education has the power to change everything. how do you break the cycle of poverty?
TRANSCRIPT
Education Has The Power To Education Has The Power To
Change EverythingChange Everything
How do you BREAK
the Cycle of Poverty?
CARING ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY
Dr. H. Jack Geiger in the cotton fields of Mound Bayou, Mississippi, 1968
The Vision
Community Succession
The children of the community will become the
doctors, nurses, social workers, community health workers and administrators
of the Health Centre.
Focus Groups:• Kids: Grads, Drop-Outs, In-School• Parents: In First Languages• Agency/School Staffs
• Research Data from School Board by community
• Best Practices from successful Programs
Getting Started…
Chart 1: 1993 Cohort Drop-out Rates All Students
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Former City ofToronto
Regent Park
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Chart 2: 1993 Cohort Drop-out Rates Single Parent Mother-Led Families
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Former City ofToronto
Regent Park
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Chart 3: 1993 Cohort Drop-out Rates Recent Immigrants (< 5 Years)
77
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Former City of Toronto Regent Park
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cent
age
of S
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Chart 4: 1993 Cohort Drop-out Rates Immigrants in Canada 5+ Years
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Former City of Toronto Regent Park
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION cont’d
HIGH SCHOOLIS A CRUCIAL MINIMUM TO
SECURING EMPLOYMENTAND INCREASINGLY
NOT ENOUGH
Employment Growth by Educational Attainment, Ontario, 1990-2007(2)
Studies show that dropouts … tend to be unemployed or
earning lower wages, thus paying little or no taxes
tend to experience higher rates of poverty, thus drawing most from social assistance
tend to commit more crime and threaten the safety of our neighbourhoods, thus putting greater strains on our justice system
tend to have higher incidents of illness, drug-use, and teenage pregnancy, thus putting greater strains on our health care system
How big is the problem?
Provincial averages: 20-30%
Low income communities: 30-50%
30%
50%
Immigrant, Aboriginal and single parent families: 50-70%70%
• caring relationships• engaged intellectually
• peer support• sense of community
• an expanding network of adults
Teens can thrive…
“Neighbourhoods with stronger social supports and greater stability appear to have better outcomes for children even controlling for other factors in children's background”.
Levin “Students at Risk: A Review of the Research” (2004; pp. 30)
The SolutionPathways collectively “wraps” students from low-income communities with comprehensive multi-year supports proven to be critical in helping them stay in school and make the transition into healthy, successful and contributing adults.
1-TO-1 MENTORING &
SUPPORT
Staff provide 1-on-1 support to help
students succeed in school, at home, and in
the community
SOCIAL SUPPORT
Volunteers run group mentoring activities to
help students with social skills, problem
solving and career planning
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Scholarships and other financial
supports provide incentives and help reduce barriers to school completion
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
Volunteers provide after-school tutoring in core academic subjects
STUDENT/PARENT CONTRACT
COMMUNITY READINESSContinual program improvement through research and program evaluation
The Solution
K - 8 GRADES 9 - 12 POST SECONDARY
Tutoring in core academic subjects
Group mentoring
Registration
Career mentoring & internships
Volunteer participation in Pathways
Scholarships
1-to-1 mentoring and support
Financial assistance (bus tickets, lunch vouchers, etc.)
Pathways Alumni Network
Key Risk Factors (Ferguson, HSC; 2005)
Macro Meso Micro-Non-School Related
• Low social class • Family • Disabilities
• Minority Status • School-home link • Risk-taking
• Gender • Adult status - • Social isolation
• “Place” • Identity issues
• Youth culture • Moves/interruptions
• Immigration/resettlement
School Related
• Ineffective discipline • Negative teacher student relations
• Low level of engagement
• Lack of referral, counseling or outreach
• Curriculum • Suspensions/retentions
• Negative school culture • Passive Instruction
• Negative administrator relations • Disregard for learning style
• School structural flaws • Lack of support outreach
• Lack of assessment for disabilities
• School culture conflicts
Tutoring & Academic Support
Tutoring/Academic Support Compulsory; Twice a week based on Marks;
Gr. 9 60%; Gr.10 65%; Gr.11/12 70%
Grades 9-12+; English, French, Math, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences
Study Skills, Organizational Skills
Literacy/Numeracy, ESL; 1:1 for Special Ed; Computer Lab
250 Volunteer Tutors recruited for subjects and for diversity
Why Mentoring & Social Support
Why Mentoring/Social Support
Social, rather than Academic, Development
Breaking down isolation Positive peerrelationships
Skills development: communication, problem-solving, group dynamics and team building
Talent or Interest Development
Broadening opportunities to experience differentfutures
Forms of MentoringGroup Mentoring: Grades 9&10
• Every Other Week; • ½ activities designed by Pathways; other
½ by groups• Activities such as: trips, cooking, skating,
discussions, etc.
Specialty Mentoring: Older Youth • Talent, Interest or Skills Development• Small Group or Individual• Periodic Reflection: How has it helped
you move forward?What have you learned that will help you with next steps?
Forms of Mentoring - Continued
Career Mentoring – Preparing for Success After High School
• College/University Applications/Decisions/Support
• OYAP, Apprenticeship, Employment• Career “Mondays” – by field/area• Visits to Campuses/workplaces• Individual and/or small group
mentors in particular field• Financial Literacy• Summer paid internships
Financial $upports
Why do we have financial supports?
