tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/school-completion-12242/articlesSchool completion – The Conversation2021-05-06T14:00:58Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1552822021-05-06T14:00:58Z2021-05-06T14:00:58Z5 factors that contribute to students finishing high school<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396444/original/file-20210422-17-1986i7p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C188%2C5964%2C3431&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Photos of graduating students are seen on lockers during a graduation ceremony at Magee Secondary School in Vancouver, on June 11, 2020. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>This past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted learning for more than <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2020/08/sg_policy_brief_covid-19_and_education_august_2020.pdf">1.6 billion students in over 190 countries</a>. With movement between bricks-and-mortar schools and online learning becoming the “<a href="https://peopleforeducation.ca/our-work/tracking-canadas-education-systems-response-to-covid-19/">new normal</a>,” young people, families, educators and the public are seeking assurance that students are receiving the best education possible. </p>
<p>They are also concerned about <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/education-pandemic-missing-students-1.5971911">students disengaging from school amid these changes</a> and want to know what schools can do to <a href="https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/could-covid-19-s-chaotic-school-year-spark-a-spike-in-dropouts-1.5141813">encourage students to finish high school</a>.</p>
<p>With pivots in how students are learning still possible in <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2021/03/future-vaccine-modificationsthat-respond-to-new-variants-of-covid-19-tobemade-available-quicklyto-canadianswithout-compromising-safety-efficacy-or-.html">the race between COVID-19 vaccines and variants</a>, it’s important <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ontario-online-virtual-school-1.5944407">to look</a> beyond concerns about how <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ontario-online-virtual-school-1.5944407">students attend</a> school to what helps them learn and engage with school. Not surprisingly, success leads to more success. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/high-school-dropouts-cost-countries-a-staggering-amount-of-money-115396">High school dropouts cost countries a staggering amount of money</a>
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<p>Our research team in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Writing-Literature-Reviews-A-Guide-for-Students-of-the-Social-and-Behavioral/Galvan-Galvan/p/book/9780415315746">reviewed more than</a> <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s8tdJH3ESB8lEXLyxX-SLOpYnBYSQgHl/view?usp=sharing">130 studies that looked for factors</a> related to student engagement, achievement and eventual school completion. </p>
<p>We searched databases for studies from the past decade that referred to school success, student achievement and high school completion or graduation. We’ve summarized our research into five key ideas. We’ve also used this research to provide questions to help school communities talk about what students need now and in a post-pandemic future — and to consider what matters most, whether students are learning online or in-person.</p>
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<img alt="Students in a class." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396435/original/file-20210422-15-6mibzg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=25%2C0%2C4180%2C2528&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396435/original/file-20210422-15-6mibzg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396435/original/file-20210422-15-6mibzg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396435/original/file-20210422-15-6mibzg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396435/original/file-20210422-15-6mibzg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396435/original/file-20210422-15-6mibzg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396435/original/file-20210422-15-6mibzg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Students in Montréal at Marymount Academy International, November 17, 2020.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz</span></span>
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<h2>Explicit inclusivity</h2>
<p>A commitment to inclusivity and diversity helps equip all students to participate equitably in society. Part of supporting diversity means students have a chance to <a href="https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/mje/2014-v49-n1-mje01467/1025776ar">develop identities and relationships that positively promote academic expectations</a> through positive relationships and relevant curriculum. Having school leaders <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085911429084">and teachers who develop the critical capacity to challenge stereotypes</a> is important in policy and practice: education scholar Carl James, for example, has highlighted how stereotypes operate in the social construction of Black males as “at risk” students. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/celebrating-diversity-isnt-enough-schools-need-anti-racist-curriculum-140424">Celebrating diversity isn't enough: Schools need anti-racist curriculum</a>
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<p>An inclusive school climate is essential for engaging those historically marginalized by mainstream schooling, including <a href="https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/mje/2014-v49-n1-mje01467/1025776ar">Indigenous learners</a>, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0042085911429084">Black</a> and racialized students, LGBTQ+ students and students with disabilities or <a href="http://fcrc.albertahealthservices.ca/health-information/supporting-students-with-special-needs/">behavioural, communication, intellectual, learning or physical challenges</a>.</p>
<p>In an inclusive school climate, schools find ways to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-011-9207-y">allow refugee students to voice their authentic experiences</a>. Schools also give students opportunities to explore socio-political issues that develop critical thinking and thoughtful citizenship, and seamlessly accommodate and support <a href="https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v19i5.694">individual learning needs</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/every-child-matters-what-principals-need-to-effectively-lead-inclusive-schools-114249">Every child matters: What principals need to effectively lead inclusive schools</a>
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<p>They use resources that authentically represent students from different backgrounds and create classroom experiences that connect students to each other and their communities. They focus on restorative rather than punitive discipline and examine structures and practices for biases.</p>
<h2>Strong relationships</h2>
<p>Students benefit from teachers who <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858418815661">balance high expectations with empathy and flexibility</a>. When <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2015.1013047">students describe what contributes to finishing school</a>, strong relationships with teachers and other students is at the top of many of their lists. </p>
<p>A study of Indigenous students in Saskatchewan by education scholars Bonnie Stelmach, Margaret Kovach and Larry Steeves showed that what helps students learn is when teachers <a href="https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/ajer/article/view/56085">listen, use humour, foster dialogue and show interest in them</a>. </p>
