Educational Curriculum and Instructional Practices within Juvenile Detention Centers

Educational Curriculum and Instructional Practices within Juvenile Detention Centers

How Schools Manage the Transition from Early Years to School

Studies have indicated that transitions impact young children’s emotional and developmental wellbeing. A child’s short and long term ability to cope with change hinges on the manner the first transition was handled (Anderson, Christenson, Sinclair and Lehr 95). Children from minority groups have more difficulties adjusting to the school setting.

One of the essential ways of helping the children smoothly transition is through establishing partnerships with parents. Allowing parents to visit children in school helps the children adjust to the school culture as they see the involvement of the parents in their education (Anderson 97). Schools also encourage parents to help young learners with their homework to help them eliminate the suffering they might experience doing tough assignments.

Schools also align the curriculum to suit the specific needs of an individual child. Young learners experience different challenges, and there is no universal prescription for all the various problems (Anderson 99). To ensure a smooth transition, schools encourage collaboration among teachers and supervises them to ensure the curriculum addresses the needs of every child.

Approaches for better Outcomes in General Schooling

The pedagogical approach teachers use in the classroom determines the learning outcomes. The effectiveness of the instructional approach depends on the topic and subject, the classroom setting, and the diverse needs of learners (Benner et al. 12). For better learning outcomes, teachers adopt different approaches depending on the needs of the students.

One of the common types of teaching methods is teacher-centered pedagogy. In this approach, the teacher is placed at the core of the learning process and depends on various methods such as call-and-response/chorus answers, rote memorization and whole-class lecture (Benner et al. 13). The approach has faced criticism, mostly in cases where learners are afraid of the teacher and only complete lower-order tasks. However, when teachers frequently ask the learners to elaborate and expound main ideas instead of lecturing only, the whole-class method registers better learning outcomes.

Another type of teaching approach is learner-centered pedagogy. The approach emphasizes the need for teaching to focus on students. Learners are thus expected to create knowledge using their prior and new experiences. Teachers are required to facilitate learning by providing the needed environment for students to learn.

The other type of strategy is learning-centered pedagogy. The approach is relatively new and combines both the teacher-centered pedagogy and learner-centered methods. The strategy stresses the need to consider the availability of teaching and learning resources and the physical context (Benner et al. 15). Teachers are required to adopt teaching strategies depending on the school environment.

Predicting the Future of Poor Juvenile Centers

Poor juvenile centers are majorly characterized by large populations and inadequate resources such as low bed spaces relative to the number of detainees leading to crowding. For accurate projections of the future of these centers, high quality data is needed (Hockenberry and Puzzanchera 3). However, without quality data, policymakers can only depend on the administrators’ and practitioners’ beliefs and opinions about the anticipated need for bed spaces (Carver and Harrison 9). While such observations and ideas could be useful, depending on such anecdotal information exclusively can lead to errors which may prove costly (Carver and Harrison 10). Every person involved in the juvenile justice system can only provide an estimation based on their unique viewpoints (Hockenberry and Puzzanchera 3). Besides, policymakers face difficulties sourcing data about corrections and detention spaces, which leads to inaccurate projections.

Effective Interventions and Approaches in Promoting Wellbeing of Schools and Colleges

Different schools and colleges use various strategies and approaches to ensure their wellbeing, but a few of these methods have been proved effective. Creating an inclusive culture in schools and colleges, adopting effective leadership where the heads lead by example, and proper management ensures the wellbeing of schools and colleges (Drabinski and Harkins 3). Another intervention is high quality teaching conducted using the different instructional method as the condition may dictate also creates desired impacts. Employing expertise is also useful as it helps provide the requisite knowledge using the best way possible (Drabinski and Harkins 4). Personalization of subjects to meet the requirements of every learner also helps improve the wellbeing of schools and colleges.

Additionally, Drabinski and Harkins (7) also cite flexibility in the use of evidence-based strategies such as the use of the graduated approach as effective in ensuring the wellbeing of schools and colleges. Another intervention is the tracking of the progress of learners to identify the needs of the students and customize the curriculum to meet every student’s needs. Promoting communication and collaboration in schools and colleges is also useful in ensuring their wellbeing (Drabinski and Harkins 8).

Impacts of Further Education, Technical Education, and Apprenticeship on Learners’ Earnings and Career Developments

Further education is pursued in colleges or universities that offer varieties of courses in different fields such as medicine, law, economics, sociology, and engineering, among many others (Lagemann 14). The institutions prepare the learners for their future careers and is a pathway to gaining employment. Technical institutions provide hands-on experience to learners in given professions, for instance, machinists, nuclear technicians, electricians, and mechanics, among others (Lagemann 15). Apprenticeship is an on-job training that involves learning a skilled profession while earning at the same time. Apprenticeship helps under experienced persons learn basics about an occupation to enable them to work with other professionals in that field. All these different post-high school training help individuals develop skills requisite for their future careers (Lagemann 17).

Factors Influencing Young People’s Decision Making at Key Education Transition Points

Young’ peoples’ characteristics influence their decisions about different subjects and courses as they transition from one level to another education point. Some of these factors include a young person’s individual attributes, such as perceived usefulness of the subject and personal enjoyment (Miller et al. 69). Another factor could be the teaching styles, ethos, and provisions of the school. For example, a young learner may choose to pursue a Diploma course due to its preference for outside classroom and practical learning. Some also make choices based on their future career paths and plans.

Implications of Young People’s Choices on Future Economic Outcomes

Young people’s decisions made at earlier transition stages affect later choices and determine their ability to enroll for various programs. In some instances, young people continued pursuing the subject areas chosen at previous stages. In other cases, their student’s decisions to study certain subjects at the 14 levels influenced them to reject some previously considered careers (Hawkins 17). Additionally, some young people’s previous decision to choose particular vocational areas changed their later choice to continue with the same courses (Hawkins 18). In general, young people’s decisions to pursue different subjects at critical education transitions affect their career paths, which in turn affect the economic outcomes. Different careers attract different remunerations, and such decisions are determined by the decisions young people make at key education transition points.