Using Correctional Education Data: Issues and Strategies.

Overview & Synopsis

Given the competition for limited resources at all levels of funding for correctional education coupled with public sentiment that swings between punishment of offenders and their rehabilitation, correctional education data at the program level have become more important than ever. This handbook explores the use of data in correctional education programs. It provides information on collecting, processing, and reporting data in correctional education settings and examines the role of data in evaluating correctional education programs. It assumes that collecting information on programs, participants, and outcomes is vital for program planners and administrators and may be useful for legislators and other groups who might be interested in funding correctional education programs. The handbook contains these sections: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Collecting Correctional Education Data"; (3) "Processing Correctional Education Data"; (4) "Reporting Correctional Education Data"; and (5) "Evaluating Correctional Education." An appendix contains some sample data reports. (Contains 13 exhibits and 10 references.) (SLD)