High School Early Leavers. Profile of Student Learning and Performance in Manitoba 2003- 2004 profile04/profile.pdf.

High School Early Leavers

Profile of Student Learning and Performance in Manitoba 2003-

2004

http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/ks4/docs/reports/profile04/profile.pdf

1. improving outcomes especially for less successful learners2. strengthening links among schools, families, and communities3. strengthening school planning and reporting4. improving professional learning opportunities for educators5. strengthening pathways among secondary schools, post-secondary education,and work6. linking policy and practice to research and evidence

Aboriginal Action Plan

• • increase high school graduation rates• • increase access to and completion of

post-secondary education• • increase successful entry into and

participation in the labour market• • improve the research base for

Aboriginal education and employment

Education FemalesMales

Less than 9th Grade $14, 132 $18,553

9th to 12th (no diploma) 15, 847 23, 438

High School Grad (inc GED) 21, 963 30,868

Some college, no degree 26,024 35,949

Associate degree 28,337 38,483

Bachelor’s Degree 35,408 49,982

Master’s Degree 42,002 60,168

Professional degree 55,460 90,653

Doctoral Degree 52,167 69,188

For all levels of education 26,771 36,679

1998 Median EarningsFull-time, year-round workers by level of education and gender

Some key supporting activities include:• Developing 38 demonstration projects across the province that engagesAboriginal parents/families in the educational life of their children.• Initiating programs that bring Elders, Aboriginal community workers, and other resource personnel into the school to support learning outcomes.• Establishing the University College of the North including community-basedtraining in key campus communities, rotating courses, distance education,and the development of relevant Northern and Aboriginal programmingneeds.• Targeting an increase of Aboriginal apprentices in the new AboriginalApprentice Program.• Increasing partnerships with universities and research organizations toconduct and disseminate research on Aboriginal education, especially as itpertains to learner success.

High School Drop Outs (Stats Can)•The national average for high school students that dropout of school each year is 18%. That means 120,000 high school students a year leave school. •Each year that the dropout rate stays at 18%, the government of Canada loses two billion dollars. •80% of all students stay in school until they graduate; a generation ago that percentage was at 50%. •Almost 50% of all people who dropout return to school by the age of 20.

•More than 30% of all high school dropouts had A or B averages before leaving. •10% of students who drop out had D or F averages. •22% of students leave because they are bored of school; they do not find it challenging enough. •Every time there is an increase in minimum wage, the total amount of 16-17 year olds in schools falls by 1%. •22% of students dropout of high school to find work. •Only 8% left school because of the actual work that they had to do.

Information from a variety of classroom-based, provincial, and international assessments indicates that many Manitoba students are learning and performingwell.

Nevertheless, there are performance differences between students of different backgrounds that deserve further consideration and action.

In addition,attendance problems, that is, the failure to attend school on a consistent basis has significant implications for learning. This issue will be examined more closely in future reports.

Some say that education needs to be restructured, while others say the

existing structure can work if we just open the windows and let in some fresh

air.

What do you think?

Think, Pair, Share.

Who is dropping out?

Research indicates some of the following factors involved in dropping out…

Academic

•Low achievers, below grade level

•Unable to tolerate structure

•Lack of educational goals

•In a general course of study

•Do not read at grade level

•Difficulty in mathematics

•Low perceptual performance

Behavioural

1. High absenteeism and truancy

2. Exhibit discipline problems in school

3. Do not participate in extracurricular

4. Do not associate with students in school

5. Health problems

6. Impulsive decision makers

7. Work more hours per week than do completers

8. Over-represented among chemical users, delinquents, adolescent parents, and persons who attempt suicide or self-mutilation

Family1. Come from single-parent homes

2. Come from low-income homes

3. Experience little solidarity with their family

4. Are exposed to family members who have left school early

5. Mobile families

6. Belong to a minority group

7. Lack cultural and economic experiences that often related to success in traditional school programs

Psychological1. Feel rejected by school

2. Negative attitudes toward school

3. Do not identify with school life

4. Feel courses are not relevant to their needs

5. Lack incentive for achievement in traditional school activities

6. Socially isolated or emotionally disturbed

7. Loners who are unaccepted by peers

8. Poor self-concept, lack clear sense of identity

9. Have experienced some form of trauma or abuse

10. Cannot relate to authority figures

11. Attracted to outside jobs, wages and experiences

What are some of the labels we give to our early leavers?

Learning disabled

UnderachieverNonachiever

Slow learner

Disadvantaged

Low ability

Slow learner

Language impaired

Marginal

Remedial

Some reasons students have given for leaving school…

Pregnancy/ child care/ marriage 25%

Failure/overage/low grades 20%

Work 20%

Disliked School 17%

Attendance 11%

Delinquency 6%

Family Problems 6%

Suspension/expulsion 4%

Illness/health 4%

Drugs/Alcohol 3%

Other students 3%

Gastright (1989) in West, L. (1991).

