Youth Transitions

Managed Individual Pathways - Case Studies

Wanganui Park Secondary College

Shepparton’s Wanganui Park Secondary College has a great ‘feel’ to it, though the reasons are hard to pin down after only a brief visit. Perhaps it has something to do with the school’s design, in which the classrooms all look inward across a large, landscaped courtyard – large enough to contain the library and a separate building containing seven classrooms. The classroom walls are mostly glass, and the school feels clean and open. The covered walkways around the courtyard create the pleasing effect of cloisters.

At one end of the courtyard is the large, airy staffroom. At morning recess this room is filled to capacity as staff take turns to introduce and welcome guests to the school, and share information and a few laughs. There is a sense of energy and collegiality. Outside the windows the students seem relaxed and easy-going.

The school leadership team believes that the school structure is instrumental to its positive culture. The school has 1015 students from Years 7 to 12, gathered into vertical home groupings which are in turn collected into Houses. All school processes are designed around this structure, and House Leaders are key figures in school leadership. Pathways planning and programs for those at risk are built around the home group structure and supported by it. Asking who is ‘responsible’ for pathways planning produces a lengthy list of participants, only a few of whom are eventually gathered for a photo in the courtyard.

Please note that in addition to the extensive MIPs/careers program, including individual pathways planning for all students, Wanganui Park also has a ‘MIPs Class’ – a Year 10 subject for ‘at risk’ students. To avoid confusion, this case study uses ‘pathways planning’ to describe the process that applies for all students, and ‘MIPs class’ to describe the Year 10 subject.

Good Practice Approach to MIPs

 

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Process to establish the goals and aspirations of students

As students select their own course of study from Year 8, it might be said that they are planning their own pathway from the end of Year 7. Students develop an early familiarity with the ‘green sheet’, the form on which they record their subject choices each year after discussion with their home group teacher. Maths teachers recommend the maths subjects they believe each student should choose the following year. Other subject choices must be supported by current teachers – for example their Year 8 LOTE teacher must ‘sign them in’ to a Year 9 LOTE subject – and this will only occur if the teachers feel the student has a chance of success. If students have achieved poor results in a subject but want to continue with it, they are offered the chance to repeat a semester to demonstrate their capacity. Students are also counselled about the possibility of an accelerated program, and the school prides itself on a flexibility that allows for individualised learning pathways. The completed ‘green sheet’ is signed by the home group teacher and parents.

Students’ career aspirations are explored through an elective Careers Unit and individual careers counselling at Year 10. The elective Careers Unit is undertaken by about 125 of the 170 Year 10 students. The MIPs class (approximately 24 ‘at risk’ students, see below) covers much of the same ground, so they do not do the Careers Unit. Careers teacher Julie Wilson suggests that it is often the academically able students who cannot fit the Careers Unit into their busy timetable.

The curriculum of the Careers Unit, supported by a workbook, includes a jobs test, personality test, practice using the Job Guide and other tools, and a process for planning work experience.

In addition to the Careers Unit, all students in Year 10 are given individual careers counselling by a member of staff. The Careers teacher calls for volunteers and gets a positive response from around 55 out of 80 staff. This high level of support is attributed to the home group structure as the bulk of the 55 volunteers are home group teachers who wish to counsel their ‘own’ Year 10s. Spreading the load across so many staff, including assistant principals and house leaders, means each counsellor is only allocated up to 4 students. Students can ask to change their counsellor if they wish.

A training night is run for the volunteer counsellors, with presentations by the Careers teacher, VCE coordinator, VET coordinator and VCAL coordinator. Counsellors receive a package of materials and information to distribute and to support their discussions (Word - 23Kb) with students, and are invited to refer students with complex pathway goals to the Careers teacher.

During the counselling, students are introduced (or re-introduced) to the school’s VCE Handbook, Job Guide and VICTER, and are also provided with sample subject selection plans for a range of career choices.

The counselling process takes approximately four weeks, and includes the completion of an interest questionnaire and a job test for students who have not established a clear career direction. Counsellors are provided with printouts of the students’ subjects and results. Students check university and TAFE prerequisites and map out a VCE subject selection pathway (Word - 21Kb) that will lead to their chosen career. The process ends with a completed subject selection sheet (Word - 29Kb).

