The Practices of Positive Youth Development Teachers in a Youth Correctional Setting
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University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 1-1-2011 Rebuilding Character: The Practices of Positive Youth Development Teachers in a Youth Correctional Setting Edward Anthony Cope University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons Recommended Citation Cope, Edward Anthony, "Rebuilding Character: The Practices of Positive Youth Development Teachers in a Youth Correctional Setting" (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 792. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/792 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. REBUILDING CHARACTER: THE PRACTICES OF POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT TEACHERS IN A CORRECTIONAL SETTING __________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Morgridge College of Education University of Denver __________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________ by Edward A. Cope March, 2011 Advisor: P. Bruce Uhrmacher, Ph.D. ©Copyright by Edward A. Cope 2011 All Rights Reserved Author: Edward A. Cope Title: REBUILDING CHARACTER: THE PRACTICES OF POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT TEACHERS IN A CORRECTIONAL SETTING Advisor: P. Bruce Uhrmacher, Ph.D. Degree Date: March 2011 Abstract There is a worldwide call for alternatives to current systems focused on restorative justice. The United States currently has a process but no plan in implementing effective programs for rehabilitating youth offenders. For many years, the prevailing idea in youth corrections has been that nothing works as studies continue to have difficulty pinpointing effective programs. Yet, over the last several decades, prison populations have risen dramatically, as have penal housing costs. Positive Youth Development (PYD) offers a different framework focused on developing youth assets and promoting positive adolescent development. Derived from research in behavioral sciences, PYD programs promote the development of the five C’s: competencies, character, connection, confidence, and caring/compassion. Three additional PYD elements are held in common: a focus on developing strengths instead of targeting deficits, the promotion of pro-social relationships, and the use of multiple contexts and environments for adolescent development. This study examines a unique Denver public charter high school/ youth correctional program currently embracing PYD in Watkins, Colorado: Ridge View Academy. The goal of the study is to answer four research questions regarding implementing PYD in a correctional facility: 1.What does Positive Youth Development look like in a correctional setting? 2. What are the intentions of a Positive Youth Development teacher in a correctional setting? 3. How are those intentions revealed in ii that teacher’s practice? 4. What is the significance of the theories and practices of Positive Youth Development teachers in a correctional setting for education and society in general? This study found common themes in each teacher’s classroom in the intentional, structural, and curricular domains. The research found commonalities in the teachers’ intentions when working with the adjudicated youth. In summary, PYD was found to be an appropriate and effective framework for working with correctional youth. Furthermore, the study found the teachers’ intentions to be significant factors in their motivation to engage in their PYD practice and reach students. High expectations, maintaining strong norms and behavior and a belief that all students can learn was shown to work with adjudicated youth. Furthermore, the acquisition of skills of all types served as appropriate curricula for PYD. The study suggests a need for further research into the system-wide PYD program at Ridge View Academy or at any other sites where PYD is used as a framework for developing at-risk adolescents. iii Acknowledgements There are many people who should be acknowledged as instrumental in completing this study. First of all, I have to thank my parents, Anthony and Judy Cope, for their continued support over the entire PhD process. I also need to thank my wonderful wife, Elizabeth Yarnell, for all the time she found me, as well as providing editing and reformatting work. Our children, Jeremy and Lilia, will be proud one day of what you helped me accomplish here, and although they may not know it yet, they have been a great source of inspiration for me to complete this project. I would also like to thank Dr. Edith King for all her guidance throughout my time at the University of Denver and the help she gave me with the proposal process. A special thanks should go to both Dr. Cynthia McRae and Dr. Sandy Dixon for agreeing to serve on my panel with not a lot of notice. I also have to thank Dr. Sara Salmon for everything she has taught me about character education. This knowledge has greatly helped me understand the lives of the teachers in this study. My gratitude also goes out to Rite of Passage, CEO Ski Broman and Ridge View Academy Principal John Fry, for encouraging and supporting this entire research project. I am also grateful to the Colorado Division of Youth Corrections for approving this study. Finally, I must express a heartfelt thanks to the tireless efforts of my dissertation advisor and mentor, Dr. Bruce Uhrmacher. Your faith in my abilities was critical to making this possible. Your impact on me goes far beyond this dissertation process. I thank you for all of your leadership and wisdom throughout my entire PhD program that has spanned most of this decade. I hope that this dissertation well represents your efforts towards my education. iv Table of Contents Chapter One ........................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 1 Rationale for the Study ........................................................................................... 2 Significance of the Study........................................................................................ 4 Research Questions................................................................................................. 5 Overview of the Methodology................................................................................ 5 Educational Connoisseurship and Criticism............................................... 6 Choosing the Site........................................................................................ 7 Description of the Site: Ridge View Academy........................................... 8 Choosing the participants.......................................................................... 11 Data Collection ..................................................................................................... 11 Data Analysis........................................................................................................ 12 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 12 Chapter Two: Literature Review ...................................................................................... 13 Overview............................................................................................................... 13 Introduction........................................................................................................... 13 Theories of Adolescent Development................................................................... 14 Origins of PYD ..................................................................................................... 15 PYD Foundations.................................................................................................. 18 Current PYD Frameworks .................................................................................... 18 Education Applications of the PYD perspective .................................................. 27 Studies of PYD in Classroom Settings ................................................................. 28 The Case for PYD in Classrooms......................................................................... 30 Chapter Three: Methodology............................................................................................ 31 Educational Connoisseurship and Criticism......................................................... 31 Research Questions............................................................................................... 37 Interview Questions .............................................................................................. 38 Choosing the Participants ..................................................................................... 39 Interviewing the Participants ................................................................................ 39 Observing the Participants.................................................................................... 40 Examining the Data .............................................................................................. 40 Limitations of the Study ......................................................................................