Improving educational outcomes for at‐risk students

Abstract

Drawing on data from a longitudinal study of at‐risk youth (n = 593), this article reports on the analysis of factors that enabled these youth to succeed at school. It considers the impact of three baseline factors (age, gender, ethnicity) and a number of time‐dynamic factors [positive school environment, additional educational support, positive peer and parent relationships, exclusion/expulsion from school, depression and externalising individual risk, as well as the involvement of a range of services (mental health, justice, welfare)] upon educational progress. Over time, the educational status of this group of youth deteriorated. Differences were observed for indigenous, older and male youth who had poorer outcomes on average. Positive peer groups and a positive school environment predicted better outcomes, while the use of harsh disciplinary practices such as expulsion was the strongest predictor of poorer educational outcomes and had a pervasive negative impact on all three educational progress measures. Formal services did not make an appreciable difference to educational outcomes, while the provision of additional educational support only contributed to keeping youth enrolled in educational programmes but did not appreciably improve their educational outcomes. Improving educational outcomes for at‐risk youth requires a pan‐system response, whereby schools reduce the use of expulsion and create a positive school climate, other professionals support schools to retain challenging students at school and the positive resources generated by pro‐social peer groups are harnessed.

Can failure be prevented? Using longitudinal data to identify at‐risk students upon entering secondary school

“…Consistent with previous research (Willms, 2006), our results show that both the student's own family SES and the average SES of their primary school peers positively affects their chances of success. This confirms the importance of structural inequalities (Sanders et al, 2018), as well as of aggregated school effects. The interaction effects between these socio-economic variables and the student's achievement score in Grade 6 are evidence of further inequalities.…”

Hesitant hopes: How a comprehensive approach to learning impacts on the transition hopes of marginalised young people in an alternative learning programme in regional Australia

“…The sense of community, supportive relationships, access to services and flexible structure have been cited as attributes of ALPs that support engagement of those young people whom the conventional schooling system has failed (McGregor & Mills, 2012;te Riele, 2014;Musita et al, 2018). These attributes, while sometimes labelled as aspects of a holistic learning model, not to be confused with Laird's (1985) holistic learning theory, are elements of a comprehensive learning model often seen in what are termed 'full-service schools' (Sanders et al, 2018). Sanders (2016) refers to ALPs operating as full-service community schools as sites where young people's holistic needs are met with reduced fragmentation and delays often experienced by marginalised individuals accessing community support agencies.…”

Perception of Caregiving During Childhood is Related to Later Executive Functions and Antisocial Behavior in At-Risk Boys

“…At-risk youth outside of mainstream educational establishments have difficulty maintaining educational achievements (1) and are at a greater risk of a host of social difficulties (2). Youth who have been classified as "at-risk" demonstrate poorer executive functions, such as planning and monitoring, as compared to a community based control sample (3), and it is this specific element of cognitive functions that is widely related to the externalizing behaviors in children, youth, and adults (4).…”