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Transient students - the research

References

Frequent movement, schools and educational achievement, Jane Gilbert NZCER, 2006

Students at risk: Barriers to Learning, ERO 1997

Schooling in the Far North, ERO

The Statistics

• Average roll turnover in 22 studied schools 30%
• Average turnover for Taranaki 22-25%
• Higher in lower decile schools
• High rate when compared internationally, NZers have higher rate of mobility

Reasons

• Main reason due to family relocation
• Change of primary caregiver, parental separation, change of custody
• Related to cost of housing, seasonal employment (including sharemilking contracts)
• In majority of cases Student not in control of transience

Student issues

• Catching up on work
• Repeating work
• Courses/programmes not matched
• Difficulty in tracking school records/achievement data
• Regarded negatively by staff
• Access to transition programmes ? STAR, Gateway
• Learning difficulties
• Gaps in acquisition of essential skills
• Very frequent moving linked to poor achievement

School Issues

• Negative impact on ability to manage, plan and resource core work
• Disruption to school programmes/routines
• Negative impact on school performance
• Extra administrative work
• Need to adjust teaching programmes and learning strategies

Possible approaches

• Acceptance that transience is a part of the context in which the school operates
• Plan and develop systems to minimise adverse effects ? in particular analyse attendance patterns for trends, identify transient students
• Accepting school climate
• Efforts to integrate student: buddy systems, peer support, vertical forms; provision of uniform
• Engagement of family ? interview soon after arrival
• Careful assessment of learning needs and placement in programmes
• Access to career development programmes
• One-on-one interview to complete career profile
• Development of individual education programmes
• Extra attempts to locate/forward records