Georgia State University College of Education & Human Development professor David Houchins has received a four-year, $3.2 million grant from the National Center for Special Education Research to study a blended learning literacy program in juvenile justice schools, according to a press release.

Houchins will work with the University of Central Florida and the University of Iowa on the grant called “Literacy Instruction Based on Evidence through Research for Adjudicated Teens to Excel (LIBERATE).”

Teachers at seven long-term juvenile justice schools in Florida will learn how to implement a specific blended learning literacy program, which incorporates textbooks, computer software, trade books and supplementary worksheets in a combination of whole-group, small-group, computer-based activities and individual work.

The research team will analyze the effects of the program on the literacy outcomes for all students, including those with disabilities. They will examine the conditions that support or hinder the blended learning program’s implementation in juvenile justice settings, study the program’s cost-effectiveness and explore the relationship among youth, teacher and administrator factors and literacy instruction.

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In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

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