Abstract
Previously conducted research about ‘at-risk’ students has focused on the transition from primary to secondary schools or on the transition between secondary and tertiary sectors. Students who are deemed to be at risk are those who are disengaging from school via non-attendance and whose chance of non-completion is high. Much research has documented how formal education fails disengaged youth. As a Federation University Gippsland Education (FUGuE) researcher, this chapter documents the various intervention strategies used to address at-risk primary school students through completing 31 exploratory, individual interviews with stakeholders involved in a pilot programme within a network of 8 schools located in remote East Gippsland. This chapter points to the particularities of how this place shapes the ways remote communities operate—partly due to its geographical and resource limitations but also due to the creative solutions the stakeholders employed. The aim of the research was to deepen understandings of what is currently known and practiced in a cluster of primary schools regarding at-risk students, complementing the existing work of secondary educators and community agencies. Findings indicate that children as young as 5 years old can be identified as at-risk, and that interventions with disengaged secondary school students are often not early enough, as some children are in danger of not completing primary school. This innovative programme set about to cater for at-risk primary students in a unified manner, in the form of shared cultural practices amongst school and agency staff in a demonstrated commitment to the United Nations’ sustainable goal of equitable educational opportunities for all. Their shared commitment to collaboration and relationality was identified, alongside a focus on the overall well-being, hope and vision of families within the community.
Due to a number of significant developments, I commenced at Edith Cowan University on the other side of Australia in October 2018. This has been a sad time as I have had to cut the deeply embedded roots, I had made in Gippsland in my commitment to the people who encapsulate it. This chapter was written while I was at Gippsland.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The eighth school was part of the Catholic Diocese and due to the short timeframe, ethical permission to conduct the research was not sought from the Diocese.
References
Armstrong, M. I., & Boothroyd, R. A. (2008). Predictors of emotional well-being in at-risk adolescent girls: Developing preventive intervention strategies. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 35(4), 435–453.
Armstrong, K. A., Ogg, J. A., Sundman-Wheat, A. N., & St. John Walsh, A. (2014). Evidence-based interventions for children with challenging behavior. New York, NY: Springer.
Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS]. (2016). Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 5—Remoteness structure. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/1270.0.55.005July%202016?OpenDocument.
Barrett, N., Cowen, J., Toma, E., & Troske, S. (2015). Working with what they have: Professional development as a reform strategy in rural schools. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 30(10), 1–18.
Benner, G. J., Nelson, J. R., Sanders, E. Z., & Ralston, N. C. (2012). Behavior intervention for students with externalizing behavior problems: Primary-level standard protocol. Exceptional Children, 78(2), 181–198.
Carmen, B., Waycott, L., & Smith, K. (2011). Rock up: An initiative supporting students’ wellbeing in their transition to secondary school. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 167–172.
Cefai, C., & Cavioni, V. (2014). Social and emotional education in primary school: Integrating theory and research into practice. New York, NY: Springer.
Childress, S., & Benson, S. (2014). Personalized learning for every student every day. Phi Delta Kappan, 95(8), 33–38.
Corbett, M. (2015). Rural education: Some sociological provocations for the field. Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 25(3). Retrieved May 11, 2018, from https://journal.spera.asn.au/index.php/AIJRE/article/view/100/74.
Corbett, M. (2016). Rural futures: Development, aspirations, mobilities, place, and education. Peabody Journal of Education, 91(2), 270–282. https://doi.org/10.1080/0161956X.2016.1151750.
Crockett, J. (2012). ‘There’s nothing the *@#! Wrong with me’: Youth mental health and substance use in rural and remote Australia and the potential role of school-based interventions. Youth Studies Australia, 31(1), 53–59.
Davies, M., Lamb, S., & Doecke, E. (2011). Strategic review of effective re-engagement models for disengaged learners. DEECD, Report commissioned by Skills Victoria on behalf of the Victorian Skills Commission’s Access and Equity Committee and prepared by the Centre for Research on Education Systems (CRES), University of Melbourne. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from http://www.skills.vic.gov.au/publications/research-and-reports.
Downes, N., & Roberts, P. (2018). Revisiting the schoolhouse: A literature review on staffing rural, remote and isolated schools in Australia 2004–2016. Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 28(1), 31–54.
East Gippsland Shire Community Profile. (2016). Retrieved May 16, 2016, from http://profile.id.com.au/east-gippsland.
Fazel, M., Hoagwood, K., Stephan, S., & Ford, T. (2014). Mental health interventions in schools 1: Mental health interventions in schools in high-income countries. Lancet Psychiatry, 1(5), 377–387.