Classroom climate characteristics that help drop-out prone students

• Positive atmosphere and supportive peer culture

•Fair and effective discipline system

•Person-oriented rather than rule-oriented classes

•Decision making opportunities

•Opportunities to develop self-esteem and confidence

•Opportunities to orient students to outside world of work

•Awareness of students as potential workers

•Parents and community as mentors

•Minimal structure and high flexibility

•Individualized and small group instructional materials and practices

•Peer teaching and cooperative learning techniques

•Instructional activities that build group cohesiveness

•Promotion of cooperative behaviour among students

•Basic skills development, integration of vocational skills

School Environmental Characteristics

•High but flexible expectations for students

•Diverse opportunities for achieving success

•Recognition of students’ achievements

•Opportunities for students to define goals

•Motivational instruction and activities to heighten students’ occupational aspirations

•Early identification of at-risk students

School Environment continued•More extensive guidance and counselling services

•Specific educational plans for dropout-prone students

•Help students address conditions and stress that place them at risk

•Promotion of students’ sense of belonging to school

•Clear, fair, and consistent disciplinary rules

•Participation in extracurricular activities

•Intimate and caring work environment for staff and students

•Close adult-student relationshipsAdapted from Bhaerman, R. & Kopp, K. as cited in West, L. (1991). Effective strategies for dropout prevention of at-risk youth. Gaithersburg, Maryland: Aspen

Incentives offered to high school drop-outs to encourage them to return to school and graduate have decreased crime in the area by 71%, according to one American study – much better results, and at a lower cost, than would be gained by enforcement programs.1

Educational failure often leads to low self-esteem and emotional disturbance, as well as frustration in the job market – all risk factors for criminality.2

According to Correctional Service Canada, Grade 7 is the average education level of newly admitted offenders who are serving sentences of two years or more.3

Saskatoon lawyer Kearny Healy has found that education is the second-best predictor of which people are likely to be sentenced to jail. (The best predictor is whether they have ever been in jail before.) Youth who have attained a Grade 12 education or higher are substantially less likely than other youth to go to jail.4

Forcing youth to stay in school does not to solve this problem – in some cases, it may even do the opposite. One study found that delinquent activities of drop-outs diminished markedly once the youth had left school.5

One approach which yields much better results is to address the underlying reasons why some youth find it difficult to stay in school. These reasons can include families moving frequently, emotional problems at home, learning disabilities (see Special Needs Programming), and bullying at school (see Countering Violence).

As educational requirements in the labour market continue to rise, it is likely that the impact of post-secondary education as a protective factor against criminality will also increase.

Groups such as Aboriginal people who have historically faced discrimination, typically have the most to gain from obtaining a post-secondary education – and the most to lose from the lack of one.6 Troy Rupert, Coordinator of the Thunderbird House Aboriginal Centre in Winnipeg, says that "about 50-60% of the time" the former gang members who come to his centre "can't find funding to go to school, so they get frustrated and go back to their old lifestyles." (See "When the Party's Over" in Preventing Crime through Social Development Bulletin No. 8, 2004.)

Unfortunately, the costs of post-secondary education rose rapidly between 1990 and 2000. Tuition fees climbed by 135.4% over that period – six times faster than inflation7 – which puts higher education out of reach for many at-risk young people.

It costs approximately $100,000 to incarcerate a youth for just one year – enough money to provide a young person with four years of university education.8

Planning Process

1. Identification of student population to be served.

2. Formation of collaborative team

3. Identification of program vision and goals

4. Research into programs that have been successful

5. Development of proposal and implementation strategies.

6. Evaluation of program outcomes

Until Pathways to Education began in 2001, too many kids from Regent Park were dropping out of high school. The drop out rate was 56%, twice the Toronto average.

 Located in downtown Toronto, Regent Park, completed in 1949, was the first planned subsidized housing complex in Canada.•Of the over 11,000 people who live in Regent Park, 38% are children. •The average family income is around $18,000/year which is half that of average Canadians. •68% of Regent Park's families are low income. •English is a second language for nearly 60% of adults. •Close to 80% of residents are newcomers to Canada.

Pathways to Education has four keys to success:

•Tutoring — getting good grades •Mentoring — preparing for the future •Financial support — investing in potential •Advocacy — someone on your side

•See handout for explanation

Action research provides the medium to conduct research in collaboration with colleagues, community partners, parents, students and school personnel. Data from action research can be used to identify needs, describe problems and discover patterns, target interventions, identify best practices and plan programs

(Armstrong & Moore, 2004; Holly, Arhar, & Kasten, 2005).

Keep Kids in School Fair

See list of alternative programs on handout

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