Transcript Slide 1

Needs, Policies and Practice for System Level
Intervention: Key Issues for the Next Era in Moving
Beyond Educational Disadvantage
Dr. Paul Downes
Director, Educational Disadvantage Centre
Senior Lecturer in Education (Psychology)
St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra,
[email protected]
‘Mapping the Landscape’
March 23rd 2010
•Beyond a problem-oriented deficit model treating people
and communities as ‘disadvantaged’ (Spring 2007; DermanSparks 2007; Downes & Gilligan 2007)
•Building on strengths of individuals, families, schools and
communities (McKeown et al 2001; Downes 2004) for
solution-focused approaches
Child Centred Research Educational Disadvantage Centre
Downes, P (2004) Psychological Supports for Ballyfermot: Present and Future URBAN
Ballyfermot.
Downes, P. (2004) Voices of children: St. Raphael’s Primary School Ballyfermot URBAN
Ballyfermot.
Downes, P., Maunsell, C & Ivers, J. (2006) A Holistic Approach to Early School Leaving and
School Retention in Blanchardstown. Blanchardstown Area Partnership.
Downes, P & Maunsell, C. (2007) Count Us In. Tackling early school leaving in South West
Inner City Dublin: An Integrated Response. SICCDA and South Inner City Dublin Drugs Task
Force
Downes, P & Gilligan, AL (eds) (2007) Beyond Educational Disadvantage. Institute of Public
Administration: Dublin
Ivers, J., McLoughlin, V & Downes, P. (2010, forthcoming) Current Steps and Future Horizons
for CASPr: Review of CASPr North-East Inner City After Schools Project. CASPr: Dublin
Primary and Post Primary Schools engaged in studies:
 Primary schools 5th and 6th class
18
 Post Primary Schools:
9
Questionnaires returned:
 Primary schools:
 Post Primary Schools:
 Focus groups:
 Consultations with
Community groups:
862
677
57
96
Summary of the initial needs identified through this research (Downes
2004), themes amplified in subsequent research in Blanchardstown
(Downes, Maunsell & Ivers 2006) and Dublin 8 (Downes & Maunsell
2007):
Speech and language development
Bullying
Early intervention to prevent Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity)
Disorder
Self-esteem including body image
Emotional support: Short-term and long-term
Parental involvement and family support
Teacher-Pupil interaction (see also Darmody et al 2007)
Problems of school attendance
Substance abuse
Downes, Maunsell & Ivers 2006
Dissemination within the school of those successful strategies for prevention and
intervention regarding bullying
Fear of failure: Sharp increase in students who would not tell teachers about
problem with schoolwork in post primary compared to primary school
Sharp increase in Students who perceive that they are not treated fairly in post
primary compared to primary school
‘Suspensions are a waste of time’: A more holistic approach to behavioural issues
Increased family support services and supports for students with emotional and
behavioural problems
Voices from those in alternative forms of education on the need for changes to
student-teacher interaction in the formal system: From an authoritarian teacher to an
authoritative relational teacher (see also Quinlan 1998; Casby 1997; Fingleton 2004 on
this theme in different Irish contexts, and Fine , Meier 1992; Wehlage & Rutter 1986;
Institute for Education and Transformation 1992 on this issue in international research)
Downes & Maunsell (2007)
Problematic sleep patterns among pupils
Suicide risk
Substance abuse
Pupil/Student willingness to talk to an adult working in the school
about personal problems
Key Strategic Areas for Development
A mental health strategy for contexts of traditionally ‘disadvantaged’ areas: at
individual, class, school, family and community level
An arts strategy for social inclusion
An out of schools service strategy for social inclusion
A mental health strategy for contexts of traditionally ‘disadvantaged’ areas: at
individual, class, school, family and community level (see also Downes 2008)
Key elements of this strategy:
conflict resolution skills for teachers at post primary
emotional support services for students, better if community based (beyond
Suaimhneas model, see Morgan 2003)
outreach member (s) as part of a multidisciplinary team for family support
transparent confidentiality policy
school as one avenue though not sole avenue for referral
outreach into the school itself to identify withdrawn children with internalizing
problems that tend to be missed by teachers (Doll 1996; Downes 2004)
broad based emotional supports to groups of students as protective factor against
substance misuse, suicide etc
CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS FOR TEACHERS Downes &
Maunsell (2007)
* Perceptions of being treated unfairly by teachers were
exceptionally high at 50% of student responses in the fifth year
group of one school, with 29% who stated that they were
treated fairly by teachers being an exceptionally low figure.
