Distance travelled: Findings of an evaluation of The Waranara Centre Kirsty Rose, Principal – The Waranara Centre Lanie Stockman, Outcomes & Evaluation Specialist Doing Schools Differently Conference Melbourne, 15 September 2016
Presentation outline Background o Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand • The Waranara Centre • • Measuring outcomes/evaluation Findings o • Attendance, Engagement, Achievement, Pathways • Broader context Preliminary recommendations • Evaluation reflections o
About Good Shepherd ANZ We aim to disrupt the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage with a focus on women and girls through services that address social and economic exclusion. We provide a range of supports to people experiencing disadvantage, o including: • family violence services, family support services, • educational pathways, • financial counselling, • microfinance. • We aim to challenge systems that entrench poverty, disadvantage and gender o inequality. We do this through research, advocacy and social policy development.
The Waranara Centre
Joshua’s journey
Complexity of measuring outcomes Evidencing outcomes enables us to understand what has changed for clients through participating in our service. However progress is often: • Non-linear (shaped by external factors) – Joshua’s journey Very gradual, incremental – Emily who began to smile and hold • conversations with teachers, Jessica who attended 5 consecutive days for the 1 st time since year 7. What to measure progress against? (eg: absence of baseline • information).
Evaluation process Design: Defining the scope of what is evaluated Deciding how to go about the evaluation Planning: Developing the project plan Organising logistics Ethics approval Implementation: Reviewing relevant literature Analysing case notes, reports, attendance rolls, interviews (8 students, 7 parents, 12 staff, 1 volunteer, 6 partners) We are here Using results: Discussing findings Responding to recommendations Adapted from: Save the Children (n.d.) Evaluation Handbook, p.6
Attendance Key findings Average attendance going up – yet to understand if a trend • Improved attendance by HSLO-referred young people • • Proportion of young people with attendance rate ≤55% Interviewees referred to: • Weekly staff conferences, enable ‘wrap around’ supports Fortnightly ‘ check- ins’ with each young person • Counselling program addresses complex trauma, other aspects of mental • health Re-integration plans when attendance drops • Other factors: 9.45am start, motivation to attend senior school •
Engagement Key findings: • Approaches that facilitate engagement: strengths-based (limited focus on ‘negative’ student behaviours), trauma-informed • Sound progress with mental health & carers supportive of enrolment are key enablers • Engagement opportunities include vocational courses, work experience, Friday excursions to socialise, “provide experiences that some young people won’t have access to” • Centre staff form familial bonds with young people, provide food (based on their requests) and sort out transport passes etc • Participation in arts, sport important. Funding, premises = limits being able to broaden offerings
Parent engagement Key findings: Parent engagement important in strategies to improve education outcomes • for young people • ParentWise and Counselling provided to reconnect and strengthen relationships with young people Mixed responses about parent engagement: 7 parents participated in evaluation • • Most who participated said there are enough opportunities to be involved • One interviewee: most parents don’t respond to important correspondence, busy dealing with complex issues in their lives
Achievement Key result: Well-being, attendance prioritised to facilitate academic progress. • Positive changes identified by interviewees: “[my daughter] …wants to do year 10, the hours are much better for • her, there’s no homework and it’s a relaxed environment… she comes home and tells me what she’s done in English and Science. She likes Romeo and Juliet ” “They’re a lot more lenient with assignments [at the Centre]. They • don’t mind if it’s late and give me more time and then I get it in. There are selections within a broad topic .” • “my other school didn’t support me to get assignments done except in- school suspensions to get the work done and I hated that.”
Pathways in 2015 46 young people @ TWC in 2015 34 completed the relevant level of study • 2 went to uni 18 progressed to next level of study @ TWC • 13 went on to employment, training etc • • 1 young person completed, destination not reported to TWC 12 did not complete the relevant level of study 1 reattempting study @ TWC • 5 went on to employment or study elsewhere • • 6 young people left before the end of the year, their destination not reported to TWC ‘Tom’ indicative of remarkable outcomes: Missed a lot of school owing to anxiety, barely spoke when he came. Began in Kirsty’s • office then: kitchen, chill out room, couch, classroom Participated in music program, able to express guitar talent, formed friendships • End semester 1, 2016 Tom enrolled in a mainstream school. Performed in front of new • school.
Broader context Approx. 300,000 YP in Australia risk disengaging from education each year. Only ¼ of young people who would benefit have access to FLP TWC re-engages young people, despite most having significant life challenges. Question for GSANZ: How can we support more young people, especially in areas where access to FLPs is limited? Considerations include: • early intervention $ from govt GSANZ’s other services incl St Clare’s • Renewed org focus on Aboriginal young people •
Preliminary recommendations Resources and Understanding Specialist student referrals for why young people support Aboriginal young leave early people Accessing expert Engaging carers advice/staff Strategic planning and parents planning
Reflections – outcomes/evaluation • Measuring outcomes for young people in FLPs challenging. Important to consider outcomes for whom • Evaluation useful for contextualising outcomes. • A common evaluation framework? key study • questions, appropriate methodologies, opportunities for young people to participate… Utilisation important – how can evaluation be used • (for program development, to be accountable to our school community, profile raising) ? Lessons: 1. Establish a reference group 2. Team culture of openness and willingness to learn facilitates an evaluation 3. Further data analysis required through gender/intersectional lenses 4. More work needed to include stakeholders who don’t have a voice in this evaluation
Further information: www.goodshep.org.au
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