Corrections Education Evaluation System Project. Site Visit Report.

Overview & Synopsis

Site visits to five correctional institutions in Wisconsin were conducted as part of the development of an evaluation model for the competency-based vocational education (CBVE) project for the Wisconsin Correctional System. The evaluators' perceptions of the CBVE system are presented with recommendations for improvement. Site visits were conducted at Waupun, Fox Lake, Kettle Moraine, Taycheedah, and Black River Falls prisons. Evaluators reported these impressions of the CBVE program: (1) the competency based system was being implemented in the institutions, but the use of the system was still fragmented; (2) correctional education teachers appreciated opportunities to work with staff of the Center for Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in developing curriculum guides and other materials; (3) teachers and staff at the prisons were dedicated and concerned about their work; (4) meeting security requirements of a prison system often causes disruptions in education that are minimized by competency-based and articulated programs; and (5) teachers used the competency-based materials when available and thought they were useful. Recommendations for continuation of the CBVE system are based on these observations and emphasize the importance of regular evaluation. (SLD)