* The finding, in the US, of MacIver et al (1991) is relevant in
this context, namely, that external pressure did bring increased
motivation among middle school students but not among high
school students.
* Perceptions of being treated unfairly by teachers were
particularly high in the school which was observed to have a
particularly high proportion of 5th year students who stated
that they did not want to stay on at school until the Leaving
Certificate.
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
Quinlan (1998a) observed that one of the
interviewed teachers in Blanchardstown referred
to alienation of young people from an
authoritarian educational system.
Teacher-student relations was also a pervasive
theme in Fingleton’s (2003) interviews with eleven
early school leavers in the Canal Communities
Area of Dublin. These interviews highlight their
alienation from the school system as well as the
desire of many for further paths to education
though not through traditional routes.
Downes and Maunsell (2007)
Responses from students who perceived that they were not treated fairly by
teachers include the following:
“No some think they own the school”
“The students aren’t treated fairly, I don’t know why, they just don’t and it’s
very clear”
“No they pick on certain students”
“Fairly by some but teachers that hated another family member they think
you’re like them when you’re not”
“Most of them are very, very nice but there is just 1 or 2 that I don’t like one bit’
“Mainly yes but 1 or 2 can be discouraging towards me. I am a good student
and do my work mostly so they shouldn’t have a reason to be unfair”
“No some teachers would talk to you rashly & then act so sweet in front of your
parents”
“No they pick on certain students”
“No cause some teachers are bullies towards the students”
“I’m leaving after the Junior because I hate it”
Would change “the way the teachers treat the students”
“I can’t wait to leave, I would leave tomorrow if I had the choice because I get
picked on by a teacher”
* INTO (1993) Discipline in the Primary
School:

“To focus on the pupil alone is to ignore the
interactive nature of human relationships and
the very special context that exists in schools
and classrooms. The quality of relationships
and the nature of the social context created
are vital elements in the whole process of
control and discipline”
* The issue of perceptions of being treated fairly
or otherwise in school needs to move beyond
‘blame’ and an individualised focus on the
individual teacher or student to a systems’ level
analysis.
* Barnardos ‘Make the Grade’ (2006): H.Dip and
In-service focus on Teachers’ Conflict Resolution
Skills
Stokes (2009) survey of reported difficulties of Youthreach
participants:
37% Dysfunctional family background
22% Need for sustained psychological support
20% Substance misuse problems
23% Literacy and numeracy problems
13% Specific learning needs
School Matters (2006) P 35 “Many of the behaviours ‘acted out’ in
the classroom are linked to events happening outside of the school
itself, including family relationships, alcohol and drug use or mental
health issues”.
Downes and Maunsell (2007) Suicide risk
• There is an urgent need for increased provision of emotional support services
locally which target young people.
