Missouri Department of Social Services
221 West High Street • P.O.
Box 1527 •
Jefferson City, MO 65102-1527
Division of Youth Services
Yes, the Division of Youth Services provides accredited education services. All teachers are fully certified by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Youth attend school full-time, twelve months per year in classrooms with relatively small student:teacher ratios. Students receive instruction in the core subject areas of math, science, social studies and communication arts. Students may also receive credit in physical education, health, fine arts, and career/vocational education, and a wide variety of electives. The curriculum is based upon the Show-Me Standards developed by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Each youth is thoroughly evaluated to determine individual education needs. Individual Education Plans (IEP) are developed for youth found to be eligible for special education services. Youth who need special education services receive assistance from certified special education teachers.
Some youth committed to the Division of Youth Services are prohibited from returning to regular public school due to the Safe School Act. As a result, the division has increased its capacity to provide alternative education services to youth living in their home communities and has also increased its efforts to assist youth obtain a GED. Service coordinators have identified alternative education, training and employment options for some youth who are unable to return to public school.
The Division of Youth Services continues to address the need for enhanced vocational education. At present, all youth in custody receiving educational services from the division must be enrolled, at the very least, in a career education class. In addition, youth may be employed and receive minimum wage compensation while learning important job skills. Recently, the Division of Youth Services received funding to build vocational buildings, purchase vocational equipment and programs to provide to youth, which are located at various programs throughout the state. These funds have increased the division’s capacity to better meet the vocational needs of youth in its care.
In FY 2005 approximately 74% of youth in the Division of Youth Services who took the GED examination passed.
09/19/06