Program Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Program Evaluation - Essay Example The violence that has slowly increased since the 1990s is not over, and the public in this nation are not safe from becoming a victim of a violent juvenile crime concerning drugs, and gunfire. Studies have shown that child neglect and abuse has been proven to be directly correlated to violence in a youth’s future. The â€Å"Safe Home’ Youth program aims to prevent violence prevalent among the youth in the United States. This requires minimizing the effects of drugs and guns on the youth. It has been decided that an outcomes-based evaluation will be performed by government officials along with school administrators, at the end of the probation period. The outcomes of this program will show the participants, who are the parents and children, that the program has benefits and prevents youth violence dramatically. The outcomes will enhance knowledge, perception, and economic conditions in public school system communities. With this in mind, the following program evaluation has been designed to determine the effectiveness, efficiency and the cost-benefit. Many approaches to evaluation are possible depending upon the program to be evaluated and the purpose of evaluation. Irrespective of the approach, evaluation must be purposive, empirical and analytical (Maxfield, 2001). Purposive implies to have a specific purpose for conducting the evaluation. The purpose of the program must be known to all and the purpose must be clearly stated. The purpose of the Safe Home program has been clearly explained. The outcome of the evaluation has also been stated. The logic of the program and the logic of the evaluation constitute the analytical element. This implies that all evaluation activities must be logically connected. The program goals have to be clear and they are pursued through a logical model. The data collection activities have to be consistent with the activities and goals. Sample selection should reflect