The document summarizes key points from a European seminar on policies to prevent early school leaving. It provides an overview of the Drop In project, which aims to map actors, policies, monitoring systems, and exchange best practices. Models from Iceland, Finland, and remediation approaches are discussed. Some early conclusions stress the importance of early intervention, alternative pathways, counseling, and designing local prevention and remediation practices based on scientific models, with monitoring of student well-being, transitions, and feedback to schools.
1. European Seminar on ESL: Policies and Future Scenarios
Palma of Majorca
October 6th 2008
European report on
Early school leaving policies
Anne-Christin Tannhäuser
Social Science Institute
University of Iceland
annechr@hi.is
2. Overview
• Drop In project
• Comparisons of policies and initatives in
two Drop In countries
• Early conclusions
3. Drop In project
• Aim
– Map European actors
– Review of European policies and monitoring
systems
– Exchange of good practices, peer learning
– Future scenario, qualitative indicator
• Project partner countries: Greece, Spain,
Finland, Germany, France, Italy, Iceland
4. Actors and focus of policy: An early model
Public
Policy Monitoring
Continuing
Tertiary education Education providers
Local Upper secondary companies Local
Context school Context
A B
Employment agency/
Compulsory Social service providers/
school Youth welfare organisation
Scientific A) Dropout
Knowledge Factors and models B) Return
5. Preventing ESL: Iceland
Public
Policy Monitoring
Continuing
Tertiary education Education providers
Local Upper secondary companies Local
Context school Context
A B
Employment agency/
Compulsory Social service providers/
school Youth welfare organisation
Scientific A) Dropout
Knowledge Factors and models B) Return
6. Preventing ESL: Iceland
Public
Policy Monitoring
• Flexibility towards students
• change line of studies, curricular freedom
• courses at other schools/distance learning
• Strong financial incentives: allocation based
students sitting exams
Upper secondary • Obligation to provide counselling
school • 2008 Reform:
• increasing diversity of courses:
Compulsory decentralisation of curricular design
school • shorter programmes
Scientific A) Dropout
Knowledge Factors and models B) Return
7. Preventing ESL: Iceland
Public
Policy Monitoring
Upper secondary
school
• 2008 Reform
Compulsory funding of innovative project: transition and
school collaboration between school levels
Scientific A) Dropout
Knowledge Factors and models B) Return
8. Preventing ESL: Iceland
Public
Policy Monitoring
35
Early School Leavers in %
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Year
Source Eurostat 2007
9. Preventing ESL: Finnland
Public
Policy Monitoring
Continuing
Tertiary education Education providers
Local Upper secondary companies Local
Context school Context
A B
Employment agency/
Compulsory Social service providers/
school Youth welfare organisation
Scientific A) Dropout
Knowledge Factors and models B) Return
(international)
10. Preventing ESL: Finnland
Public
Policy Monitoring
Continuing
Tertiary education Education providers
Local Upper secondary companies Local
Context school Context
A B
Employment agency/
Compulsory Social service providers/
school Youth welfare organisation
Scientific A) Dropout
Knowledge Factors and models B) Return
11. Preventing ESL: Finnland
Public
Policy Monitoring
Continuing
Tertiary education Education providers
Local Upper secondary companies Local
Context school Context
A B
Employment agency/
Compulsory Development of school welfare
Social service providers/
school • early intervention, home-school coopersation
Youth welfare organisation
bullying prevention, pupil-coactive schools,...
Youth participation project
Scientific • prevention ofA) Dropout
social exclusion
Knowledge Factors and models Basic B) Return
Flexible Education
• work- or action-based learning
12. Preventing ESL: Finnland
Public
Policy Monitoring
Continuing
Tertiary education Education providers
Local Upper secondary companies Local
Context school Context
A Youth workshops services: B
• Unemployed youth, compulsory school
Employment agency/
Compulsory graduates service providers/
Social
school Youth welfare organisation
Counselling
Scientific A) Dropout
Knowledge Factors and models B) Return
13. Remediation: 2nd chance education in Iceland
Public
Policy Monitoring
Continuing
Tertiary education Education providers
Local Upper secondary companies Local
Context school Context
A B
Employment agency/
Compulsory Social service providers/
school Youth welfare organisation
Scientific A) Dropout
Knowledge Factors and models B) Return
14. Some early conclusions: Prevention
• Public policy:
– early holistic intervention: school engagement,
positive learning experiences, screen risk-
behaviour, provide alternative pathways
– Educational and vocational counselling in comp.
school, during transitions/in case of unemployment
– Designing local practices
• network school, municipal actors: employment
agencies, social welfare organisations, parents
• exchange of practices and local adjustment
• based on scientific model on predicators of dropout
15. Some early conclusions: Prevention
• Monitoring
– early: students’ well-being, school
engagement, occupational conceptions
– transition
– follow-up
– feedback to schools and other practicioners
16. Some early conclusions: Remediation
• Public policy:
– Strong network of social and employment market
actors
– formal or informal education
– engage trade and labor unions
– importance of outreach counselling
• Designing local practices
– specified target group:
• Pushed out: counselling, different from former school
experience, group dynamics important. Note: distance
learning
• Pulled out: relevance for job
– based on scientific model on motivation to return
– exchange of practices and local adjustment
17. Some early conclusions: Remediation
• Monitoring
– compulsory school level: students’ well-being
– When do students dropout or stop? transition,
follow-up with school leavers
– feedback to single schools to raise interest in
good practices
18. Is something missing?
Public
Policy Monitoring
Continuing
Tertiary education Education providers
Local Upper secondary companies Local
Context school Context
A B
Employment agency/
Compulsory Social service providers/
school Youth welfare organisation
Scientific A) Dropout
Knowledge Factors and models B) Return