The unexplored role of EOGS in the prevention of juvenile delinquency in a rural county.

Title I Grants are designed to provide assistance to local educational facilities who are at risk of not meeting the academic standard set for them by the State. Eligible schools provide a detailed description of the supplemental educational program and the number of students from low-income families participating. The traditional approach is to use veteran teachers to implement the remedial interventions. In contrast, Phillips Middle in North Carolina contracted with Sylvan at School Program using Title I money to provide remediation services to seventy five students in grade 4-6 that scored a 1 or 2 on the End of Grade Test the previous year. Following the Sylvan intervention forty-eight (70.6%) of the students did not pass the EOG test while twenty-nine (29.4%) did. No significant differences were reported in multiple measures. Consistency is an issue with the Sylvan program while veteran teachers seemed best equipped to handle remediation. They are able to work closely with the classroom teacher and make mid-year changes to the program when necessary, even if that means adding a student who may have placed out at the beginning of they year.

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Education is a priority in today's society. In essence, failure in school translates to not living up to the expectations of society. Bynum and Thompson (2002) equate failure in school to failure in society. Because of that association, they conclude "it is no wonder that failure in school and juvenile delinquency are closely related" (p. 264). According to Monk-Turner (1989), experiencing school success may break the connection between youth and crime and, if delinquents do well in school, their future life chances are not threatened. With these connections in mind, it seems imperative that research be conducted to examine the process of education and identify those factors that significantly contribute to individual success or failure. In this study, Sylvan Learning Center programs and Phillips Middle School, a Title I school in rural North Carolina, worked together to establish an academic remediation program for low performing students using Title I funds as a way of preventing juvenile delinquency. Specifically, this research attempts to determine if such a use of Title I funds is an effective remediation for students who have previously failed the North Carolina End-of-Grade test.

Although Cohen's Delinquent Boys (1955) is perhaps the first effort to theorize a relationship between education and delinquency, the links between them have been studied much longer (see Mercer, 1930 and Healy, 1915, cited in Phillips and Kelly, 1979). In a sense, the relationship between education and crime is rather obvious. For instance, when asked if the education system was doing its job for students and how it affected a student's chances for committing crimes, a child already involved in the juvenile justice system responded, "If he ain't learning, he gonna do crime" (Goldstein, 1990, p. 56). The purpose of this paper is to explore the creative use of Title I funds to reduce the likely hood of juvenile delinquency through educational intervention at a rural middle school.

Method

Participants and Location

Data were obtained from Sylvan Learning Center at Phillips Middle School. There were sixty-eight students chosen from the 2000-2001 school year and they range in grades from 4th to 6th. The sample originally contained seventy-five students, but due to missing data, it was downsized to sixty-eight.

Many of the factors affecting a child's learning environment are a concern for children in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. Edgecombe County is a rural county located an hour's drive east of Raleigh, the capital city. The United States Census Bureau (2000), the Office of State Budget and Management (1998) and Edgecombe Community College provide the following information about Edgecombe County. With a population of approximately 56,000, 46% are male and 55% are female. The majority of the population is African-American and Caucasian, with 57.5% and 40.1%, respectively. Of the 20,392 reported households, 39.8% contain children. Of the total population, 33.9% is composed of children under 18, and of that 33.9%, 30.6% are below poverty level. Compared to 21.9% of adults aged 25 and over, 26.5% of children, aged 5-17, and are below poverty level. Thirty-eight percent of adults are high school graduates, and 5% are college graduates. The unemployment rate stayed relatively the same between 1992 and 1995, at about 7.7%, but increased dramatically in 1996 to 12%. These numbers reflect the potential difficulty a child may have in school due to environmental factors.

Phillips Middle School is located just outside of Battleboro, in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. Located in a rural area, there are approximately 500 students that attend Phillips. About 92 of those children are in 4th grade, 104 in 5th, 106 in 6th, 108 in 7th and 106 in 8th grade. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2001), the racial make-up is 72% African American, 20% Caucasian and 8% Hispanic. Thirty-six percent of students are on free or reduced price lunch service. The student/teacher ratio is 14.7 students to one teacher. The Phillips Middle School Mission is as follows: At Phillips School we work together to learn to live. The school vision is to bring honor and pride to the community. Additionally, Phillips Middle School is "dedicated to developing and maintaining a philosophy of respect and high expectations of excellence for all students, teacher, and staff. The administration looks to meet the diverse needs of the students by encouraging a love of learning and by developing responsible, confident, productive citizenship through a home/school/community partnership that will prepare students for the 21st century" (Phillips Middle School: Technology and authentic Learning, 2000).