• Current support – because poverty is a defining characteristic of families and of the communities; because specific financial barriers were identified which made school attendance a challenge. $90/month TTC, Lunch vouchers.
• Scholarships/bursaries – because financial barriers to post-secondary participation were identified and are real. $1000/year to $4000 max. ($500 in Quebec)
• Both forms establish Pathways as credibly addressing real challenges, as able and willing to support the families, of making higher expectations real.
Student Parent Support Workers
Pathways aims to change communities, not schools or families
Role is to support students, not change teachers or
parents.
To change communities, need to include all the kids neither
“creaming” nor “targeting”; students not homogeneous
Success requires support for all years of high school
Constant adult presence normal aolescent development adults
other than parents
Self-esteem follows achievement; achievement follows expectations
and support, mediated by “discipline”
Kids from poverty are “normal”, not stereotypes and not to be “pathologized”
Need a range of adults since we don’t know when any given student will need what kind/intensity of support or from whom Intervening in the “space between” systemsThe systems themselves need to be understoodConnections need knowledge of both kids and institutions
Success (especially for those from poverty) requires paying attention/being present, communicating clear message about expectations, providing concrete support, etc.
Intentionally, different staff backgrounds, not one professional culture.
Our Results?
Pathways to Education Canada and Program Replication
• Created 2006 from “demand” and “moral obligation”
• Independent Foundation• Mission: Purpose/Functions Organization
Transferring knowledgeEnsuring Program Quality and OutcomesSupporting communities
The Results
87%Average student participation rates across all sites.
57%Average reduction in academically at-risk students in Ontario after 1st year in program.
79%Average reduction in dropout rates for program participants across first 5 cohorts in Regent Park.
Source: Pathways to Education Canada program reports as of July 2010
Pre PathwaysPre Pathways Current
Current
The Results
April 19, 2023 Unlocking the Unlimited Potential of Youth
50
400%Average increase in student participation in post secondary education.
Pathways graduates experience attrition rates that are significantly lower than the national average.
Source: Pathways to Education Canada program reports as of July 2010
Pathways PathwaysNational Avg. National Avg.
College Attrition Rates University Attrition Rates
Source: Statistics Canada / Pathways program results as at July 2010
Pre Pathways Current
What the Experts are Saying
Boston Consulting Group reports that $1 invested in Pathways generates a $25 return to society in terms of decreased social costs and an increased tax base.
McKinsey Company report on student retention and success in Quebec identifies Pathways as one of four programs most likely to reduce poverty and dropout rates in the Province of Quebec.
Monitor Group partner and author of the book “Forces for Good”, Heather McLeod Grant, says “never before have we seen such impressive results”.
United Nations independent expert on minority issues, Gay McDougall, highlights Pathways as one of the most outstanding educational models seen during her 2009 visit to Canada.
Growth: 2001-2010
Projected Growth: 2010-15
Graduation
Graduate Results (December 2009)
• Overall H.S. Dropout Rate (Cohorts 1-5): 11.8% (101/858)
• 18.9% of students from Cohorts 1-5 are still in school.
• 593 Graduates from five cohorts.• 478 (80.6%) to Post-Secondary Programs.• Overall Attrition from Post-Secondary Programs =
4.4% (compared to attrition rates of 16% from Universities; 25% from Colleges in November 2008 Statistics Canada Study)
• 33 Post-Secondary Grads to date (9 Univ; 24 College).
1.Financial Preparedness – mix of loans/grants, how to do it
2.Academic Preparedness – incl. “right” courses/right level
3.Disposition – not simply from parents, peers, other adults
4.Relationships - Knowledge of Students AND Institutions
Values and organizational cultures – including “validation”
(at schools, PS, Pathways)
Creating a “post-secondary going culture”
Four Key Factors…
Specific interventions designed to alleviate a narrow set of barriers—by targeting one kind of barrier, such as academic ability—will be limited in their effectiveness because they leave the other sources of the problem untouched.
Without a comprehensive approach to overcoming these barriers, it is unlikely that Canada will gain the post-secondary achievement necessary to chart a successful course in the 21st century.
(CMSF, The Price of Knowledge; 2007; p. 34)
Number of Eligible Youth
2008/09: Participation Levels at Pathways’ Sites
What the Kids Are Saying
• 98.5% expect to graduate high school
• 86.9% say Pathways helped them get better grades
• 84.0% say Pathways helped them to know how to ask for help when they need it
• 81.0% say Pathways helped them to believe that they can be successful at school
• 72.3% said that Pathways helped them try new things
The Payback?
According to the Boston Consulting Group
The Social Return on Investment is $25 For Every Dollar Invested in Pathways
Lessons Learned
•Include ALL kids
•Activities need to be in the community
• Blend of supports - not just one
•Supports must continue regardless of
“school” programs
•Consistency from staff (more than volunteers)
•Commitment to success, raising expectations
•Training and ongoing support, especially for volunteers (e.g. mentor debriefing; advanced tutoring
techniques)
•Don’t over-program (but provide everything!)
•Accountability/Monitoring Results
•Public as well as private funding is needed to sustain
Implementation Principles
#1: Community Engagement
#2: Start with a credible community-based organization
#3: Include all the community’s children in the program
#4: Set program standards to ensure program integrity
#5: Develop a staff team
#6: Take an integrated and holistic approach
#7: Build and maintain quality relationships
#8: Measure and report outcomes
#9: Learn from best practices, experience and feedback
#10: Sustain a long-term commitment to Pathways
The Top-10
