NCJ Number
77928
Date Published
1980
Length
158 pages
Annotation
Findings are presented from a national evaluation of basic skills programs in institutions for neglected or delinquent youth and in adult correctional institutions housing youthful offenders. The services were funded under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
Abstract
The first two phases of the evaluation described a sample of 100 Title I programs in State institutions and measured the impact of Title I programs on basic skills achievements of participants in 30 institutions. The evaluation also identified characteristics of basic skills programs that result in greater achievement gains and assessed postrelease experiences of students in terms of school entry, employment success, and other factors. The final objective was to develop models and reporting forms to be used in evaluating Title I programs. The findings indicated that approximately 600 State institutions were eligible for Title I funds and half were providing some Title I services to eligible students. The average achievement test performance of institutionalized Title I students, who averaged 16.5 years in age, was similar to that of noninstitutionalized fourth and fifth grade students who were 9-10 years of age. The evaluation found no overall change for Title I students, although some institutions produced gains in reading and mathematics. Programs that demonstrated some success had the following characteristics: direct instruction; high-interest, low-skill-level materials; fewer students per teacher; and small, innovative educational programs with low rates of staff turnover. However, students spent more than half their class time in noninstructional activities, and student absences from class accounted for more than one-half of this noninstructional time. Few students had finished high school or obtained a General Equivalency Diploma at the time of release. One-half of the students entering schools reported difficulties in transferring to community schools, between 40 and 50 percent of released students were employed in generally unskilled jobs and reported widespread job dissatisfaction at the time of the followup interview, and an estimated 30 to 40 percent of released students reported further offense violations within 3 to 6 months. The development of a reporting mechanism and two models to remedy a lack of uniformity among State evaluations of the Title I program are also described. Footnotes, 14 tables, and 2 figures are included. Four appendixes give methodological summaries of Phases I and II of the evaluation, of the substudy of effective practices, and of the postrelease study.