A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

Using Correctional Education Data: Issues and Strategies, January 1997

4. Reporting Correctional Education Data

Reports are the payoff or reward of a correctional education information system. Required reports can be generated efficiently; program administrators can determine where their resources and efforts should be spent; individual inmate records can be retrieved quickly.

Reports serve three primary functions. First, they are used for program management. Reports which monitor inmate needs for services can be used to allocate resources effectively. Second, reports are used for program accountability. By producing reports which document the number of inmates receiving services and the educational gains of those inmates, program administrators can demonstrate that they are providing services to those who need it. Finally, reports can be used for program evaluation. (The use of correctional education data systems for program evaluation is discussed in detail in Section 5.)

The most useful reports should be compact, concise summaries of relevant data that are designed so that a wide array of users, including those unfamiliar with correctional education programs, can intuitively identify and understand the information that is being displayed. The purpose of this section is to suggest different types of reports that correctional education programs might use and to present both sample formats and examples of reports currently being produced by correctional education programs.

Different Types of
Correctional Education
Reports

There are several different types of reports that should be considered for any correctional education information system. These types of reports include:

State or Facility Level Reports — These are reports that summarize pertinent information for all correctional education participants within a particular facility or jurisdictional area (state or county). They provide an overview of the key program performance indicators as well as relevant descriptive information. Because these reports summarize program information, they are of interest to a non-correctional education audience (institutional administrators, legislators who vote on funding). Examples of two different reports summarizing correctional education data at the facility level are presented in Exhibits 7 and 8.

Exhibit 7

Sample Facility Report: Correctional Education Profile

Correctional Education Profile

Facility Name:______________________ Date:________

Facility Population:_____________________

Student Characteristics

Race	Number	% of Total	Age	Number	% of Total	Highest Grade Completed	Number	% of Total
Asian			Under 18			1-4
Black			18-20			5-7
Hispanic			21-24			8-15 H.S.
Indian			25-29			H.S.
White			30-34			Post H.S.
Other			40-44
			45-49
			50-54
			55-59
			60 & Over

Student Enrollment Number Enrolled Number on Waiting List

GED/ABE
Vocational Education
Total Enrollment

Exhibit 8

Sample Facility Report: Student Performance Profile

Student Performance Profile

Facility Name: _________________ Date: _______
Facility Population: _________________________

Number Enrolled

GED Results

Number Tested

Number Passing

Percent Passing

Writing Skills
Social Studies
Science
Literature and Arts
Mathematics
Total

Percent Passing 1st Time:

Vocational Certificates	Number Enrolled	Number Completed	Certificates Awarded
Automotive
Masonry
Data Processing

Inmate Profiles — The reports displayed in Exhibits 9 and 10 provide descriptions of program participants. They are very useful to instructors and program administrators. The intake profile (Exhibit 9) can be used by staff to assign an inmate to an appropriate program. The inmate program history (Exhibit 10) displays a record of the inmate's participation in correctional education. They are designed to provide concise one page summaries of different aspects of an individuals involvement in correctional education. Because inmates are frequently tested and test results sometimes determine program placement, there should be a separate report (Exhibit 11) which documents that inmate's test history (type of test, test date, test score).

Exhibit 9

Sample Facility Report: Intake Profile

Intake Profile

Date: _________________
Name: _________________________ DOB: __________ Race: ____________
ID: ______________ Age: _______ Sex: __________

Primary Offense	Sentence	Min:
		Max:

Education
Highest Grade Level Completed___________

Test Assessment

Type

Subject

Level

Score

Grade Equivalent

Program Needs

ESL
Mandatory Education
Drug and Alcohol Counseling
Life Skills
Education
Vocational Education

Recommendations:

Exhibit 10

Sample Facility Report: Inmate Program History

Inmate Program History

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____________
ID: ________________
Age: ________ Race: ______ Sex: ______

Currently Enrolled: Y/N

Date:

Program History

Program

Start Date

End Date

Reason for Separation

______________	______________	______________	______________
______________	______________	______________	______________
______________	______________	______________	______________
______________	______________	______________	______________

Current Objective/Goals

______________________________________________________________________

Exhibit 11

Sample Facility Report: Inmate Test

Inmate Test History

Name: ________________________________ Date: __________________
ID: ___________________

Test History

Date	Test	Level	Subject	Score	Grade Equivalent
______	______	______	______	______	______
______	______	______	______	______	______
______	______	______	______	______	______

Rosters — The most common type of roster produced by a data system is the class list (Exhibit 12) which includes the name of the class, the instructor, names of the participants, and the participant identifier. Other lists that could be produced include the student class listing (each class that the student is enrolled in), and a listing by program type (ESL, GED, vocational education). Like inmate profiles, these listings are used in the daily operation of correctional education programs.

