Supporting Highly Mobile Students

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Supporting Highly Mobile Students

• A resource from the
• Lets Stay Put Project

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Program
jump to later slide

• Module 1
• Understanding mobility.
• Module 2
• Responding to mobility A whole school approach.
• Module 3
• Classroom responses to mobility.

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This resource was developed using original
material from the Lets Stay Put project and
various other sources including

• Popp, P., Stronge, J, Hindman, J. (2003).
  Students on the Move Reaching and Teaching
  Highly Mobile Children and Youth. Online
• UK Department for Education and Skills (2003)
  Managing pupil mobility Guidance. Online
• CEA_at_Islington (2005). Pupil mobility Online
• Commonwealth Department of Education Science and
  Training and Department of Defence (2002).
  Changing schools Its impact on student learning.
  Online
• Rumberger, R.W., (2003). The causes and
  consequences of student mobility. Journal of
  Negro Education. 72(1), 6-21.
• Education Queensland (2005). Professional
  Standards for teachers Guidelines for
  professional practice. Brisbane Author
• Henderson, R. (2008). Mobilising multiliteracies
  Pedagogy for mobile students. In A. Healy (Ed).
  Multiliteracies and diversity in education. South
  Melbourne Oxford University Press. pp 168-201
• Sarra, C. (2007) The role of schools in shaping
  behaviour. Paper presented at the Cape York
  Leadership Institute Conference, Cairns 26th
  June, 2007.

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Module 1

• Understanding mobility

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Understanding Mobility

• Mobility - The big picture
• Impacts of mobility
• Who are highly mobile students?
• What characteristics and needs do mobile students
  share?

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Mobility - the big picture

• Mobility - a global issue
• Mobility in Australia and Queensland
• Reasons for mobility
• Responding to mobility
• Reducing unnecessary mobility improves
  educational outcomes

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Mobility is a global issue

• Eg Europe - Mobikid project

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Mobility is a global issue

• UK - Pupil Mobility project
• Local authority responses
• Cheshire County Council
• Islington Schools
• USA - campaigns through many local school
  authorities and humanitarian agencies
• National Centre for Homeless Education
• Columbus Foundation

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The picture in Australia

• Over a million adults in Queensland moved house
  at least once in the three years to October 2000.
  Nearly three-quarters (72.2) of the people
  relocating within Queensland moved less than 20
  km, and almost half of these (48.5) moved less
  than 5 km from their previous home. (ABS, 2001)
• In Queensland, data from DETAs Corporate Data
  Warehouse shows school student mobility to be
  increasing over time and school student stability
  decreasing over time.

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Who are mobile students

• Students who make non-promotional change
  outside of the standard arrival/leaving times
• Highly mobile students who move two or more
  times in three years

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Reasons for mobility

• Family based
• Employment, lifestyle, housing changes, family
  changes, economic circumstances, cultural reasons
• School based
• Strategic mobility
• Improving opportunities for education
• Result of considered decision
• Reactive mobility
• Occurs through conflict
• Often leaves issues unresolved
• Rumberger (2003)

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Impact of Mobility

• Different mobile groups will place different
  demands on the school, but the impact is not
  entirely negative as new arrivals may increase
  the diversity of the community, enhance the
  commitment to learning, and possibly raise levels
  of achievement.
• (DfES, 2003)

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Schools responding to mobility

• Comprehensive Data
• Inclusive Policies and Procedures Building
  belonging
• Monitoring Tracking
• Effective Curriculum Pedagogies
• Connecting with families
• Staff Professional Development

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Previous research shows

• Mobility can have a compounding negative effect
  for students who
• experience other risk factors
• move in the early years
• move during the school year

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Who is highly mobile? Why? What characteristics
needs exist?
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Building Belonging

• Research has shown that students who report high
  levels of school connectedness also report lower
  levels of emotional distress, violence, suicide
  attempts, and drug use.
• (Blum Libbey, 2004, p 231)
• Student welfare and appropriate support was
  rated by teachers as the most important issue
  impacting on learning outcomes for students
  experiencing high levels of mobility.
• (DEST DoD, 2002, p 38)

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• Let our schools and our classrooms be that one
  place in a childs life that is positiveJust one
  place where somebody believes they can be
  something great and where we can get them to see
  that something truly great resides in them. Lets
  give them one place that is positive, and lets
  believe in them to the extent thatin spite of
  the challenges and complexities of their home
  contextthey start to believe in themselves.
• Dr Chris Sarra, 2007

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Module 2

• Responding to mobility A whole school approach

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Responding to mobility A whole school approach

• Comprehensive data
• Inclusive policies and procedures Building
  belonging
• Effective curriculum
• Monitor and track
• Connections to the family
• Professional development for all staff

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Comprehensive Data

• Are we aware of the level of student mobility
  and the profile of newly arriving students?
• Identify the data sources and the effectiveness
  of their dissemination.
• Identify how data can be used to inform actions.

