Process Evaluation Report: Evaluation of the Teens, Crime and the Community and Community Works Program

• NCJ Number: 225005
• Date Published: December 2005
• Author(s): Finn-Aage Esbensen
• Length: 143 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2003-JN-FX-0003
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation

Annotation

This report presents the methodology and findings of a process evaluation of the Teens, Crime, and the Community and Community Works (TCC/CW) program, which is a national 31-lesson interactive school curriculum accompanied by action projects designed to foster youths' positive development and prevent delinquency.

Abstract

The process evaluation, which focused on the quality and extent of program implementation, found that the training provided a sound introduction to techniques useful in teaching the Community Works (CW) program; however, more training time should be devoted to the actual CW program content. A minority of the 15 schools that participated in the outcome evaluation were determined to have implemented the program with sufficient rigor to expect the intended effect of the program. These 15 schools were selected for the outcome evaluation because of their stated intent to implement it faithfully. The program was apparently used more as a resource than as a program implemented in its entirety. The evaluation also found strained relationships between the national and regional staffs, and the database of program providers was incomplete, misleading, and in need of repair. The process evaluation, which was begun in 2003, was conducted during the 5-year funding period. It involved observations of training sessions by six evaluation team members and interviews with program staff from the national (the National Crime Prevention Council) and regional offices. Just over 250 program sites were contacted for information about program implementation; approximately 100 class sessions were observed; and a survey of program providers was conducted. 2 tables, 14 references, and appended evaluation instruments