Procedure

The Sylvan Skills Assessment is administered at the beginning of the school year to the students who did not pass the North Carolina End-of-Grade in the previous school year. The assessment consists of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), the Sylvan Learning Center Reading Diagnostic Test (SLCRDT), the Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT), and the California Achievement Test (CAT). In order to identify a student's weak areas, the Sylvan Skills Assessment, a combination of several tests covering multiple skill areas, is used to identify the academic needs of the child. Skill gaps are the most common causes of under-performance in an academic setting; they can best be understood as weak foundation skills. Also identified is the grade level that children are currently capable of working on. Individual programs are created so that each student has a unique plan to help him or her achieve success in his or her own identified problem areas.

Sylvan at Phillips Middle School

The Sylvan at School Program at Phillips Middle School began in 1998 with the implementation of the Academic Reading program. In contracting with Sylvan, Phillips agreed to provide space of at least 1000 square feet suitable to meet Sylvan standards. They guaranteed Sylvan 60 students, eventually increasing the number to 75 in 2000, at a cost based on each child and the 10-month school calendar. Phillips Middle School also agreed to provide a list to Sylvan of those recommended students who are to be individually tested. The 75 students chosen were in grades 4-6 and scored a 1 or 2 on the End of Grade Test the previous year. The North Carolina End of Grade Test was developed to assure that children were meeting the standard student skills and knowledge within their grade level. The students read North Carolina-related passages chosen to reflect the various readings done by students in and out of the classroom, and then answered questions about the passages to assess their reading competency leading to one of four scores. According to "Understanding End of grade testing: Achievement Levels " (1999), a Level I student does not have sufficient mastery of the skills and knowledge in reading to be successful in the next grade. Students who are at a Level 2 demonstrate inconsistent mastery of skills and knowledge that are the foundation in reading and will be minimally successful at the next grade level. A Level 3 student performs consistently and is well prepared for the next grade. Lastly, a Level 4 student performs above and beyond what is required to be proficient at the next grade level.

Phillips Middle School agreed to allow Sylvan to operate according to the guidelines and requirements mandated by Sylvan Learning Corporation. Aside from operating the School Center just as a normal Sylvan Center would function, Sylvan agreed to work with the school counselor or teachers to set up each student's schedule, hold informational meetings with parents to explain the program, communicate with the teachers to discuss the results of the assessment and, once the program begins, the progress of the students.

Once the assessment has been completed, the students are ready to begin instruction. During the course of the year, various aspects of the reading program are explored and taught. The reading program can be divided into two parts: beginning and academic reading. Sylvan Beginning Reading is aimed at students in kindergarten through second grade, or for older students needing a review. An integrated approach is utilized by combining letter and word recognition, phonics, and comprehension. Detecting the meaning in what a child reads is emphasized as well as improving oral and listening skills. Sylvan Academic Reading focuses on strategic reading skills that play a vital role in all academic areas and in life. The four main components of reading fluency in this program are phonics and word recognition, vocabulary, comprehension and applied skills. Phonics and word recognition aid the student in identifying new or strange words. The vocabulary section includes work in synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, root words and words in context. New words are taught and integrated into the student's vocabulary. Building literal comprehension skills allows the student to gradually progress to more complex and inferential comprehension skills. Lastly, applied skills help to develop and reinforce comprehension skills through improved reading rate and reference and oral skills.

The Sylvan at School program is funded by Title I monies. Title I grants are designed to provide assistance to local educational facilities through the State to improve the teaching and learning of students from low-income families who are at risk of not meeting the academic standards set for them by the State. Eligible schools provide a detailed description of the number of students from low-income families and funds are allocated according to those specifications. Phillips uses a portion of its Title I funds for the Sylvan at School program, defined by Title I as a program designed to help participating children meet the State standard performance levels expected of all children (Title I Grants, CFDA. No. 84.010).

