Regarding
Students and Poverty
Students and Poverty
Judith Bishop
This document provides an overview of the different
approaches being undertaken within Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board with
regards to students living in poverty.
There are students living in poverty throughout the
district, although they are concentrated in the lower city. The HWDSB is fully
aware that students living in poverty are at higher risk of failure than other students
The gap in school performance (by socio-economic status) grows
dramatically by Grade 3, and is startling by Grade 12. At this age, children in
low SES groups are dropping out of school and failing grades at rates almost
five times (higher) than those of their
higher SES peers.” p.96 Early Years Study 2
To prevent students from failing a variety of strategies is
needed including: an emphasis on instruction, effective programs and increased
expectations for student success; explicit values and commitment as expressed
in the Anti-Classism guidelines of the Equity Policy; targeted work on those
schools with a concentration of students from low socio-economic backgrounds; building
relationships with students; partnerships with other agencies and organisations;
and collaboration with initiatives to combat poverty.
Instructional Focus
Good education provides an important route for students to
lift themselves out of a life of poverty by opening up greater opportunities
for employment and allowing the students to show their potential. So the most important task of a board of
education is to see that all students achieve their potential, and graduate
from high school. Without a graduating diploma, students’ choices of employment
and their potential to earn are reduced. "Our students need safety, respect and
high expectations," Jeff Heil says. "They don't need charity, but
opportunity" (from a 2006 USA
report on three schools successful in educating disadvantaged students.)
The Board of Trustees has approved
Strategic Directions which include that 85% of all students will graduate by
2009. In its 2007 Guide to the Appraisal of the Director, trustees articulated
their expectations for improvement in students’ outcomes across several
measures. These include:
§
The gap between high achieving and low
achieving schools decreases, with low achieving schools improving their scores,
and high achieving schools maintaining or improving their scores
§
Identified high and moderate needs schools
increase their scores in all EQAO tests
These expectations are reflected in all school improvement plans,
and are monitored by Superintendents of Schools and consultants. Regular
reports are provided to trustees.
Targeted services for students at particular risk include:
·
Two vocational schools, 3 elementary and 4
secondary Alternative Education programs, in addition to the in-school
alternative programs offered by high schools. There is also a SALEP centre for
students who have school attendance problems.
·
For aboriginal students, there are counsellors,
a program at Sir John A. Macdonald High School
·
There are about 45 teachers in community
agencies for high risk students through the HWDSB’s Section 23 programs including
such agencies as Woodview, Hats Off, The Hamilton-Wentworth Correctional
Centre, and Grace Haven. The latter two programs always produce graduating
students.
·
Programs for drop- outs from school include an Adult Day
school
·
There are credit recovery programs and work
experience programs. There has been increased development of pathways and specialized
high-skills major programs such as Hospitality/Tourism - Delta, Parkview, and Health/Wellness
– Sir Winston Churchill, Delta.
·
Extra
support in literacy and numeracy is provided in summer camps for senior
elementary students, and students about to enter Grade 9.
·
The Assessment Centre provides educational
advice and direction for those who are new to Canada , and those who need a
graduating diploma.
·
Forty-two specialist English Language Learner
teachers support immigrant children in elementary schools, and a large number
of specialist
English –as-a-second Language
programs are provided in some high schools.
·
Programs recognizing the special needs of boys
have been implemented: Boys to Men is a leadership- program, boys reading clubs
are aimed at improving literacy, and there is an elementary school offering
boys-only classes.
Equity Policy
Policies embody the values of
the Board of Education. Implicit in the Guidelines for Anti-Classism in the
Board’s Equity Policy are the Board’s
expectations that all students
can achieve regardless of their socio-economic background, and that low
expectations of academic success for
these
students are not acceptable. Of
particular interest:
Article 1.4 The Hamilton-Wentworth District School
and that:
·
Not all school communities are
equal in their ability to support their students
·
Schools can make a difference in
overcoming the education effects of a disadvantaged community
·
Senior and School Administration
are to be encouraged and supported in their efforts to provide additional
support and consideration to identified schools.
Article
10.4 The Hamilton-Wentworth District school Board will provide additional,
focussed staff development in schools that have been identified as having
specific needs based on the socio-economic demographics of its catchment area.
