Schooling and violence in South Africa: Creating a safer school

The legacy of the brutality of apartheid in South Africa is a violent social context characterized by high levels of unemployment, extremes of wealth and poverty, continuing racism, the easy availability of guns and patriarchal values and behaviours. Violent crime is widespread in South Africa and schools in disadvantaged areas suffer from serious problems of gang-related crime. This article discusses a pilot project with a cluster of three schools in Durban which investigated whether intervention and training coupled with mutual support between cooperating schools, and between schools and the police, can reduce incidents of crime and violence. The idea behind the project was to see whether a small-scale, simple and inexpensive intervention could help to improve security in a relatively short time span. The article describes the nature of the project, evaluates its outcomes and discusses emergent issues for South African education. The overall conclusion stemming from the project is that South African schools are not helpless in the face of an onslaught of crime and violence. While there is no complete and foolproof solution to the problem, schools can nevertheless be helped to find simple, relatively cheap and practical measures to reduce crime and violence.     

Implementation fidelity and adolescent smoking: The X:IT study—A school randomized smoking prevention trial

BackgroundAssessing the actual implementation of multi-component interventions can provide important knowledge for future interventions. Intervention components may be implemented differently, knowledge about this can provide an understanding of which components are essential and therefore must be included. The aim of this study was to examine the implementation of one, two, or all three main intervention components at the individual level and to assess the association to current smoking among 13 year-olds in the X:IT study.MethodsData stems from a cluster-randomized controlled trial in 94 Danish elementary schools (51 intervention; 43 control schools). Implementation was measured by aspects of adherence, dose, quality of delivery, and participant responsiveness based on questionnaire data from 4161 pupils at baseline (mean-age: 12.5 years) and 3764 pupils at first follow-up eight months later. Coordinator responses from 49 intervention schools were also included. Associations between individual level implementation of the three main components and pupil smoking were examined through a 3-level logistic regression model.ResultsAlthough implementation fidelity for the three main intervention components was good, only one third (38.8%) of pupils in intervention schools were exposed to full implementation of the intervention. Among these pupils odds ratio for smoking was 0.25 (95% CI: 0.15 – 0.42).ConclusionsSchool-based programs can be very effective if carefully implemented. Future school-based smoking preventive initiatives should include multiple components, and seek to enhance implementation quality of all components.     

Quasi-experimental evaluation of a national primary school HIV intervention in Kenya

This study examined the impact of a primary-school HIV education initiative on the knowledge, self-efficacy and sexual and condom use activities of upper primary-school pupils in Kenya. A quasi-experimental mixed qualitative-quantitative pre- and 18-month post-design using 40 intervention and 40 matched control schools demonstrated significant program impact on targeted objectives of (1) adequate program delivery and, for standard 6 and 7 pupils (ages 11-16 years), (2) increased HIV-related knowledge; (3) increased communication with parents and teachers about HIV and sexuality; (4) increased assistance to fellow pupils to avoid sexual activity; (5) increased self-efficacy related to abstinence and condom use; (6) decreased exposure to HIV through delayed first intercourse, decreased sexual activity and increased condom. Results support the conclusions that the existing infrastructure is adequate for national roll-out of the program; that the program has its most beneficial effect on sexually inexperienced youth and should therefore be implemented with the youngest age groups possible; and that gains are gender specific, with boys reporting increased condom use while girls are more likely to decrease or delay sexual activity. Based on these results, the program began national roll-out to all primary schools in 2005. By June 2006, the program was operating in 11,000 of the country's nearly 19,000 schools.     

School readiness of low-income children at risk for school failure

The goal of this research project was to gain information about the readiness skills of kindergarten children in 11 inner city schools with the highest poverty rates in the Salt Lake City School District. Kindergarten teachers and principals in these schools were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the readiness skills needed for these children to be successful in their schools. A summary of the readiness skills of the kindergarten children was derived from a state mandated Pre-Kindergarten Assessment. Most principals stressed children's social and emotional development as a priority in school readiness. The majority of teachers emphasized literacy as a prerequisite for school success. Yet, the Pre-Kindergarten Assessment revealed that one fourth of the children could not identify the front of a book and two thirds of the children did not know where to start or which direction to go when reading. Half of the parents of these children reported that they rarely read to their children and that they had only visited a library once or not at all. The gap between the readiness skills educators think these children need and the skills children enter school with presents a serious problem for educators and policy makers. Multiple intervention strategies are recommended including providing education and home activities to enhance children's readiness skills, coordinating access to early childhood programs, and educating parents on available community resources.     

