NCJ Number
212157
Date Published
September 2005
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This paper provides guidelines and explanations for evaluating a program designed to reduce truancy.
Abstract
The first guideline is to plan ahead in designating resources for an evaluation and developing an evaluation design at the same time the program is designed; however, an evaluation should still be conducted even if it was not planned at the program's beginning. The second guideline is to create a "logic model" of the program, which links specific program components to desired outcomes. Another guideline is to determine the kind of evaluation needed; i.e., a process evaluation that focuses on program implementation, an outcome evaluation that measures program effects, or a cost-benefit analysis that compares a program's costs with the benefits it has produced. A guideline also advises determining the kinds of data needed for the evaluation and how the data will be collected. An associated guideline suggests obtaining knowledge about how to collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data. Instruction is provided on the nature of longitudinal evaluation and when it should be used, followed by an explanation of the nature of control and experimental groups in the design of an evaluation. For each guideline, suggestions are outlined for how it might be implemented.