NCJ Number
170822
Journal
Journal of Correctional Education Volume: 48 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1997) Pages: 113-122
Date Published
1997
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This paper proposes an effective and efficient information system to manage the educational programs at correctional institutions.
Abstract
Implementation of educational programs in prisons involves a variety of management challenges to supervisory personnel. A particularly perplexing task is the collection, analysis, and reporting of student academic information in an environment where there is a continual and unpredictable turnover of students. Since manual systems are inefficient, error-prone, and lack flexibility, a comprehensive set of operational tools to assist supervisory staff are needed to address the management problems associated with prison educational programs. To meet this critical need, this paper proposes a methodology for developing a versatile and user-friendly information system to assist prison managers and administrators in the successful management of a prison educational program. The stepwise procedure outlined in this paper ensures a system that is theoretically sound and functionally accurate. The decisionmaking tool can help the prison education management by correctly placing students with emphasis on ability, managing testing procedures, recording, analyzing, and reporting standardized test results, continuous adjustment of student placement based on demonstrated improvement, and monitoring and balancing fluctuating student-to- teacher ratios. Initial implementation of the system indicates a promising prospect for using the system in managing prison education programs. This article highlights the use of an information system as a tool for resolving difficulties in managing prison education programs and provides a step-by-step system development procedure for use by prison administrators. 11 figures and 16 references