<p>Peer and community relationships matter. A study of high-achieving Black female students by education scholars Rowena Linton and Lorna McLean found that the students faced racism, including low expectations from teachers at school, and mobilized “<a href="https://doi.org/10.3167/ghs.2017.100106">community resources and support available to them, including peer relations, as an effective strategy to acquire academic success</a>.” </p>
<p>But strong peer and community relationships and students’ own resourcefulness should not be expected to compensate for students facing racism or biases from teachers. Teachers should affirm students’ strengths and understand and respond to obstacles in student learning. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-curb-anti-black-racism-in-canadian-schools-150489">How to curb anti-Black racism in Canadian schools</a>
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<p>Strong relationships do more than make school a nice place to be. Students benefit from <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/23255730?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents">accepting peers</a> who collaborate in learning and interpersonal problem-solving. Relationships encourage regular attendance and <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-4614-2018-7_5">cycles of connection, participation and success</a>. They build students’ social and civic capacities. Strong relationships that include family and community connections are fundamental to student success.</p>
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<img alt="Students cross the street." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396440/original/file-20210422-17-8ahnpt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396440/original/file-20210422-17-8ahnpt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=411&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396440/original/file-20210422-17-8ahnpt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=411&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396440/original/file-20210422-17-8ahnpt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=411&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396440/original/file-20210422-17-8ahnpt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396440/original/file-20210422-17-8ahnpt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/396440/original/file-20210422-17-8ahnpt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Students cross the street at Tomken Road Middle School in Mississauga, Ont., on April 1, 2021.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette</span></span>
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<h2>Comprehensive learning opportunities</h2>
<p>Instruction that promotes complex thinking over memorization is associated with strong class participation, achievement and students setting hopeful, aspirational goals for their educational futures. </p>
<p><a href="https://journals.nipissingu.ca/index.php/cjar/article/view/371">Collaborative, interdisciplinary</a>, <a href="https://www.cjlt.ca/index.php/cjlt/article/view/26977">active and problem-based learning</a> have been found to improve student attendance, course completion and graduation rates.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/stem-learning-should-engage-students-minds-hands-and-hearts-140008">STEM learning should engage students' minds, hands and hearts</a>
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<p>A comprehensive instructional environment for student success also includes explicit instruction, support for individual needs, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15595692.2019.1652587">culturally affirming tasks</a> and <a href="https://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentId=21756">culturally responsive curriculum materials</a>.</p>
<p>It also includes regular assessment to help guide teachers’ instruction and students’ learning strategies. When teachers regularly assess students, this helps them guide student learning.</p>
<h2>Tracking and transitions</h2>
<p>Student success occurs over time. Some research from the United States suggests there are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00220670903382970">predictors of whether students are on a path to finishing high school by Grade 6</a>. Achievement in language arts and math are important, but overall teacher-assigned grades and patterns of <a href="https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northwest/pdf/REL_2015079.pdf">attendance</a> are also key indicators of students’ ultimate success in school. Schools need to monitor attendance and achievement across time and avoid simple responses like <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00220670903382970">holding students back a grade</a>. </p>
<p>When students aren’t learning as well as expected, schools need to create <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029189">integrated approaches of support and intervention</a>. They should should involve families, other professionals and community resources, and monitor the impact of supports on students’ progress.</p>
<p><a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1104172">Transitions</a> between grades, types of learning and schools need special attention as changes in social groups, support systems and new environments and expectations can be challenging for any student.</p>
<h2>Flexible systems</h2>
<p><a href="https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cjeap/article/view/68066">Having flexibility</a> matters in terms of whether students complete their studies. Systems that allow students to recover credits if they fall behind keeps students moving forward.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2017.1365669">How high schools schedule classes</a> can help align course offerings with student needs and interests. It can also create small interdisciplinary groups working together, and encourages supportive relationships and flexible access to instruction. Investments in technology that promote connections to community and complex forms of learning and communication are more effective than those that ask students to practise and demonstrate isolated skills. </p>
<h2>Questions for parents</h2>
<p>If you think about your child’s school:</p>
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<li><p>What evidence is there of students feeling recognized and connected, and empathetic responsiveness to students’ qualities and circumstances?</p></li>
<li><p>What makes your school inclusive? How are differences and similarities across economics, race, gender and culture incorporated into learning? How are mental-health concerns and learning difficulties supported?</p></li>
<li><p>How are students’ interests and needs included in the design of their learning? How is complex thinking challenged and supported? How do students access support?</p></li>
<li><p>What preventative and responsive systems are in place for patterns of attendance and achievement? How are students supported during times of transition?</p></li>
<li><p>What decisions and structures might be impeding or enhancing students’ opportunities to learn?</p></li>
