Demographic and Environmental Factors Associated With Successful Day School Treatment Program Outcomes

In this study the authors examine the impact of admission characteristics of 105 students admitted to a day school treatment program on outcomes. Those who graduated, earned a general education diploma (GED), or were returned to a regular classroom setting were categorized as successful and those placed in a more restrictive settings (including detention), dropped out, or left the program with no known outcome were unsuccessful. The sample was largely male (n = 78, 74.3%), Caucasian (64%, n = 67), poor (53.4%), and entered in middle school or high school (73%). The majority (53.3%) had 4 or more prior educational placements before entering. They stayed in the program on average 2.5 years (SD = 2.17) with a range from 6 days through 10 years. Forty-three (41%) students were successfully discharged. Unsuccessfully discharged students dropped out (31.4%), placed in residential programs (19%), or were psychiatrically hospitalized (5.7%). At intake, 56 (53.3%) had a history of truancy, 38 (37.1%) had a PINS and 28 (26.7%) had been on probation. African Americans were approximately 73% less likely to succeed and were more likely to be from families meeting federal poverty guidelines and to live in single family households. Those who entered the program in grades K-6 or 10-12 were over 3 times more likely to succeed than students admitted in grades 7-9. Using logistic regression to assess the bivariate relationships of the demographic characteristics with successful discharge, race, admission while in grades 7-9, having both parents at home, and number of days in the program were significantly associated with success. Having externalizing behaviors, 5 or more prior placements, history of truancy, and contact with the juvenile justice system were associated with unsuccessful outcomes. Students with a history of being in the juvenile justice system were 87% less likely to succeed in the program. Implications for school social workers are discussed.