J. Douglas Willms University of New Brunswick School Completion in Canadian Schools: Findings from...

J. Douglas WillmsUniversity of New Brunswick

School Completion in Canadian Schools:

Findings from Tell Them From Me

I.Pathways

toSuccess

II. Personal Assets Leading to Completion

DemographicAcademicEngagement

SocialInstitutionalIntellectual

Mental HealthLearning Climate of the School

AcademicSkills

-2 -1 0 1 2

300

350

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

750

800

Below Level 1

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Level 6

Average Reading Proficiency

Average Socioeconomic Status

Canada

Rural PublicUrban PublicPrivateType unknow n

Learning is a function of:ContextQuality InstructionLearning TimeEngagement

12

Engagement is a function of:ContextQuality InstructionLearning TimeLearning

13

14

Context

Quality Instruction

Learning Time

Engagement begets LearningLearning begets Engagement

Learning

Engagement

Engaged

Students

TELL them FROM me is a dynamic web-based

evaluation system designed to meet the ongoing needs of teachers, principals, and school district administrators.

Tell Them From Me

www.TheLearningBar.com

Measures of Student Engagement in Tell Them From Me

Positive Mental Health

22

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

0

5

10

15

20

Parental Assessment

Self Report

Percentage of Children

Child's Age

Anxiety

Males

Females

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

0

5

10

15

20

Youth's age

Percentage of Children

Depression

Males

Females

Learning Climate of the School

Tell Them From Me


Drivers of Schooling Outcomes

Setting Visible and Challenging Goals(1) Teachers clearly state the goals of each class lesson.

(2) Teachers provide a summary of what we will be learning.

(3) Teachers provide examples of successful work.

Structure and Pacing (4) Students have opportunities to revise and practice the things that are important.

(5) When students do not understand something, teachers explain it another way.

(6) At the beginning of each lesson, teachers review what students did in the last lesson.

Quality Feedback(7) The feedback from tests and quizzes helps students learn.

(8) Teachers quickly give students specific feedback on their work.

(9) Teachers check student understanding before beginning a new topic.

Learning/meta-cognitive Strategies (plan, evaluate, and monitor)(10) Teachers show students how to make a plan to successfully finish an assignment.

(11) Students are taught strategies for thinking about how to solve problems.

(12) Students know how they are doing in this class.

III. A Prediction Model Based on Leading Indicators

Percentage of Students

Low Risk 77%

Moderately at Risk 14%

Hi Risk (Low Probability) 9%

IV. Five Types of Students

EngagedDis-

connectedDis-

EngagedStruggling Alienated

Grades 8.6 8.1 7.9 4.3 5.0

Social Engagement 6.8 5.1 5.3 5.4 3.8

Institutional Engagement 8.3 7.5 7.0 6.3 5.5

Intellectual Engagement 7.6 6.7 5.5 4.3 3.8

Mental Health 8.8 4.6 8.5 8.3 3.1

Percentage of Students 32 17 25 17 9

Probability of Completion 93% 82% 79% 61% 45%

V.Action research in 3000 schools

to increase school

completion

Tell Them From Me


(1) Build assets with school-wide reforms

Focus on engagement

Develop caring schools

Smaller learning communities

Cross-grade teams

Tell Them From Me


(2) Develop an Early Warning System

Early Years Evaluation – RTI

Provincial Test Results as Leading Indicators

Attendance and behavioural markers

Tell Them From Me


(3) Monitor student engagement

In a typical school about 25% of all students have low engagement.

low achievers

behaviour problems

anxiety and depression

School leaders need to know who they are and regularly monitor their progress – “check and connect”.

Encourage staff to look for warning signs of withdrawal

Tell Them From Me


(4) Identify advocates for disengaged students

Disengaged students most often do not have an adult they can turn to for advice.

Building a strong relationship with an adult at school is key to student engagement.

Develop a long-term plan for school success.

Tell Them From Me


(5) Help students become affiliated with school through clubs, sports, volunteer activities or other school events.

Disengaged students tend to have low participation in school activities.

Participation in a school activity provides a way to connect with students on a day-to-day basis

Tell Them From Me


(6) Implement an intervention to build literacy skills.

Struggling readers are the most vulnerable to being disengaged from school.

Building literacy skills is far more important than subject-matter content.

Tell Them From Me


(7) Check-in daily with students that display behavioural problems.

Develop strategies for problem-solving.

Celebrate small successes.

Help develop positive friendships.

Tell Them From Me


(8) Develop effective programs to deal with bullying, exclusion and sexual harassment.

School staff must be able to recognize different forms of bullying and be willing to step in when they observe a student being bullied.

Positive school policies and practices can make it safe for students to report bullying when it occurs and ensure that there clear consequences for bullying that are consistently enforced.

Schools can help to equip students with appropriate strategies to deal with bullying.

Tell Them From Me


(9) Develop school-wide and individual interventions to help those suffering anxiety or depression.

Equip students with the skills to develop emotional resilience:

developing positive friendships

coping with difficult situations

positive thinking

resolving conflicts

Identify those who need professional help

J. Douglas Willms University of New Brunswick School Completion in Canadian Schools: Findings from...

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