changing schools and systems david mitchell university of canterbury christchurch new zealand 2015...

Changing schools and systems

David MitchellUniversity of Canterbury

ChristchurchNEW ZEALAND

[email protected]

.

Equalising Educational OpportunitiesImproving the achievement of learners from low socio-economic status backgrounds

Centrifugal force Centripetal force (away from centre) (toward the centre)

.

Equalising Educational Opportunities

SES and achievement• Robert Putnam: ‘the most important divide in America today is

class, not race, and the place where it matters most is in the home’.

• UK: social class remains the strongest predictor of educational achievement

• OECD data: students from low SES backgrounds are twice as likely to be low performers

.


SYSTEM-LEVEL ACCOMMODATIONS Provide high quality teachers• appropriate teacher education• mentoring for novice teachers• supportive working conditions• professional development• financial and career incentives

.


SYSTEM-LEVEL ACCOMMODATIONS Focus on early intervention(a) from birth through preschool(b) early identification and remediation for children not

making adequate progress or showing signs of behaviour difficulties

.


SYSTEM-LEVEL ACCOMMODATIONS Reduce class size – if accompanied by evidence-based measures

.


SYSTEM-LEVEL ACCOMMODATIONS XManage school choice to avoid de facto segregationBurgess, Greaves, Vignoles & Wilson (2009)‘Parental choice of primary school in England: what types of school do different types of family really have available to them?’* 40% of parents with no qualifications: school proximity vs 20% of middle class parents * 12% of parents with no qualifications: academic record vs 40% of middle class

.


SYSTEM-LEVEL ACCOMMODATIONSEliminate grade repetition

.


SCHOOL-LEVEL ACCOMMODATIONS Encourage family engagement

.


SCHOOL-LEVEL ACCOMMODATIONS Develop parent training programmes(a) Parent Management Training(b) Incredible Years

.


SCHOOL-LEVEL ACCOMMODATIONS Avoid streaming and ability grouping

.


CLASSROOM-LEVEL ACCOMMODATIONS Follow universal-design principles with curriculum

.


CLASSROOM-LEVEL ACCOMMODATIONS Employ evidence-based teaching strategies

Changing schools and systemsWraparound Intervention

JOINED-UP:A COMPREHENSIVE, ECOLOGICAL MODEL FOR

WORKING WITH CHILDREN WITH COMPLEX NEEDS AND THEIR

FAMILIES/WHANAUA review of the literature

carried out for the New Zealand Ministry of Education

David Mitchell, PhDAdjunct Professor

College of EducationUniversity of Canterbury

March 2012


Wraparound Intervention

A system-level intervention that quite literally aims to ‘wrap’ existing services around children and young people and their families to address their problems in an ecologically comprehensive and coordinated way.

Changing schools and systemsWraparound Intervention

. Calls for * radical, transforming systems change * move from fragmentation to coordinated or integrated intervention *move from narrowly-focused and specialist-oriented, ‘silo’ services to comprehensive, general approaches.


Response to Intervention


Response to Intervention

Essential conditions:• Effective assessment • Evidence-based teaching strategies• Structured, systematic problem-solving approach• Based on student need, not labels• Requires training of professionals• Students with complex needs can be triaged directly

into tier 3 or 4


School CultureEach school has a unique culture with its own visionThe school is an organisationFocus on leadership, especially the principal


School CultureThe Evidence

UK study found that successful schools stressed: • an inclusive ethos;* a broad, diverse curriculum; * monitoring of individual performances; * high, but realistic expectations; and * strong connections with parents


School-wide Positive Behaviour SupportA preventative approach to building a school's capacity to deal with a wide array of behavioural challenges.

Changing schools and systemsSchool-wide Positive Behaviour Support

Emphasises: * the prevention and reduction of chronic problem behaviour, * active instruction of adaptive skills,* a continuum of consequences for problem behaviours, * interventions for learners with the most intractable problems* the school as an organisation, * enhancing the quality of life of all members of a school.

Changing schools and systemsSchool-wide Positive Behaviour Support

The Evidence US study• 6th, 7th, 8th grade students• taught school expectations• rewards for appropriate behaviour• referred to office for misbehaviour• results: 42% fewer referrals to office after 1 year


Success for AllPerhaps the largest research-based, whole school reform modelWidely used internationallyTargets effective instruction to ensure early success

Changing schools and systemsSuccess for All

Main Components:• School-wide reading curriculum• One-to-one tutoring in grades 1-3 for children failing to keep up• Quarterly assessments• ‘Solutions Teams’ in each school, with a Programme Facilitator


The EvidenceQuint et al. (2014). MDRC By the end of the second year, 16 of the 19 schools were judged to meet the Success for All standards for adequate implementation fidelity.

SFA reading classes had greater use of cooperative learning, and close adherence to the curriculum. First-graders who had been enrolled in SFA schools since kindergarten significantly outperformed their counterparts who had been continuously enrolled in control group schools on two measures of phonetic and decoding skills, although not on measures of fluency and comprehension.


The Evidence 2Success for All in EnglandResults From the Third Year of a National EvaluationLouise Tracey, Bette Chambers, Robert E. Slavin, Pam Hanley, Alan CheungSage Open, Published 8 August 2014.

18 SFA schools across England and 18 control schools, matched on prior achievement and demographics.

The results: improved standardized reading measures of word-level and decoding skills,

Changing schools and systemsFull-service schools

Also known as ‘community schools’

‘Integrates education, medical, social and/or human services that are beneficial to meeting the needs of children and youth and their families on school grounds or in locations which are easily accessible.’ (Dryfoos, 1994)

Widely used in US. Full Service Community Schools Act introduced in 2011.

Also used in UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Changing schools and systemsFull-service schools

Also known as ‘community schools’‘Integrates education, medical, social and/or human services that are beneficial to meeting the needs of children and youth and their families on school grounds or in locations which are easily accessible.’ (Dryfoos, 1994)Widely used in US. Full Service Community Schools Act introduced in 2011.Also used in UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.* Features:- Information sharing- Common assessment frameworks- Lead professional- Common core of training

changing schools and systems david mitchell university of canterbury christchurch new zealand 2015...

Documents