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For Immediate Release:
August 24, 2007
Contact: Sara Anderson
(573) 526-0407
Jefferson City - The Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) received word last week that the Division of Youth Services (DYS) passed the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) accreditation standards for maintaining its public school district accreditation. The accreditation was approved in July by the State Board of Education.
“The Division Youth Services continues to be a stellar example to the rest of the nation on how to successfully run a juvenile justice program,” DSS Director Deborah Scott said. “Education plays a vital role in the rehabilitation process, and our staff continues to exceed expectations for providing high quality service to the youth.”
The DYS education program was first accredited as a school district in 2001, under a process developed by DESE to provide a structure that is similar to that used for evaluating public school districts. DESE requires school districts to undergo the accreditation process every five years to maintain their accreditation status.
State education officials evaluated DYS in three areas; resources (program of studies, class size and staffing), process (instructional design and practice, differentiated instruction and school services) and performance (test scores, college placement, graduation rate, and attendance).
“It is unusual for a state agency such as the Division Youth Services to be accredited by the state’s lead educational agency (DESE),” DYS Director Tim Decker said. “Most juvenile justice agencies obtain accreditation through private associations or remain unaccredited. We are fortunate to have a strong working relationship with DESE which allows us to become a fully accredited public school district.”
DESE also noted that DYS had four particular strengths: variety of instructional strategies used; improvements in library media centers; professional development that focuses on improving student performance; and the low recidivism rate among students. The DYS program is recognized as one of the most effective in the U.S., based on its unique approach and rate of recidivism.
