U.S. Department of Education and OCTAE Report Examines Current use of Educational Technology in Corrections Facilities and Provides Recommendations and Best Practices to Federal, State, and Local Corrections Staff and Educational Administrators
Washington, D.C., July 30, 2015– Smart Horizons Career Online Education (SHCOE), the world’s first AdvancED/SACS accredited online school district, announced today that the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) issued a report highlighting SHCOE as a primary example of “Successes of Early Implementers” for online based educational programs in correctional facilities.
The report, titled Educational Technology in Corrections 2015 (see page 14) and released this week, was designed to aid federal, state, and local corrections staff and correctional education administrators as they explore ways to use advanced technologies in corrections securely and cost-effectively. SHCOE’s internet-based workforce online high school, offered through the Florida Department of Corrections (FLDOC), was highlighted as an example of a successful internet-based education program offered to inmates at correctional facilities.
“We are very proud to be acknowledged for our groundbreaking partnership with FLDOC, which offers inmates the ability to earn an accredited high school diploma and an entry-level workforce certificate,” stated Dr. Howard Liebman, SHCOE Superintendent of Schools. “Education is the pathway to advancement in our society and by offering inmates the opportunity to enroll in SHCOE they can earn a brighter future upon their release, while also cutting the rate of recidivism for correctional facilities in a very cost-effective manner.”
The FLDOC Office of Re-Entry is tasked with preparing incarcerated individuals for a successful integration back into the community upon release, with the ultimate goal of keeping those released from returning to prison. Starting in 2012, SHCOE was made available in Florida’s correctional facilities to help incarcerated individuals obtain their high school diplomas, complete entry-level workforce certificates, and graduate with workforce skills that can be applied upon release.
To address security requirements, which is considered the main barrier to internet-based education at correctional facilities, SHCOE is delivered through the NexPort Campus Learning Platform via an encrypted hypertext transfer protocol channel.