Student Mapping Tool

Doug Smith

Deb Hull

The student mapping tool...

- was originally designed to identify students at risk of early school leaving

- draws out school data that is related to known risk factors

- does NOT produce a conclusive list of students who will leave school early

- provides evidence to inform conversations about students’ welfare and academic progress

The student mapping tool...

- is a great support for all kinds of transitions- must be used to monitor Koorie student progress,

but is useful for much, much more- is free, and is easy to use- if you are already using data/evidence to make

decisions, the Tool will save you time

Personal risk factors

• Truancy• Low literacy level• Low numeracy level• Poverty/low income household• Parental unemployment• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander• Poor health• Fragmented/reconstituted family• Low self-esteem• Behavioural issues

School-based risk factors

• Unsupportive school culture

• Repressive discipline

• Large class sizes

• Unstimulating content

• Competitive exam-dominated assessment

• Negative student-teacher relationships

• Negative peer relationships in school community

• Absence of school counsellors• Lack of student participation in

decision-making• Poor school/home

relationships• Poor teaching quality• Lack of clear relationships

with the wider community leading to an absence of support and referrals

What does ‘using’ the mapping tool mean?

1. Download the data

2. Read and understand your data

3. Understand your school’s current responses

4. Use the information to plan for future responses

5. Assess the effectiveness of what you are trying

6. Push the boundaries

1. Download the data

2. Read and understand your data

30 minutes with the Student Mapping Tool

- School has 18 Koorie or TSI students- 1.4% of school’s students are Koorie students- another 3.7% have Koorie status as ‘unknown’

- 3 students (17%) are absent 1 day per week or more - 10 students (56%) are absent 1 day per fortnight or

more- 8 students (80%) of those missing one day per fortnight

have parents in N or D categories for SFO- One Year 12 student is currently ineligible to pass VCE

due to attendance rate- 5 (63%) of the students with good attendance are underperforming in literacy, numeracy or both

30 minutes with the Student Mapping Tool

- 3 Koorie students (17%) have been suspended- one is performing well, one is marginal in maths,

one has no academic data entered- 10 families (56%) are in lowest SFO category or

unemployed- 8 students (44%) are from single parent families- 8 students (44%) are living at home with both parents- 1 student is in out-of-home care- 1 student does not have living arrangements recorded

- 4 students have medical issues- 1 student has a disability

30 minutes with the Student Mapping Tool

- 10 students (56%) are underperforming in literacy- 10 students (56%) are underperforming in maths- 9 students are underperforming in both- 1 student has had literacy support

- 0 students have had maths support- 3 students (from years 7 and 8) have ILPs- 2 students have had Regional Koorie Unit

involvement- 1 student has DHS involvement- 1 student is Koorie, has a disability, is from a

low-income home, has been suspended once this year, has no academic results recorded, and is absent 1.5 days per fortnight

The Wannik Strategy requires...

- focus of Regional Office and school attention on Koorie student outcomes and attendance

- individual ILPs for Koorie students

- literacy and numeracy support for Koorie students not meeting appropriate standards

- raising expectations of Koorie student achievement (teachers, students, peers, families)

- MIPs plans and support for students in Years 8 and 9

- support for high-achieving Koorie students

- use of student mapping tool

The Student Engagement Strategy requires...

- focus on creating a positive, fair and respectful school culture

- proactive engagement with parents/carers

- implement preventative and early intervention approaches

- respond to support needs of individual students

- identify and support students at risk

- develop school profile statement (summary of data)

- promote attendance

- staged response to behaviour management

The MIPs Program requires...

• “Planned and systematic processes for identifying students…who are at risk of early school leaving, or not making a successful transition…..and providing them with appropriate support, preferably employing case management approaches.”

• Destination tracking and reporting

The Partnering Agreement – School Attendance and Engagement of Young People in Out-of-Home Care

requires...

• monitor and support attendance• implement strategies that lead to age-appropriate

achievement• establish student support group (mandatory) • provide information to support transition to new school• staged process for suspensions and expulsions• school to negotiate another school or alternative pathway

in case of expulsions, track for 6 months after exit

The student mapping tool...

will not fix low student outcomes- provide support early and on targetwill not change your students’ backgrounds- cater for demonstrated need, not stereotypeswill not stop racism- tackle ‘accepted wisdom’ and anecdotewill not fix absenteeism- monitor, intervene and evaluate absenteeismwill not improve teaching practice- articulate and raise expectationswill not get the Region off your back- know more about your school than anyone else, and develop a shared ‘story’

Using the student mapping tool will let you...

3. Understand your school’s current responses

4. Use the information to plan future responses

Effective Strategies to Increase School Completion Report and Guide

• - The Effective Strategies to Increase School Completion Report makes recommendations about the strategies that have been empirically shown to be most effective at re-engaging and supporting students at risk of early school leaving.

• - To support schools in implementing the strategies identified in the Report, a companion Guide to Help Schools Increase School Completion has also been produced.

• - These were sent to all Government schools at the beginning of Term 2, 2009.

• - You can download both from:www.education.vic.gov.au/schoolcompletion

5. Assess the effectiveness of what you are doing

6. Push the boundaries

Wannik MIPs programfor Government secondary schools

Deb Hull

Wannik MIPs accountabilities

• Circular sent 24th March

• Not something new – just an extension to existing MIPs programs

• Funding is provided on a per student basis, $200 per Koorie enrolment in Year 8 and 9 (as per CASES21)

• For this year, Department used August 2008 data as bushfires disrupted the February census

• “All Government secondary schools must...use the Student Mapping Tool to map the progress of Koorie students and the effectiveness of school-based interventions being used to support Koorie students at risk of early leaving.”

Wannik MIPs accountabilities

• “All Koorie students in Years 8 and 9 in Government schools must have current individual pathway plans and associated support to enable a successful transition to the post-compulsory years and through these to further education, training or secure employment.”

– Development (with families) and review of plans

– Transition support

– Systematic process for identifying those at risk

– Support and referrals

– Follow up

Wannik MIPs process – ON EXIT

• Obtain intended destinations of all Koorie students in Years 8 and 9 at time of exit

• Obtain contact details (with student consent)

• Identify and offer appropriate support to all students exiting school

• Comply with existing Departmental policy in relation to students under the school leaving age exiting school, and schools must contact their regional office in all instances of this occurring

Wannik MIPs process – FOLLOW UP

• Follow up all Year 8 and 9 Koorie students one month after exit

• If student is disengaged, continue to offer MIPs support and liaison with other providers or services

• Follow up monthly until six months after exit

• Report those who remain disengaged after six months to the regional office

• Comply with usual MIPs requirements re students who exit after commencing Year 10

Wannik MIPs reporting

• Number of Koorie students in Year 8 & 9

• Number of these students with a current MIPs plan

• Number who exited the school in calendar year

• Number followed up one month later (should be ALL)– Number in education

– Number not engaged in education training or employment

• Number followed up monthly for six months– Number referred by your school to a local provider or agency for

assistance with re-engaging in education, training or full time employment

– Number successfully re-engaged

Effective MIPs for Koorie students

• Who is already out there providing effective transition support to Koorie young people? Help us find them– Schools

– Employment agencies

– Employers

– LLENs

– Other organisations or agencies