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<p><a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED603403.pdf">The factors that support opportunities for student engagement are interconnected and reinforcing</a>. Careful collaborative attention and reflection by all members of a school community make them possible and contribute to students completing school.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/155282/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Relationships, inclusivity, anti-racism and flexibility matter. So does offering students learning opportunities, and supporting and following their transitions over time.Ronna Mosher, Assistant Professor in Education (Curriculum and Leadership), University of CalgaryAmber Hartwell, Doctor of Education candidate, University of CalgaryBarbara Brown, Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning, University of CalgaryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1574612021-04-01T09:55:27Z2021-04-01T09:55:27ZHow to keep Kenyan children in school longer: it’s not only about money<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/391651/original/file-20210325-17-18mf6mk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Pupils from a Nairobi informal settlement take the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam at a local centre.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The school completion rate has emerged as one of the most pressing issues facing education in Kenya. Only 58% of pupils enrolled in the first year <a href="http://wpf-unesco.org/eng/231288e.pdf">complete</a> primary school. This proportion <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03050060902920518">falls</a> as they advance to higher levels. Even fewer complete secondary school.</p>
<p>Leaving school early is associated with educational deficiencies that are <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4899-7497-6_21">likely to limit</a> students’ social, financial and psychological achievement throughout their lives. Over time, this adds to the inequalities in society.</p>
<p>Low retention and completion rates are also likely to cost Kenya scarce resources, challenge its effort to achieve universal primary education and impair development. </p>
<p>In the year 2003, the government of Kenya introduced free <a href="http://www.kcse-online.info/devolution/free_primary_education.html">primary education</a>. The twin aims were realising the UN millennium development goals of universal primary education by the year 2005 and education for all by the year 2015. Under the free primary education programme, all learners are to access education without discrimination. </p>
<p>Whereas the government abolished tuition fees, parents or guardians are required to meet other costs such as uniform, school meals, boarding facilities, and transport to and from school. </p>
<p>In spite of government efforts to improve the access and completion rates, bridging the gap between intent and reality remains a challenge. Given the consequences for individuals and the society, it is crucial that institutional leaders, policymakers and educators understand why children leave or stay in school. </p>
<p>The contributing factors vary from context to context, as numerous studies have revealed. They can include <a href="https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Universal,-but-not-free:-Household-schooling-costs-Omoeva-Gale/30bc7fa9af041d15a8927201d6eace708297e77e;http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/57993">personal</a>, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03004430.2016.1163549">family</a>, <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/529446">school quality</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047272714002412">economic</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1178441">environmental</a> reasons.</p>
<p>The interplay and effect of these factors vary by region, level of education, institution type, and individual characteristics. </p>
<p>My own <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03004279.2020.1840606">study</a> explored factors contributing to academic persistence in primary school students in Kenya. It focused on personal, family and socio-economic factors, institutional practices, and the institutional environment. I found that no single factor could entirely account for students’ persistence, so it’s important to take an integrated approach to keep more children in school. It’s also necessary to intervene in the early years of school.</p>
<h2>Pathways to academic persistence</h2>
<p>My study used data from the African Population and Health Research Center. I analysed 12,385 observations for individuals aged five to 20 years, at different levels of schooling and at five key sites (Mombasa, Nairobi, Nyeri, Nakuru and Kisumu). Data included individual school histories, household information, institutional characteristics, parent or guardian involvement and student information.</p>
<p>Of the 12,385 students who were enrolled in school in 2007, 7,089 (57.2%) were still enrolled in the same school by 2012. The rest had dropped out or transferred to other schools. </p>
<p>Factors associated with not remaining in school were: being a boy aged 15 or above, attending a public school, working while attending school, and being uncertain about financial support. Other factors such as needing transport to school, coming from a poor household, and school performance were negatively associated with persistence, though not statistically significant.</p>
<p>The analysis showed several factors were associated with completing primary school. One was students’ age. Staying at school to the age of between 10 and 14 indicated a likelihood of completing school. Children above 14 are considered over-age for primary school and so are more likely to drop out. </p>
<p>Second, students from households identified as well-to-do in the family wealth index and who participated actively at school were also more likely to complete. Active participation is defined as a positive interest in school activities. Such students were also likely to report having a positive school experience, such as friendly peers and teachers. </p>
<p>Parental involvement in their children’s academic journey and with the school was associated with children staying in school longer. The results of this study showed a link between parental level of education with parental involvement – and therefore persistence to completion. </p>
<p>The influence was greater among parents who had at least basic education. Such were more likely to help out their children with school work or were more committed to seeing their children succeed at school. </p>
<p>But the most powerful predictor of student persistence was the parents’ level of education. Students whose parents had at least basic education were over 80 times more likely to persist than those whose parents had no formal education. Children whose parents had secondary education were over 22 times more likely to persist.</p>
<p>One would expect that the influence of parents who had secondary and higher level of education on their children’s education should have been greater. But this was not so for a number of reasons. Partly, the parents are busy attending to demanding work assignments, leaving the responsibility of supervising school work typically to the house-help.</p>
<p>These levels of influence were surprising. They suggest a need for parents to have more teaching and learning moments with their children as it is key to their persistence to completion.</p>
<p>Family socioeconomic status was positively associated with persistence. Too often, students from low-income families are in public schools with typically high student-teacher ratios and inadequate facilities. Poor grades would lock them out of a well-resourced secondary school that might ultimately guarantee a government scholarship to university. </p>
<p>The ability to pay costs associated with education remains a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03057925.2013.796816?journalCode=ccom20">key determinant</a> for persistence. Although tuition is free, other direct and indirect costs such as food, examination fees, exercise books and uniforms represent a large part of the family income for the poor.</p>
<h2>Implications for practice</h2>
<p>These findings are useful for educational leaders, policymakers and teachers. Since the ability to pay education costs is a key determinant for persistence, the study suggests a need to subsidise these costs for students from low-income homes.</p>
