Transcript Slide 1

Key issues in DEIS schools in Ireland: a reference point for the US
experience?
Towson University, Baltimore, Maryland
June 8th 2010
Dr. Paul Downes
Director, Educational Disadvantage Centre
Commissioned Reports:
-Downes, P and Maunsell, (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., Maunsell, C and Ivers, J. (2006). A Holistic Approach to Early School
Leaving and School Retention in Blanchardstown. Blanchardstown Area Partnership.
- Downes, P. (2004).Psychological Supports for Ballyfermot: Present and Future (2004)
URBAN Ballyfermot.
- Downes, P. (2004). Voices of children: St. Raphael’s Primary School Ballyfermot
URBAN Ballyfermot.
Questionnaires returned:
Primary Schools: 852;
Total: 1,529
Secondary Schools: 677
Focus Groups 57
NO MENTAL HEALTH
STRATEGY FOR CONTEXTS
OF EDUCATIONAL
DISADVANTAGE: A KEY
BARRIER TO PROGRESS
HEALTH ISSUES AND SCHOOL
COMPLETION – ‘EDUCARE’
Hunger in School
Bullying
Substance Abuse
Student-Teacher Conflict
Resolution
Problematic Sleep Patterns
among Pupils
Problematic sleep patterns among
students:
On the assumption that children
at primary school need at least 8.5
hours of sleep, the results from
our survey of pupil responses
were divided into those who
usually go to sleep before
midnight and after midnight.
A mental health strategy and fund for contexts of socio-economic
disadvantage
Not one early school leaving problem: ESL is a behaviour with a range
of motivations
Beyond piecemeal approach of SCP, beyond 8 week bereavement
courses
Wider referral processes – reach withdrawn kids: ‘a slap in the face’
Need for prevention and early intervention: non-verbal therapeutic
intervention Cf. Familiscope
NEPS – Reactive to critical incidents
Alternatives to suspension
Drug prevention issue
EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING IS A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE !
CHAP 29: Byrne, M. (2007). Health for all
 CHAP 30: Ryan, C & Downes, P. (2007). Future steps for
NEPS?
 CHAP 37: Hegarty, T. (2007). Towards a narrative
practice: Conversations in a city centre school
 CHAP 39: Downes, P & Gilligan, A L.(2007). Some
conclusions
Downes, P & Gilligan, A L (2007) (Eds) Beyond
Educational Disadvantage. Dublin: Institute of Public
Administration
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Kaplan et al’s (1994) North American study of 4,141 young people
tested in 7th grade and once again as young adults which found a
significant damaging effect of dropping out of high school on mental
health functioning as measured by a 10-item self-derogation scale, a 9item anxiety scale, a 6-item depression scale and a 6-item scale
designed to measure coping.
This effect was also evident when controls were applied for
psychological mental health as measured at 7th grade. The significant
damaging effect of dropping out of school was also evident even when
controls were applied for gender, father’s occupational status, and
ethnicity
THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY
BASED EMOTIONAL SUPPORTS
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 131
No Secondary
312
Maybe/depends Secondary
23
HEGARTY, T. (2007). Towards a narrative practice: Conversations in a city
centre school in Downes, P and Gilligan, A L (Eds) Beyond Educational
Disadvantage. Dublin: IPA
THE PROBLEM IS THE PROBLEM
BEYOND DEFICIT NARRATIVES
OVERCOMING COMPETITION FOR NEGATIVE ATTENTION
PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF CHANGED NARRATIVES
THROUGH A CEREMONY
MURPHY, A. (2007). Peer Mediation: the Power and Importance of
Children’s Voices in Downes, P and Gilligan, A L (Eds) Beyond Educational
Disadvantage. Dublin: IPA
WORKSHOPS WHERE CHILDREN EXPLORE CONFLICTING SITUATIONS
THROUGH ROLE PLAY, GROUP WORK DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION
GROUND RULES: NO INTERRUPTING, AND NO NAME CALLING
MAIN PROBLEMS WRITTEN DOWN BY GROUP
FOCUS IS ON PROCESS DIMENSIONS
Bullying in school may also need a wider community focus
Dissemination of good practice needs to occur within a school
Cross-cultural concentric structures of assumed connection
need to be promoted at a system level, to contrast with
diametric structures of assumed separation
Galbraith – Culture of Contentment
BUILDING ON STRENGTHS
DO YOU THINK YOU WANT TO STAY ON AT SCHOOL UNTIL THE LEAVING
CERTIFICATE ?
