Globe: All Ireland Programme for Immigrant Parents: Final Evaluation Report

In 2007, the Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway, was commissioned by the PMC to evaluate Globe: All Ireland Programme for Immigrant Parents. From 2007 - 2009 a number of interim evaluation reports were submitted to the PMC on the development phase of the project and its resources. In 2009, following the extension of the project, the objectives of the evaluation were revised. These objectives, which underpin this final evaluation report, are as follows:Examine and assess the pilot phase;Examine and assess the uptake and use of the Information Packs by parents and practitioners;Examine and assess the partnership working and development on a multi-sectoral and crossborder basis of the PMC, and more generally in meeting the needs of immigrant parents;Examine and assess the mainstreaming of learning and good practice; andExamine and assess the training/awareness raising and support of practitioners in delivering the programme

A Critical Re-evaluation of the Impact of England’s Creative Partnerships Programme (2002- 11): Evidence, Interpretation and Clarification

This thesis offers the first and most comprehensive re-evaluation of the UK government’s Creative Partnerships education policy (2002-11) by drawing together my seven contemporaneous evaluation reports about Creative Partnerships and applying a retrospective and reflexive commentary to them. The term of reference explicitly named or implied in all seven evaluation briefs was to measure the ‘impact,’ of the policy. The principal contribution to new understanding in the thesis is the deconstruction and conceptual analysis of impact in the context of Creative Partnerships, drawing on hermeneutics, critical linguistics and policy analysis (Ozga, 2000; Fairclough, 1989). This clarifies and illustrates the ways in which impact was interpreted by those enacting Creative Partnerships, and proposes a fuller understanding of the term. I identify two contrasting approaches to impact adopted by Creative Partnerships’ national leadership: the politically motivated public relations approach and the substantive approach. I argue that the former approach was driven by the zeitgeist of its time: the political party in power (Ward, 2010; Buckingham and Jones, 2001), the recession after 2010 and the contemporary preference for evidence-based practice (Hargreaves, 2007). Research into ‘logical frameworks’ (Harley, 2005; Rosenthal, 2000) reveals them to be an essential corollary to the latter, substantive approach and shows how the lack of a full logical framework for planning and evaluating Creative Partnerships, impoverished the extent to which its impact was recognised and monitored by those enacting the policy. The thesis shows how the imperatives of the political cycle demanded evidence of the policy’s impact well before more valid and reliable longitudinal impact studies could, in principle, be completed. As a possible solution to this conundrum, the thesis argues that my ‘predictive impact model’ offered plausible predictions about the legacy of Creative Partnerships (Wood and Whitehead, 2012). I suggest that this could be further investigated and applied to similar education policies

Careers 2020: options for future careers work in English schools.

Careers work in English schools has endured much turbulence recently. The government has now established a statutory duty on schools to secure provision, placing commissioning of careers advice and guidance in the hands of schools rather than local authorities or central government. But the duty is framed very loosely, comes with no funding and offers no clear model of provision. The previous funding for face-to-face guidance from qualified careers advisers has been removed, as has the duty for schools to provide careers education. So what should schools’ careers offers look like in future? How can schools ensure the quality of the career development support that is so vital for young people, and particularly so for those who cannot rely on their existing networks for advice and opportunities?Pearson Think Tan

NYS PROMISE Case Management: A Field Guide for Case Managers and Family Coaches

Case management services under NYS PROMISE are provided by a robust and diverse network of case managers and family coaches. Case managers work predominantly with youth in the research demonstration sites, while family coaches work exclusively with the families of intervention group youth enrolled in NYS PROMISE through regional Parent Training Centers. Regardless of the title of the practitioner, or their organizational placement, they provide similar critical care, coordination and access to the core services and supports provided under the NYS PROMISE intervention, as well as information and referral for other needed services and supports. In addition, they provide intermittent “light touch” data gathering on control group youth and families. While “field guides” have traditionally been employed in the study of plants and fauna, they have increasingly been created to support practitioners in an array of professional fields as they face the obstacles and challenges that can arise while accomplishing specific tasks. The NYS PROMISE Case Management Field Guide was designed for the express purpose of assisting case managers and family coaches in navigating their day-to-day roles, functions, and expectations, while adhering to high quality standards, and managing the impact of their work on their own health and wellbeing. The aim is to ensure that all NYS PROMISE case managers and family coaches (case management practitioners) are equipped to perform their job in a manner that leads to the expected youth and family outcomes of the NYS PROMISE intervention—holding to a common measure of fidelity. While the aim for each case management practitioner will employ different strategies, based on the heterogeneity of the NYS PROMISE population, they will draw from a common set of strategies to ensure consistency in delivery of services and supports. This field guide is presented in modules and is indexed to assist case management practitioners in easily accessing the information they need, when they need it. Following is a summary of the specific modules included in this field guide