<p>It’s also notable that boys are vulnerable and require support to remain at school, especially those enrolled in free primary education. These findings suggest the need for action to prevent child labour, increase household resources, and reduce the opportunity costs associated with pursuing education. The study also points to a need for government to ensure equitable distribution of state schools and resources.</p>
<p>Just as dropping out of school is a process, so is a student’s journey to completion. It is one that requires early interventions. No single factor can entirely account for students’ persistence; they interplay at different levels to influence the decision to continue or drop out. </p>
<p>This study underscores the importance of an integrated approach to keep children at school. All the stakeholders – educational leaders, policymakers, teachers and systems such as health and justice – should cooperate to overcome the challenges.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/157461/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Caroline Sabina Wekullo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>No single factor can entirely account for students’ persistence and it’s important to take an integrated approach to keep more children in school.Caroline Sabina Wekullo, Research scientist, Masinde Muliro University of Science and TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/938462018-03-25T19:01:04Z2018-03-25T19:01:04ZLow attendance in Year 7 may mean you’re less likely to finish school<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/211675/original/file-20180323-54884-1m1lwlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Helping students improve attendance rates will help them finish school.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A study of more than 30,000 students has confirmed the link between improving school attendance rates in Year 7 and the likelihood of completing high school. </p>
<p>Conducted by the <a href="https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/attendance-lifts-achievement">Smith Family</a>, the research found around three-quarters of students from low-income families with higher attendance rates in the first year of high school completed Year 12. This was compared to less than half of those with very low attendance in Year 7.</p>
<p>It also showed students with very low Year 7 attendance rates, who improved their attendance by Year 9, were much more likely to complete Year 12 than those whose rates remained low.</p>
<p>The fact a student’s outcomes when young are predictive of their eventual achievement isn’t surprising. But from a policy perspective, this confirms that a student’s background matters, and that targeting students early is vital. </p>
<p>The study is also a great example of how we can test whether educational programs are worth our investment. By tracking students through time, the Smith Family has created the largest dataset of disadvantaged students in Australia that combines survey and administrative data, and one of the largest such datasets in the world.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/therapy-dogs-can-help-reduce-student-stress-anxiety-and-improve-school-attendance-93073">Therapy dogs can help reduce student stress, anxiety and improve school attendance</a>
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<h2>The study</h2>
<p>The Smith Family has been running a program to provide resources for students from low-income families. Called <a href="https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/programs/learning-for-life">Learning for Life</a>, the program aims to support these students to stay in school and go on to further studies.</p>
<p>Students in the program (and their families) receive a biannual payment, a program co-ordinator who works with the family, and access to a number of other specific programs. These include targeted literacy and numeracy programs, after-school learning clubs, mentoring and career activities, and training in digital and financial literacy for parents or carers.</p>
<p>About 38,000 children receive this support across Australia each year, in all states and territories.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/educational-disadvantage-is-a-huge-problem-in-australia-we-cant-just-carry-on-the-same-74530">Educational disadvantage is a huge problem in Australia – we can't just carry on the same</a>
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</p>
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<p>The Smith Family has been tracking the students’ progress and outcomes over time. This has been possible due to careful design and use of a unique student identifier. This is a seven-digit number specific to each student but unrelated to their name, address or other identifying information. When students interact with the program, the activity is recorded against their identifier. </p>
<p>In addition to program data, the Smith Family is able to link in school achievement, attendance and completion data, as well as a range of other background variables.</p>
<p>A key finding in this latest report is that changes in school attendance are associated with better school outcomes. Specifically, 61% of students who improved their attendance between Year 7 and 9 completed Year 12, compared to only 35% of those whose attendance remained very low across Years 7 and 9. </p>
<p>Other findings include:</p>
<ul>
<li>88% of Year 9 students who achieved an A in English completed Year 12, compared to only 50% of those who achieved an E</li>
<li>82% of students who completed Year 12 were engaged in post-school work and/or study, compared to only 68% of those who only completed Year 10.</li>
</ul>
<h2>What we can learn</h2>
<p>It is tempting to think that we know what works to improve educational outcomes, if only governments would fund what is needed. But that’s not the case.</p>
<p>We have a good idea about what tends to work and there have been a number of <a href="https://www.cese.nsw.gov.au//images/stories/PDF/What-works-best_FA-2015_AA.pdf">summary reports</a> of existing evidence. One thing we know for sure is that investment in early childhood <a href="http://www.nber.org/papers/w22130">significantly increases</a> achievement.</p>
<p>We also know that tutoring adolescents <a href="http://www.nber.org/papers/w22130">seems to be as effective</a> – if not more effective – than investments in early childhood. This argues against the growing view that there is a point at which investments in youth are unlikely to yield significant returns.</p>
<p>But the majority of this knowledge comes from rigorous trial and error approaches conducted in other countries. Unfortuntely though, we haven’t made the same investments in Australia, so we don’t know as much as we should about which education policies and programs are effective in an Australian context and which aren’t. </p>
<p>We also haven’t made use of the potentially available, extensive administrative student datasets to anywhere near their full capacity. The Smith Family should be commended on making use of their own datasets to help understand the outcomes and trajectories of those they’re trying to serve. And ideally, such a dataset should be available to other researchers.</p>
<p>Other programs, and governments in particular, should be making similar investments. Researchers and policymakers should be taking a humble and experimental approach to find out what works, who it works for, and what programs should be discontinued.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/93846/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicholas Biddle has received funding from the Smith Family in the past to evaluate an unrelated program. He received an embargoed version of the Smith Family paper.</span></em></p>This study confirms that a student’s background matters, and that targeting students early is vital.Nicholas Biddle, Associate Professor, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/798932017-07-25T01:16:33Z2017-07-25T01:16:33ZDo challenges make school seem impossible or worthwhile?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179494/original/file-20170724-11166-djnp45.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">When school gets tough, do you think it's worthwhile? Or time to give up?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/studying-girl-440842600?src=enkWg7yoM312gbpnGxyhXw-1-50">Pavlin Plamenov Petkov/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Did you get where you intended to in life? Are you as healthy, wealthy and wise as you want to be? If not, perhaps the problem is a lack of motivation.</p>
