Frequently Asked Questions

Personal Living Skills Series FAQ's
 
Q. Why are there three versions of the Personal Living Skills Series? How do I know which one to use for my students?
A. There are three versions so that each specific student population can read about people and situations with which they identify. The description below will help you pick the most appropriate version for your students.
 
Version
Target Audience
Focus
Reentry/
Adult
Inmates due for release within one year and adult at-risk students who are unemployed, under-employed, under-educated, or who have poor decision making skills.
Stories are about people getting and keeping jobs, dealing with single parenting, developing relationships with others, making good decisions about recreational activities, and taking care of physical and mental health including substance abuse and sexually transmitted diseases.
 Juvenile
At-risk teens who have been or may be adjudcated.
Stories are about teens living in foster homes, half-way houses, or with parent or grandparents. Stories deal with making good decisions, undertanding there are consequences for everything we do, choosing friends, and recognizing behaviors that lead to trouble with authority figures.
 Corrections
 Adults who are currently incarcerated and will remain so for more than one year.
Stories are about cellmates, corrections officers, wardens, absent families, and other situations that are unique to people who are incarcerated. Stories deal with being sucessful while incarcerated, making decisions that will contribute to an easier period of incarceration, and making choices that take advantage of the period of incarceration.
 
Q. How long does it take for a student to complete one of the workbooks?
A. That depends on several factors. The materials were designed to provide the utmost flexibility, so how and where you use them will determine the time it takes to complete them. The most important factor is the rate at which your students read and respond to the interactive portions of the workbook. The workbooks range from seventy-two to one hundred and three pages. The student workbooks are designed to be done independently. If you choose that option, no classtime is required. If your students complete the workbooks out of class and you use the activities in the Instructor Resource Guide in class, the time required can range from eight to twenty hours, depending on which workbook you are doing. However all the activities are modular, so you can do as many or as few as you choose.
 
Q. Aren't your workbooks expensive? Most materials I see advertised sell for $15 to $45 per copy.
A. Most materials advertised are consumable materials. They are meant to be purchased for a single student. Unless specificially authorized, making copies of those materials for use with more than one student breaks copyright law and is a federal offense. Our materials specifically authorize you to make as many copies as you choose. They are meant to be reproduced. As a result, they are more cost effective than many other materials on the market.
 
Owning Your Own Business FAQ's
 
Q. How long does it take to complete the Owning Your Own Business curriculum?
A. The curriculum is designed in sixteen modules as described on the product page. Each module has three sections, Knowledge, Skill, and Attitude. The modules can be completed in class or independently by students on their own time. If the students work independently, no classroom time is required. Teachers should plan for time to work with students one-on-one to discuss the Skill and Attitude sections.
     We recommend that the Knowledge sections be done in class. These include a glossary of terms and the content necessary to complete the Skill section of the module. The Knowledge sections range from three to fifteen pages. Each should be able to be completed in one hour of class time.
 
Q. Is it possible for an ex-felon to start a business when released? Isn't that unrealistic?
A. We believe it is both possible and realistic. We are currently working with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections on a longitudinal study of participants in this program. If you are interested in more information, contact us at dmccalment@aol.com and we will give the contact information for the evaluators and project director. It is important to note that the curriculum stresses the businesses should be home-based with small start-up costs. The curriculum also stresses that the ex-felon will need to have a regular job after release in order to save the money to cover those costs.
 
Staff Development FAQ's
 
Q. How long do the staff development presentations take? Can I fit them in to a teachers' meeting after school?
A. On the average, each slide takes from one to three minutes. If you are reading only the trainer notes, it will probably take one minute. If you are adding your own comments and experiences (which we hope you will), it could take up to three minutes. The number of slides for each presentation is listed at the bottom of its product page. They range from twelve to thirty-seven slides. With planning, you should be able to complete any of them within one hour.
 
Q. Should the staff development presentations be given in the order they are listed on the web page?
A. Not necessarily. Each of the modules can stand as an independent presentation. However, if you are introducing the concept of character education to your staff, you will probably want to use Foundations for Character Education first. If you are planning to design your own curriculum, you will find Where Do We Start? especially helpful. If you are using a packaged curriculum, that module may not be as useful.