A large majority of the two focus groups who raised the issue of suicide prevention
had personal acquaintance with people aged 16-18 who had committed suicide. Only
2 out of 14 people between ages 16-18 knew no one who had committed suicide:
- “Why do you think some people are dying ? Because there is no one to talk to”
- “fellas wouldn’t tell about their problems, wouldn’t use counsellors”
- “we should do more personal development”
- “girls slit their wrists”
- “girls take tablets and slice their wrists”
- “girls sleeping around to hurt themselves, other ways instead of slitting wrists”
Cont.,
“6 committed suicide one summer coming up to the Leaving Cert results, 1
owed money for drugs, 1 wanted by 1 other fella, 2 of the 6 were girls”
“about 7 my age or younger [killed themselves]”
- “about 2 committed suicide, a dozen who’ve threatened to”
- “know a couple on the verge of doing it”
- “In Clondalkin 40 people hung themselves, mostly fellas”
- “because of depressions and being on your own, feel like no one pays
attention and if no feeling inside you and you can feel pain you’re going to
do it”
“know 6, all girls, tablets and slitting wrists, 1 fella who hung himself ”
- “3 close friends and a guy who hung himself ”.
-
THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY BASED
EMOTIONAL SUPPORTS
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
Would you talk to an adult working in the school about your
problems?
Yes Primary
240
No Primary
300
Maybe/depends Primary
25
Don’t know Primary
6
No Answer Primary
46
Yes Secondary
No Secondary
Maybe/depends Secondary
131
312
23
Service Delivery
Key Guiding Principles
Prevention and Early Intervention Approaches
Developmental and Sustained, not ad hoc
Holistic Strategies: Teams not individuals
Multidisciplinary team based approaches: A both/and model of community based
and school based
A system level focus on the child, family, class, school, community
Clear strategic direction of what the team based approach is seeking to achieve
An identification that it was necessary to remove the social, economic-related,
emotional and psychological barriers which existed in accessing & participating in
education and community based support services to ensure the target group that
these services were initiated for, could actually access and benefit from them
The importance of child centered delivery
The importance of supporting/up-skilling key adults consistently in the child’s life—
to move away from an ‘expert’ model—‘to give the skills away’ to the Community
Examples of good practice requiring systematic
dissemination:
Incredible Years
Familiscope
Arts based approaches in schools
Incredible Years
Irish Study (Mc Gilloway et al 2010)
Intervention, children aged approx. 3-7 years with emotional and behavioural
difficulties
12-14 weekly 2 hour parent group sessions
positive parenting strategies based on behavioural and social learning theory
103 parents received intervention, 46 waiting list control group
Intervention - Reduced incidence of noncompliance, temper tantrums, negative
physical behaviours (e.g., hitting) and restlessness in children.
Improved social interaction in intervention group and not in the control
group.
Significant improvement in depression levels of parents at six month follow
up
Familiscope’s overall service objectives are identified below:
To provide child-centered family support interventions
To provide a range of appropriate therapeutic responses—individual, couple,
parent/child, family
To provide speech and language therapy to children and young people experiencing
difficulties
To provide emotional and social support to children and young people experiencing
difficulties
To transfer skills to people living and working with children and young people
To help build capacity within individuals, family and the local community
Each element of the service delivery/practice identifies key actions and targets under
each of these objectives. Individual elements of the service also have their own specific
objectives/key goals as part of its practice e.g. family care plan goals articulated in the
Care Plan developed with the family as part of their assessment and ongoing review and
development.
Familiscope
2009 Participant Numbers:


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
Child Welfare Programme
25 Families, 72 Children, 42 parents/Carers, 19 children engaged on morning
Programme
18 Children engaged with Groups facilitated by Familiscope.
Speech and Language Therapy
33 Children - Dominican Campus - 15 children referred and waiting assessment.
17 Children – St Louise’s Campus – 17 children referred and waiting assessment
10 Parent/Carers – You Make the Difference Hanen Programme for Parents
20 participants – Teacher Talks Programme from Pre Schools across Ballyfermot
Art Therapy
25 – total number of children and families who have engaged in direct work with
the art therapist.
Incredible Years Parenting Programme
42 Parents – Level of need high.
Counselling
Counsellors worked with 12 individuals on a 1:1 basis.
Musical Beginnings
10 mothers and 10 babies
Education – 150 education staff
Meet families where they are at.
Non-judgmental (this was named by parents in particular)
Meet families where they are at physically, i.e. in the family home.