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Audit policies and procedures

• Do we have clear and effective enrolment,
  induction and exit arrangements?
• Do these reflect an inclusive school ethos?
• Do they contribute to building belonging?
• Effective deployment of staff
• Appropriate space to welcome families and conduct
  enrolment interviews
• Culturally sensitive
• Space between enrolment interview and start day
• System for timely transfer of information to
  class teachers and specialists
• Support with immediate needs such as uniforms,
  books etc

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Effective curriculum

• Do we have effective strategies for teaching and
  learning that enable newly arrived students to
  fully participate in the educational
  opportunities provided and make the best possible
  academic and social progress?
• Immediate assessment of learning needs
• Responsive curriculum planning
• Strategies to address gaps in learning resulting
  from interrupted schooling
• Immediate access to specialist programs
• Recognition of best practice

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Monitoring and Tracking

• Do we monitor and track how our new students
  settle into school and provide appropriate
  support for their needs?
• Review of class and group placements
• Peer support and buddying
• Student consultation
• Multi-agency links that facilitate co-ordinated
  support for vulnerable new arrivals

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Connections to the family

• Do we have effective links with parents of new
  arrivals, including those who may be hard to
  reach?
• Provision of information about the school
  (translations or culturally appropriate versions)
• Range of strategies for communication and
  consultation
• Home-school liaison initiatives (eg home visits)
• Family learning opportunities that assist parents
  to support their children
• Liaison and development of partnerships with
  community groups

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Professional development for all staff

• Do we have an explicit program to ensure all
  school staff are aware of their roles and
  responsibilities in ensuring reactive mobility
  is reduced, new students experience a smooth
  transition and all students make the best
  possible educational and social progress?
• How is awareness of mobility raised?
• Are all new staff made aware of school
  approaches?
• If there is not an explicit program, what should
  one look like for this school?
• Are deficit views actively challenged and
  interrupted?

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National Support

• Changing Schools - Information for Schools and
  Parents
• Defence School Transition Aides

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State Support

• Enrolment policies and guidelines

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School Support

• Collaboratively developed policy to reduce and
  manage mobility
• Systematic processes for managing mobility
• Explicit induction arrangements
• Links with parents and carers
• Curriculum planning that considers potential new
  arrivals
• Professional development for staff
• Share strategies and celebrate success

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Interagency collaborations

• Department of Child Safety
• Local Indigenous agencies
• Department of Housing
• Department of Communities
• Migrant Resource Centre

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Module 3

• Classroom responses to mobility
• Building belonging

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Classroom responses to mobility

• Scenarios of mobility
• Mobility in Queensland state education
• Professional Standards for Teachers
• Overcoming deficit assumptions
• What works - from the research
• Sharing examples of best practice from this
  school
• Revisit scenarios

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Scenarios

• Read the scenario
• Consider possible needs for this student and ways
  you would accommodate him/her in your classroom.
• On the bottom of the sheet note your thoughts.

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Mobility is recognised by Education Queensland as
a student characteristic.

• QSE2010
• With new patterns of employment and
  underemployment, greater mobility and new
  concentrations of poverty, families are shifting
  in configuration from nuclear families. This
  places new pressures on schools and teachers to
  provide children with high levels of social
  support. It makes it more difficult for some
  parents to help their children achieve in
  school. p4
• Literate Futures
• Effective literacy instruction is connected to
  the world. It is about students from diverse
  backgrounds using these tools to envision, plan
  and sustain life pathways in the face of
  uncertain economic conditions, mobile families
  and dynamic community cultures. p7
• Listed in 2007 research priorities and topics of
  interest.

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Building belonging
Professional considerations
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Standard OneStructure flexible and innovative
learning experiences for individuals and groups

• STATEMENT
• Analyse and incorporate information about
  students in the design of learning experiences.

• EXAMPLE

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Standard TwoContribute to language, literacy and
numeracy development.

• STATEMENT
• Determine students learning needs in language,
  literacy and numeracy development to inform the
  planning and implementation of learning
  experiences.

• EXAMPLE

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Standard ThreeConstruct intellectually
challenging learning experiences.

• STATEMENT
• Provide learning experiences in which students
  question and share ideas and knowledge.

• EXAMPLE

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Standard FourConstruct relevant learning
experiences that connect with the world beyond
school.

• STATEMENT
• Provide learning experiences that establish
  connections with the world beyond the classroom.

• EXAMPLE

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Standard FiveConstruct inclusive and
participatory learning experiences.

