An evaluation system for school-community prevention programs

Abstract

A management-oriented system for the evaluation of school-community prevention programs is described and examples of how the system has been applied to serve program management decisions with primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs are provided. The approach, termed "Program Analysis and Review System (PARS)," emphasizes a cooperative relationship between a program evaluator and prevention program manager in order that informed judgments can be made about program development and improvement. PARS, which was developed by the author in response to a perceived need for management-oriented approaches to prevention program evaluation, has been field tested with school-community prevention programs in Bergenfield, New Jersey, and Somerville, New Jersey, and has been adapted for use in other communities. PARS consists of three interrelated steps: Program Specification, Program Documentation, and Program Outcome Determination.