Junior Certificate School Programme SDPI Summer School 2007 An Early Intervention at Second Level Aideen Cassidy National Co-ordinator JCSP

What is the Junior Certificate School Programme? The Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP) is an intervention within the Junior cycle at second level aimed at those students who are identified as being at risk of leaving school early perhaps without completing the Junior Certificate.

20 years ago – retention 60% Now 80% + Challenges

DEIS :Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools The National Strategy Focus on addressing educational disadvantage need of children and young people from disadvantaaged communities, from pre school through second level education 3-18 years.

Junior Certificate School Programme JCSP Literacy and Numeracy Strategy JCSP Demonstration Library Project

The JCSP Students………. Potential early school leavers Difficulties with social interaction Poor self-esteem Show signs of alienation: Disruptive / Withdrawn Under achieving Poor school – home links Attendance

Aims of the Programme: to retain students to bridge the gap to build strong and positive learning foundations to make school relevant and accessible to young people who find it difficult to cope with the school system. between primary and post primary setting positive relationships and realistic learning targets as soon as possible in first year

The Impact of Literacy at Second Level Why Literacy?

“The indicators are that failure in literacy………is one of the main reasons why students drop out of school”. --Mark Morgan 1994

Reading Literacy in Disadvantaged Primary Schools Eivers, Shiel and Shortt: Educational Research Centre 2004 6,500 pupils in 1st 3rd and 6th class 29% significantly underachieving Pupils whose parents agreed that they liked reading did better

(Sofroniou, Shiel and Cosgrove 2002) PISA 2000 REPORT (Sofroniou, Shiel and Cosgrove 2002) 15-year-olds 28 OECD countries 139 schools in Ireland Focus of Study: The Performance of Students in the Junior Certificate Examination 2001

Solutions?

Capability and success Extracurricular involvement: strongest association with curricular success particularly sport and fine art. Mark Morgan Capability and success

Reading Literacy in Irish Schools (Martin and Morgan 1994) Access to books and reading resources is one of the most significant predictors of reading success High scoring countries – large school libraries (T.V. does not have a major impact)

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH FINDINGS

JCSP Literacy and numeracy Strategy Whole School Approach Acceleration of literacy and numeracy skills Social development / Self esteem / capability / profiling/cross curricular and the arts. 4 Tiered Classroom methodologies and strategies Short Term Targeted Interventions Individualised programmes for RA below 8 Access to Books and creation of a reading school

Subject departments/ classrooms Time to read Access to books Space to read Understanding

How and where do we plan Subject Departments Whole school Context Management support Review built in Evaluation Literacy committee Literacy co-ordinator

1. Subject Departments

Pairwork Oracy

Reading Techniques

Reading Ages Readability of textbooks

Keywords

Writing Spelling Marking Policy Homework Assessment for learning

Using Textbooks

2. Time For Reading

Junior Certificate School Programme Demonstration Library Project DEAR SSR Junior Certificate School Programme Demonstration Library Project

Readalong

Paired Reading

Storysacks

Students read a book a week for six weeks (some of them!) Reading Challenge A structured reading project with parental support Students read a book a week for six weeks (some of them!) Target Group 1st and 2nd years Reading Age 7.00 -10.00 Parental involvement Provide extrinsic motivation Celebration

Who Wants to be a Word Millionaire? Home reading intervention Class group of students are challenged to read over 1,000,000 words. Parental involvement Short term time frame (approx. 6 weeks)

3. Access to Books and Space to Read

JCSP Demonstration Library Project 20 Schools Professional Librarians Literacy Strategy Success……..

Junior Certificate School Programme Demonstration Library Project Room for Reading Research on the impact of the library Project on the Learning Experiences of JCSP Students…. Junior Certificate School Programme Demonstration Library Project

The best innnovation in the last 20 years. School Principal

“I come to school at half eight every morning as soon as the library opens …I live in those flats over there and I just tear over – me granny thinks I’m mad!” Student Quote

Numeracy Initiatives Paired Maths Make you own Opoly Maths Games Flash master General Numeracy

Challenges Type of Students Methodologies Dynamic of Staffs Curriculum overload Change Incentives for change

School Development Planning Templates for literacy audit Literacy Policy Numeracy Policy Subject Departments

Summary Audit Whole School Approach Subject Departments Time to Read Short term interventions Access to Books

In Conclusion Multilayered Approach Social Success Individualised Classroom School wide

Aideen Cassidy National Co-ordinator Junior Certificate School Programme Curriculum Development Unit Sundrive Road Crumlin 087 2333839 aideen.cassidy@cdu.cdvec.ie www.jcsp@slss.ie www.jcspliteracy.ie