Evaluating Programs for At-Risk Adolescents: Toward an Outcome-Based Assessment Framework

Abstract

This article presents an outcome-based model for evaluating school and community programs serving at-risk adolescents, and a cost-effective technique for comparing the progress of youth receiving an intervention with youth in a pseudocontrol group. The outcomes considered most important for success were derived from the literature pertaining to at-risk youth, consultations with stakeholders who work with at-risk youth, and program leaders and teachers involved in a local program for youth disaffected from school. The analytic strategy entails matching children to comparable individuals participating in Canada's National Longitudinal Study of Children and Youth (Statistics Canada & Human Resources Development Canada, 1995). We provide information on the survey instruments used, discuss their reliability and validity, and describe our data collection issues and procedures. We conclude with the strengths, limitations, and implications of our approach for further research.