<p>Some studies suggest that motivation – rather than ability or skill – is the <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/pathways-to-success-through-identity-based-motivation-9780195341461">best predictor of educational and professional attainment</a>.</p>
<p>But what do we actually mean by motivation? It seems that wherever one turns, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/A_Theory_of_Human_Motivation.html?id=nvnsAgAAQBAJ">experts</a> have <a href="http://gumptionade.com/">new</a> <a href="http://www.hayhouse.com/the-motivation-manifesto-hardcover">advice</a> on <a href="http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/301674/drive-by-daniel-h-pink/9781594484803">how to be motivated</a>. </p>
<p>As researchers interested in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/mot0000055">motivation and educational success</a>, we wondered: Is motivation just one thing, or are there many different kinds of motivation? Is motivation about how people respond to challenges or is it also about how people respond to ease? Understanding these different facets of motivation can help students succeed.</p>
<h2>Why do people need motivation?</h2>
<p>People think of themselves and others as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1229294">having some essence</a> – some fixed or at least stable core. They tend to believe that this sense of “me” defines who they are, who they might become and how they’re likely to act over time.</p>
<p>If people actually had this sort of fixed “essence” (and always acted in ways that fit that essence), the idea of motivation wouldn’t be necessary. People wouldn’t need to be motivated to do something; they would simply do it because it’s part of their identity.</p>
<p>But motivation is necessary. In part, that’s because what people believe to be true of themselves in one situation <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/sipr.12030">doesn’t necessarily predict</a> what they’ll do in another situation. Wanting to be an “A” student doesn’t mean that you’ll pay attention to the teacher right now instead of passing notes to a friend.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179490/original/file-20170724-28293-4qvxgx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179490/original/file-20170724-28293-4qvxgx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179490/original/file-20170724-28293-4qvxgx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179490/original/file-20170724-28293-4qvxgx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179490/original/file-20170724-28293-4qvxgx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179490/original/file-20170724-28293-4qvxgx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179490/original/file-20170724-28293-4qvxgx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179490/original/file-20170724-28293-4qvxgx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Even someone who wants to succeed in school may decide it’s more important in the moment to develop friendships than focus in class.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/group-diverse-high-school-students-studying-651891676">Rawpixel/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While this seemingly contradictory behavior might seem to be a human design flaw, it’s actually a feature: Thinking (including thinking about who you are) is sensitively attuned to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2009.06.001">what individual situations have to offer</a>. After all, right now it might be more important to keep up a friendship than to worry about something like next week’s test.</p>
<h2>Too easy to matter? Too hard to bother?</h2>
<p>Everyday life involves experiences that are easy and those that are difficult. How do these challenges (or lack of challenges) impact motivation? Research tells us that what matters is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2008.02.014">what people think ease and difficulty mean for them</a>.</p>
<p>Both easy and difficult experiences can be demotivating. If homework feels easy, for instance, a student might think: “This is stupid. I’m not going to do this.” When something feels too easy, it can mean that the task is “beneath me” or “just not worth my time.”</p>
<p>On the other hand, if the homework feels difficult that same student could think: “This is too hard for me. I’m just not a math person.” Or “People like me can’t do this.” When something feels too difficult, it can mean that success in that task is unlikely and that “I” or “we” aren’t cut out for it.</p>
<p>Both perspectives are likely to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/sipr.12030">undermine motivation</a>. Why waste your time on things that are trivial or impossible? Better to quit and move on to something else.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179495/original/file-20170724-6656-1n5opta.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179495/original/file-20170724-6656-1n5opta.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179495/original/file-20170724-6656-1n5opta.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=741&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179495/original/file-20170724-6656-1n5opta.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=741&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179495/original/file-20170724-6656-1n5opta.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=741&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179495/original/file-20170724-6656-1n5opta.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=932&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179495/original/file-20170724-6656-1n5opta.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=932&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179495/original/file-20170724-6656-1n5opta.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=932&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In sports, ‘no pain, no gain’ is a common way to look at adversity. The same is not always true in academics.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-wearing-white-long-sleeve-shirt-holding-black-nike-ball-488610/">Stocksnap</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>At the same time, experiencing ease or difficulty while working on a task can also be motivating. When something feels easy, it can mean that success is possible and when something feels difficult, it can mean that success is worthwhile (“no pain, no gain”). In this case, homework that feels easy implies: “I can do this!” Homework that feels difficult implies: “This is valuable!”</p>
<p>Naturally, the demotivating frames of mind can get in the way of success. In our research, we asked over 1,000 adults of various ages, genders and backgrounds their ideas about what ease and difficulty imply. We then asked about 200 of them to perform a complicated cognitive task in which some items were relatively easy to solve and others were quite difficult. We found that the people who <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/mot0000055">performed better on the task</a> were the ones who felt that difficult does not mean impossible and that easy does not mean trivial.</p>
<h2>How students interpret difficulty matters</h2>
<p>A growing number of studies show that how students perceive difficulty can significantly influence their performance in school.</p>