Results

Forty-eight (70.6%) of the students did not pass the EOG test while twenty-nine (29.4%) did pass. No significant differences were reported.

Discussion

Addressing failure in mandatory, public education is a complicated issue. To be sure, it requires multi-systemic investment by families, community agencies, courts, as well as teachers and students. The Sylvan in the School programs are intended to be conducted the same as that of a regular center. There are several differences, however, that make it almost impossible to do so. Students at Phillips do not have to pay for Sylvan's service and this creates a different attitude going into the program. Students in a regular center are enrolled because of their parents' wishes for them to succeed; students participating in the Sylvan in the School program are screened based on their End of Grade test scores, and the wish of the administration for them to improve. Families who invest in Sylvan privately are much more dedicated to the program because of this investment. Students who are pulled out of the regular classroom and placed in a program do not have any investment and often resent being singled out from their peers. Phillips School has contracted with Sylvan to provide services to seventy-five children based solely on the EOG scores each year Sylvan is active in the school. Test scores are a one-time indicator of the child's progress that does not take into account the other factors that may affect the results. Students can retake the EOG up to two more times if they do not pass. Typically, the third try is after a two week summer school session. Teachers should be able to select students for an outside remediation program based on their personal knowledge of the student in addition to a single test score.

In terms of students dropping out of the program for various reasons, the school administrative staff replaces that child, no matter the amount of instruction time remaining. With the End of Grade test four months away, a child dropped out and a new one was enrolled. During those four months, the school had planned mock tests, field trips, and with Sylvan's end of the year progress testing, that child did not have the opportunity to make progress within his personalized Sylvan program. In his case, the choice on behalf of the school staff did not portray their wish for the child to progress. Paying more attention to the children already in the program is better than increasing enrollment for the remaining time in the academic year. The contract should contain a clause prohibiting the enrollment of new students to within a few months into the start of the academic year. Another flaw with the Sylvan program was that there were major scheduling conflicts as much as four months prior to the EOG. Four months should be plenty of time to remediate a student in preparation of the EOG, but because of Sylvain's need to complete their own end of year progress testing as well as school planned mock tests and field trips even at this point in the year there was little time for intense remediation of students.

Consistency is an issue that also needs to be addressed. Often times a student will be enrolled for one year in Sylvan, not the following year, and then enrolled again the third year. Sylvan is available for children in the 4th through 6 grades. For progress to be most effective and telltale of the child's motivational improvement, the program needs to maintain constant participation from the 4th grade students until they are in the 6th grade. Consistency is key to instilling self-motivation and needs to be maintained with the Sylvan staff. A consistent staff, as opposed to a varying one, should be guaranteed to the school, as that is what it takes to build relationships with students who need help in developing and maintaining responsibility for themselves and their education.

Veteran teachers are best equipped to handle remediation. They are able to work closely with the classroom teacher and make mid-year changes to the program when necessary, even if that means adding a student who may have placed out at the beginning of they year. Many times when students are remediated they are able to catch up and pass their test (placing them out of the program by Sylvain's standards), but when that extra help is no longer available these students will slip, unable to pass that year's EOG. Teachers can recognize these changes and altar a student's progress if given the freedom to do so.

The majority of the time, a child may need additional help, but does not understand the advantages of the program. All the child knows is that twice a week, he comes out of his regular class for more reading work. This can create feelings of anger and resentment. Disciplinary actions at the school come from the school administration, yet Sylvan has a policy of handling problems within its own means. A conflicting disciplinary role is then played out between Sylvan and the school. Instead of the discrepancy between the two bodies that are supposedly working together to help the children, the contract should contain a set of disciplinary actions that reflect the goals of both the school and Sylvan. This is yet another reason why using veteran teachers who understand the school system and who can work collaboratively under existing school rules is a far better choice than employing an outside agency for remediation.

Suggestions for Future Research

At the conclusion of this study, students involved in the Sylvan at School program did not significantly improve their EOG test scores. While none of the tests yield significant results, a conclusion was drawn that will not be without its criticism. This study suffered from many shortcomings, from sample size to lack of research in this area, but it was the first of its kind and offers the opportunity for future research.

