Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Gypsy Abbott
Committee Member
Gilda Outz
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
academic performance, administrators, alternative schools, attendance, at-risk students, behavior, counselors, discipline, dropout prevention, evaluation, follow-up study, grades, high school students, home schools, Phoenix Program, program impact, program participation, school attendance, strengths, teachers, time series analysis, values education, weaknesses, year-long study
Abstract
This report is a formative evaluation of the Phoenix Program, an alternative program for high school students who are at risk of dropping out of school. A 1-year follow-up study of 75 of its participants indicated that the program had positive effects on students’ behavior and attendance. The study indicated that the greatest positive impact of the program was on students’ behavior. The program had minimal but positive effects on students’ academic performance.
A time series analysis was used to examine program impact. Data were collected from students, teachers, counselors, and administrators. Data that described attendance, discipline, and grades were also collected. These data described students’ behaviors before program participation, during program participation, and 1 year after program participation.
The evaluation of the Phoenix Program helped to justify the need for the program as well as the continuation of the program. The evaluation assisted in identifying strengths and weaknesses of the program and provided data needed to verify that 75 of the 99 students who had completed the program during the 2000-2001 school term returned to their home schools and completed the next academic year.