The Education: Administration and Implementation group is a space where the field can discuss topics such as curriculum development, institutional policy, instructor recruitment and training, assessment, budgeting and funding, technology, equity, accessibility, ethical considerations, and classroom culture.
Group Content
Technology Implementation for Higher Education in Prison: A Playbook for DOC Education Leaders
Ithaka S+R designed a playbook to help correctional education leaders center student learning as they navigate the education technology landscape. The guide, created with support from Ascendium Education Group and in dialogue with several correctional education leaders, provides decision-making tools and frameworks to assist leaders as they consider how to implement new education technology in prisons.
The playbook includes:
- A framework to help correctional leaders clarify goals and objectives for implementing education technology
- A downloadable set of tools and interactive exercises to guide strategy and strategically plan decision making
- Considerations about the benefits and drawbacks of using different technologies for education
- Ranges of technical specifications to help leaders compare devices
Our aim with the playbook is to provide strategies and approaches that will make it easier to incorporate new education technology to improve educational outcomes, educational equity, and student educational experiences. While the playbook was designed with correctional leaders in mind, we hope it will be of broader value to the higher education in prison field.
Data Use Agreements
This resource explores essential guidelines and best practices for data use agreements in postsecondary education in prison programs.
'It’s Useless, to Put It Politely': Experiences With Technology Among Incarcerated Students Receiving Second Chance Pell at Four Institutions
In this research brief, researchers share findings from incarcerated students and alumni regarding their experiences with technology during enrollment in postsecondary education and participation in Second Chance Pell.
Highlighting This Great Resource From JFF!
Framing the Opportunity: Eight State Policy Recommendations That Support Postsecondary Credential Completion for Underserved Populations, released by Jobs for the Future.
Authors:
Rachel Pleasants McDonnell, Director
Michael Collins, Vice President
To reestablish the U.S.’s place among nations with high postsecondary completion rates—a distinction it has lost in recent years—states are actively working toward the day when 60 percent of Americans hold postsecondary degrees or credentials.
Convening Summary: Mapping the Future of Technology in Prison Higher Education
In February of 2021, Ascendium supported Open Campus Media’s virtual convening of more than 100 attendees exploring the future of technology in postsecondary education in prison. Representatives from universities, advocacy groups, funders, and state corrections systems examined such topics as student perspectives on technology in prison education and the lifting of the Pell Grant ban. This summary highlights the day’s discussions.
How Corrections Departments Are Preparing People for In-Demand Careers That Support America’s Infrastructure
This report from the Vera Institute of Justice summarizes five case studies of state departments of corrections and their partners that have created robust job training programs. These programs provide incarcerated people with opportunities to earn industry-relevant credentials and prepare for in-demand careers after release.
Technology in Higher Education in Prison Programs: A Report on Survey Findings
In 2022, Ithaka S+R launched a nationwide survey that would help determine the national landscape for access to educational technology in prison education programs. The survey asked respondents about student access to technology in their higher education in prison program, collecting demographic information before focusing on four thematic areas: technological devices, learning management systems and software, network connection and internet access, and future technology plans. The findings from this survey are presented in this report.
Technology in Higher Education in Prison Programs: A Report on Survey Findings
In an effort to make visible the national landscape of access to educational technology in prison education programs, Ithaka S+R launched a first-of-its-kind national survey in the fall of 2022, with grant funding support from Ascendium Education Group. The survey asked respondents about student access to technology in their higher education in prison program, collecting demographic information before focusing on four thematic areas: technological devices, learning management systems and software, network connection and internet access, and future technology plans. In the wake of this survey, we also conducted follow-up interviews to gather more qualitative data about major thematic issues that surfaced in the survey analysis. The report presents findings and a discussion that highlights areas where tension is likely to develop in the partnership between correctional and higher education institutions, as well as areas for future research.
