IN-SCHOOL NEIGHBORHOOD YOUTH CORPS PROGRAM - A DISCUSSION OF RESEARCH DESIGN AND EVALUATIVE FINDINGS

• NCJ Number: 51139
• Journal: EVALUATION Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (1974) Pages: 53-57
• Author(s): G D ROBIN
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PAPER PRESENTED AT 1973 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, NEW YORK CITY

Annotation

THE ACHIEVEMENT OF GOALS ESTABLISHED BY THE IN-SCHOOL NEIGHBORHOOD YOUTH CORPS (NYC) PROGRAM, OFFERING WORK EXPERIENCE AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO DISADVANTAGED YOUTH, IS EVALUATED.

Abstract

WHILE WORKING, YOUTH ARE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF JOB SUPERVISORS. ENROLLEES PERIODICALLY MEET WITH NYC COUNSELORS TO RESOLVE PERSONAL PROBLEMS OR TO DISCUSS PROGRESS IN THE PROGRAM AND IN SCHOOL, OCCUPATIONAL GOALS, AND LIFE PLANS. IN NYC PROJECTS IN CINCINNATI, OHIO, AND DETROIT, MICH., THE METHODOLOGY OF EVALUATING GOAL ACHIEVEMENT INCLUDED SPECIAL ATTENTION TO SUMMER AND NONSUMMER PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION TO AN OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF PROGRAM EXPOSURE, PARTICULAR INTEREST WAS EXPRESSED IN DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS AND THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM, IF ANY, ON ENROLLEES WHOSE NYC PARTICIPATION WAS RESTRICTED TO SUMMER PROGRAMS AND ON ENROLLEES WHO WORKED DURING SCHOOL TERMS. THREE DISTINCT EMPIRICAL GROUPS WERE SELECTED FOR ANALYSIS: YEAR-ROUND ENROLLEES, SUMMER ONLY ENROLLEES, AND CONTROL SUBJECTS. INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED THREE TIMES DURING AN APPROXIMATE 1-YEAR PERIOD. THE RESEARCH DESIGN INCLUDED DATA COLLECTION AT SEVERAL POINTS IN TIME IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A LONGITUDINAL PERSPECTIVE ON SELECTED CHANGES IN ATTITUDES, BELIEFS, PERCEPTIONS, AND BEHAVIOR. MALE ENROLLEES HAD A DISTINCT ADVANTAGE OVER CONTROL MALES, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM HAD NO JOBS AT ALL. THE FACT THAT ALL ENROLLEES WERE OFFERED A STANDARDIZED PAY RATE OF $1.25 PER HOUR, REGARDLESS OF SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT IN THE PROGRAM, TENDED TO DE-EMPHASIZE JOB STATUS DIFFERENTIALS. FEMALE ENROLLEES FUNCTIONED AS TUTORING AND TEACHING AIDES, THE MOST VALUED POSITION IN THE NYC PROGRAM. YEAR-ROUND ENROLLEES AS A GROUP WERE EXPOSED TO GREATER COUNSELOR CONTACT, RECEIVED MORE JOB SUPERVISION, HAD A MORE DIVERSIFIED SAMPLING OF NYC ASSIGNMENTS, AND WERE GIVEN BETTER JOBS THAN SUMMER ONLY YOUTH. PARTICIPATION IN THE NYC PROGRAM WAS NOT CRITICALLY RELATED TO REMAINING IN SCHOOL. (DEP)