Pathways Project

Images of the Pathways Project

2011-08-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

These images were taken by the Pathways Project teacher, Caterina Di Girolamo.
YouTube Link

Evaluation completed

2011-08-14T23:39:00.000-07:00

The members of the Glebe Pathways Forum have completed an evaluation at the mid-way point of the Project's three-year funding.In her Foreward to the document, Dr Kitty te Riele (UTS), states:

"This self-assessment takes an honest look at those aspects of program design that have been established as being relevant for all such alternative education projects by the Dusseldorp Skills Forum. Three findings stand out for me. First, the strong commitment to counter negative assumptions and deficit views about the young people in the Glebe Pathways Project - instead putting their interests and voices at the centre of the project. Second, the genuine collaboration among a range of institutional and community partners - turning their different cultures, expertise and priorities into complementary strengths to support the Project. Finally, the hard work and good will of the staff and volunteers in the Project, who make the personal and public benefits of education more real and achievable on a day-to-day basis".

Download a copy of the evaluation.

The Big Picture Learning Cycle

2011-08-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

Learning through interests in the Pathways Project

2011-03-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

Teachers, mentors and other adults involved in the Pathways Project are encouraged to develop Learning Through Interest (LTI) projects that investigate some aspect of their practice associated with the Project. In other words, these projects are aimed at enhancing the learning experiences of both adults and students.

LTI projects replicate the same process undertaken by students. In other words, an LTI is planned and exhibited within the context of the Glebe classroom, and it is carried out beyond the classroom. Hence, LTI requires identifying and maintaining communication with a mentor and a setting beyond the classroom.

A key feature of LTI is that it produces something that can be exhibited each term. This means that it needs to be small in scale, and very well defined.

The Curriculum DesignTeam meeting every Wednesday functions like a Big Picture Advisory, providing teachers with the resources and support to conduct their LTI.

The following questions guide the development of an LTI:
• What is the aspect of my practice that I want to investigate?
• Why is it important to develop this practice within the context of the Pathways Project?
• Where can I learn more about this practice? What are the features of a site that will deepen my understanding of this practice?
• Who would be a suitable mentor to guide my learning?

Creating a new learning program involves a number of distinct challenges

2010-05-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

This applies to the creation of a school, a skills training program, an adult evening class, a children’s playgroup, a sports program, etc. Formal learning programs do not just grow naturally, they require constant planning, attention and maintenance in order to develop and sustain the curriculum, teaching practices, leadership practices, organisational structures, social and welfare support systems, human resources, infrastructure, communication processes, etc.

As the Glebe Pathways Program is a community-based learning program, the development and maintenance of different parts of the program is a collaborative undertaking that is shared among the partners. For example, Sydney Secondary College and the Glebe Youth Service have accepted responsibility for the day-to-day running of the program. The University of Sydney is supporting the professional development of teachers and the implementation of the curriculum. The City of Sydney is coordinating communication among the partners. Community volunteers have taken up a range of responsibilities including guiding governance, mentoring teachers and students, and supporting the breakfast program.

Developing and sustaining the different parts of the program requires innovation and creativity in order to design new practices and processes tailored to the specific needs of the students within the context of Glebe while making use of the available resources.

The type of innovation and creativity that is required in a learning environment is largely shaped by the type of curriculum that is being implemented. Personalised learning requires different pedagogical and leadership practices to problem-based learning, or skills-based learning. It is sometimes possible to adopt designs that have been shown to work elsewhere but the unique setting and context of the Glebe program call for more purpose-built designs. Figuring out how to develop and sustain the parts of the program requires a number of problems to be worked on simultaneously. This requires coordination and communication.

One way to approach this complex challenge is for each person involved in the program to identify and work on a specific issue related to their practice, in other words what they contribute to the program. It is possible to liken this task to an individual learning project similar to those that are central to the Big Picture curriculum. This highlights that solving a practice problem usually requires learning something new. It also provides a means by which we can experience the type of learning we are providing for students under the same conditions.

At the last curriculum design meeting for Term 1 2010, teachers took on the task of developing individual learning projects that will allow each of them to investigate a pedagogical issue of relevance to their practice. Since they work together in the classroom, these individual projects have the potential to support their collective practice, particularly when the problems, investigations and solutions are jointly negotiated and communicated.