Ferris, K. A., Oosterhoff, B., & Metzger, A. (2013). Organized activity involvement among rural youth: Gender differences in associations between activity type and developmental outcomes. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 28(15), 1–16. Retrieved March 14, 2018, from http://jrre.psu.edu/articles/28-15.pdf.
Gale, T., Sellar, S., Parker, S., Hattam, R., Comber, B., Tranter, D., & Bills, D. (2009). Interventions early in school as a means to improve higher education outcomes for disadvantaged (particularly low SES) students: A design and evaluation matrix for university outreach in schools. Report commissioned by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, National Centre for Student Equity: University of South Australia.
Halsey, R. J. (2017). Independent review into regional, rural and remote education—Discussion paper. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved May 5, 2018, from https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/independent_review_into_regional_rural_and_remote_education.pdf.
Halsey, R. J. (2018). Independent review into regional, rural and remote education—Final report. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from https://www.education.gov.au/independent-review-regional-rural-and-remote-education.
Hattam, R., & Smyth, J. (2003). ‘Not everyone has a perfect life’: Becoming somebody without school. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 11(3), 379–398.
Lamb, S. (2015). Opinion piece—Australian education fails one in four young people. Retrieved December 18, 2015, from http://www.mitchellinstitute.org.au/opinion/australian-education-fails-one-in-four-young-people-but-not-the-wealthy-ones/.
Lamb, S., & Rice, S. (2008). Effective intervention strategies for students at-risk of early learning discussion paper. Centre for Post-Compulsory Education and Lifelong Learning: The University of Melbourne.
Lamb, S., Jackson, J., Walstab, A., & Huo, S. (2015). Educational opportunity in Australia 2015: Who succeeds and who misses out. Centre for International Research on Education Systems, Victoria University, for the Mitchell Institute. Melbourne: Mitchell Institute.
Lane, K. L., Kalberg, J. R., Bruhn, A. L., Driscoll, S. A., Wehby, J. H., & Elliott, S. N. (2009). Assessing social validity of school-wide positive behavior support plans: Evidence for the reliability and structure of the primary intervention rating scale. School Psychology Review, 38(1), 135–144.
Luiselli, J. K., Putnam, R. F., Handler, M. W., & Feinberg, A. B. (2005). Whole-school positive behavior support: Effects on student discipline problems and academic performance. Educational Psychology, 25(2–3), 183–198.
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396.
McGraw, A. (2011). Shoving our way into young people’s lives. Teacher Development, 15(1), 105–116.
Riglin, L., Frederickson, N., Shelton, K. H., & Rice, F. (2013). A longitudinal study of psychological functioning and academic attainment at the transition to secondary school. Journal of Adolescence, 36, 507–517.
Schroeder, J. L., & Johnson, G. E. (2009). Accessing substance abuse prevention programs for schools. Intervention in School and Clinic, 44(4), 234–240.
Schwab, R. G. (2012). Indigenous early school leavers: Failure, risk and high-stakes testing. Australian Aboriginal Studies, 1, 3–18.
Sellar, S., Hattam, R., Bills, D., Comber, B., Tranter, D., & Gale, T. (2009). Interventions early in school as a means to improve higher education outcomes for disadvantaged (particularly low SES) students. Component C: Case studies of selected Australian university outreach activities. Report commissioned by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. National Centre for Student Equity: University of South Australia.
State of Victoria (Department of Education and Early Childhood). (2013). School focused youth services guidelines 2013–2015. Communications Division for Student Inclusion and Engagement Division. Retrieved June 19, 2018, from http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/health/Pages/sfys.aspx.
Sugai, G., & Horner, R. H. (2009). Responsiveness-to-intervention and school-wide positive behavior supports: Integration of multi-tiered system approaches. Exceptionality, 17(4), 223–237.
Tay, L. Y., & Lim, C. P. (2008). Engaging academically at-risk primary school students in an ICT mediated after school program. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 24(5), 521–539.
Tay, L. Y., & Lim, C. P. (2010). An activity theoretical perspective towards the design of an ICT-enhanced after-school programme for academically at-risk students. Educational Media International, 47(1), 19–37.
United Nations (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld/publication.
Waters, S., Lester, L., & Cross, D. (2014). How does support from peers compare with support from adults as students transition to secondary school? Journal of Adolescent Health, 54, 543–549.
Acknowledgements
This research was funded by Gippsland Lakes Community Health in association with the Schools Focused Youth Service. The author acknowledges the support of the Department of Education and Training, Victoria.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Johnson, N.F. (2019). Transforming Hopes and Visions for ‘At-Risk’ Primary Students in East Gippsland: A Community–School Partnership. In: Green, M., Plowright, S., Johnson, N. (eds) Educational Researchers and the Regional University. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6378-8_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6378-8_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-13-6377-1
Online ISBN: 978-981-13-6378-8
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)