Professional development for teachers plus coaching related to school-wide suspensions for a large urban school system

Little is known about how professional development models can be used to address exclusionary disciplinary practices in response to behavior management challenges in classrooms and schools. This is of great concern given data that suggests that such practices predict negative outcomes for students, including repeat suspensions, dropout and incarceration. Instead, the professional development literature has focused largely on instructional practices in the classroom. Using secondary data, the current paper sought to address this limitation by examining the potential impact of a professional development intervention, focused on classroom management strategies through training and one-on-one coaching, on reductions in disciplinary practices. School-level suspension and behavioral incidence data were available for 70 schools participating in the intervention and 1605 schools that did not participate in the intervention during the 2011–2012 school year. First, differences in demographics between the schools receiving the professional development intervention and schools that did not receive the intervention were explored. Next, a series of hierarchical regression models were estimated in order to test the level of dosage as a predictor of change in suspensions and behavior incidents. Results reveal that intervention schools experienced significantly reduced suspensions and behavior incidents in the school year following the intervention. The number of coaching sessions also predicted significant decreases in suspensions and marginally significant decreases in behavioral incidences. These findings suggest that professional development interventions may have the potential to shift teacher behavior management practices that reduce exclusionary disciplinary practices known to be detrimental to student outcomes.     

Project Northland in Croatia: results and lessons learned

As part of an international public health partnership formed in 2001 we assessed the impact of Project Northland in Croatia--an adolescent alcohol school-based prevention intervention implemented in Split--on students. The curriculum was implemented in 13 randomly selected schools with another 13 schools serving as controls. The evaluation included quantitative and qualitative methods, using pre/post-tests to compare intervention and controls and follow-up focus groups with parents and teachers. Quantitative data showed the intervention was more successful in changing attitudes in the first two years, but had less impact on older students. Qualitative data suggest benefits from the program overall. Given the intervention was successful in the earlier grades it should be initiated earlier to have a greater impact. Challenges and lessons learned are offered.     

Playing the game of school mathematics: being explicit for Indigenous learners and access to learning

Drawing on studies of successful remote schools in one region of Australia, it was found that two key strategies were common in the approaches at these schools. First, to make the strategies and expectations being adopted explicit to all those involved in the learning enterprise, and second, that consistency in approaches was crucial. Bourdieu’s theoretical project is used to understand how the practices are being adopted by the schools and how they contribute to the success of learners of mathematics.     

Building collaboration between school and parents: issues for school social workers and parents whose young children exhibit violent behaviour at school

This research explores the perceptions of 60 parents whose children, aged from three to nine, had been involved in bullying, as defined under the Safe Schools Act and the Code of Conduct. Some of these children had been suspended from school, while others were potential candidates for suspension. These parents were recruited from Ottawa's two French-language school boards to participate in qualitative interviews between June 2000 and June 2002. The aim of this research was to cast new light on the perceptions of parents and schools with regard to their relationships, and on the role of school social workers in maintaining and enhancing collaborative partnerships.

The desire of some parents to be involved in the decisions concerning remedial action taken to address their child's aggressive behaviour touched a raw nerve in some schools. Nonetheless, when schools and parents ultimately recognize the daily challenges that both parties face, and a shared plan of action develops therein, the path to effective collaboration becomes clear. Early intervention on the part of school social workers gives them an edge in their efforts as mediators. They seize every opportunity to initiate different collaborative approaches between schools and parents, so that the issue of bullying can be handled in a more respectful way for everyone.     

Forced to deal with the future: uncertainty and risk in vocational choices among Portuguese secondary school students

In contemporary societies, adolescents' individuation is largely staged within the educational system, and is defined by several schooling options. This is particularly true when young people reach upper secondary education, as this transition implies the definition of a personal project. In the Portuguese context, authenticity is linked to the ‘obligation’ of choosing – by means of a compulsory vocational choice. To define a personal project that gives studies a meaning becomes a problem pupils have to deal with. Supported on empirical data based on in‐depth interviews to pupils attending 10th and 12th years of upper secondary education in Portuguese public schools, this article discusses some of these issues. Specially, we intend to explore pupils' obligation to exhibit their autonomy by choosing a school path with the awareness of risks that may emerge along with their options.     