Exhibit 12

Sample Facility Report: Class Roster

Class Roster

Class:_________________________ Instructor: __________________

Student Name	Identification Number
_______________________________	__________________
_______________________________	__________________
_______________________________	__________________
_______________________________	__________________
_______________________________	__________________

Missing Data Report — Many systems include reports that list data elements that should be entered into the system but are not, whatever the reason might be. These reports can be used by program administrators to remind system users to submit or enter data elements. This type of data management report is extremely valuable because it helps to insure that the data in the system are current, accurate, and available.

Sample Correctional
Education Reports

Appendix A contains actual reports that are currently produced by correctional education systems. The first report (Md School Performance Plan for Correctional Education), used by the state of Maryland, concentrates on describing the number of program participants. The student data, listed under School Student Profile, lists the total population for both the entire facility and the correctional education program. Other pertinent data, including the cost per student and the number of students on the waiting list, are also presented. After presenting student and staff totals by ethnicity, various types of student participation data are displayed.

Average daily attendance is listed, including the percentage of absences due to program closures. The latter category documents the amount of instructional time that is lost to institution "lockdowns." On page two of the report, student participation is also aggregated by program type and by different types of federally funded programs.

After presenting participation data, the report presents student performance data. The performance indicators include passing rates for the GED and the number of program completors for vocational courses. In summary, this report presents a broad array of data that can be easily understood and interpreted. In addition to describing the number of inmates that are receiving services, the report also displays information that is beneficial to the programs, including demand for services (number on the waiting list) and program achievements (passing rates, certificates awarded).

This report, which presents an overview of correctional education, is intended for distribution to a varied audience. There is an institutional letterhead on each page and the institution name is featured in bold in the top left hand corner. The various subject areas (School Staff Profile, School Student Profile, etc.) are also bolded, indented, and boxed so that the eye can quickly scan the page and locate the relevant information.

The second institutional-level profile is from the state of Pennsylvania. This two page report (Pennsylvania Department of Corrections - SCI Mercer Education Profile)presents non-correctional education data on the first page and educational data on the second or back page. The education data elements present the educational characteristics (grade completed, IQ, test scores) of the inmates. All test scores are converted to grade level categories. The report also presents the estimated educational and vocational needs of the inmates. Subject areas are boxed with the centered titles and the data lines are alternately shaded.

The third report is an inmate profile from the state of Maryland. Individual reports are generally used by personnel within the institution and do not have the wide audience of institutional-level reports. Nevertheless, subject areas are separated by bolded, centered, titles. These areas include Program Data, Program History, and Test History.

Advanced Reporting
Techniques

The reports that are described above are designed to satisfy recurring information needs. Because these needs occur on a regular basis, these reports are programmed into data systems and can be easily executed by system users. However, correctional education program directors are frequently asked to produce analytical reports that are not pre-programmed in their data systems. When designing a reports module in their data system, program directors should consider building a certain degree of flexibility into their systems. This will allow them to manipulate the data in their systems and meet ad hoc requests for information. The following reporting techniques can be utilized when responding to these types of requests.

Tables — Many data systems have reports that produce frequency listings or tables that cross tabulate two variables. Race and gender are two variables that are frequently cross tabulated with program enrollments, program completions, etc.

Filters — Advanced reporting systems often have an option that allows the user to filter the records that are included in a report or listing. The user may stipulate that the report include, for example, only ESL students, or only students above the age of 21. Filters are a valuable tool for responding to ad hoc requests for information.

Custom Reports — Another useful tool is the ability to manipulate data files and quickly design a new report that meets an ad hoc request for information. The ability to construct custom reports can be programmed into correctional education data systems. However, it is usually easier and less expensive to purchase menu-driven software packages that manipulate data files and produce user-specified reports. It should be noted that these packages, while user-friendly, require a minimal level of programming expertise.
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