The length of time spent on careers counselling varies, from half an hour for highly motivated students to a sequence of long interviews for others. The Careers teacher sees about 40 students during this time, often to discuss the possibilities of SBNAs or modified school programs. The school has 25 students enrolled in SBNAs.

The VCAL pathway is encouraged for students who are weaker academically. High-performing students would be discouraged from choosing this pathway, and steered towards VET subjects within a VCE.

The products of the careers counselling process are kept by Julie in a folder for each student.

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Pathways plans to inform curriculum needs

There is an interesting ‘untidiness’ about the post-compulsory years at Wanganui Park. Subject blocking and timetabling enables flexibility of program options. All classes on Wednesdays are timetabled as ‘doubles’, and these are repeated on Monday and Friday afternoon. Students can therefore miss this day at school without missing any classes, and this is used to support work placements and participation in external programs.

Many students in the post-compulsory years are undertaking accelerated units, while others are repeating a semester to consolidate their learning. Some will be undertaking more units than others. Students in the MIPs class often do fewer traditional subjects and more work placements and vocational training. The lines between Year 10, Year 11 and Year 12 are therefore somewhat blurred, and teachers believe this encourages students to consider a range of possible learning pathways.

Work experience is compulsory for those who undertake the Careers Unit in Year 10, but it is also offered to all Year 10, 11 and 12 students, resulting in another 30 or so students who do work experience outside the Careers Unit structure. Students in the MIPs class also spend one day each week in employment, and VCAL students have a work component.

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Close collaboration between the VCE, VCAL and VET coordinators and the MIPs coordinator

The MIPs class was originally designed and implemented by Adrian Harris, who was Assistant Principal with responsibility for Years 9 and 10 at the time. An internal review of the MIPs class in 2004 recommended that the program be more fully integrated into the school leadership structure. As a result, the role of coordinator/teacher of the MIPs class was split in two and undertaken by two of the four House Leaders, Gerry Vecchio and Graeme Crosby. It is uncommon for such a key Pathways support role to be filled by members of a school’s central leadership team.

Teachers of the MIPs class work closely with the careers teacher. The VET and VCAL coordinators and the careers teacher share an office which is accessed through the senior school private study area.

The broader pathways planning of all students is supported by such a broad cross section of staff, including home group teachers, that it can only be described as fully integrated in the senior school program.

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Close collaboration between student welfare staff, integration staff, careers coordinators and the MIPs coordinator

The primary welfare mechanism of the school is the home group structure, and the pathways planning process is also implemented through this structure. Welfare staff work closely with the MIPs class and other at risk students, and there is close collaboration between the welfare coordinator and the House Leaders.

The flow of information runs both ways. Welfare concerns are passed by the home group teacher to the House Leader and thence to the welfare coordinator. Alternatively, many students approach the welfare staff directly, and where appropriate information is then shared with House Leaders. House Leaders, the VCE coordinator and the welfare coordinators share an office, ensuring excellent communication.

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Encourages parental involvement

Parents are involved in the planning of their child’s learning pathways from the end of Year 7, when Year 8 subject selections are made. Parents have to sign the ‘green sheet’ every year. During the Year 10 student meeting where the careers and pathways process is explained, a letter to parents is also distributed to explain the process. An optional parent information night on careers and pathways is usually attended by about 200 parents.

Parents of students in particular programs, such as the MIPs class or the Believe and Achieve Together (BAT) program, are more closely involved in the establishment of learning and/or career pathways.

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Process to regularly review pathways plans

Each Year 11 and 12 student has an individual meeting with their House Leader to discuss their progress, aims and goals for each year. They can alter their course or confirm their pathway with the House Leader. Many students also have informal meetings with the Careers teacher during these years.

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Process for the identification, support and monitoring of students at risk of early school leaving

The MIPs class at Wanganui Park is a targeted program for Year 10 students considered to be at risk of early school leaving. (Please note that this is one element of the broader MIPs/careers/pathways planning activity at the school.) The class aims to develop the potential of these students, and to “nurture their capacity to survive and thrive in the workplace,” says MIPs coordinator Gerry Vecchio. The program is flexible, and tailored to suit the capacity and interests of each student. Approximately 12 students in each semester participate in the MIPs class.

