ASSISTING INDIVIDUALS IN MODERN SCHOOLS - SECOND YEAR PROGRAM EVALUATION - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• NCJ Number: 60087
• Author(s): S READIO
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 22 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; Washington State
• Corporate Author: Northwest Regional Council
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE SECOND YEAR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND FAILURES OF AIMS (ASSISTING INDIVIDUALS IN MODERN SCHOOLS), A PROJECT OPERATING IN BELLINGHAM, WASH., ARE DISCUSSED IN THIS EVALUATION REPORT.

Abstract

AIMS INTERVIEWS STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS IF THE STUDENT HAS WITHDRAWN FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO ENTER THE PROGRAM FOR EITHER GENERAL EQUIVALENCY DIPLOMA (GED) PREPARATION OR HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION. HIGH SCHOOLS REFER MANY OF THE STUDENTS TO THE PROGRAM. USING PROJECT FILES, HISTORICAL SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT DATA, ACADEMIC RECORDS, AND JUVENILE OFFENSE HISTORIES, THE EVALUATION COMPARED 55 AIMS STUDENTS WITH A GROUP OF 66 JUVENILES ON THE AIMS WAITING LIST. THE 55 AIMS STUDENTS HAD AN AVERAGE AGE OF 15.7 YEARS; 25 WERE MALES AND 30 WERE FEMALES, WHILE 76.4 PERCENT (42) WERE CAUCASIAN. THE STUDY FOUND THAT AIMS STUDENTS AVERAGED 78.4-PERCENT ATTENDANCE FOR 53.8 PERCENT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. PREMATURE WITHDRAWALS ACCOUNTED FOR 50.8 PERCENT OF THE PROJECT STUDENTS, WHILE ANOTHER 20 PERCENT LEFT BY RUNNING AWAY, BEING INSTITUTIONALIZED OR DROPPED BY THE PROJECT; 12.7 PERCENT RETURNED TO HIGH SCHOOL; AND 3.6 PERCENT WENT TO A TECHNICAL SCHOOL. IN THE AIMS GROUP, 14 STUDENTS SOUGHT A GED AND 4 RECEIVED IT, WHILE 10.9 PERCENT WENT TO WORK. READING SCORES INCREASED .49 GRADE EQUIVALENCIES, SPELLING SCORES INCREASED .52, AND MATH SCORES .24 PER MONTH ENROLLED IN AIMS. GROUP. IN THE AIMS GROUP, 31 PERCENT HAD DELINQUENCY BACKGROUNDS AND 20 PERCENT HAD BEHAVIOR OFFENSE TYPE BACKGROUNDS, WHILE OVER 50 PERCENT OF THE NEW OFFENSES OF AIMS STUDENTS WERE COMMITTED IN GROUPS. THE STUDY CONCLUDED THAT AIMS EXCEEDED ITS OBJECTIVES IN ATTENDANCE, RATE OF RETURNING STUDENTS TO ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS, RATE OF THOSE RECEIVING GEDS, RATE OF THOSE FINDING WORK, AND INCREASED GRADE EQUILAVENCY RATES. HOWEVER, THE PROJECT FAILED TO MEET THE 80-PERCENT BEHAVIOR OFFENSE AND 20-PERCENT DELINQUENT OFFENSE TYPE ENTRANCE CRITERIA FOR THE SECOND YEAR. THE PROJECT ALSO FAILED TO PRODUCE A REDUCTION IN JUVENILE OFFENSES. TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (JLF)