NCJ Number
76554
Date Published
1980
Length
94 pages
Annotation
Issues related to evaluation, evaluation strategies for correctional personnel training programs, and a plan for demonstrating specific evaluation models are presented in this volume consisting of the final three chapters of a report on correctional staff training and evaluation models.
Abstract
Reasons for evaluation include aiding decisionmaking, providing information about trainee and job needs, meeting regulatory standards, establishing cost effectiveness, and demonstrating competence. However, political and methodological problems confront those trying to conduct evaluations. Evaluations of correctional training programs may focus on reactions to a program, learning, behavior changes, or extended changes in clients and organizations. Information sources include interviews, questionnaires, meetings, observations, participations, employee diaries, examination of critical incidents, psychological measures, and review of documents. A proposed evaluation strategy contains six phases: deciding whether to conduct an evaluation, defining the evaluation's purpose, determine the course of the evaluation, and analyzing the data. Decisions, concerns, and actions needed at each stage are discussed. Plans for Phase II of the National Evaluation Project call for demonstrating three evaluation models developed in Phase I: the Instructional System Operations Model of the training process, an Instructional System Evaluation Model of the evaluation process, and a Correctional Issues Model related to correctional personnel training. Demonstrations will be conducted in three correctional agencies by means of three separate 3-day workshops. Charts, tables, and about 150 references are provided. For other volumes of the report, see NCJ 76553 and 76555. For the report's executive summary, see NCJ 76552.