Primary Pupils: 5th/6th Class
Total: 750 yes 80 no
2 probably
15 don’t know
15 no answer
COMMON FINDINGS
- evidence that some of the pupils and students that are most
at risk of early school leaving are falling through the gaps and
not accessing existing afterschool services,
- the high levels of pupils experiencing problematic sleep
patterns potentially affecting their academic performance and
linked in some responses to levels of anxiety affecting their
sleep,
- a notable minority of pupils and students who stated that
they have no one to talk with about their problems,
- the limited availability of drug prevention programmes in
local schools,
- the need for system level work with parents, for example,
regarding early intervention strategies for their children’s
literacy and speech and language development,
- the need for early referrals,
- the need for early intervention regarding speech and
language development, and therapeutic emotional
intervention.
The Special Rapporteur (2006) notes that the right to
health is subject to progressive realization and this
requires development of indicators and benchmarks:
The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest
attainable standard of physical and mental health is
given legal foundation by a range of international legal
instruments, including:
• article 25 (1) of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights,
• article 12 of the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
• article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child
• article 12 of the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women right
to non-discrimination as reflected in article 5 (e)
(iv) of the International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
Indicators and benchmarks of the
international right of
everyone to the enjoyment of the highest
attainable standard of physical and mental
health:
Is it possible to incorporate
some of these indicators within standard
relative poverty indicators ?
The Special Rapporteur (2006) emphasizes the importance of focus on
‘disadvantaged’ individuals and communities in relation to the right to
health:
25. in general terms a human rights-based approach requires that
special attention be given to disadvantaged individuals and
communities; it requires the active and informed participation of
individuals and communities in policy decisions that affect them;
and it requires effective, transparent and accessible monitoring and
accountability mechanisms. The combined effect of these - and
other features of a human rights-based approach - is to empower
disadvantaged individuals and communities.
A DISTINCT FUNDING STRAND FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
–SUPPORTED BY FUNDING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND LAW REFORM
FOR MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTIONS FOR STUDENTS AT RISK OF
SUSPENSION/EXPULSION
- INCLUDING MEDIATORS
- 10 MILLION FROM PRIVATE SCHOOLS FUND
Table 3. “At what time
do you usually go to
sleep on a weekday?”
Before Midnight
Midnight
After midnight
Varies/NA
School A
42%
16%
---
42%
School B
54%
16%
15%
15%
School C
78%
9%
6%
7%
School D
83%
6%
---
11%
School E
40%
26%
---
34%
School F
60%
8%
---
32%
School G
81%
15%
---
4%
UNITED NATIONS Economic and Social Council 3 March
2006 Commission on Human Rights Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of
everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable
standard of physical and mental health, Paul Hunt
Cf. Argument that rates of early school leaving are a
benchmark/indicator of a right to health norm
BEYOND EDUCATIONAL DISADVANTAGE (Downes, P. &
Gilligan, A L. (Eds) (2007). Dublin: Institute Of Public
Administration
PRIORITY ISSUES
1) Developing school climate at post-primary level
2) Developing teachers’ early literacy instruction skills
3) A mental health strategy and fund for contexts of socioeconomic disadvantage
4) Community development and lifelong learning
1)
Developing school
climate at post-primary level
No sunlight ! Not money !………..
 NDP ………………………………..
Transition – not merely a problem
of the individual
 H.Dip……………………………….