Examples of projects might include: feeling more connected and part of a team; developing shared strategies for supporting students’ interests; creating learning activities related to students’ learning plans. These projects have an individual and a collective dimension. Each step of an individual project has the potential to contribute to collective practice: developing a project requires identifying parts of the program than can be improved; investigating solutions requires exploration of possibilities for change; communicating what we learn about our individual practice has the potential to contribute to the quality of the learning programs we offer.

From Term 2 2010, I’d like to propose that everyone involved in the Glebe Pathways Project undertakes an individual learning project. What will your project be?

Glebe Pathways Project: Early stage review and planning

2010-05-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

A new learning program started operating at the Glebe Youth Service (GYS) on October 20, 2009. Since that time, over fourteen young people who were not previously attending school, work or any other form of training enrolled in the Pathways Project.

We aim to reconnect these young people with a successful learning pathway that may lead back to formal schooling, a traineeship or apprenticeship, employment, or university.

We recognise the need to establish a structured and stable program, in which learners receive consistent and shared messages from adults about learning and working together.

Our goal is to provide individualised and integrated support to each young person that enables them to develop the habits, skills and knowledge for more sure footed pathways to further learning, training and work.

Working on an interest project is the centre piece of our learning program and something that all young people and adults involved in the program will be involved in. We all need to be able to answer the question: What’s your interest project?

Indigenous knowledge
A number of Indigenous people are involved in various ways in the project. For example, Rebecca Mooney was on the panel that appointed the teacher staff. Jane Stanley (Aboriginal Curriculum Consultant) has been a member of the Community Engagement Team. Jane organised for Aunt Fay Carrol (Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer) and Carol Green (ACLO) to meet the project’s lead teacher (Caterina di Girolamo) and one of its academic advisors (Dr Deb Hayes) to be informed about the project and to seek their advice on the ongoing involvement of community elders. They indicated a willingness to maintain ongoing contact with the project.

In addition, Darryl Griffin (Director, EORA College, TAFE), and Annette Lamb and Linda Harding (MG MyGateway, Indigenous Field Officers) have attended a meeting of the Community Engagement Team. They offered to host visits by the students to EORA and Yaama Dhiyaan. Annette faciliated an outing for students on the Rainbow Warrior.

Michael Walker has worked on a regular basis as a teacher’s aide. Michael’s involvement is funded by TAFE and other resources.

Bruce Shillingsworth (ACLO) has visited the classroom and, together with Michael, met with some of the boys. He has indicated that he is willing to act as an Indigenous mentor.

Barbara McGready has worked as an occasional volunteer. Barbara is studying at Tranby

Dr Romaine Moreton has provided professional guidance and support to Caterina, and has been invited to participate in the project as an Indigenous academic advisor. In response to a letter of invitation to participate in the Pathways Project in this way, Romaine replied:

Indigenous ways of learning are holistic, and given this, the optimal aim would be to have Indigenous educators and community involvement in every phase of development in the Pathways Project to build a sense of Indigenous ownership and responsibility. This can only occur through outlining and adhering to appropriate Indigenous cultural protocol procedures.

Romaine has made the following recommendations:
• Consultation with highly skilled Indigenous educators and community members in order to Indigenise the pedagogy and curriculum
• Develop a set of protocols through the collaborative process to outline a collective (Indigenous and western) cultural vision to inform the Pathways Project
• Cultural training for all staff involved in the Pathways Project
• The employment of appropriately skilled and culturally trained educators to support the principal teacher
• a new, better resourced space.

While recognising that the Glebe Pathways Project also caters for non-Indigenous students, it is proposed that the Community Engagement Team consult with Dr Moreton and other Indigenous educators and community leaders as a matter of priority in 2010 to find ways of addressing these recommendations.

Connecting with one student at a time
Potential students for the project are identified by the Home School Liaison Officer (Louise Brennan). Most students live in Glebe, have attended either Leichardt or Balmain campuses of Sydney Secondary College, and have not attended school over a long period of time.

Students requesting entry to the project are required to participate in a Learning Plan meeting with a parent, guardian or supportive adult. The participation of a parent, usually mothers, is an important element of settling some students into the project.