<p>In these studies, students are randomly divided into two groups. One group reads sentences implying that difficulty is a sign of importance. The other group reads sentences implying that difficulty is a sign of low odds of success. Students in the first kind of group <a href="http://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/soco.2015.33.2.1">solve more problems</a>, <a href="http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/v43/acr_vol43_1019297.pdf">write better essays</a> and <a href="https://dornsife.usc.edu/assets/sites/782/docs/Aeleni_Lewis_Oyserman_2016.pdf">describe themselves as more</a> <a href="http://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/soco.2015.33.2.1">focused on school</a> than students in the second kind of group. </p>
<p>In short, how students interpret their everyday difficulties with school matters.</p>
<h2>Is there a pattern?</h2>
<p>Is there a way to predict how students might interpret difficulty and ease?</p>
<p>In the same 1,000-person set of studies, we asked people to rate how much they agreed or disagreed with four interpretations of what ease and difficulty might imply: easy means trivial, difficult means impossible, easy means possible and difficult means worthwhile. We found that people are more inclined to interpret their experiences in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/mot0000055">ways that are motivating rather than demotivating</a>. </p>
<p>However, people who did believe that easy things are trivial were likely to also believe that difficult things are impossible. Though not the majority, they make up a subset of people who, without assistance, may tend to work too little and quit too soon.</p>
<p>Who are these people?</p>
<p>Demographically speaking, in our study, they tended to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/mot0000055">men with low income</a>. We found some evidence that among adults (primarily white Americans in our samples), low income was associated with higher agreement that when things get difficult, they may be impossible, and one should turn one’s attention elsewhere. Interpreting ease as triviality is a bit gendered: men are somewhat more likely than women to believe that easy things aren’t worth their time.</p>
<p><iframe id="jxIUZ" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/jxIUZ/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>So what can we do?</h2>
<p>If difficulty (and even ease) can be interpreted in such a demotivating way, is there some way to change this interpretation? </p>
<p>Researchers have designed programs that help students see difficulty with schoolwork as a signal of importance – something of value to be engaged with rather than something impossible to be avoided. One such intervention yielded <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.91.1.188">improved academic outcomes</a> at least two full school years later.</p>
<p>There are also ways that teachers can (carefully) message that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858416664714">schoolwork is hard because it’s valuable</a>. Though heavy-handedly telling students what to believe <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858416664714">will often result in them rejecting or disbelieving the message</a>, teachers can instead give students the chance to argue the point themselves: If the assumption is that difficulty signals impossibility, ask your students to question that assumption and argue against it.</p>
<p>Teachers can also give students the chance to practice interpreting difficulty as importance. This can be something as simple as solving a puzzle that at first seems impossible. With such practice, this interpretation becomes more accessible when students experience difficulty with higher stakes.</p>
<p>No one starts life knowing how to walk, tie shoelaces or ride a bike. The failures along the way – and even the falls, scrapes and bruises – can reinforce the value of the task at hand.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/79893/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Daphna Oyserman receives funding from the Department of Education (Institute for Educational Studies, Investing in Innovation). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Oliver Fisher does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A high school science test, a Psych 101 course, long job applications: Sometimes it’s hard to be motivated to succeed. As it turns out, how you respond to difficulty and ease can make all the difference.Daphna Oyserman, Professor of Psychology and Education, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and SciencesOliver Fisher, Ph.D. Candidate, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and SciencesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/775012017-06-27T14:57:34Z2017-06-27T14:57:34ZHow partnerships enriched the learning for Nairobi slum children<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/175159/original/file-20170622-12039-1f57aed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Pupils from Kibera, one of the largest slums in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Reuters/Noor Khamis </span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Eight years of research in low-income neighbourhoods of Nairobi have opened my eyes to the significant role of school, family and community partnerships. Not only are they crucial for student achievement, they can <a href="http://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1019&context=slcepartnerships">narrow the performance gap</a> between children in high and low income settings.</p>
<p>My work in Nairobi confirms findings from research that stretches back over two decades in different contexts. For instance, renowned Harvard social analyst Lisbeth Schorr observed in her <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Common-Purpose-Strengthening-Families-Neighborhoods/dp/0385475330">book</a> that social programmes taken to scale resulted in the transformation of poor neighbourhoods and communities. </p>
<p>The positive results suggest that a host of positive outcomes can be achieved when communities <a href="http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED545474.pdf">partner</a> with schools. </p>
<p>My research showed that forging a partnership between family, community and school enables parents to take part in the academic success of their children. Parents acquire knowledge, skills and confidence for better parenting. This in turn enables them to improve their economic lot and become better citizens. </p>
<p>The three-way partnerships also contribute to social capital. <a href="http://faculty.washington.edu/matsueda/courses/587/readings/Coleman%201988.pdf">Social capital</a> refers to relationships among and between different actors for the purpose of achieving a common good. Therefore, the partnership between family, community and schools improves the interconnections between the institutions. This in turn enriches the relationships between parents and their children for academic success. </p>
<p>Schools can also <a href="http://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1019&context=slcepartnerships">draw</a> on resources external to them – the families and the community – to bridge any challenges they may face in the way of the children’s education. </p>
<p>As a result, parents are thrust to the centre of this relationship as a resource for the improvement of their children and the schools. Parents cease to be distant observers who are far removed from the education of their children. Families can draw from these new networks to enable their children to succeed in school.</p>
<p>My work over the past three years revolved around the practical application of this paradigm shift in two informal settlements in Nairobi under the <a href="http://aphrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Improving-learning-outcomes.pdf">“Improving Learning Outcomes”</a> project. The two relatively poor urban settlements of Korogocho and Viwandani had <a href="http://aphrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ERP-III-Report.pdf">poor learning outcomes at primary school</a> level and low transition to secondary school.</p>