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CHAP 28: Darmody, M. (2007). Strengthening the
school social climate
CHAP 34: Downes, P. et al (2007). The jolt between
primary and post-primary
CHAP 35: Maunsell, C. et al (2007). Primary to postprimary: Perceptions of pupils with special
educational needs
CHAP 36: Farrelly, G. (2007). Bullying and social
context: Challenges for schools
CHAP 38: Murphy, A. (2007). Peer mediation: The
power and importance of children’s voices
2) Developing teachers’ early
literacy instruction skills
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Speech and language – system level skills for
teachers and parents
- NDP – ring-fenced funding
- an aspect of drug prevention
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More hours in curriculum ? Integrate with other
subjects
Motivation and reading
Arts and literacy: Fear of failure – process drama for
language, emotions and social skills
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CHAP 15: Quinn, S. (2007). ‘Only brainy and boring
people read’
CHAP 16: Kazmierczak, S. (2007). Preventing
potential weaknesses in early literacy instruction
CHAP 17: Mullan, Y. (2007).Raising literacy levels
locally
CHAP 18: Kennedy, E. (2007). Literacy in designated
disadvantaged schools
CHAP 25: Hefferon, C. (2007). A model of drama for
educational disadvantage
CHAP 26: Murphy, P. (2007). Drama as radical
pedagogy
CHAP 27: Butler, D & Kelly, J. (2007). The digital era:
Empowerment or digital divide ?
4) Community development and
lifelong learning
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Schools as a community resource: Nicholas of
Myra
Collaboration not contracting out
Parent peer support – Freirean models
Community leaders from ethnic minorities
including Travellers
HSL – evenings, wider than teacher-only
Regional educational structures
CHAP 11: Bane, L. (2007). A seagull’s view: Adult and community
education
CHAP 12: Mulkerrins, D. (2007). The transformational potential
of the Home School Community Liaison Scheme
CHAP 13:Owens, T. (2007). The development of men’s
community education in Ireland
CHAP 14: Waters, L. (2007). Community education: A view from
the margins
CHAP 22: Boyle, A. (2007). Traveller parents and early childhood
education
QDOSS: An Agenda for Development
QDOSS is calling for a national
strategy on Out of School
Services – a strategy that is
sensitive to the needs of local contexts.
1)
2)
Key Structures Underpinning Out-of-School Services
Out-of-School Services: Bridging Health and Education
Needs
3) Out-of-School Services: Contribution to Development of School
Climate
4) Out-of-School Services: A Key Resource in Culturally Relevant
Curriculum Implementation
5) Community Development Principles and Out-of-School Services
6) Evaluation: Structural, Process and Outcome Indicators
References:
Downes, P (2006) Quality Development of Out of School Services: An agenda for development.
Complied for the QDOSS Network
Downes, P. Intravenous Drug Use and HIV in Estonia: Socio-economic integration and
development of indicators regarding the right to health for its Russian-speaking population
Liverpool Law Review (2007). Special Issue on Historical and Contemporary Legal Issues on
HIV/AIDS, Vol.28, 271-317
Downes, P. Prevention of Bullying at a Systemic Level in Schools: Movement from Cog nitive and
Spatial Narratives of Diametric Opposition to Concentric Relation. In Shane R. Jimerson, Susan
M. Swearer, and Dorothy L. Espelage (Eds.), The Handbook of School Bullying: An International
Perspective , Section III., Research-Based Prevention and Intervention (pp.517-533). (2009). New
York: Routledge
Downes, P & Gilligan, A L (2007) (Eds) Beyond Educational Disadvantage. Dublin: Institute of
Public Administration
Galbraith, John (1992) The Culture of Contentment. London: Penguin
Kaplan, D.D., Damphousse, J.R. & Kaplan, H.B. (1994). Mental health implications of not
graduating from high school. Journal of Experimental Education, 62, 105-123
UNITED NATIONS Economic and Social Council 3 March 2006 COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of
everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health,
Paul Hunt