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Demonstrating the effectiveness of a residential education programme for disengaged young people: a preliminary report

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2020

Paul Mastronardi ,
Frank Ainsworth Open the ORCID record for Frank Ainsworth [Opens in a new window]  and
Jonathan C. Huefner
Paul Mastronardi
Affiliation:
Dunlea Centre (the original Australian Boys Town), Engadine, Australia
Frank Ainsworth*
Affiliation:
School of Social Work and Human Services, James Cook University, Townsville Campus, Australia
Jonathan C. Huefner
Affiliation:
Boys Town Child and Family Translational Research Center, Omaha, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Frank Ainsworth, Email: frankainsworth@hotmail.com
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Abstract

This article reports on the early results of using behavioural and educational data to evaluate a residential education programme. The programme serves male and female students between 12 and 16 years of age who have been suspended or expelled from school due to behavioural issues or who refused to attend school. Using measures of behavioural and educational progress during care and reporting these changes over time provided empirical evidence that the programme was achieving its primary aims of ‘behaviour change and educational gains.’ Collecting and reporting this data has empowered the programme to increase programme effectiveness through both data-informed decision-making and ongoing programme evaluation.

Keywords

residential educationprogramme evaluationstrengths and difficultiesdata-informed decision-makingeffectiveness
Type
Articles
Information
Children Australia , Volume 45 , Special Issue 4: Special Issue: Poverty and Child Abuse , December 2020 , pp. 312 - 316
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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