<p>A 2010 study in Nairobi put the <a href="http://aphrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ERP-III-policy-brief-5.pdf">transition rate</a> from primary to secondary school in slum schools at 46%. The primary school completion among slum children stood at 76%. The transition rate compared poorly to the non-slum at an average of 72% transition and while 92% had completed primary school. Despite the introduction of free day secondary education in 2008 which was supposed to reduce the cost of schooling for low income groups, 27% of pupils still don’t make the transition to secondary school. </p>
<p>Understanding the reasons for this and designing interventions was a major part of our project. </p>
<h2>Parental involvement</h2>
<p>The positive association between the involvement of <a href="http://www.hfrp.org/publications-resources/browse-our-publications/parental-involvement-and-student-achievement-a-meta-analysis">parents and student achievement</a> has consistently been documented by scholars for some time now. Parental involvement includes communication with teachers and others working in a school, helping with school work at home and volunteering at school. Attending school events, such as parent-teacher meetings and conferences is also important. </p>
<p>Children of actively involved parents perform better in school, learn better and have stronger problem solving skills. They also attend school regularly, enjoy their schooling, and have <a href="http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2683&context=sspapers">fewer behavioural problems</a>. </p>
<p>The main interventions during our research in Nairobi included:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>after school support with homework and mentoring in life skills,</p></li>
<li><p>counselling for parents on active involvement in their children’s schooling, including support with homework. They were encouraged to limit household chores and educated on child labour, </p></li>
<li><p>secondary school transition subsidies. This was a transition from primary to secondary school, and </p></li>
<li><p>mentoring of students in leadership, a component that we added in the expansion phase.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>We worked with community leaders to encourage a closer working relationship between the community, parents and the school. For instance, the community leaders encouraged parents to support their children’s education, particularly girls. This included encouraging a working relationship between girls their parents and teachers. </p>
<p>Parents believed that interacting with teachers was important because it helped reduce the probability of children becoming truant. They also counted on interaction with teachers to reduce instances of peer pressure. </p>
<p>The community leaders support for girls’ education persisted over the course of our three year work. This was particularly evident in their support to the parental component of the intervention. The community, built a supportive relationship on education and understanding the social change and peer pressure faced by the youth.</p>
<p>The result was improved learning outcomes, particularly in numeracy where girls recorded a 20 percentage point improvement in scores. There is also evidence that girls who participated in the programme had higher educational aspirations, with a substantial proportion of girls whose highest education aspiration was completing secondary school aspiring to acquire university education. </p>
<p>Transition to secondary school rates in Korogocho and Viwandani among the 2013 cohort of girls who participated in the project stood at 68%. This was a 22% improvement over the 2010 statistic of 46% (both girls and boys). Although the rate was still lower than the national average in 2010 by 9 percentage points, it represented a much reduced gap between urban slum children and the national average.</p>
<p>Among those girls who made a transition to secondary school in 2014, three girls joined prestigious girls’ national schools. National schools are the best-resourced and admit the highest performing students from across all counties in Kenya. </p>
<p>In 2015, three girls from Korogocho who qualified for the subsidy to join secondary also went on to qualify for a prestigious <a href="http://equitygroupfoundation.com/wingstofly/">scholarship</a> programme which targets gifted but economically and socially marginalised students. </p>
<p>Our findings show that the education outcomes of young people can be improved with targeted interventions. At the centre lies the participation of partners - community, family and schools.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/77501/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Benta A. Abuya does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Education outcomes of young people can be improved with targeted interventions. At the centre lies the participation of partners – community, family and schools.Benta A. Abuya, Research Scientist, African Population and Health Research CenterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/312992014-09-08T20:26:57Z2014-09-08T20:26:57ZFlexible learning helps students with disadvantages finish school<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/58305/original/fgv69dkd-1409885541.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Kids drop out before finishing school for many reasons. Flexible learning caters to these.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gusestrella/6673269381">Flickr/Gus Estrella</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Despite encouragement from federal, state and territory governments to complete school – and a legal obligation to “learn or earn” – <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4221.0">one in five young Australians</a> still leaves school before the end of Year 12.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.coagreformcouncil.gov.au/reports/education/national-partnership-agreement-youth-attainment-and-transitions-assessment">Evidence</a> about early school leavers in Australia <a href="https://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/media/SPRCFile/41_Report_YoungPeopleReport.pdf">demonstrates</a> they are disproportionately drawn from disadvantaged backgrounds, including low-socioeconomic backgrounds, Indigenous backgrounds and regional and remote areas.</p>
<p>Young people can also become disengaged from schooling because they are being bullied, they are not getting the extra help they need for their learning, or because they have carer responsibilities for parents, siblings or their own child. </p>
<h2>The benefits of education</h2>
<p>Supporting the learning of these young people is of great benefit, not just to the individuals, but to the rest of society. The vital role of education in combatting disadvantage is highlighted in a <a href="http://www.pc.gov.au/research/staff-working/deep-persistent-disadvantage">2013 Productivity Commission report</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Education is a foundation capability. It improves a person’s employment prospects and earning capacity, and the evidence points to a relationship between education and better health and raised civic and social engagement. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Deloitte Access Economics <a href="https://www.deloitteaccesseconomics.com.au/uploads/File/Staying%20connected%20-a%20cost%20benefit%20analysis%20of%20early%20intervention.pdf">has calculated</a> the economic benefits to society: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Interventions that reduce youth disengagement [by improving secondary education attainment levels] could potentially return 23.6 times the government’s initial investment to society and 7.6 times directly to the government through increased taxation revenues. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>These kinds of benefits led all governments in Australia to agree to a target to raise the proportion of young people completing Year 12 (or equivalent) from 83.5% in 2009 to 90% by 2015. </p>
