments aligned to LACOEs pacing guide for instruction are in this system and predict which test and strand are applicable for each student based on previous scores, etc. This system is just coming on line for classroom teachers and for school administrators. The power of this, using real time data from assessments to inform instruction, is far from being utilized. Another concern is that only one person in the Downey office currently knows the ins and outs of this system. Finally, while APs at McAuliffe are beginning to generate their own reports, they have yet to use this data to drive PLCs and instructional conversations with staff. Recommendations - Data Management Institute a method to disseminate knowledge of how to use the system, ensure that multiple individuals understand and can train others, and ensure that checks and balances are put in place to make sure that the system is effectively and efficiently used; Address the speed with which other educational systems send files and student information; TCA Quarterly Report, November2011

Area 3: Instruction

Identify the system and process for the use of this information to inform educational decisions that will impact the educational opportunities for students as they enter McAuliffe; Identify the systemic supports needed so that EPIC and its reports can be used consistently and efficiently; Incorporate the separate data systems (transition and the new assessment system) into the larger EPIC system; Ensure that staff knows how to use EPIC to inform their work with students, particularly for students with IEPs; Develop a plan for and ensure that more than one person is highly skilled in Datawise; This is critical; APs and Teachers must be trained to use data from this system to inform instruction and place students in appropriate classrooms; A new assessment system to replace the antiquated STAR assessment must be finalized, trained, and the new system implemented; Computers for instructional access and assessment purposes must be placed in classrooms (e.g. the Mac lab near the library is hardly used.); and Teaching staff must be trained to use the technology and the information systems to support instruction.

Instruction is an area of great concern to the TCA Team. There are few teachers teaching well, and there is a lack of instructional rigor. 6 With a high rate of substitute teachers in classrooms, many students are being academically shortchanged. Staff is seriously in need of substantial evaluative procedures and training that will lead to quality instruction focused on the new superintendents purposes: literacy, math, student advocacy, and purposeful work. PLCs (professional learning communities) are not being implemented with any fidelity. While some staff has been trained and occasional meetings have been scheduled, this is not sufficient to bring this practice into staff meetings, and for planning. There are no identified steps for implementation of PLCs and it appears that there is not a clear understanding of even what a PLC is or might become. The Literacy Coach and Intervention teams are strengths and students speak positively about these interventions. There are beginning to be clear results on improved literacy opportunities and growth. The current administration has worked with probation to improve movement to and from classrooms. However, there is little differentiation of instructional settings or teachers based on student needs.
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See Appendix C for a description of the Classroom Walkthrough process and data from classroom observations.

TCA Quarterly Report, November2011

Differentiated instruction is lacking across McAuliffe with the exception of the LSTs. A single training on differentiated instruction is not sufficient, nor has one been scheduled. Lesson plans which are the focus of the TESS/RISE staff development reveal lists of activities rather than planned lessons. This problem is associated with the large number of substitutes at McAuliffe on any given day, During our interviews this reporting period, students did not report the same level of enthusiasm about the education program that we described in our July 2011 report. Recommendations - Instruction

EPIC and Datawise are not being utilized to support further identification of student needs, classroom groupings, or ways to differentiate learning settings as needed by students, rather than the adults. However, classroom artifacts and environments are much improved. Current student work is posted in most classrooms and some common areas. Instructional practices and expectations for quality learning environments are not in place across all classrooms. Some teachers do provide quality instruction, but there is a lack of direct instruction, a lack of rigor, a lack of differentiation across all environments. Presently, instructional leadership within the school administration is missing.

Area 4: Literacy

Identify instructional leaders with an understanding of what to look for in classrooms to improve instruction; Provide much more direct instruction informed by assessment and other data and utilizing instructional practices research has shown to be most effective for students; Provide differentiated instruction across all environments and provide staff development to all staff; Ensure that planning is be consistent, based on data, and differentiated to meet the needs of all learners; Determine instructional routines (e.g. Fisher and Frey; promote effective instructional practices with consistent monitoring via a walk thru processes; If PLCs are used, train a cohort of teachers and the administrative team as a whole; Require teachers to complete peer walk thrus; Require learning teams to review and focus on both formative and summative data to make educational decisions Provide time for general and special education staff to work together to plan and - deliver high quality instruction Implement CA standards in all classrooms - using core texts and formative assessments to inform instruction; and Ensure that APs understand the walk-thru processes and use consistently common definitions of desired instructional practices,and after training. TCA Quarterly Report, November2011

