The Utah Consolidation Plan

III -Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At Risk.

Background

            Title I Part D – Prevention and Intervention Programs For Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent or At Risk of Dropping Out (N or D), under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, provides educational services to eligible children and youth to under the age of 21 who reside in state or institutions for neglected or delinquent children, attend community day programs for neglected or delinquent children or who reside in state correctional institutions. 

Title I Part D – STATE EDUCATION AGENCY PLAN

General Information

            The Utah State Office of Education (USOE) serves as the State Education Agency (SEA) and the State Agency (SA) responsible for implementing all aspects of programs for neglected, delinquent or at risk children under this Title.  The Education Specialist for the Title I Part D Program and the Education Specialist for the state-funded Youth In Custody (YIC) Program work in tandem to provide effective educational services and ensure efficient use of resources for their respective and similar populations.  These programs are closely coordinated and work successfully with the Department of Human Services and other agencies to enhance program performance and avoid duplication.  

            This SEA Plan will remain in effect for the duration of Utah’s participation in NCLB and be periodically reviewed and revised by the State.  As the SA responsible for administering Part D subpart 1 funds, USOE must have a State Agency Application on file that meets all SEA program requirements. That application may be approved for up to three years.   The USOE Associate Superintendent over Student Achievement and School Success provides oversight and periodic review of these plans and application.  Likewise, the Utah Title I Committee of Practitioners and the Utah Coordinating Council for Youth in Custody (UCCYIC) are involved in program approval, review, and monitoring of plans and applications.  

Program Goals

            Utah N or D programs hold the same high student expectations of students enrolled in the state-operated YIC programs and any school district or charter school program. The goals of the Utah Neglected, Delinquent or At Risk Students (N or D) Program are (1) to improve educational services to children in local and state institutions for neglected or delinquent youth so that such children and youth have the opportunity to meet the same challenging State content standards and challenging State student performance standards that all children in the State will be expected to meet; (2) to provide such children and youth the services needed to make a successful transition from institutionalization to further schooling or employment; and (3) to prevent at-risk youth from dropping out of school and to provide dropouts and youth returning from institutions with a support system to ensure their continued education.

         The N or D program adheres to all core curriculum requirements as mandated in state law R277-700-4 Elementary Education Requirements, R277-700-5. Middle School Education Requirements and R277-700-6 High School Requirements as outlined at Core Curriculum.  The program also adheres to established norms of all state-operated LEAs to ensure that neglected, delinquent, or at-risk children and youth will have equal opportunity to meet the challenging State standards needed to further their education and become productive members of society.

Program Objectives & Performance Measures

         Utah has established the following five major objectives for N or D programs:    

• Neglected and delinquent students will have access to core curriculum courses specified in Utah law for which CRT testing is required, and, as needed, will have access to Basic Skills Education Programs (BSEP) created to provide students who have not passed the UBSCT supplemental instruction in the skills and knowledge necessary to pass the test.   This will be measured by annual N or D student enrollment counts in core curriculum, basic skills and vocational (career and technical) courses.
• Institutions and programs will demonstrate clear program goals and objectives that better meet the needs of N or D students.  Evidence of meeting this objective will be an increase in the number of programs that integrate improved curriculum based on clear goals and objectives and the amount of funds used for innovative practices that focus on meeting the unique needs of N or D students.
• N or D students will improve academic, vocational and technical skills needed to further their education or obtain employment.  As mandated in Sections 53A-1-601 through 53A-1-611 and outlined in the Utah Performance Assessment System for Students (U-PASS), all Utah students—including N or D—will participate in Utah Basic Skills Competency Tests (UBSCT),  CRTs – Criterion Referenced Tests in English/Language Arts, Math, Science, and Norm-referenced Tests (NRT).

         In addition, N or D students must participate in the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT 4) pre- and post-assessments as outlined by NDTAC.  Institutions will track and report N or D student results.   An analysis of annual monitoring information, student transcripts, completed projects, teacher observations, CTE Skill Test results and LEA performance reports will show that N or D students are completing career and technical courses, developing appropriate basic skills, and obtaining employment upon graduation.

• Programs will improve the ability of N or D students to make the transition from the institution to their community and society at large.  All N or D students will receive comprehensive guidance services provided by school counselors in the development of SEP/SEOPs.  This will be tracked and evaluated through Comprehensive Guidance Evaluations, review of student records, and local education agency (LEA) performance reports.  All N or D programs will maintain, publish and utilize lists of key transitional services contacts between school districts, charter schools, correctional facilities, and postsecondary institutions.  An increasing number of N or D programs will incorporate transition services and track post-release progress of students, when feasible. 
• All N or D program teachers will meet the Utah requirement as Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT).  Educators and institution staff will attend annual professional development opportunities to share best practices and program successes. HQT statistics will be collected annually.

SEA Plan Assurances and Evaluation

            As the SEA for Title I Part D programs, USOE ensures that programs assisted under Subpart 1 are carried out in accordance with this plan. As the SA for Title I Part D programs, USOE will also comply with all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. 

            USOE further ensures that all N or D programs will carry out the Sec 1431 Program Evaluations not less than once every three years.  As part of a statewide monitoring and evaluation system, the state N or D Specialist and members of the Utah Coordinating Council for Youth In Custody (UCCYIC) will conduct annual desk audits and tri-annual site visits to all programs funded under this title.  N or D programs will submit end-of-year statistical and narrative reports which include disaggregated data on N or D student participation by gender, race, ethnicity and age and specific incidents of successful outcomes to the Utah State Office of Education. Results will be evaluated and used to determine the program’s impact on participants’ ability to accomplish the objectives outlined in this plan and program improvement needs. Information from these reports will be summarized and reported to the Utah Legislature Education Subcommittee and US Department of Education.