Both child and family centered.
Holistic approach to family, e.g. will work with young children and
older children within the one family and other extended family
members if they present with needs or if they are impacting on the child
the Child Welfare Worker is working with.
Holistic approach to needs, which recognises and has a remit to
address physical, educational and emotional needs.
The location of the Programme within Familiscope which helps ensure
access to other helpful services for direct beneficiaries such as
Incredible Years programme, Speech and Language and Art Therapy.
The educational aspect of the work from drug awareness to parenting
skills, to linking people into education.
Familiscope Intervention – Attendance
Outcomes Across Five Schools
Child A
D.O.B. 2002
Pre Familiscope
Intervention:
2007- 2008
Absent 89 days
Child B
D.O.B. 2000
Pre Familiscope
Intervention:
2006 -2007
Absent 121 days
*******
Child C D.O.B. 1998
Pre Familiscope
Intervention:
2007 – 2008
Absent 42 days
2008 – 2009
Absent 56 days
Child D
Pre Familiscope
Intervention
2006-2007: Absent 72
days
*******
*******
Post Familiscope
Intervention:
2008-2009: Absent 36
days
2009-2010 to date:
Absent 10 days
Post Familiscope
Intervention:
2007-2008:
Absent
38 days
2008 – 2009:
Absent
42 days
2009-2010 to date
Absent 9 days
********
Post Familiscope
Intervention:
2009 -2010 to date:
Absent 3 days
Post Familiscope
Intervention:
2007 – 2008: Absent 35
days
2008-2009: Absent 25
days
2009 -2010 to date:
Absent 10 days
Familiscope Intervention – Attendance
Outcomes Across Five Schools
Child E
D.O.B 2001
Pre Familiscope
Intervention:
Mar 2008 – Oct 2008:
Absent 25 days in 4
month period (only stats
available)
********
Post Familiscope
Intervention:
Oct 2008 – June
2009: Absent 15
days
Child F
D.O.B. 2002
Pre Familiscope
Intervention:
2007-2008:
Absent 15 days
2008- 2009
Absent 28 days
********
Child G
D.O.B. 2003
Pre Familiscope
Intervention:
2008 – 2009
Absent 110 days
Child H
D.O.B.2004
Pre Familiscope
Intervention:
Sept 2008 – Nov 2009
Absent 84 days
*******
********
Post Familiscope
Intervention:
Post Familiscope
Intervention:
Post Familiscope
Intervention:
Dec 2009 - to date
2009-2010 to date:
Absent 13 days
2009/2010 to
date
Absent 1 day
2009 – 2010 to date
Absent 16 days
Absent 5 days
Familiscope Intervention – Attendance
Outcomes Across Five Schools
Child I
D.O.B. 2004
Pre Familiscope
Intervention:
2008 – 2009
Absent 25 days
Child J
D.O.B. 2000
Pre Familiscope
Intervention:
2007 to
2008
Absent 21 days
*******
Post Familiscope
intervention:
*******
Post Familiscope
intervention:
2009- 2010 to date
Absent 2 days
2008 –
2009
Absent 8 days
2009 – 2010 to
date
Absent 1 day
Child K
D.O.B. 2001
Pre Familiscope
Intervention:
2007 – 2008
Absent 33 days
2008 – 2009
Absent 28 days
Child L
D.O.B. 1998
Pre Familiscope
Intervention:
Case opened with the
Education Welfare Officer
in another area,
attendance was flagged
as a problem, statistics
unavailable
*******
*******
Post Familiscope
intervention:
2009 – 2010 to date
Absent 2 days
Post Familiscope
Intervention:
Nov 2009- 2010 to date
Absent 10 days
Familiscope Intervention – Attendance
Outcomes Across Five Schools
Child M
D.O.B. 2000
Pre Familiscope
Intervention:
2007 –
2008
Absent 50 days
Child N
D.O.B. 2002
Pre Familiscope
Intervention:
2007 – 2008
Absent 55 days
Child O
D.O.B. 2003
Pre Familiscope
Intervention:
2007 – 2008
Absent 66 days
Child P
D.O.B. 2000
Pre Familiscope
Intervention:
2008 – 2009
Absent 26 days
*******
*******
*******
*******
Post Familiscope
Intervention:
Post Familiscope
Intervention
Post Familiscope
Intervention:
Post Familiscope
Intervention:
2008 – 2009
Absent 28 days
2008 -2009
Absent 25 days
2009-2010
Absent 7 days
2008 – 2009
Absent 11 days
Anticipated benefits of Arts based approaches in schools:
encourages pupils to try to learn in a new domain – helps overcome fear of failure,
builds on multiple intelligences (Gardner 1993)
challenges fatalism which is a risk factor for drug use and other self-harming
behaviour, including a fatalism associated with early school leaving (Kalichman et al.
