Abstract
Purpose: The Los Angeles County Probation Department is currently receives millions of dollars through the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act to fund deputy probation officers (DPOs) on high school campuses who provide services to increase student attendance, decrease student behavioral infractions, and decrease student recidivism. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of the Los Angeles County School-Based Probation (SBP) Program by high school administrators. The study described the impact of weekly student contacts by DPOs and their role in improving student attendance, academics, and in decreasing discipline referrals. Methodology: The researcher used descriptive and ex post facto research and developed a survey consisting of 19 questions for high school administrators with an assigned DPO in the Los Angeles County SBP Program. The survey elicited high school administrators' responses on a 7-point Likert scale of their perceptions of the SBP program. In addition, the researcher developed 12 interview questions that further discussed the high school administrators' perceptions of the SBP program. Findings: The data indicated an increase in the students' attendance and academic performance and a decrease in discipline referrals and recidivism for students assigned to DPOs in the Los Angeles County SBP Program. A majority of the high school administrators indicated that the program was effective because of their positive working relationship with the DPO, professionalism of the DPO, wraparound services for students, coordination of services by the DPO, increased supervision by the DPO, and visibility of the DPO on campus. Conclusions: The results of the study showed that a majority of the high school administrators believed the Los Angeles County SBP Program is an effective program for students on probation. The high school administrators also believed that the close monitoring by the DPO of students in the SBP program, their working relationship with the DPO, their level of communication with the DPO, and their collaboration with the DPO had a positive impact on the students. Although the SBP program has room for improvement, the overall perception of the high school administrators in the program was that it is an effective program. Replicating this program throughout the state of California will have a major impact on the recidivism rate, attendance, academic performance, and discipline referrals for student placed on probation.