Singling out one program for evaluation is advantageous for that program, but not for the overall picture of the Sylvan in the School program. Including more programs would not only increase the sample size, but it would also provide a more accurate picture of the program as a whole. Comparisons could then be done from state to state and/or school district to school district. While this study only examined the impact of the Academic Reading program on students at Phillips Middle School, it is important to note that there are several other programs that Sylvan offers. There may be unidentified factors within those programs that may contribute to the success or failure of a student. Future research should incorporate those programs into the analysis as well. A longitudinal study of the Sylvan at School program, wherein a group is followed for their three years of participation, would be beneficial to see what factors affect success in the long term. Comparisons could also be done between groups and within the group over time.

The school provides test scores from the End of Grade test, while Sylvan uses its own measures to determine placement of the child within the program. At the end of the year, EOG scores and Sylvan methods are used to evaluate student success. It is possible that the two measures are not related and the information taken from the comparisons is inaccurate. In order to participate in the program, parents must complete a permission slip providing information on the child as well as granting permission for Sylvan to test him. More often than not, the permission slip is incomplete. This would lead to inaccuracies when reporting the results, as not all information is recorded consistently on the permission slips. Overall, replication of this study with a larger sample size and multiple programs over a long period of time would be the best way to arrive at an accurate picture of the successfulness of the Sylvan at School program.

Conclusion

Since 1983, more than 10 million Americans have reached the 12th grade without having learned to read at the most basic level (Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 1999). Many of those people live in areas that lack the job and educational opportunities that motivate a person to actively participate and contribute to society. A life of crime may ensue, starting from a very early age once it is realized that a child will not be a member of conventional society. While none of the factors examined turned out to be significant in predicting the success of a student in the Sylvan in the School program, it is important to coddle students in the environment that Sylvan provides. It will aid them in shedding the factors examined here, as students use them as a way to rationalize their educational downfalls.

Sylvan Learning Center's unique motivation system is the key to success for the participating students at Phillips Middle School. Increasing individual confidence via the reward system and individualized instruction will build the child's confidence in him and in his role in his own education. The student will therefore regain control of himself in the learning process. In the course of a three-year instruction pattern, a child will grow and gain the confidence needed to be successful in and out of the classroom. He will not need to blame external factors that he feels are keeping them from being successful, but will be able to turn inward for the strength it takes to make it.

References

Bynum, J.E. and W.E. Thompson. (2002). Juvenile Delinquency: A Sociological Approach (5th Edition). Allyn & Bacon, Boston: Pearson Education.

Edgecombe Community College. Census Data. http://www.edgecombe.cc.nc.us/County/ec-census.htm.

Goldstein, A.P. (1990). Delinquents on Delinquency. Illinois: Research Press.

Monk-Turner, Elizabeth. (1989). Effects of High School Delinquency on Educational Attainment and Adult Occupational Status. Sociological Perspectives, 33, pp. 413-418.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2001). National Public School Locator. http://nces.ed.gov/ccdweb/school/schdet. asp?recNumber=7.

Office of Educational Research and Improvement. (1999). A Nation Still at Risk. Tests, Measurement and Evaluation. ED429988.

Office of State Budget and Management. (1998). County Profile. http://www.ospl.state. nc.us/sdn/LINCprof/edec.html.

Phillips, J.C., and D.H. Kelly. (1979). School Failure and Delinquency: Which Causes Which? Criminology, 17, (2), pp. 194-207.

Phillips Magnet School: Technology and Authentic Learning. (2000). Edgecombe County.

Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies. Title I, Part A of Elementary and Secondary Education Act. CFDA No. 84.010.

Understanding End-of-Grade Testing: Achievement Level. (1999, Spring). Assessment, 5, (2).

United States Census Bureau. (2000). Poverty Estimates for Edgecombe County, North Carolina. http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/ saipe/estimate/cty/cty37065.htm.

Correspondence concerning this article may be addressed to Tracy Carpenter-Aeby, School of Social Work, College of Human Ecology, East Carolina University, 201 Rivers, Greenville, NC 27858; Email: [e-mail]

Joan A. Keister, MS, Modhava Bodapati, BA, MMS, MBA, PhD, Victor G. Aeby, MS, EdD, and Tracy Carpenter-Aeby, MSW, PhD, LCSW, Heather Pope, MAEd Student, School of Social Work, East Carolina University.