FORMATIVE EVALUATION OF NORTHWEST PASSAGE 11
Todd Holman
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, DULUTH

This study involves a formative evaluation of Northwest Passage II. Northwest Passage H is a ninety-day residential treatment facility for court-ordered adolescent males aged 12-17. The program began in 1986 and provides treatment for a variety of problems including delinquency. The program is highly structured and has an adventure-based, outdoor curriculum.

Residents of the Northwest Passage H Program are provided with intensive physical conditioning each day as well as three hours of specialized educational services. Physical conditioning is aimed at increasing a resident's self-worth as well as preparing them for a rigorous two-week venture during the final two weeks of the program.

Ten former residents and 16 of their family members took place in the evaluation to obtain data concerning their perception of program strengths and weaknesses. Data was also gathered to discover if the participants perceived Northwest Passage 11 as achieving its program goals. Residents and their families were selected through purposive sampling in an effort to increase the likelihood of gathering quality data. The researcher and the director of Northwest Passage II chose families to take part in the evaluation with hopes of improving the program.

The research design was a qualitative analysis of the data to identify strengths and weaknesses of the program. Close-ended questions were presented in tables in the form of percentages. The researcher at the family's homes at their convenience conducted face-to-face interviews. Questionnaires were also left for the families and the former residents to complete and mail back to the researcher at their convenience, anonymously. Questionnaires and identifying information was held confidential by the researcher.

The interviews and questionnaires yielded responses that fell into three categories: (1) strengths of the program, (2) weaknesses of the program, and (3) the extent to which it was perceived that Northwest Passage H achieved its program goals. To present responses on strengths and weaknesses, a summary of the data will present common themes and results from the interviews and the returned questionnaires. Results on the perception of goal attainment will be presented in Table I in percentages. Table 2 will present other responses to C105e-ended questions also given in percentages. Seven former residents and nine family members who took part in the evaluation returned questionnaires.

Results of the interviews strongly suggest that that most residents valued their placements 0 at Northwest Passage H. The majority of the former residents believed that the program helped them make positive changes in their lives and that it was an opportunity for them to grow and develop positive skills to use later in life

Family members also indicated that Northwest Passage H placement was valuable to their sons. They too believed that it was an opportunity for their sons to grow physically and emotionally and to experience several challenges not otherwise offered to them. Families did, however, indicate a higher number of perceived weaknesses that generally centered on the program's inability to adequately intervene with their environments.

Northwest Passage II appears to be able to make several positive changes in the behaviors and attitudes of its clients, but has difficulty intervening with their environments. Not being able or equipped to intervene with the client's environment allows for many to quickly revert back into old behavior patterns. Discharge planning was also seen as a program weakness and held in high regard for the successful outcomes for many of the residents. For those who were able to make and maintain positive changes, responses suggest that personal investment, belief in themselves, and maturity played a large role. Others suggested that the close, trusting relationships that were established with the NIWH counselors helped them to develop positive coping skills and feel as though someone cared about their well being.

Limitations of the evaluation include a non-representative sampling technique, and the fact that although I conducted this evaluation as a student, I was also an employee of the program. The interview schedule and questionnaires were developed by the researcher and did have established reliability or validity.

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Contact the webmaster for comments