All students have started to work on a visual process diary and a blog. These are the primary documents that record the development of their interest projects.

The Curriculum Design Team (facilitated by Ann King, former Principal Ashfield Boys High School and Margaret Wheeler, former Principal Pittwater High School) has met regularly on Wednesday afternoons. This is the primary means by which we are providing regular support for the teachers and adapting Big Picture principles to the Pathways context.

In 2010, we aim to match each student to an expert adult who can extend, validate and inspire their developing interest. This will require the support of volunteers who will work with students to identify, contact and communicate with their expert.

As well as the previously mentioned Indigenous volunteers and mentors, a number of other volunteers have participated in the program in 2009. Terry Clark (former Principal, Leichardt High School) has been present on a number of Wednesdays. In order to support development of this element of the curriculum, we need a process for identifying and inducting new volunteers.

It is proposed that the Community Engagement Team (facilitated by Keiran Kevans) coordinate the development and implementation of this process.

Induction of new teachers, workers and volunteers
We recognise the need to introduce people who are new to the project to the ideas, practices and goals that underpin it. For some this will include participating in a Big Picture training workshop, for all it will require developing an interest project.

Teachers at Sydney Secondary College will be invited to express an interest in working as an associate teacher on the project during 2010. These teachers will be asked to attend a Big Picture workshop in January.

It is proposed that the College Principal (Doreen Wilson) will coordinate this process.

We will work towards creating a webpage to introduce new people to students and adults involved in the project. It will show the names, photos and short biographies of people involved in the project. Information will be uploaded by students, who will conduct a brief interview with workers designed to introduce workers to the students prior to commencing their involvement in the project.

Supporting young lives
We recognise that young people enrolled in the Pathways project face many challenges. Disruption to their schooling reflects other disruptions in their families, where they live, and in their social networks.

In order to integrate the work of key personnel, we will explore new ways of working across organizations, and with families and communities. This is a priority issue for the program in 2010.

From the start of 2010, teachers and youth workers will meet every fortnight to share information about individual students. This meeting will establish and operate under agreed privacy guidelines and, when necessary, case conferences will be organized with young people and their families.

It is proposed that the Co-ordinator, Glebe Youth Service (Col Stokes) coordinate these activities.

We will also initiate specific training and support for teachers, youth workers and volunteers to develop consistent and shared approaches to dealing with challenging behavior upstairs and downstairs at the Youthie.

It is proposed that the Glebe Youth Service (Keiran Kevans) and the academic advisor (Deb Hayes) coordinate a workshop for all staff involved in the project early in 2010.

Structure of the program
We recognise the importance of regular on-time attendance to develop commonly expected work habits. Our goal is for all students to be attending more frequently and staying longer. While five and three day programs have been trialed, this goal is perhaps best supported by a five day program.

It is proposed that in 2010 the classroom-based program will commence at 10am and conclude at 1pm. A range of afternoon options will be explored such as visits with experts, team and individual sport programs, tutoring, etc. The College Principal will continue to supervise the staffing of this program.

As well as the classroom based program, we recognise the importance of field trips. The field trips are a means by which all students can support and learn from individual interest projects. They may develop a form in which students adopt particular roles such as: photographer, story teller, commentary, sound recordist, camera operator, logisitics, etc. The collaborating teacher will assume organisational responsibility for these experiences.

The teaching assistant will assume organisational responsibility for the other experiences, such as visits to NITV, Bangarra, Yaama Dhiyaan, etc.

Connecting with community
The Community Engagement Team is the primary means by which the project is attempting to connect and communicate with local community members and organisations. Members of this team include Roelof Smilde (GYS, Board Member), Goeff Hockey (Chaplain, Sydney Secondary College), Jane Stanley, Louise Brennan (Home School Liaison Officer), Rachel McAuslan (Relieving Aboriginal Education Officer). Keiran Kevans (GYS) has facilitated this group.

Sustaining the partnership
The Glebe Pathways project is a broad-based collaboration between a number of organizations, including: Sydney Secondary College, Glebe Youth Service, The University of Sydney (Faculty of Education & Social Work), TAFE Outreach, Big Picture Education Australia, Glebe Public School, and The City of Sydney,

The main mechanism for communication between these partners is through the Strategic Planning Team. We value the strength of this partnership and the good will that underpins it. In order to sustain the partnership we will establish a schedule of regular meetings in 2010 with agreed themes, and processes.
It is proposed that the John Maynard (City of Sydney, Senior Project Co-ordinator - Safe City) will coordinate these meetings.

