Intervention project
Reducing number of early
school leavers in Ireland
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Audrey Bryan
Arnošt Veselý
Rania Georgiou
Kateřina Vlčková
Charis Konstantinides
Problem definition
• High-level of drop-outs from secondary
education in Ireland (16 per cent)
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Community needs
Why is it a problem?
• For individual:
– increased risk of poverty, unemployment and social
exclusion,
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– increased risk of pathological behavior.
• For society:
– increased costs in supporting of those who are
unemployed,
– loss of human capital (skilled workers),
– social pathology.
Target group
• 5 % of secondary schools with the highest level
of drop-outs in Ireland
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Influential factors
teachers
expectations
tracking
too strict
environment
low
achievement
SCHOOL
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cultural
capital
low attachment to
school
low involvement in
learningfamily SES
achievement
low attachement
to school
low
aspiration
DROP-
OUT
PARENTS
PERSON
Influential factors
teachers
expectations
tracking
too strict
environment
low
achievement
SCHOOL
ESF QMSS Lefkosia 2006 6
cultural
capital
low attachment to
school
low involvement in
learningfamily SES
achievement
low attachement
to school
low
aspiration
DROP-
OUT
PARENTS
PERSON
Interventions strategy
• Training program for teachers
• psychological training (self-fulling prophecy ..),
• classroom management (disciplinary climate...).
• Outreach to parents
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• Outreach to parents
• introductory meetings, common gatherings, „Olympic
games“, theater
• Reorganization of schools
• detracking (same curriculum for every student, extra teaching
for the needed)
Desired results
• Outputs
• Higher teachers expectations
• Higher attachment of parents to school
• Less strict school environment
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• The same curriculum for every student
• Outcomes
• Reducing level of drop-outs
• Impact
• Continuing in further education
Resources
• Skilled instructors for training program
• Mentors in designing out-reach activities
• Financial funds for out-reach activities
• More teachers
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• More teachers
Assumptions
• School matters !
• Coleman et al.: Structure and organization
of schools do not have any effect upon
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of schools do not have any effect upon
achievement – what matters are students‘
and parents‘ characteristics
Assumptions
• School matters !
• Coleman et al.: Structure and organization
of schools do not have any effect upon
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of schools do not have any effect upon
achievement – what matters are students‘
and parents‘ characteristics
Research design
• Quasi-experiment
• Unit: school
Two groups:
N O X O (5 % schools with highest drop-out)
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N O X O (5 % schools with highest drop-out)
N O O (other secondary schools)
Statistical analysis
• Regression-discontinuity design
• Potential threats:
• History
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• History
• Maturation
• Testing
• Instrumentation
• Mortality
• Regression
Advantages
• Cheap
• Relatively ethical in contrast to randomized
design
• Access to data (data from central register, no
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• Access to data (data from central register, no
need for data collecting, not time and money
consuming)
Limitations
• Intervention only at the school level
• Impact not measured
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Open questions
• Multi-level design?
• If individual level included, how to contact
persons later?
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Possible interventions
at individual level
• Counselor
• Special instruction in study skills and
knowledge for students
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• Assistance for the homework
• Extra-curricular activities
• Common breakfast
• …….
Influential factors
teachers
expectations
tracking
too strict
environment low
achievement
low DROP-
SCHOOL
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cultural
capital
low attachment to
school
low involvement in
learningfamily SES
low attachement
to school
low
aspiration
DROP-
OUT
PARENTS
PERSON
Thank you
for your attention
………….
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Critical friends are more than welcome!