Identifying potential MIPs class students is a complex process. Initially, MIPs class teachers explain the program at a general assembly of Year 9 students and ask for volunteers. Last year there were 60! The opting-in process and the popularity of the program took away the sense that it was for ‘the weak kids’. House Leaders and welfare coordinators then made separate recommendations, and the MIPs coordinators looked for overlap in the two lists. This led to a list of about 30 students, and MIPs coordinators met with House leaders and welfare coordinators to discuss which students had an urgent need for the class and/or the maturity to undertake it in first semester. Students were then approached to see if they were interested and provided with a letter outlining the program (Word - 52Kb). Not all of those approached were among the original 60 volunteers. If the student said yes the MIPs coordinators sent a similar letter to parents (Word - 875Kb). All parents said yes.

The MIPs class counts as one of the 7 units for the semester, and is timetabled for all of Wednesday and a single class on Monday and Friday. While most MIPs class students will spend Wednesdays at a work or community service placement, other options are identified for those who are less likely to succeed in these environments. They may do the Future Skills unit (described below), or extra units of the vocationally-oriented subjects in which they are demonstrating some aptitude. MIPs class teachers do workplace visits on Wednesdays.

In the single period on Mondays the group studies ‘work skills’, which include the basic elements of the Careers Unit; pathways planning, occupational health and safety, looking for jobs, resume writing, etc. Staff from The Factory, a local youth services agency, come in to work with individuals and groups on developing life skills. Students are given a display folder at their first MIPs class in which to keep a journal of their work placements, work placement information, employer evaluations of work placements, and an up to date resume. These are kept at school to prevent them from being lost, and teachers bring them to class each Monday.

The single period on Friday is a breakfast debrief, set aside for an informal discussion of how the week has been, and any questions or problems arising.

Towards the end of the MIPs class, students reflect in their journal on whether they enjoyed their work placement, do they want to continue in that industry or kind of work, do they need to look for another work placement. Students work through a goal setting process around the questions, “What do you want to do, and how are you going to get there?”

Many MIPs class students take up 7 units again after the semester, others continue with a flexible program built around a continuing or new work placement, some keep the extra time to do private study to catch up on work in other subjects. SBNAs are also offered as a possibility, but few MIPs class students are taking this up.

The school is pleased with the retention and engagement outcomes of the MIPs class. Of the 12 students who did the unit in second semester last year, 10 have stayed at school, one gone on to employment, one has become disengaged. Most of these students had been planning to leave at end of Year 10. Of the 24 students who did the class last year, 19 are still at school with most undertaking a VCAL program.

What about the students who don’t get into the MIPs class? House Leaders conduct individual interviews with students each term, to monitor progress and wellbeing, discuss any issues arising, and to link students to other options and agencies if required. If a student is identified as at risk by House Leaders, welfare coordinators or parents, they can use the school’s flexibility to undertake programs such as Future Skills (offered at every level from Year 8). The Future Skills Unit is about temporarily dropping one unit in order to catch up on the learning in all the others. A group of up to 15 students works with a Future Skills teacher through a structured program that teaches coping skills and planning, and provides organisational assistance. How will you complete the homework you’ve been set this week? Do you have everything you need to finish your work?

“It’s better for students to do well in six subjects than to fail four out of seven,” says Acting Principal Ken Murray. “Better for them to have that success.”

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Supporting early school leavers for six months

The office administration staff make the phone calls associated with destination tracking. It generally produces information that the home group teachers already know, and the students that have dropped off the school community’s radar are the ones that cannot be found through follow-up phone calls.

Some students do return for career advice and support, but there is no systematic process for offering it to past students who may be in need.

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Provides students with a copy of their MIPs plan when they leave school or change schools

Each student who leaves from the middle school is able to take their student transcript with them, or to their new school. The transcript is produced from the computer program which runs the academic reporting at the school. This outlines their progress to date in all subject areas. They will also take their VMG course outline booklet which contains their proposed course selections for years 8 to 10. If they have been counselled regarding VCE course selection they will also be able to take their course selection booklet to their new school.

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Recognising that retention and engagement issues begin prior to Year 10

“We don’t lose many at Year 11 and 12. Once they get to Year 10 we tend to keep them, but we can lose them in Year 9,” says Acting Principal Ken Murray.

This pattern has led to an extensive support program for younger students.