2000, Downes 2003; Ivers, McLoughlin & Downes 2010)
invites a dimension of peer learning (see also Murphy 2007)
a motivational factor for school attendance
McNeal's (1995) study in a US context examined whether certain types of
extracurricular activities were more influential than others in preventing early school
leaving. From a database of over 20,000 high-school students, it was found that
participation in activities such as sports and fine arts significantly reduced the risk of
early school leaving, whereas participation in academic or vocational clubs were seen
to have less effect. The beneficial effects of sport and fine arts remained even when
important factors like race, socio-economic status, gender and ability were controlled
(see also the QDOSS agenda for development document, Downes 2006, on the key
role of the arts for an out of school service strategy).
Participation in even one extracurricular school activity is associated with a
reduction in rates of early school dropout, particularly for high-risk youth (Mahoney &
Cairns 1997). Mahoney (2000) defines participation as one or more years of
involvement in the extracurricular activity and states:
The participant is attracted to the activity and is likely competent in that area or
may even excel. Unlike preventive interventions that attempt to correct academic
or social deficits by remedial work, extracurricular activities may foster a positive
connection between the individual and school based on the student’s interests
and motivations. The specific activity pursued may be less important than the act
of participation itself (p.503)
an avenue for emotional expression, with some arts approaches facilitating conflict
resolution approaches
encourages self-efficacy in learning and builds up pupils concentration and cognitive
skills
Tactile, creative, connected learning and problem solving (Murray 2010)
offers a new strengths based identity to the child, school and community (see
McKeown et al 2001 ; Spring 2007; Downes 2004)
invites enhanced bridges between parents and the school in a non-threatening
forum, such as pupils’ public performances
pupils’ public performances offers a needed public dimension to identity change (see
Hegarty 2007 on the need for public expression of altered narratives of self and other)
offers an avenue for community leadership
offers a protective factor against substance abuse (see Morgan 2001 on the need to
develop broad social, emotional and relational skills as a protection against substance
abuse)
potential for the Arts as key agent for curriculum integration and linkage (Murray
2010)
the need for practice and engagement in the Arts after school hours is a protective
factor against engagement in other less socially beneficial activities
involvement in the Arts may challenge macho social role identification in boys and
challenge a conformity generally associated with risk behaviours (see also Downes
2003a)
Arts offer a culturally relevant resource for learning in DEIS schools (Murray 2010;
Glasser 1969 on the ‘emotional bridge to relevance’)
Cautionary note:
As recognized by QDOSS (Downes 2006), out of school services, including the arts,
are not a substitute for interventions for children in need of therapeutic supports
Pupils who have experienced trauma such as bereavement, sexual abuse, bullying,
or significant life stressors such as divorce, intergenerational drug abuse are at risk of
early school leaving and need a different dimension of supports (see also forthcoming
Joint Oireachtas Committee Report on Early School Leaving and trauma at post
primary)
Investment in the arts needs to go beyond funding the materials to include
appropriate staff and staff training
Pobal study (2006) found minimal engagement with the arts in schools in the
Monaghan area
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