Opening Statement on "Lost Education Opportunities in Alternative Settings"

At a hearing of the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities and House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security

Good afternoon.  I’d like to welcome each one of you to this joint hearing entitled   “Lost Educational Opportunities in Alternative Settings.”  I am pleased that the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security is able to join us today to hear about the educational opportunities available for youth outside of the traditional public school system. The goal of most alternative settings is to provide youth who struggle in mainstream society another opportunity to succeed educationally.  Often these settings also provide behavioral health treatment and additional support services. 
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act assists states and local governments in their efforts to reduce juvenile crime through the funding of prevention programs, efforts to combat juvenile crime, as well as rehabilitation and treatment programs.  It is often in the rehabilitation and treatment settings that educational services are also provided.  The purpose of today’s hearing is to better understand the types of educational opportunities that are presented to youth who often are referred to these alternative settings by their own school district or by a court order.  While I know that we will hear that some settings provide a better quality education than others, I am interested to learn about the specific components that make a high quality alternative educational setting so successful. 
I am glad that we are holding this hearing today and look forward to hearing testimony from this expert panel.  It is vitally important that all of our youth receive a challenging and rewarding educational experience regardless of the setting.  I yield back to Chairwoman McCarthy.