School students' views on school councils and daily life at school

This article reports a survey conducted in schools in Great Britain and Northern Ireland during 1997–8 with 2,272 students aged seven to 17 years. The 24‐page booklet questionnaire included six groups of questions about school councils. The question of whether pupils who have a council see it as effective was cross‐tabulated with a range of other questions, in order to examine associations between students' views about their school councils with their views on other aspects of school. About half the students reported that they had a school council. Of these, the ones who thought their council was effective generally had positive views about their school's social and academic activities, whereas the ones who said their council was ineffective generally had more negative attitudes. Some schools find that creating an effective school council can considerably improve standards of behaviour, but this process has to involve further changes in systems and relationships in the school. Simply introducing a token council can increase students' scepticism. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mixed results in a transitional planning program for alternative school students

Disciplinary alternative schools have a reputation as gateways to the juvenile and criminal justice systems. The authors conducted an evaluation of an intervention (Strategies for Success) designed to divert seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-grade alternative school students from this gateway. They used propensity score matching and a multivariate random effects model to estimate program impacts and found that the program not only increased attendance rates, at least in the short term, but also increased the likelihood of reassignment to alternative schools. The discussion focuses on possible reasons and solutions for high rates of return to alternative school and for the erosion of program effects.     

The impact of mother's education on indicators of school performance of first through third grade primary school children living in low socioeconomic areas in Khartoum,Sudan

This study examines factors related to school achievement among low-income urban families in the Sudan. Data were obtained during January-February 1992 from a sample of 198 students aged 6-10 years from boys' and girls' schools in Ombada settlement in Khartoum, Elhag-Yousif in Khartoum North, and Arkwait in Khartoum. 53.5% of the sample were first enrolled in school after the age of 7 years. About 30% were enrolled prior to the age of 7 years. 4.5% had repeated a grade. About 25% had perfect attendance. 37% were absent for 1-2% of school days; 18.2% were absent for 3-4% of school days, and a similar percentage were absent for 5% or more of school days. Over 66% were absent due to medical reasons. About 41% of math scores and 58% of language scores were above 50, out of a possible total score of 60. 29% of math scores and 21% of language scores ranged from 41 to 50. 13.5% of math scores and 10.5% of language scores were failing. Class size ranged from 53 to 102 persons per class. Children who were enrolled in the higher grades tended to have been enrolled at a later age. The age of enrollment was negatively related to maternal educational level and weight for age. Poorly educated mothers tended to enroll their children later, and lower weight-for-age children tended to be enrolled later. Students from boys' schools in Khartoum and schools in the Khartoum area had a higher absenteeism rate. Students whose fathers were laborers or self-employed had greater absences. Children whose mothers had lower educational levels had greater absenteeism. Children with lower weight-for-height had more absenteeism. Absenteeism was positively correlated with height-for-age and the number of types of illnesses that the child had during the school year. Students who lived in Khartoum North had higher scores. Findings indicate that educational outcomes were related to home background and health conditions.     

An evaluation of stakeholder capacity in the implementation of millenium village primary school meal project

The paper focused on evaluation of stakeholder capacity to implement the millennium village primary school meal project in Kenya. The study which was anchored on the stakeholder theory as well as the Context Input Process Product (CIPP) model of evaluation used mixed methods research design with ex-post facto and case study as its two research elements. The mixed methods was adopted because when both qualitative and quantitative approaches are used in a single study, the strengths of both produce a research synergy in which the collective benefits are greater than what is obtained from either approach when used alone. A sample size of 186 participants was selected from seven (7) primary schools using stratified random sampling. The participants selected purposively included pupils, teachers, head teachers, parents, Area Education Officer (AEO) and project staff. Data was collected using questionnaires, face to face interview guide, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and document analysis guide. The study findings indicated that the project was implemented with great success as indicated by stakeholders’ capacity to understand project objectives, their involvement in project planning and implementation and their positive attitude towards the project. This has contribute to poverty reduction in the community through the project and sustainable approaches for project implementation.     

ViSC Social Competence Program

The ViSC Social Competence Program has been implemented in Austrian schools within the scope of a national strategy plan, Together Against Violence. The program is a primary preventive program designed for grades 5 to 8. The prevention of aggression and bullying is defined as a school development task, and the initial implementation of the program lasts one school year. The program consists of universal and specific actions that are implemented through in-school teacher training and a class project for students. The program was evaluated with a randomized intervention control group design. Data were collected from teachers and students. Results suggest that the program reduces aggression in schools.     

