Junior Certificate School Programme SDPI Summer School 2007

Junior Certificate School Programme SDPI Summer School 2007 An Early Intervention at Second Level Junior Certificate School Programme 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 School Programme

l 20 years ago – retention 60% l Now 80% + Challenges Junior Certificate School Programme

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

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

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early school leavers Difficulties with social interaction Poor self-esteem Show signs of alienation: Disruptive / Withdrawn Under achieving Poor school – home links Attendance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

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 Junior Certificate School Programme

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

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 l l l Junior Certificate School Programme

Solutions?

l Extracurricular involvement: strongest association with curricular success particularly sport and fine art. Mark Morgan Capability and success Junior Certificate School Programme

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

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH FINDINGS

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

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Junior Certificate School Programme Subject departments/ classrooms Time to read Access to books Space to read Understanding

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

1. Subject Departments Junior Certificate School Programme

Pairwork Oracy Junior Certificate School Programme

Reading Techniques

Reading Ages Readability of textbooks Junior Certificate School Programme

Keywords Junior Certificate School Programme

Writing Spelling Marking Policy Homework Junior Certificate School Programme Assessment for learning

Using Textbooks Junior Certificate School Programme

2. Time For Reading

Junior Certificate School Programme Demonstration Library Project DEAR SSR

Readalong Junior Certificate School Programme

Paired Reading Junior Certificate School Programme

Storysacks Junior Certificate School Programme

Reading Challenge A structured reading project with parental support Students read a book a week for six weeks (some of them!) • • • Target Group 1 st and 2 nd 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 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 Junior Certificate School Programme Room for Reading Research on the impact of the library Project on the Learning Experiences of JCSP Students….

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 l l l Junior Certificate School Programme Paired Maths Make you own Opoly Maths Games Flash master General Numeracy

Challenges l Type of Students l Methodologies l Dynamic of Staffs l Curriculum overload l Change l Incentives for change Junior Certificate School Programme

School Development Planning l Templates for literacy audit l Literacy Policy l Numeracy Policy l Subject Departments Junior Certificate School Programme

Summary l Audit l Whole School Approach l Subject Departments l Time to Read l Short term interventions l Access to Books Junior Certificate School Programme

In Conclusion Multilayered Approach l Social l Success l Individualised l Classroom l School wide Junior Certificate School Programme

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