Ethical decision making by school leaders in a period of neoliberal reform

School leaders and their leadership teams are involved in the process of decision making on a daily basis. Their work is often complex and arduous as they deal with a range of competing demands from stakeholders who include parents, staff, students, community groups, employing authorities and often other principals. Researchers in the field of ethical decision making have included metaphors such as ‘minefield’ and ‘battlegrounds’ in their writing to describe the complexity and dangerous nature of the work in which principals involve themselves when making decisions. The work is ‘dangerous’ because stakeholders are often upset with the outcomes of the decision-making processes, which they may not support. Their disquiet can lead to further and continuous conflict. The difficult situations and ethical dilemmas faced by school leaders are becoming more complex as both state and federal levels of government in Australia seek to exert more direct and indirect influence on schools, their leadership, management and accountability. Australia is not immune from recent major educational trends evident elsewhere in the Western world. The impact of market ideologies and neoliberal reform agendas are explored in the context of moves towards greater localised decision-making and governance in the Australian school sector. I have undertaken field work throughout this doctoral program to explore the ways in which schools can incorporate professional learning in decision making into their professional practice, the role that ethical decision making can play in nurturing leadership capacity at all levels of the school organisation, and the role that effective ethical decision-making practices can play in building dynamic and transparent school cultures. To support and nurture ethical decision-making practices in schools, I have provided conference presentations, created an Ethical Decision Making Toolkit of scenarios, designed and implemented an Ethical Decision Making Course for School Leaders, delivered workshops, created vodcasts, and facilitated Aspiring Leaders Network Meetings. These workshops and presentations have utilised frameworks of ethical practice drawn from the writings which the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) have produced to guide public sector understanding and best practice in transparent and ethical decision making. For this Professional Practice Doctorate, I have created a portfolio which is in seven parts. The portfolio is introduced by an Overarching Narrative that is followed by three scholarly papers and three professional practice initiatives. The scholarly papers provide an understanding of key issues and research. They address ethical decision making, appropriate professional learning for school leaders and the challenges of leadership in an era of significant generational change. The professional practice initiatives address educational policy making in the context of local decision making and highlight the practical initiatives I have created and implemented to support leaders in their daily leadership practices. The seven parts of this portfolio reflect my professional journey as a senior departmental officer working with schools in an era which has seen many experienced school leaders retire and younger generations of leaders assume the challenging role of educational leader with its myriad responsibilities. The portfolio raises significant questions which relate to the decision making and problem solving of leaders, the nature of succession planning and the nature of professional learning that best prepares and supports educational leaders for the challenges and dilemmas they face. My research confirms the value of school leaders and their leadership teams acquiring an understanding of ethical decision-making skills to enhance their decision making and problem solving in an era of greater localised decision making in schools

From peer review to collaborative peer enquiry: Action research for school improvement and leadership development

School peer reviews are increasingly part of the evaluation and school improvement landscape for school leaders and teachers in a number of countries. This article describes the growth of peer review, particularly in England, and its emergence elsewhere (for example, Australia, across Europe and in Chile). While these approaches provide a useful form of professional and moral accountability, this article identifies ways in which they could go further to empower practitioners through the use of an enquiry approach, combining formal academic knowledge with practitioner knowledge and school-based data. The term collaborative peer enquiry (CPE) is suggested as a way to explore this potential. The article sets out a typology of action research as a form of professional learning (type 1), practical philosophy (type 2) or as a form of critical social science (type 3). Four examples are given of different peer review models, two of them CPE approaches, and these are analysed using the above typology. A distinction is made between some peer review models that mimic external inspections and err towards self-policing, and others that encourage open enquiry and learning. In particular, the CPE models show the potential as forms of type 2 and type 3 action research. The role of peer review and CPE in the accountability system, in leadership development, and challenges for these models are explored in the discussion

School-Based Development and Implementation of Adolescent Mental Health Educational Toolkits

After the onset of the COVID pandemic, there were significant increases of adolescents with anxiety, behavioral and conduct problems. These disorders have devasting individual, social, and economic ramifications and school-based staff play a key role in identification, assessment, and treatment. Evidence suggested that healthcare providers, school counselors and teachers were not confident or knowledgeable about adolescent mental health. The purpose of the change in practice project was to increase knowledge and confidence among school-based healthcare providers, school counselors and teachers by providing an adolescent mental health tool kit. The toolkit focused on disruptive behavior and other prevalent mental health disorders and trauma focused evidence-based resources that can be used with students. For healthcare providers there is education about an adolescent mental health risk assessment tool and its application. Ethical considerations included the American Nurses Association code of ethics, University of San Francisco Jesuit values and the high school mission. The quality improvement project was a two-group pre-post assessment with educational PowerPoint presentations and integrated concepts of the Conceptual Model of Nursing and Population Health. One group consisted of the school counselors and teachers and the other group were healthcare providers. The barriers that were faced when implementing the innovation were time restriction and resistance to change. Data analysis results showed the projects aim was achieved with over a 20% learning gain for both groups and both parametric and nonparametric pre and post differences in means were significant, there was however an insufficient study population. Qualitative evaluation indicated positive staff attitudes of the adolescent mental health tool kit