INITIAL EVALUATION OF THE OCCUPATIONAL PREPARATION PROGRAM - A WORK/STUDY PROGRAM FOR INSTITUTIONALIZED DELINQUENT FEMALES

• NCJ Number: 51156
• Author(s): D T ALLEMANG
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 132 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - DOCTORAL THESIS

Annotation

AN EVALUATION OF THE OCCUPATIONAL PREPARATION PROGRAM (OPP), A WORK/STUDY PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE DELINQUENT FEMALES WITH SUCCESSFUL EDUCATIONAL AND EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCES, IS PRESENTED.

Abstract

THE EVALUATION SEEKS TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM ON THE PARTICIPANTS TO ESTABLISH PREDICTION ABILITY REGARDING THE SUCCESS RATE OF GIRLS OUTSIDE THE INSTITUTION, AND TO GENERATE IDEAS FOR MODIFICATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE PROGRAM. PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROGRAM WERE 16-18-YEAR OLD RESIDENTS OF THE WISCONSIN SCHOOL FOR GIRLS WITH SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT DIFFICULTIES. THEY WERE ACADEMICALLY RETARDED OR HAD LIMITED ACADEMIC COMPETENCY, AND HAD POOR SELF-CONCEPTS. MOST OF THE GIRLS WERE FROM URBAN, LOW-INCOME AREAS AND HAD BEEN RELEASED FROM INSTITUTIONS 3 TO 4 MONTHS BEFORE ENTERING THE PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM IS DISCUSSED IN DETAIL, AND A REVIEW OF LITERATURE CONCERNING THE LOWER-CLASS STUDENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMS IS PRESENTED. A CASE STUDY APPROACH WAS USED IN THE EVALUATION, WITH EACH SUBJECT SERVING AS HER OWN CONTROL. A FOLLOWUP WAS MADE ON EACH GIRL AFTER AN APPROPRIATE TIME INTERVAL. THE EVALUATION DESIGN INCLUDED ACHIEVEMENT TESTS, PERSONAL APPEARANCE RATINGS, ATTENDANCE RATINGS, AND PUNCTUALITY RATINGS. FINDINGS SHOW THAT THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT CHANGES OF SOME SORT DID OCCUR IN THE GIRLS SINCE 9 OF THE 10 GIRLS FINISHED THE PROGRAM, AND THESE GIRLS WERE CONSIDERED UNMANAGEABLE IN A TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM. THERE WERE SOME PROBLEMS IN OBTAINING VALID TEST MEASURES FROM THE SUBJECTS, PARTICULARLY WITH THE PAPER AND PENCIL TESTING. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT ENTRY INTO THE PROGRAM BE BASED ON VALID PRETEST RESULTS, THAT POSTTESTING BE DESIGNED FOR REINFORCEMENT, THAT PAPER AND PENCIL DATA BE COLLECTED INDIVIDUALLY FOR EACH GIRL, AND THAT LOWER READING AND COMPREHENSION LEVEL TESTS BE USED. ALTHOUGH THE PROGRAM EVALUATION WAS DISAPPOINTING OVERALL, NONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS HAD HAD CONTACTS WITH THE LAW AFTER FINISHING THE PROGRAM. MORE DIRECT FOLLOWUP OF THE GIRLS AFTER LEAVING THE INSTITUTION IS SUGGESTED. GRAPHS AND TABULAR DATA ARE USED. (DAG)