  • “The Future Skills program (described above) is available from Year 8.
  • The Shed (otherwise known as the Shepparton Community Education Centre) offers a hands-on program for one day per week where students work with an adult on carpentry, automotive or other projects. Participation in this program is used as a motivator, a reward for school attendance and commitment.
  • The Boys Talk program is run by two teachers, the school nurse and a youth worker. Year 8 boys take part in a three week (six period) program that covers topics like behaviour, masculinity, conflict resolution, setting goals, self-esteem, and how to build relationships that work. The school is developing a Girls Talk program to commence next year.
  • The school has a process to support primary school refusers and their families when the student progresses to Year 7. This year there were five or six of these students enrolling at Wanganui Park. The support process can include home visits and arranging for the child to be picked up from home in the mornings.
  • There is a class called Peer Education which consists of selected Year 10 students who have shown leadership qualities. These students act as mentors for the Year 7 students. They attend the Year 7 camp and help to conduct the activities, work with some Year 7s in class and can also act as peer mediators with the Year 7s.
  • The Believe and Achieve Together program was initially funded through the School Focused Youth Services program. The school employed a social worker who worked closely with two groups of eight students who were not achieving success for academic, attendance or behavioural reasons. For twelve periods a week the group worked on intensive numeracy, literacy, social and personal development. While the program was effective it was expensive to run, and without the SFYS funding the program was scaled back so that Maths and English support is provided in the students’ usual classes, but the group is brought together for the social and personal development components.
  • One of the key elements of the BAT program was the engagement of families through family meal nights. These nights were loosely based on the Families and Schools Together (FAST) program, which Wanganui Park was one of the first secondary schools in Australia to adopt. Staff were trained as a FAST team to deliver a structured program. After the meal families broke into groups of Mums, Dads and kids to discuss education, youth and parenting issues. After 15 minutes the groups came back together to listen to a talk about a set topic, and then this would be followed by fun activities for families to do together. The FAST program was funded by the Fairlea Foundation in 2005, and without this funding support it has been scaled back. Students now undertake a peer-run activity, while staff engage in an information and discussion session with parents and carers.
  • Koori students are linked with Koori mentor, and spend one day or half a day per week engaged with cultural activities with a Koori educator.
  • Last year there were 7 young mothers at the school who were supported by a youth worker who provided assistance with housing, parenting, etc.
  • The welfare coordinator and the school nurse run support programs for students at risk, e.g. a social skills program was established for a small number of Year 8 boys who were at risk of leaving school. It was run on a weekly basis to help them cope with school, friendships, family issues, etc.
  • Some students take part in a 12 day personal development camp run by the North East Centre for Change, which also follows up participants over the next two years.
  • The possibility of online mentoring is being explored by John Sciacca, the school’s Community Links Officer.
  • Two Year 12s from last year are employed as tutors, providing one-on-one academic assistance to Year 7 and 8 students.

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How did you get here – tips for success?

  • Pathways planning is fully integrated into the senior school program.
  • Many staff are actively involved in the pathways planning process.
  • Young people at risk of early school leaving are identified early and connected to appropriate support programs.
  • There is a broad range of support programs to suit individual needs.
  • The MIPs class for ‘at risk’ students is offered as a structured program, and students have responsibilities as participants in the program.
  • Learn from experience, e.g. the MIPs class works better with one day at work rather than 2, as students retain a better sense of belonging in the school, and do not miss home group activities.
  • Engagement with families of at risk students through the BAT program. “Schools need to invest in developing this partnership and relationship, give it priority, as it saves patching things later,” says Ken Murray.
  • Make full use of Teacher Aides and School Support Officers, give them the professional learning and the responsibility to make a greater contribution to the school. “We have the right people to do that with.”

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What next – where to with your MIPs program over the next two years?

  • More follow-up on what happens after students complete the MIPs class, track retention and destinations of MIPs class students.
  • Improve links with primary schools so that the school understands the support needs of incoming students and families. There are processes in place, with visits to larger feeder primary schools in term 3 and a ‘one-pager’ on each transferring student, “but we can do a lot better than that,” says Ken Murray.
  • Engage other community members more. John Sciacca, Community Links Officer, is exploring ways to engage parents and volunteers in pathways planning and support programs.
  • Improve destination tracking processes.