Literacy continues to be an area in which LACOE has made considerable progress in completing tasks associated with the Settlement Agreement. During this reporting period, LACOE has continued staff development and coaching activities, purchased additional books for libraries on the living units, and has scheduled follow-up Intensive and Strategic Support courses. LACOE literacy specialists have also collaborated with Operation Read, a Probation initiative. LACOE literacy specialists have provided staff development to Operation Read staff to ensure more consistency in literacy activities on the living units. Everyone Reads, the sustained silent reading activity, has continued in classrooms at McAuliffe School. A major positive step in this area was the hiring of media specialist in October. She is a welcome addition who should be able to sustain the momentum in classrooms and provide a bridge between LACOE and Probation staff on literacy activities. Another bright spot in this area is the development of the Kindle clubs on each of the units. Students in these clubs participate in directed reading activities after school several times each week. Interviews with students indicate that these clubs are highly valued activities. The Kindles used by students are stored in the school and distributed and used when the clubs meet.

One area of concern for the TCA Team is the adequacy of support for the minilibraries and for literacy activities on the living units. While Camp McNair and Camp Onizuka have relatively well-functioning reading programs with student librarians, Camp Jarvis struggles with complying with this element of the Settlement Agreement. TCA interviews with youth from Jarvis indicate that they do not know who their student librarians are and do not know whether there is dedicated reading time on the unit. This is in marked contrast to comments we heard from students in the other camps. Pictures of the libraries in each of the camps speak for themselves. These pictures, documenting the status of reading activities on these units, can be found in the Appendix D.

Recommendations Literacy

Area 5 Positive Behavior Support

Provide refresher training to probation staff on the living units concerning literacy and their obligation to support literacy on the living units.. Provide on-going support to student librarians and recognize their contributions. LACOE and Probation staff needs to control students access to markers, pens, pencils, and other devices that have been used by students to deface and tag books with gang symbols. Overtime when reading and literacy become more important to students and staff at CMYC, the incidence of this type of vandalism will decrease substantially.

TCA Quarterly Report, November2011

Preliminary work on a system of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) began this reporting period with three days of training of LACOE and Probation staff in September 2011. A PBIS Leadership Team has been formed and holds regular meetings, though according to team members, it has been difficult getting all team members to the meetings consistently. The team has drafted positive behavioral expectations for youth (Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe) and has developed a matrix listing how these translate into rules for specific settings (Classroom, Physical Education Areas, Walkways/Movement, Dormitory). The PBIS Leadership Team has begun summarizing and analyzing student behavior data for each camp. The Team has scheduled the implementation of PBIS for January 12, 2012. Although the implementation of PBIS is behind schedule, camp closings and personnel changes indicated to the TCA Team that it would be prudent to develop the Leadership Team for PBIS after most of the personnel changes had been made. Recommendations Positive Behavior Support Increase the participation by Probation staff in the planning and implementation process; recruit an additional Probation liaison; Incorporate Probation documents (SOP, Honor Code/Code of Conduct) into PBIS materials; include Probation staff in staff survey; Have PBIS Team report to Probation staff; Develop a policy for responsibilities of Probation and Education staff in classrooms;. Prepare for the implementation of PBIS. Use a Readiness Checklist provided by the PBIS consultant; Solicit staff input on implementation at meetings (include PBIS on regular meeting agenda); use a fidelity checklist to evaluate training; and Identify an external coach or coaches to work with McAuliffe and Probation staff during implementation and program refinement.

Area 6- Special Education

Special Education compliance continues to be a strength. Transition IEPs and training has been completed, but needs to be followed up upon in the fall to ensure fidelity of implementation. A student progress placement form was updated to ensure that it reflects a conference rather than an IEP team decision-making tool prior to the IEP team meeting. In general the system to retrieve students records is effective and McAuliffe staff usually receives files within 5 days of placement. Most, if not all students with disabilities (SWD), who are eligible for transition services are provided those (evidenced by student interviews and document reviews) and the transition out of McAuliffe is on paper and excellent one.

TCA Quarterly Report, November2011

An excellent Special Education Plan has been developed the SELPA Coordinator assigned to McAuliffe and is currently being implemented. The focus on LRE and options for students is a cornerstone of this plan but the implementation will require administrative support and leadership..

Issues of need include LRE and the focus on places (SDC, RS support but not collaborative, Speech 1:1 rather than classroom focused language development). This is a very serious concern and must be addressed quickly at the start of the new school year and with the new administrative team. Students are placed in SDCs with no opportunity to be mainstreamed into general education classes for either their areas of strength or for access to the general curriculum with services and sets of services. Indeed, the issue of services and sets of services seems foreign to the special education administration both at McAuliffe and LACOE in general. In the area of FAPE, alignment of goals and objectives to the pacing guide, and the access to the core is dependent upon the pacing guide being at the right time and right place for the individual student. It is not. Much work needs to be done in unpacking CA standards, understanding how to stratify lessons and differentiate for these students, and how to do the same with assessments to more closely align teaching and learning to the students needs. Special education services in the SHU continue to be a particular concern. It is unclear whether there is a solid communication system from the classroom to the SHU on the work, level, materials and instructional needs students have. It will be important to examine the needs of students who go repeatedly to the SHU around behavior management plans and if these removals from the general population constitute a pattern related to the students identified behavioral needs. Recommendations - Special Education