A new name?
Currently, the Glebe Pathways Project is described in various ways, such as the new learning program or school at the Youthie, the Pathways Project, Re-engage, etc.

It is proposed that we find a new name for the project that reflects it purposes and helps to establish a distinct identity. Some suggestions include: Barragroup (Barra is an Aboriginal word for ‘hook’), Gallery 2037, The Studio, etc.

Update

2009-11-17T19:17:00.000-08:00

Progress to date
Fourteen young people who were previously not attending school, work or any other form of training are enrolled in the Pathways Project. The aim of the project is to reconnect these young people with a successful learning pathway that may lead back to formal schooling, a traineeship or apprenticeship, employment, or university.
To enrol, each young person had to meet with the project’s full time teacher, Caterina di Girolamo, accompanied by a member of their family or a carer.
The day begins with breakfast around 9.30 am and concludes when the GYS Drop-in opens at 3pm.
The attic studio in the Youthie that functions as our learning space has had a new coat of paint and it’s been re-carpeted. There are ten computers connected to the Internet and, before too long, the Department of Housing has promised to line the roof with insulation.
The curriculum development team meets every week, and the community engagement team is also continuing to meet regularly.

Supporting one student at a time to explore their interests
A key element of the Big Picture design that underpins the project is supporting one student at a time to discover and explore what interests them. The plan for this term is to establish a clearer sense of each young person’s interests. Visual diaries, blogs, and zines are just some of the ways each learner is being assisted to tell and develop their story.
It’s hard to be interested in something if you don’t know about it: Does the interest come first or the exploring the world? The learning program is designed to help students ‘see’ and ‘explore’ the world in order that they might find their interests. We are doing this by getting them out and about, and observing them in different settings while interacting with different people.
A group project is also being planned that will allow the students to work together and get to know each other. A number of options are being explored including making a film and making items to sell at a market stall.
We are exploring opportunities for each young person to experience success by connecting them to enjoyable and rewarding experiences. With time, we see a critical role for mentors to connect with and support individual students.

Volunteers and advisors
Talented and generous individuals continue to offer their support to the project. For example, Dr Romaine Moreton, an artist and an academic whose work promotes Indigenous knowledge, philosophy and cultural practices, has agreed to work with us to embed the project in an Indigenous cultural framework. Romaine will assist us to recognise and connect with culturally relevant knowledge and practices.
We are also seeking experienced educators who would be willing to spend about 2-3 hours assisting the teaching team on a regular basis. This might involve one-on-one work with an individual learner, or simply the supportive presence of another adult in the informal setting of the classroom.

High expectations - part of the Stronger Smarter philosophy

2009-10-29T21:39:00.001-07:00

The Indigenous Education Leadership Institute based at Queensland University of Technology is lead by Dr Chris Sarra and underpinned by the Stronger Smarter Philosophy:

1. Acknowledging, embracing and developing a positive sense of Aboriginal identity in schools;
2. Acknowledging and embracing Aboriginal leadership in schools and school communities;
3. ‘High expectations’ leadership to ensure ‘high expectations’ classrooms, with ‘high expectations’ teacher / student relationships;
4. Innovative and dynamic school models in complex social and cultural contexts; and
5. Innovative and dynamic school staffing models, especially for community schools.

The Pathways Project draws upon good ideas in education to provide learning opportunities for kids not currently in school, training or work. It is a work in progress and we are exploring ways of working with this philosophy.

Teaching team appointed.

2009-10-13T21:12:00.000-07:00

In September, the teaching team was appointed to the new learning program which will commence operating at the Glebe Youth Service from October 19.
Caterina di Girolamo is the full time teacher, Paul Drury will be working as a part time teacher (2 days/week), and Jan Flanagan will be assisting Caterina and Paul on a full time basis.
All are experienced educators who bring a wide range of skills to the new learning program.
In recent weeks the team has attended a three-day workshop run by Big Picture Education, Australia in Shepparton, Victoria. They also met with John Hogan (Big Picture) for three days in Sydney.
Ann King and Margaret Wheeler (both former principals) are working with the team as advisors.
In the coming weeks, the teaching team will contribute to this blog.

