Читать книгу Evaluation in Today’s World - Veronica G. Thomas - Страница 121

As more large-scale programs were being implemented in various areas, such as for the military, urban housing, jobs, juvenile delinquency, occupational training, and health, there was increasing interest in evaluation to assess the success, or lack thereof, of these programs. The Cambridge-Somerville Youth Study is a notable example of a social program, and its accompanying evaluation, that was initiated in the 1930s. It is one of the earliest experiments of a social program (Forsetlund, Chalmers, & & Bjørndal, 2007). This experimental evaluation was deemed to be a comprehensive attempt to determine if helpful interventions would deter delinquency and produce other important changes in the behavior and personalities of a cohort of boys, many of whom seemed headed for difficulty (Geis & Dodge, 2003).

The following case study provides an opportunity for readers to briefly review and reflect on the Cambridge-Somerville Youth Study.