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Utilize the Special Education Plan to implement options for SWD. Shift focus to services and sets of services, not just compliance and placement in places. Need a shift with both general and special education staff to acknowledge and take responsibility for the education of all students. Develop a clear and simple communication system between school and camp staff that is clear, explicit and helps and helps staff in camps (and general education staff) understand disability. Start mainstreaming based on instructional need. Mental Health needs to connect to school program. Address issues of LRE Look at service delivery models and ensure students get into classes they need Speech and RS services need to classroom oriented (not 1:1 or pull out) and related to access to and progress in the core. The current models are TCA Quarterly Report, November2011

Progress has been very uneven in the development of Career and Technical Education programs at CYMC. Although this is a shared responsibility between Probation and LACOE, most of the activity and resources with few exceptions have been created by LACOE. After school ROP (Regional Occupational Program) activities such as landscaping and food handling developed earlier this year continue. Landscaping has expanded from an after school program to a regular course offering during the school day. A few other programs such as animal care, bicycle repair, and auto detailing have also been developed as afterschool programs offered for 75 minutes two or three times each week; these programs enroll a relatively low number of students. The bicycle repair program has been set up in an unused classroom on the West side of McAuliffe School. Bikes have been donated to the program but essential tools necessary to teach youth skills have not been procured more than a month after the program started. The animal care, bicycle repair, and the auto detailing programs were cooperatively developed by LACOE and Probation staff. Another CTE program, the Paxton-Patterson Building Skills Program, is a probation initiative that has been planned and discussed for several years. Because Probation was unable to secure funding LACOE purchased the equipment for this program during this reporting period. Classes are scheduled to begin in early December 2011. A collaborative apprentice training program with the pipefitters union appears to be dead in the water. Like the Paxton-Patterson program, this initiative has been explored and discussed by Probation staff for many months but no one appears to be willing to approve or initiate the program.

Area 7: Career and Technical Education (CTE)

inefficient and do not serve students well. (Joint planning and collaboration needs to occur.)

At the present time, only 77 of the 231 youth (33%) at CMYC are enrolled in a CTE program and most are enrolled in after school programs that meet for 150 minutes each week. This is far short of the goal of 50% of youth being involved in 300 minutes of CTE instruction by May 2011 and the revised goal of all youth enrolled in CTE for at least one academic quarter during their stay at Challenger by November 2011. Recommendations Career and Technical Education Incorporate the Paxton/Patterson construction trades program into the school schedule to maximize CTE opportunities for youth. Discuss with the TCA and Probation, scheduling options that balance academic and CTE courses. Continue landscaping and safe-serve food handling license programs. Develop and schedule the apprentice training program with the pipefitters union. TCA Quarterly Report, November2011

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Develop and schedule students into the bicycle maintenance and animal grooming programs. LACOE and Probation need to collaborate to ensure that there is adequate DPO staff coverage and adequate resources for CTE classes.

Area 8: Special Activities

Special activities have not progressed as anticipated; they need to be re-set as a priority. The change of teaching staff, a new principal, and the disruption of continuity in delivering a high quality education program were major barriers to expected progress. Probation has not shown any progress in planning and implementing recognition activities as stipulated in the settlement agreement.

Probation continues to be a barrier to further development of special activity programming at CMYC. While Probation staff at CMYC and the Chief of Probation have voiced strong support for the development of special activities consistent with the intent and requirements of the Settlement Agreement, the middle management at Probation and does not appear to be willing to authorize or fund special activities. A related problem is the inability of probation officers to cover the few after school activities and programs that have been developed. Administratively, each of the three camps is treated as a separate entity; DPOs on units with adequate staffing do not fill in and support staff from other units. Consequently, on occasion students miss afterschool activities because of inadequate supervision. The TCA has brought this concern to the attention of Probation leadership in the past; we were assured that staff coverage for special activities would be provided. Recommendations Special Activities LACOE and Probation staffs need to collaborate to ensure that all youth have access to special activities. Probation needs to find resources to develop and fund special activities.