INVITATION: Briefing session on new learning program

2009-08-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

Interested educators and community members are invited to attend a briefing session where the features of the non-school based program commencing at the Glebe Youth Service in Term 4 (October) will be outlined.

Date: Wednesday Aug 26 from 8.30am to 11.00am
Venue: Glebe Youth Service, 84 Glebe Point Road, Glebe

A brief history of the GYS learning program by Roelof Smilde

2009-08-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

In 2003 the Glebe Youth Service started a year 10 program designed to attract the many young adolescents who had dropped off their schooling. The great majority of those who became students were from the Glebe Estate. Initially the course was staffed by volunteers and then for two years was funded by TAFE under a start-up program.

Funding trouble started in the financial year 2007-8. A private foundation helped out to the end of 2007 and in second term 2008 DET provided two teachers and a teacher’s aide from Edgeware Special School. This program was named Re-Engage, the focus was not on year 10 and the School Certificate, but aimed to have the students re-engaged in main stream high school by the end of term 4. The program was not a success and was discontinued.

Late in 2008 the GYS co-ordinator and a board member who had been involved with the year 10 program from the beginning approached the recently appointed Minister for Education Verity Firth, the local member for the area.
The plan put forward was for a pilot program of three years, funded by DET, under the auspices of the Sydney Secondary College, and guided by the principles that had evolved during the running of the course over the previous five years.

The Minister’s response was very positive (she had been a strong supporter of the GYS for some time) and the proposal was put through the system. During this process a Sydney University Education group and the Glebe Development Project became involved and were able to add a lot of strength to the push behind this ambitious project. Two of the initiatives were an evaluation of the GYS program up to the end of 2008 and a very large meeting of interested parties from many different corners of education in this country. This meeting of 28 people unanimously endorsed the proposal put before the Minister and emphasised the need for a personalised approach outside of main stream high schooling.

Despite the difficulties presented by a very tight State budget and some bureaucratic resistance Ms Firth was able to secure the passage of the proposal in May. The program is basically as envisaged, is to run as a pilot for three years, is funded to supply a full-time teacher, a part-time teacher and a teacher’s aide, and is to be ready to commence at the beginning of term 4 this year.

Questions & Answers: two months and counting

2009-07-07T23:41:00.000-07:00

It's almost two months since our first meeting on May 15. In that time, the number of people involved in the Pathways Project has expanded and we have established three teams: Strategic Planning, Community Engagement and Curriculum Design.

In a project like ours, it’s important to keep everyone informed and involved. This blog is one means of sharing information, and we will continue to circulate meeting notes. Below, I’ve also attempted to answer some recurring questions.

What do we want?
To engage young people in Glebe who are not currently attending school or involved in work or training in an intellectually rigorous educational pathway

Who are 'we'?
A broad-based collaboration of partners originally composed of members of the Glebe Community Development Program Steering Group that has now expanded to include other organisations and community members (see partners list and links in right hand margin of this blog).

How do we work together?
Process is an important feature of this partnership. As the members are located in different institutional settings, and bring a range of experiences and knowledge, we value transparency and recognise the need to communicate regularly and effectively across the project. Decisions are made in collaboration after consultation.

What will the new learning program look like?
In the briefing paper that was prepared by the University of Sydney and used to support the application for funding, it was recommended that the new Glebe learning program be ongoing and connect with young people's interests, meet young people's needs and provide access to educational credentials.

Why can't we just reinstate the old program that used to run at the Glebe Youth Service?
There was more than one program that ran at Glebe. The first was more focused on providing educational credentials (2004-7), the second was more focused on reengaging young people in school (2008). Both were unstable because they did not have secure funding sources, and the program did not continue in 2009.

How can we create a learning program before we know what the interests are of the young people who will participate?
Building the new learning program around the interests of young people is a learning design principle. The real challenge is putting this design principle to work through practice. It's a bit like saying I want an environmentally sustainable house. The real challenge is building the house to suit the location with the available materials. The principle guides the construction but there is a well developed blueprint before any work begins. Similarly, the principle of starting with the interests of young people guides the development of the new learning program but we need a well developed curriculum (purpose, pedagogy and practice) before we take in any students.