• STATEMENT
• Design and implement learning experiences that
  are inclusive and that recognise and celebrate
  difference.

• EXAMPLE

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Standard SixIntegrate information and
communication technologies to enhance learning.

• STATEMENT
• Determine students learning needs in relation
  to the use of available information and
  communication technologies.

• EXAMPLE

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Standard SevenAssess and report on student
learning.

• STATEMENT
• Communicate with students, families, caregivers
  and other authorities about student progress.

• EXAMPLE

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Standard EightSupport the social development and
participation of young people.

• STATEMENT
• Assist students to develop sound relations and
  empathy with others.

• EXAMPLE

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Standard NineCreate safe and supportive learning
environments.

• STATEMENT
• Create safe learning environments that are based
  on mutual trust and respect and that provide
  social support for student achievement.

• EXAMPLE

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Standard TenBuild relationships with the wider
community.

• STATEMENT
• Establish learning environments that acknowledge
  the concerns, values and priorities of students
  families, cultures and communities.

• EXAMPLE

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Standard ElevenContribute to professional teams

• STATEMENT
• Work with professionals, paraprofessionals,
  teacher aides and other community based personnel.

• EXAMPLE

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Standard TwelveCommit to professional practice

• STATEMENT
• Reflect critically on professional practice

• EXAMPLE

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What works Research findings from the Lets
Stay Put project

• Data collected have identified what works in
  highly mobile contexts.
• Data sources
• Interviews with teachers
• Interviews with principals
• Profiles of mobile students
• Profiles of non-mobile students
• Surveys of students

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What works Building belonging

• Research has shown that students who report
  high levels of school connectedness also report
  lower levels of emotional distress, violence,
  suicide attempts, and drug use.
• (Blum Libbey, 2004, p 231)

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What works Teacher knowledge of mobility

• Ask yourself
• What do I know about the schooling history of
  each student?
• What strategies can I utilise to gather this data?

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What worksPlanning for mobility

• How is my knowledge (of students schooling
  histories) reflected in my planning?
• How will this be visible in the first week of the
  school year?
• In what ways will my long term planning reflect
  this context

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What worksOvercoming deficit assumptions

• For mobile students, considerable learning has
  been in the context of somewhere else, and not
  in the community or school in which they are
  currently located. Although it would be very easy
  for gaps in knowledge to be seen as deficits or
  deficiencies, it is more productive for teachers
  to recognise that mobile students may have
  different prior knowledges and different
  perspectives to the classroomthis diversity can
  be used as a resource for extending the knowledge
  of other children about different perspectives
  and experiences. Henderson, 2008, p198

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What worksThe ACTIVELY EXPLICIT classroom

• Classroom organisation VISIBLE and consistent
  across school
• Immediate accommodation for range of learner
  levels

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What worksTeam teaching

• Team teaching provides opportunities for
• Spending time with arriving students and families
• Timely assessment of learning needs

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What worksPrepare in advance

• Learning packets
• Essential resources ie pencil, notebook etc
• Homework sheet
• A buddy system
• Welcome pack
• Orientating activities (social and academic)
• Important information for parent/child
• Invitation to family participate in class
  activities

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What worksFacilitate arrival

• Assign a buddy
• Add student to classroom charts eg birthday,
  class duties
• Activities to introduce student in
  non-confronting ways
• Take time to talk with the student in their first
  days 11

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What worksMonitor and track

• Review placement in groups
• Obtain academic / health / behaviour support if
  needed
• Carefully monitor settling in
• Consult with child and family
• Keep open lines of communication

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What worksPrepare for exits

• Class letters
• Good-bye book
• Published work samples
• Letter to new school

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Sharing examples of best practice

• Create a school resource detailing best
  practice.
• Contribute an example of what is currently being
  done to ensure students are included and engaged.
• In paper or electronic form
• Should be added to over time.
• eg Keep a class learning journal so that new
  students can read through and know what has
  happened prior to their arrival. Teacher and
  student can discuss the work and develop a plan
  to ensure the new arrival has a firm
  understanding of the work expected. This also
  benefits students with attendance gaps.
• From interview with teacher at Kelso SS

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Return to scenarios

• Read your original response
• Consider any additions or changes you would make
  to your response
• Discuss these with your group

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• The most important place in our whole education
  department, regardless of how important the
  principal, the district and central office people
  might think they are the most important place is
  where the teacher stares the child in the face.
  In that place, if the teacher believes the child
  will learn.then the child will learn!
• Dr Chris Sarra, 2007

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Feedback

• To ensure this material continues to evolve and
  meets the needs of schools and teachers we would
  appreciate your feedback.
• Please send any comments, stories of success and
  suggestions to
• andrea.lynch1_at_jcu.edu.au