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CONSIDERATIONS FOR CONDUCTING EVALUATIVE RESEARCH

NCJ Number
37068
Author(s)
R P SEITER
Date Published
Unknown
Length
17 pages
Annotation
AFTER CRITICIZING CURRENT EVALUATION APPROACHES IN COMMUNITY BASED CORRECTIONS, THE AUTHOR DISCUSSES THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING EVALUATION GOALS AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND PROPOSES A NEW, ALTERNATIVE OUTCOME MEASURE.
Abstract
THE AUTHOR NOTES THAT TWO SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN EVALUATIONS OF COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS ARE: (1) DEFINING PROGRAM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES; AND (2) DETERMINING MEASURES OF OUTCOME. HE MAINTAINS THAT IN DEFINING PROGRAM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REALISTICALLY IDENTIFY LONG RANGE GOALS, WHILE DETAILING SHORT TERM OBJECTIVES THAT RESULT FROM ACTUAL PROGRAM ACTIVITIES. LONG RANGE COMMUNITY TREATMENT GOALS MAY BE A REDUCTION IN RECIDIVISM; HOWEVER, SEVERAL INTERMEDIATE OBJECTIVES OR SUB-GOALS MAY BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR USE IN EVALUATIVE TECHNIQUES. BASED ON THIS DISCUSSION, THE AUTHOR ARGUES THAT MEASURES OF OUTCOME SHOULD BE BASED ON PROGRAM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. TRADITIONAL MEASURES ARE QUESTIONED, AND ALTERNATIVE OUTCOME MEASURES EXAMINED. AN ALTERNATIVE OUTCOME MEASURE (RELATIVE ADJUSTMENT) WHICH COMBINES A GRADUATED SCALE OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR WITH A POSITIVE SCALE OF ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR IS PRESENTED. DATA FROM AN EVALUATION OF COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL CENTERS IN OHIO IS PRESENTED AS AN EXAMPLE. FINALLY, RELATIVE ADJUSTMENT IS ALSO COMPARED TO EVALUATIVE RESULTS WHEN ONLY RECIDIVISM IS UTILIZED. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT ACCURATE ASSESSMENTS OF COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTERS CAN ONLY BE UNDERTAKEN USING METHODS SUCH AS THESE, WHICH COMBINE REALISTIC PROGRAM GOAL DEFINITION AND RELATED OUTCOME MEASURES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)