What models are available that we can learn from and apply at Glebe?
There are a number of school improvement programs that have solid evidence of success in improving test scores (see May 24 blog). There are also a number of highly regarded curriculum designs that have guided educational programs attempting to meet the needs of students are generally not well served by school (see right margin list and links).

What are common features of innovative curriculum designs?
The following features are common to the NSW Priority Action School (PAS), The Coalition of Essential Schools (CES), the Stanford School Redesign Network (SRN) and Big Picture Education (BP)

Small be design - CES, SRN, BP
Rigour - CES, SRN, PAS, BP
Relationships - CES, SRN, PAS, BP
Relevance - SRN, PAS, BP
Multicultural & anti-racist teaching - SRN, PAS, BP
Personalised learning - CES, SRN, BP
Pursuing passions & interests - BP
Family involvement - CES, SRN, PAS, BP
Learning through internships - BP
Authentic assessment - CES, SRN, BP
Strong community involvement - SRN, PAS, BP
Secure connections to further learning, training or work- BP

How do we put these principles to work in Glebe?
There is good evidence to suggest that the availability of materials and training is a critical factor when attempting to implement a set of learning design principles that have been shown to work elsewhere.

Why has the Pathways Project started to engage with Big Picture Education?
Big Picture Education can support us with materials and training. Big Picture design principles are comprehensive and resonate with the goals of our project, and those of other well respected learning principles. Big Picture people are known to and respected by many of the educators involved in the Pathways Project.

What happens now?
We need continue to work together in and across the three teams we have established to seek other funding sources, improve the facilities at the Glebe Youth Service, engage with the community and construct the learning program informed by the design principles that we value.

What works?: what the research says

2009-06-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

In the US, Congress and other educational policymakers have made some funding sources available only to schools that implement educational reforms with high-quality evidence of effectiveness. In an extensive meta-analysis, Borman et al (2003) reviewed research on the achievement effects of externally developed school improvement programs in the US known as whole-school or comprehensive school reforms (CSR). They also synthesised research on the effects of the 29 most widely implemented CSR. Borman et al identified three CSR models that met the highest standard of evidence to show that across varying contexts and varying study designs, their effects are relatively robust and, in general, can be expected to improve students’ test scores: Direct Instruction, School Development Program and Success for all.

Direct Instruction
Developer: Siegfried Engelmann (University of Oregon). Primary goal: Improve academic performance so that by fifth grade, students are at least a year and a half beyond grade level.
Main features:
1. Field-tested reading, language arts, and math curricula.
2. Highly scripted lesson strategies.
3. Extensive writing.
4. Highly interactive lessons presented to small groups of students, flexible grouping students by performance level, frequent assessment of student progress, no pull-out programs.

For Grades K-6. Detailed materials provide by publisher.

School Development Program
Developer: James Comer, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
Primary goal: Mobilize entire community of adult caretakers to support students' holistic development to bring about academic success.
Main features:
1. Three teams (school planning and management team, student and staff support team, parent team).
2. Three operations (comprehensive school plan, staff development plan, monitoring and assessment).
3. Three guiding principles (no-fault, consensus, collaboration).

For Grades K-12. Training and manual provided with teaching materials.

Success for All
Developer: Robert Slavin, Nancy Madden, and a team of developers from Johns Hopkins University. Now based at the Success for All Foundation in Baltimore.
Primary goal: Guarantee that every child will learn to read.
Main features:
1. Research-based, prescribed curriculum in the areas of reading, writing, and language arts.
2. One-to-one tutoring, family support team, cooperative learning, on-site facilitator, and building advisory team.

For Grades Pre-K-8. Usually, all materials are provided. Training required.
A number of schools in Australia belong to the National Schools Network which has strong links to the work of the Coalition of Essential Schools:
Developer: Ted Sizer, Brown University, Providence,RI. Now based in Oakland, CA.
Primary goal: Help create schools where students learn to use their minds well.
Main features:
1. Set of Ten Common Principles on which schools base their practice.
2. Personalized learning.
3. Mastery of a few essential subjects and skills.
4. Graduationb y exhibition.
5. Sense of community.
6. Instruction and organization depend on how each school interprets the Common Principles (may involve interdisciplinaryin struction, authentic projects, etc.).