<p>Alternative or flexible learning programs that cater specifically for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds play a vital role in helping to achieve that target.</p>
<h2>What are alternative and flexible learning programs?</h2>
<p>A wide variety of alternative educational programs exists both within and outside mainstream schools. These aim to re-engage marginalised young people with education, enabling them to gain secondary school credentials. </p>
<p>Such programs are characterised by a shared vision of providing “enfranchising” and inclusive educational pathways for young people, who, for complex and varied reasons, are disengaged from mainstream schooling. They recognise that mainstream approaches to schooling have not worked well for these young people and, therefore, different approaches are needed. </p>
<p>Usually not included in this definition of flexible learning programs are behaviour schools and suspension centres (because these are attended by coercion rather than by choice) and schools based on alternative philosophies such as Steiner or Montessori (because these do not primarily aim to serve disadvantaged youth).</p>
<p>There are three main types of flexible learning programs:</p>
<p>1) Programs within mainstream secondary schools. These may take the form of electives, extracurricular activities and/or as replacement for regular classes for part of the school week. These programs may not directly lead to the attainment of educational credentials, but work to enable young people to learn and remain engaged in their school. Major organisations supporting such programs include the <a href="http://beaconfoundation.com.au">Beacon Foundation</a>, <a href="http://www.clontarf.org.au">Clontarf Foundation</a> and <a href="http://handsonlearning.org.au">Hands on Learning Australia</a>. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/58388/original/3mq4scz6-1410135645.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/58388/original/3mq4scz6-1410135645.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/58388/original/3mq4scz6-1410135645.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/58388/original/3mq4scz6-1410135645.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/58388/original/3mq4scz6-1410135645.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/58388/original/3mq4scz6-1410135645.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/58388/original/3mq4scz6-1410135645.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/58388/original/3mq4scz6-1410135645.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A typical flexible learning classroom.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>2) <a href="https://ala.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Disengaged-youth-paper_WEB.pdf">Programs</a> within TAFE and community colleges.
It is common for TAFE and adult and community colleges
to offer certificates in general education, ranging from a Certificate I in Access to Work and Training through to the Year 12 equivalent Tertiary Preparation Certificate. Many of these courses were initially designed for adults, but increasingly cater for teenage students as well. In addition, some TAFE and community colleges have developed specific courses in general education for groups of disadvantaged young people.</p>
<p>3) Separate alternative programs.
These programs usually offer Year 9, 10, 11 and/or 12 education. They include entirely separate schools, which are registered in their own right, as well as separate programs that have a partnership with a mainstream school or a TAFE/community college. The first set is most easily recognised as offering alternative or flexible education. Large networks of such separate schools include <a href="http://www.youthplus.edu.au">Edmund Rice Education Australia</a>, <a href="http://sedagroup.com.au">Sport Education Development Australia</a> and the <a href="https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/education-skills-and-learning/schools/alternative-schooling/ican-flexible-learning-options">Flexible Learning Options</a> within the South Australian Innovative Community Action Networks.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://dusseldorp.org.au/priorities/alternative-learning/program-database/">database</a> with information about all three types, listing over 900 flexible learning programs, was developed by researchers (including myself) from the <a href="http://www.vu.edu.au/the-victoria-institute">Victoria Institute for Education, Diversity and Lifelong Learning</a>.</p>
<h2>Helping disadvantaged young people to complete school</h2>
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<figcaption>
<span class="caption">“EREA Flexible Learning Centre.”</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So how do flexible learning programs help students to finish school? Although each program has its own context, types of students and approaches, overall they have a few things in common. They are often successful with students who other schools may have given up on or saw as “too hard”.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Flexible learning programs have a curriculum that is purposeful, relevant, enjoyable and individualised. This means the content of learning is meaningful for students. Project–based learning and personalised learning plans are common. </p></li>
<li><p>Staff provide significant support for learning, enabling young people to master new knowledge and skills. The strong relationships and supportive atmosphere in flexible learning programs also empower students to help each other. </p></li>
<li><p>Relationships between staff and students, as well as among students, are characterised by genuine and mutual respect, trust and care.</p></li>
<li><p>In order to ensure that young people’s life circumstances do not inhibit their opportunity to succeed, flexible learning programs provide practical support. This includes support with housing, transport, legal issues, health, food and childcare. Programs are not necessarily able to deal with all issues, but act as the first port of call, adopting a “no wrong door” approach.</p></li>
<li><p>There is direct engagement with a wide range of community stakeholders, including parents and carers, community agencies and employers.</p></li>
<li><p>Flexible learning programs constantly reflect on their practices, listen to student feedback and make changes based on these.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The final report for the research project <a href="http://dusseldorp.org.au/priorities/alternative-learning/jigsaw/">Putting the jigsaw together: Flexible learning programs in Australia</a> says most students had previously experienced a lack of success and support in education, often in several schools and over several years. We need a way to keep these young people from further disadvantage. Flexible learning programs can provide the key that opens the door to a better life.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/31299/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kitty Te Riele received funding from the Ian Potter Foundation for the research which informs this article. Her work is also supported through the Australian Government's Collaborative Research Networks. </span></em></p>Despite encouragement from federal, state and territory governments to complete school – and a legal obligation to “learn or earn” – one in five young Australians still leaves school before the end of…Kitty Te Riele, CRN Principal Research Fellow, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.