HWDSB Equity Policy and Anti Classism
Guidelines (approved November, 2005)
Unfortunately, low expectations of students who come from disadvantaged
homes have become part of the culture of some schools. The teaching emphasis
may be on rote learning and monotonous make-work projects. More in-service and
leadership is needed to change this culture if students are to receive the kind
of rigorous
education they deserve and the success they need. Principals heard the message
from Alan Blankstein from the Hope Institute that academic failure for students
is not acceptable. .
Compensatory Schools
Committee and Plan
The former Hamilton Board in the 1970s recognized a series
of schools where there are concentrations of students with high needs. These
schools are now identified through a process that involves an annual review of neighbourhood
data for poverty, schools’ student mobility rates and parent’s education rates.
Those schools with the highest scores are labelled High and Moderate Needs
Schools or Compensatory Schools
In 2006 a new Compensatory
School Report and Plan were approved by trustees. This has resulted in the
continued extra provision of some teachers for
junior and senior elementary grades, for special
educational assistants to work with students with behaviour difficulties in
middle school grades, and for additional speech and language support
services. A superintendent has been
given Compensatory schools as a responsibility. All these schools have had
literacy improvement teachers for about three
years and they are being used as part of an increased staff development focus in high needs
schools. At
the secondary level, professional
development has focussed on re-engaging early school leavers, Student Success
programs and career pathways.
An Anti-poverty Task Force, a part of the Compensatory
Schools Committee, has been set up to deal with nutrition, accessibility and
clothing closet issues.
All high needs schools have a nutrition program operating in
their schools or in a nearby neighbourhood facility. Sometimes these do not
operate every day, and the quantity and quality of the food being offered could
be enhanced. The aim is to provide further support to schools in this area.
Accessibility issues are broad. For example. students may
not be able to afford to play certain sports, or take all subjects, as the
extra cost of equipment needed is beyond the families’ resources. In addition,
because transportation is an issue, students may not be able to take advantage
of work experience and some other programs, as they cannot get to them.
Clothing closets aim to provide good quality clothing for
students for a variety of purposes including appropriate clothing for co-operative
work experiences.
Partnerships
HWDSB is receptive to working with others. It provides public access to its playgrounds
and playing fields in the summer without charge. It has an arrangement with the
City to provide 15,000 free hours of its gym space for community use. It is
building new schools with spacious gyms to enable schools to be community hubs.
Its Partnership Policy provides the expectations for board and partner
relations. It also needs community support if it is
to be successful with at-risk students.
Long established partners, such as Public Health, the Public
Library, SISO, Umbrella Family and Child Centres, YMCA, YWCA, Today’s Family, Partners in Nutrition,
the Police, Ontario Early Years Centres, Hamilton Community Foundation, John Howard
Society, Alternatives for Youth, Dawn Patrol , Banyan, the Boys and Girls
Kiwanis club and Rotary clubs, provide valuable
services which augment those that HWDSB can provide. The energetic HWDSB Partnerships and Innovation
Office has forged new partnerships with other agencies, businesses and organisations
that provide mentors, additional resources to schools and students, and
additional services such as camps, and after- school programs. Many of the Compensatory
Schools also have additional partners,
and these partnerships are growing such as Hess’s partnership with the
Spectator, and Mohawk
College
The partnerships are resulting
in after- school programs in most high needs schools. The summer Focus on Youth program provides additional
summer
programs and camps in schools, more than ever
before. Generous donations from individuals are providing some post graduate education
funding for
students, and supporting Arts education including
financial support for students who are part of HWDSB’s string music program.
Community Initiatives
Some children come to school already at a disadvantage as
they are not as ready to learn as those from more affluent neighbourhoods. So
early-learning programs and support for parents are crucial tools to help the
school system better do its job of teaching students. The Best Start pilot in
the lower east end of Hamilton is important as it provides a free half -day
program for pre-school children, and child-care
and support services for parents in 8 schools.
There are also Ontario Early Years programs in many other schools. The
school board is well represented on the Best Start Network and works closely
with community and City partners to make this a success. The addition
of six parents’ centres in
Bennetto, Queen Victoria ,
Lake Avenue ,
Memorial school Westview and Prince of Wales schools funded by the Ministry of
Education are important new supports.
The Hamilton-Wentworth District
School Board is a member of another important community initiative to combat
and understand poverty: the Hamilton
Round Table on Poverty with its
goal of making Hamilton
the best place to raise a child. There
are also connections with an embryo group at McMaster
University , where staff there are
moving towards a closer active understanding and relationship with poverty issues
in this community, and the
Understanding the Early Years (UEY)
federal project which in Hamilton
has a poverty focus.
No comments:
Post a Comment