For Grades K-12. No materials. Range of training options mostly provided by regional centers.

Reference
Comprehensive School Reform and Achievement: A Meta-Analysis Author(s): Geoffrey D. Borman, Gina M. Hewes, Laura T. Overman, Shelly Brown Source: Review of Educational Research, Vol. 73, No. 2 (Summer, 2003), pp. 125-230 Published by: American Educational Research Association

Working Group forms three teams

2009-06-16T21:54:00.000-07:00

Curriculum Design Team: The purpose of this team is to draw upon current research and best practice approaches to develop a curriculum that engages young people who are not well served by traditional educational pathways. It will draw upon Big Picture Education Australia Design Principles, small and urban schools research in the US, whole school change research and creative pathways projects in the UK, and research within the tradition of making a difference in Australia.

Community Engagement Team: The purpose of this team is to provide tangible and correct information about the Project to young people, their families and interested community members. The team will consult frequently with these groups, and work to ensure that their concerns, hopes and opinions are incorporated into the Pathways Project.

Strategic Planning Team: The purpose of this team is to liaise with key individuals and organisations external to the project. This team will consider matters such as funding, infrastructure, human resources, OH&S, etc

Members of the Pathways Project gathered at the University of Sydney on May 15

2009-06-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

We acknowledged the importance of a personalised, localised response to young people that listens closely to their needs. We agreed to work together in the following ways:

Build a partnership with purpose
Recognise the importance of innovators and instigators with big ideas
Do what needs to be done to make it work
Turn failure into success
Commit to engaging young people and families
Bring together different perspectives
Involve community members and organisations
Build relationships of trust
Reject one-size-fits-all
Secure commitment and funding
Build consensus among partners
Support a two-way process
Sustainably

How young people are faring 2008

2009-05-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

One of the purposes of this blog is to make available a range of resources to participants in the Pathways Project. The Dusseldorp Skills Forum provides an important source of information about young people in Australia through its regular report titled How young people are faring, the 2008 report states that:

Low SES school leavers are far less likely to undertake study and training in their first year (45 per cent as against 68 per cent for high SES school leavers). University entry sharply divides school leavers along SES lines — 13.3 per cent for low SES school leavers compared to 52.6 per cent for high SES leavers. Marginal attachment to the labour force (unemployment, part-time work and not in the labour force) is also much higher among low SES students and falls as SES rises. That such striking disparities remain despite continuous economic growth over the past decade suggests that in terms of accessing education and training, Australia remains socially divided. (p.20)

Two concerns about schooling

2009-05-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

'Across the world, policymakers, teachers and education scholars express two concerns about schooling:

(1) Too many children and young people fail in school, leave early, or are bored and disengaged. Schools could do more to successfully educate all children and young people.

(2) Schools are a 19th century invention and the modifications made to its basic form are still inadequate to prepare children and young people for citizenship, family life and work in the 21st century.'

This is a quote from Pat Thomson's introduction to her review of the literature on whole school change. The review was written for Creative Partnerships (Arts Council, England) which fosters innovative, long-term partnerships between schools and creative professionals, to inspire young people, teachers and creative professionals to challenge how they work and experiment with new ideas.

Welcome to the Pathways Project blog

2009-04-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

Since 2003, the Glebe Youth Service has responded to requests from young people not in school to provide a means by which they could complete Year 10. For a range of complex reasons, traditional pathways have not worked for these young people. Difficulties associated with securing ongoing funding to meet their needs have provided the impetus for members of the education steering group of the Glebe Community Development Program to create the Pathways Project.

This blog has been created to facilitate communication between organisations willing to support the long-term goals of the Project.

The first meeting of the Pathways Project will be held on May 15. Details can be obtained by contacting glebecdp@bigpond.net.au

Participants will have the opportunity to hear from community-based workers, and to learn about existing local programs, as well as related programs operating elsewhere in Australia and overseas that have been established to meet the needs of young people not well served by traditional educational pathways.

There have been numerous changes to funding at the federal and state level, and possible new and established sources of support will be explored. A goal of the meeting will be to prepare a plan of action to address the unmet educational and training needs of local youth.