Area 9: Transition and Aftercare

The transition and aftercare component of the Action Plan is in substantial compliance The Camp to Community Transition Protocol (CCTP) has been implemented and is being used by the two LACOE transition counselors. Recommendations Transition and Aftercare

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Work collaboratively with Probation to develop a protocol to monitor the success of aftercare education services and supports for youth. TCA Quarterly Report, November2011

Area 10: Partnership

Literacy collaboration with Probation has begun. Literacy activities on the living units need unequivocal support from Probation leadership including camp directors to ensure they are successful. MDT information was reviewed by Mental Health and on paper appears to be a good process. To ensure fidelity of the implementation of the MDT process, activities and follow up needs to be investigated and documented.

Use data gathered on transition outcomes to evaluate services and supports.

Recommendations Partnerships:

The safety and crisis planning training components were accomplished successfully. However, the Probation Department was slow in ordering and repairing equipment which caused a delay of 6-7 months. At this time the panic bar system is only partially operational and Probation has not been able to set definite timeline for completing the necessary work. In order to impress upon Probation the importance of equipment installation and necessary repairs, we rated areas 11.18 through 11.26 as being in non-compliance. Recommendation Safety and Crisis Management There needs to be a full audit and study of safety and security at Challenger. The current procedures for screening of visitors, staff, and youth in camps, is minimal or non-existent.

Area 11: Safety and Crisis Management

Review and fine tune the MDT process. Interview families and students who have gone recently participated in an MDT meeting to gather information on its effects.

Area 12: Discipline and SHU

Observation by the TCA Team, interviews with students, and review of data collected by the IA&A (Internal Audits & Analysis) indicate that significant discipline problems persist. While some Probation and teaching staff respond to students inappropriate social behavior appropriately, others persist in using practices that are inefficient, ineffective, and result in exclusion of students from the classroom. While a dedicated classroom in the McAuliffe School has been established for students placed in the SHU, data showed that students only attended classes 62% of the time. Systems to document and disseminate this information and develop

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TCA Quarterly Report, November2011

corrective plans are not in place. We anticipate that the introduction of the PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support) system at Challenger will have a positive impact on disciplinary practices including school exclusions and placement of students in the SHU. Recommendations Discipline and SHU Develop the capacity to disseminate information to document teachers and staff who are disproportionately involved in school exclusions. Use this information to provide coaching and staff development activities. Continue to document the school attendance of students living in the SHU. Develop a corrective plan to ensure continuity of instruction especially for students enrolled in special education. Assign a permanent teacher in order to provide stability, continuity of instruction, and accurate record keeping.

Area 13: Sustainability and Quality Assurance

Through the Division of Internal Audits and Analysis (IA&A), LACOE has developed a system for documenting the status of tasks and the performance of students and staff consistent with the requirements of the Action Plan (AP). While this activity meets some requirements of the AP, in other respects, it identifies areas of noncompliance and illuminates the gap between developing and implementing changes in the operation of the education program. Current practices in this area are necessary but not sufficient for LACOE to achieve substantial compliance with the Settlement Agreement. Recommendations Sustainability and Quality Assurance

Review the function of the IA&A and the quality assurance protocols. Identify areas where changes in the infrastructure of the education program at McAuliffe are insufficient to ensure sustainability of the education reforms associated with the Settlement Agreement. Develop a means to translate data and reports generated by IA&A into corrective plans to address areas of non-compliance and partial compliance.

Conclusions and General Recommendations

The education program at Challenger Memorial Youth Center is marginally better than it was in April 2010 and is in worse shape than when we issued our interim report in July 2011. Literacy, some aspects of special education, and transition and aftercare are three areas where the education program is in better shape than other areas of the Action Plan.

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TCA Quarterly Report, November2011

The biggest impediments to substantial compliance with the Settlement Agreement include the current school calendar, heavy reliance on substitute teachers, and lack of administrative autonomy and support for McAuliffe High School. The central office especially, Human Resources appear to be unable to place quality teachers at CMYC. Consequently, the instruction at the McAuliffe School is inadequate in the majority of classrooms. The Career and Technical Education program is underdeveloped. Data management system is working but most staff does not know how to use it. The new academic assessment system (NWEA) is not up and running yet. Recommendations 1. The foundation of any organization is its people. This holds true for the education program at McAuliffe High School. LACOE needs to address the lack of a quality teaching staff and make the necessary adjustments immediately.

2. McAuliffe High School administrators need to be able to select and retain quality teaching staff. Correctional educators teach because they like the students and understand the unique challenges associated with teaching atrisk students. The central office can guide and make sure viable recruitment, selection, and performance evaluation processes are followed. 3. There is a huge disconnect between the education staff and the probation officers and leadership at CMYC. LACOE and Probation need to develop a clear description of roles and responsibilities of teachers and DPOs in the classroom environment.

4. Camp directors and supervisory personnel need to ensure that students are in classrooms on time at the start of the school day and after lunch. Special activities and Career and Technical Education opportunities that Probation agreed to support need to be funded.

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TCA Quarterly Report, November2011

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