Educational Services — DYS Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, DYS provides education services. All educational personnel are fully certified teachers in the State of Missouri and have met all standards set out by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Teacher Quality. Additional DYS facility personnel are fully certified as substitute teachers in the State of Missouri.

Youth attend school full-time, twelve months per year in classrooms with relatively small student to teacher ratios. Students receive instruction in the core subject areas of math, science, social studies, and communication arts. Students also can receive credit in physical education, health, fine arts, practical arts, personal finance, and career/vocational education, and a wide variety of electives. The curriculum is based upon the Missouri Learning Standards developed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of College and Career Readiness. The Missouri Learning Standards define the knowledge and skills students need in each grade level and course for success in college, other post-secondary training opportunities, and careers.

Upon entering a DYS facility, each youth is thoroughly screened to determine individual education needs. Individual Learning Plans (ILP) are developed for each youth. Additionally, any youth that transfers in with an IEP or a Section 504 plan will have the special education transfer process followed and comparable services provided until a new IEP or Section 504 Plan can be developed. Youth eligible for special education services receive direct instruction from certified special education teachers. If DYS personnel have educational concerns about a youth who has not been previously identified as needing special education services, they will make a referral for an initial evaluation to the regional education program manager.

Some youth committed to DYS are prohibited from returning to regular public school due to the Safe School Act. As a result, DYS has strengthened its capacity to make available alternative education services to youth served in their home communities as well as in DYS residential facilities. DYS has increased its efforts to assist youth obtain a HiSET or a Missouri high school diploma if returning to a regular public school is not an option. Service coordinators have identified alternative education including the STAR DYS online learning program and training/employment options for some youth who are unable to return to the public-school setting.

Yes, a youth earn credits needed for graduation based upon classroom performance and attendance. DYS issues high school diplomas to students who meet the Missouri requirements for graduation. In addition, students transferring from DYS to another high school in Missouri should have their grade placement and credits accepted as stated on the transcript. DYS students may elect to study for and take the HiSET as a high school equivalency secondary completion. DYS pays any cost incurred for the HiSET when a youth assigned to our program takes it.

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 within the facilities. DYS youth receive instruction in vocational skills and career awareness. DYS youth may also achieve ACT WorkKeys and Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) certificates for potential job placement and advancement. Some programs have proprietary vocational training and/or Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) approved Work Safe curriculum.

In Fiscal Year 2023 approximately 84% of youth in the Division of Youth Services who took the HiSET examination passed.