University-assisted community school program of West Philadelphia: democratic partnerships that make a difference

The university-assisted community school model is showing results for children and youth in West Philadelphia. The University of Pennsylvania's (Penn's) Center for Community Partnerships has coordinated universitywide efforts, in partnership with the community, in order to create and develop community school programs. The Sayre program aims to become a university-assisted community school, with a comprehensive community problem-solving curriculum and communitywide program that is fully integrated across both the Sayre curriculum and the curriculum of a number of Penn's schools. The Penn-Sayre project demonstrates that higher education can be a permanent anchor for revitalizing schools and communities if the vast resources it possesses, particularly its faculty, students, and staff, are brought to bear in a coordinated fashion.     

Inclusive design in the implementation of projects for schools modernization in Portugal - case studies

The Project for Schools Modernization taking place in Portugal, with an estimated total investment of 2450 million for the intervention in the first 205 schools, provide the reclassification of 332 secondary schools by 2015. One of the questions we can pose is if the authorities and the teams of architects selected to design these schools considered fundamental for the correctness of architectural barriers within the school and its accessibility the implementation of standards and principles of inclusion of children/teenagers with special needs within their school environment. As most of the projects are already being implemented, the main aim of this paper is to present the outcomes of a comparative analysis and synthesis of six schools located in the northern part of the country. This analysis occurs from the of Participatory Design perspective which appeals to the experience of the disable children to look (or evaluate) the negative and positive factors in terms of physical space, interpreted by inclusive design rules and orientations. Therefore, the evaluation of schools modernization project, and its discussion, is central for the understanding how these children are addressed in projects which are directed at them.     

The relationship between school mobility and students in foster care earning a high school credential

This study examined the relationship between school mobility for Colorado students in foster care and educational attainment outcomes, specifically earning high school diploma, a high school equivalency diploma (e.g., through examination such as a GED), or exiting the K-12 system without a credential. Multinomial logistic regression was utilized to analyze the predictive role of school mobility related to high school educational attainment within a statewide sample of four cohorts of students who experienced out-of-home placements during high school. Results indicated that students in the foster care cohorts changed public schools an average of 3.46 times during their first four years of high school. As the average number of school changes increased, the odds of earning a high school diploma decreased and the odds of earning an equivalency diploma (e.g., GED) or exiting without a credential increased. Grade level analysis suggests that educational stability in ninth and twelfth grades may be particularly important to closing the high school graduation gap for students in foster care. A more comprehensive child welfare profile that includes frequency of residential moves, types of placements, and mental or behavioral health indicators was not included in analyses, and this limitation must be considered when using the results of this study to inform policy or practice.     

Implementation of physically active lessons: A 2-year follow-up

Combining physical activity and academic content is a promising way to improve health and academic learning in schoolchildren. This paper examined the continuation of physically active lessons (PAL) in five Norwegian elementary schools, two years after a 10-month intervention period, which consisted of weekly minimum 2 x 45 min of PAL. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with nine teachers and five school leaders. The Level of Use instrument was used to assess how the teachers integrated PAL into the school day. Two years after the intervention period, seven of nine teachers conducted PAL regularly, on average one lesson per week. Teachers’ implementation progress varied from struggling with logistics, to stable routine and creative adaption. Perceived benefits for the children, active leadership, and ongoing implementation support seem important for continuation. Introduction of PAL as a school development project, systematic planning from the onset and a gradual introduction of PAL, can be an effective strategy for continuation and long-term sustainability. In addition, the Level of Use instrument was useful to better understand which support mechanisms are needed at different stages in the implementation of PAL.     

Modeling stability of growth between mathematics and science achievement during middle and high school

In this study, the authors introduced a multivariate multilevel model to estimate the consistency among students and schools in the rates of growth between mathematics and science achievement during the entire middle and high school years with data from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY). There was no evident consistency in the rates of growth between mathematics and science achievement among students, and this inconsistency was not much influenced by student characteristics and school characteristics. However, there was evident consistency in the average rates of growth between mathematics and science achievement among schools, and this consistency was influenced by student characteristics and school characteristics. Major school-level variables associated with parental involvement did not show any significant impacts on consistency among either students or schools. Results call for educational policies that promote collaboration between mathematics and science departments or teachers.