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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 8:27 pm
Time: 8:27 pm
Results for remedial education programs
1 results foundAuthor: Robinson, Emma Title: Achieving Learner Retention in Basic Skills: findings from a study of offenders in West Yorkshire Summary: The general education level of those coming before the courts is low. It is estimated that ‘nearly 60 per cent of prisoners have poor literacy and communication skills and as many as 75 per cent have poor numeracy skills’ (Uden, 2004, p.9). These are levels of skills low enough to exclude them from 96 per cent of available jobs. Fifty-two per cent of men and 71 per cent of women prisoners have no qualifications at all, compared with 15 per cent of the general population. The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) published ‘Education and Training for Offenders’ in 2003 which charted a change in the ways that education and training are delivered in prisons. Whilst its initial focus was on prisons and prisoners, the focus of attention has broadened to concern offenders more generally. Indeed, there has been an increasing acceptance within the Criminal Justice System of the role of education and training in reducing re-offending. A number of recent Basic Skills Pathfinder Projects carried out between 1999 and 2002 tested out procedures for offenders on probation including screening of clients for basic skills needs, assessment, provision and arrangements to encourage take-up of basic skills opportunities by offenders. Findings from the pathfinder showed that 50% of the sample had no qualifications at all and only 26% had a level 2 qualification or above (McMahon et al, 2004). Approximately 35% of the sample were assessed as likely to have a basic skills need. Another important finding from the evaluation was the attrition that occurred at every stage of the process, resulting in only a small number of offenders receiving basic skills tuition. The highest rate of attrition occurred following the screening process with only 19% of the sample subsequently attending for assessment. This has led to an increased emphasis on the role of case managers in attempting to ensure attendance during the course of supervision. The Probation Service now plays a key role in identifying the learning needs of individuals, the provision of information and advice, and in referral to appropriate learning opportunities. Similar to the ‘core curriculum’ delivered in prisons with its associated targets, the Probation Service concentrates overwhelmingly on basic skills for which it has agreed the following targets in a Service Delivery Agreement: · 6,000 starts on basic skills programmes and 1,000 qualifications (at any level) for 2002/3 · 12,000 qualifications (2,000 at Entry level, 8,000 at Level 1 and 2,000 and Level 2). This report is the culmination of 12 months’ research into basic skills provision in West Yorkshire (April 2004 – March 2005). A range of internal and external projects have been drawn upon which include: · An internal research project looking at the implementation of DISC’s mentoring service for offenders. · An internal report examining the provision of basic skills for diverse offender groups, staff awareness of basic skills provision, and staff training needs. · Results from a series of internal throughput reports focusing on four particular offender groups: female offenders, minority ethnic offenders, offenders residing in hostels and drug misusing offenders subject to a Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO). · An internal evaluation of the early roll-out of Guided Skills Learning in West Yorkshire. · Results from an external research project led by the National Research and Development Centre for adult literacy and numeracy (NRDC). West Yorkshire was one of two pathfinder areas involved in the Maths for Life: Talking up Numeracy offender pathfinder. · Key findings from two internally commissioned improvement projects set up in response to a low conversion rate for basic skills starts to awards. The projects comprised: a Learning Improvement Project (LIP) focusing on meeting the area awards target for 2004/5, and an improvement project in Leeds West focusing on the district awards target. Details: West Yorkshire, UK: West Yorkshire National Probation Service, 2005. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 10, 2012 at: http://www.westyorksprobation.org.uk/pdfs/BasicSkills_2004-5_FullReport.pdf Year: 2005 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.westyorksprobation.org.uk/pdfs/BasicSkills_2004-5_FullReport.pdf Shelf Number: 126280 Keywords: Educational ProgramsProbationers (U.K.)Rehabilitation ProgramsRemedial Education Programs |