NCJ Number
212184
Date Published
2005
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This report presents findings from an evaluation of six representative alternative education initiatives (AEIs) operating in England and Wales.
Abstract
AEIs are intended for youth who have been permanently suspended from school or who are not in regular school for other reasons. The six AEIs evaluated were all offering similar opportunities for educational achievement and the constructive use of leisure time. The overall aim of the evaluation was to determine the programs' effectiveness in returning students to mainstream education, improving student academic achievement, and reducing antisocial behavior. The evaluation involved a 12-month follow-up in September 2001. Data were obtained on 162 juveniles involved in a previous evaluation. In order to document the life course of AEI students and determine their successes and challenges in the follow-up year, researchers also interviewed a cohort of 16 AEI students and the professionals working with them. Interviews were conducted at three points in time over the course of the follow-up year. In September 2001, 76 percent of AEI students were involved in a "desirable" life-course status, i.e., employment, training, college, AEI, or a return to mainstream schooling. By September 2002, this percentage had declined to 61 percent, with an increased percentage being unemployed or otherwise involved in a negative life situation. Half of the students were recorded as having offended between 1997 and 2002, with chronic offenders (convicted of more than 10 offenses over 1 year) being increasingly responsible for a greater proportion of recorded crime. Students in negative life situations were more likely to have an offending record than those involved in a desirable life-course state. The findings suggest that in order for the positive impacts of AEIs to be maintained over time, follow-up reinforcement programs and supervisory guidance must be maintained. 9 tables and 2 references