KATHERINE WADE-MCCROHON 8553836 Developing The Innovation Supporting Home-School Partnerships during Stage 6 in the New England Region December 2012 This document is Book 1 of the portfolio and contains the background to the development of the innovation This portfolio is dedicated to… my parents, William and Patricia Wade, educators who have touched the lives and the futures of innumerable children. my husband Gavin, who began our married life with a thesis and all of the associated challenges. my children; Emma, Megan, Aimee, Alexandria, Nicholas and Gabrielle, who put up with a busy and distracted mother. My brother and colleague, mentor and designer Gregory. my other brothers and sisters; Lynda, Geoffrey, Kelly, Andrew, Stacey, Charlie, Mariko and David who helped, encouraged and listened. And All of the children, parents, families and teachers who have worked in partnership to dream, believe and achieve. I would also like to recognise Associate Professor Lorraine Graham, Dr David Baxter , Mr Mark Hewitt and Mr Wayne Chaffey for their ongoing and inspiring academic and personal support, without which this portfolio would have been “just an idea”. Katherine Wade-McCrohon Page 1 Stage 6 – ‘One part holding on and one letting go’ Garth Brooks Permission granted for all images Stage 6, Year 11 and 12, are the last two years of secondary school in New South Wales. It is a challenging time for students and for those who live with them. This project and its associated program Senior Success is designed to facilitate a strong home-school partnership, a partnership which can scaffold a young person1 as they complete their school education and take their first steps into the world beyond. 1 Young person is the term employed by the Department of Education and Communities to define students in the latter years of their school education. Katherine Wade-McCrohon Page 2 Table of Contents 1. What is innovative about this project? .......................................................... 7 2. Navigating this Portfolio ............................................................................... 8 3. Innovation Conception and Development History ...................................... 13 3.1. Introduction........................................................................................... 13 3.2. The context relevant to the innovation. ................................................. 15 3.2.1. Home-School partnerships are supported by the following documents: ................................................................................................ 18 3.2.2. Response to these Documents ...................................................... 20 3.3. The boundaries and limitations of the innovation and surrounding contexts ......................................................................................................... 20 3.4. Description of the innovation ................................................................ 22 3.5. Why Senior Success was developed ................................................... 27 3.6. How it was developed .......................................................................... 32 3.7. Where the innovation may or may not be useful or productive ............. 45 3.8. Intended users/beneficiaries of the innovation ..................................... 46 3.9. Key stakeholders and communication protocols .................................. 46 3.10. Summary of the Learning Framework over the Development of the Project. .......................................................................................................... 49 3.11. Conclusion............................................................................................ 50 4. Literature Examined to support the Development of the innovation ........... 51 Katherine Wade-McCrohon Page 3 4.1.1. What is the Higher School Certificate?........................................... 54 4.1.2. Partnership between Home and School ......................................... 60 4.1.3. Issues with Parental Involvement ................................................... 64 4.1.4. Considerations for the development of Parent Education Programs. ....................................................................................................... 66 4.1.5. Adolescent Development ............................................................... 72 4.1.6. Connectedness .............................................................................. 77 5. Innovation Development ............................................................................ 87 5.1. Framework of the Innovation Development .......................................... 87 5.2. Quality criteria used to guide the development processes - Quality Assurance ..................................................................................................... 93 5.2.1. Substantiation of the Portfolio Approach for this Research .......... 101 5.2.2. Audience ...................................................................................... 102 5.2.3. Positioning the self ....................................................................... 103 5.2.4. Context of this Study .................................................................... 107 5.2.5. Underpinning considerations for the development of effective home- school partnerships in Stage 6 ................................................................. 110 5.2.6. Research and Development Process ........................................... 111 5.3. Evidence employed in the development of the innovation .................. 112 5.4. Evidence Collection ............................................................................ 114 5.4.1. Personal Evidence ....................................................................... 117 5.4.2. Group Evidence ........................................................................... 127 5.4.3. Workplace evidence ..................................................................... 131 Katherine Wade-McCrohon Page 4 5.5. Justification of evidence collection approaches .................................. 132 5.5.1. Reasons for rejecting other methodologies for evaluation ........... 132 5.5.2. Discussion of Validity and Reliability ............................................ 134 5.5.3. Internal Validity ............................................................................ 134 5.5.4. External Validity ........................................................................... 136 5.5.5. Reliability ...................................................................................... 136 5.6. Ethical and Philosophical Considerations ........................................... 137 5.6.1. Heuristic for Reflection- Ensuring ethical decision-making in practitioner-research. ............................................................................... 140 5.7. Conclusion.......................................................................................... 157 6. 4. References .......................................................................................... 158 Katherine Wade-McCrohon Page 5 Table of Figures FIGURE 1: THE EXPECTATIONS FOR A PROFESSIONAL DOCTORATE PORTFOLIO ......................................... 9 FIGURE 2: HATTIE’S INFLUENCES UPON ACHIEVEMENT. ........................................................................... 14 FIGURE 3: HOME, SCHOOL AND STUDENT PARTNERSHIP ......................................................................... 26 FIGURE 4 FRAMEWORK OF LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................... 52 FIGURE 5 PROTECTIVE FACTORS WHICH SUPPORT THE OUTCOMES OF SOCIAL COMPETENCE AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. .............................................................................................................. 53 FIGURE 6 THE INTERSECT OF WORKPLACE AND RESEARCH. ..................................................................... 94 FIGURE 7 : POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR LEARNING CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ...................................... 105 FIGURE 8 : CONTEXTUAL GROWTH OF THE PROJECT .............................................................................. 111 FIGURE 9: THE ELEMENTS OF EVIDENCE COLLECTED TO INFORM INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT .......... 115 Katherine Wade-McCrohon Page 6 1. What is innovative about this project? This project is about a three way partnership Home-School-Student. It is about valuing the equal communication of information to all stakeholders and facilitating a scaffolding of the student which recognises and values the contribution of home and the emerging adult student to successful school completion. This project focusses upon effective communication of the expectations of Stage 6; the challenges of Stage 6 and strategies to maximise academic and social outcomes. Traditionally meetings are held for students and then meetings are held for parents where information is imparted about the Higher School Certificate and its expectations. This information is usually imparted early in the year and is presented very formally. This innovation is about ensuring the information is not only presented but workshopped in order to ensure that everyone understands the expectations of Stage 6 and how to go about meeting those expectations. The innovation is also about ongoing workshops in order to facilitate a sense of connectedness for the students and their support people. One off meetings do not facilitate connectedness. Connectedness is a key protective factor