CEDAR Newsletter ISSUE 23 SUMMER 2011 Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research Parenting Early Intervention Programme Geoff Lindsay We recently completed the evaluation of the national roll out of the Parenting Early Intervention Programme (PEIP) 2008-11. We previously evaluated the Pathfinder in 18 local authorities (2006-08), the results of which were positive and contributed to the previous government’s decision to roll the PEIP out across all English LAs. Local authorities were funded to implement evidence-based parenting programmes designed to improve parenting skills and reduce children’s behavioural difficulties. Initially, LAs could use one or more of five specified programmes: Incredible Years, Triple P, Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities, Families and Schools Together (FAST), and the Strengthening Families Programme 10-14. Later, this was relaxed and other programmes were added to the list of permitted interventions. were being implemented drawing on the views of key participants in this process about their effectiveness: parents, group facilitators, LA operational and strategic lead officers, and other LA parenting support professionals. We also investigated the qualifications and experience of facilitators to explore whether these were an important factor in programmes’ success. Did parents improve? The PEIP results were very positive for the four programmes for which we had sufficient data (unfortunately the FAST sample was too small to include in our main analyses). Two measures of inappropriate parenting style, laxness and over-reactivity, reduced substantially and this improvement was maintained over the year following the programme. These changes were statistically highly significant, which is partly a Our study had two important, complementary result of the large sample, but the effect size components. First, we wanted to see whether was also large. Another way of reporting these these programmes would still be effective when results is that about three quarters of parents rolled out on this very large scale. Efficacy had improved on these two measures. Parental been demonstrated by previous studies, mental well-being also improved over the especially randomized control trials (RCTs). programme and after one year continued to be These are highly controlled, rigorous studies but highly significantly better than at the start. typically of relatively small numbers of parents, with parenting groups led by a small number of Figure 1 shows the improvements (reduction) for the Parenting Scale which combines the facilitators compared with over 1000 in our laxness and over-reactivity scores. study. We investigated this by using parent completed questionnaires as they started and completed their programmes, which differed in Did the children improve? length from about 7-18 or more sessions. We The parents also reported substantial also carried out a one-year follow up. improvements in the children’s behaviour: the Secondly, we examined the way these programmes proportion of children with serious problems (in Figure 1 48 Mean Score with 95% confidence interval Geoff Lindsay 46 44 42 40 38 36 34 32 30 Pre-course Post-course Follow-up the top 10% nationally) reduced from 56% to 38%, a reduction of about a third. Although highly significant, this improvement was less than that shown in the parents’ scores; this is reasonable as the programmes were addressing parent behaviour which would then be expected to have an effect on their children’s behaviour as parenting styles improved. Did programmes differ? The four programmes for which we had sufficient data were all effective in improving parent and child outcomes. Parents were also very positive about all five. There were some differences which we explore in our report but Continued on page 2 CEDAR Newsletter...CEDAR Newsletter...CEDAR Newsletter.. these were relatively small compared with the overall positive effects. It is also important to note that the aims of the programmes varied. Were programmes cost-effective? effective. LAs used different delivery models (core team, multi-agency and commissionedout, plus a hybrid). No single model emerged as ‘best’: rather, it was a case of ‘best fit’ to local circumstances. This was an excellent opportunity for CEDAR to carry out a combined methods study delivered by a multi-professional team. The study required support from LAs to implement and The facilitators were a diverse group. The success was complex so we are very grateful to all LAs factors included having sufficient capacity to that contributed, especially the LAs in our main deliver and having the qualities, skills, knowledge sample. We presented our findings at a CEDAR and experience to enhance parents’ experience. conference in May where representatives from Having a diverse pool of facilitators supported each of the five programmes also presented, recruitment, engagement and retention of along with a DfE representative who indicated parents which were enhanced when a prior current and future policy. We are continuing to relationship existed between the parent and a collect 1-year follow up data and are providing professional. a service to LAs to continue local evaluation. We examined cost-effectiveness in a subsample of 15 LAs. We found that LAs varied greatly in the costs of implementing PEIP and consequently cost-effectiveness also varied greatly. The overall cost of a parenting programme was £1658 for each parent who completed, averaged across all LAs and the four programmes; the lowest cost was £536 per parent in one LA. This indicates that implementation of parenting programmes can be very cost-effective but in practice this would depend both on the Are the programmes sustainable? programme (costs varied, especially with The PEIP was initially funded by a ring-fenced number of sessions required) and also LA DfE grant but this was relaxed so that virement organisation to ensure optimal use of resources. could occur. There was high commitment to the parenting programmes locally and to their What supported effective continuation. The cutbacks by the coalition implementation? government have seriously challenged this and sustainability has varied, a result of overall LA Strategic and operational leadership was a decisions on budgets rather than a judgement crucial factor: when these were not effectively of the programmes’ usefulness. in place the PEIP was less efficient and cost- Stephen Cullen The government selected parenting programmes to support on the basis of a review of research literature; we then evaluated the 18 LA Pathfinders; as a result, a national roll out was funded for all 150 LAs and this too was evaluated. This was an excellent example of evidence-based policy and practice. The final report can be found at: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications /eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR121A.pdf DfE investment in teacher workforce skills in relation to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) evaluation May 2011 saw the publication of CEDAR’s Final Report on the evaluation of investment by the Department for Education (DfE) in a number of initiatives designed to improve teacher workforce skills in relation to SEN and disabilities (SEND). The initiatives included: the Training and Development Agency (TDA) Training Toolkit and SEND extended placements in specialist settings for ITT providers and students; support for ITT provider regional cluster groups; the Inclusion Development Programme (IDP) for the teaching workforce; IDP Regional Hubs for LAs; the Stammering Information Programme (SIP) developed at the Michael Palin Centre; and specialist training for teachers of pupils with sensory impairment. The initiatives were designed to increase teaching workforce skills, with a focus on pupils with SEND. CEDAR’s evaluation started in December 2008 and continued until March 2011. The evaluation was constructed around qualitative, interviewbased work with LA IDP leads, ITT staff, school staff, and parents of children with SEND, and surveys. Primary and secondary ITT providers (both undergraduate ITT, and PGCE provision) were interviewed at three stages in the 2 Final comment Stephen Cullen evaluation. Data were also gathered concerning changing awareness, skills and knowledge with respect to SEND among teacher trainees, and in the provision of teacher education, in the context of competing demands within ITT. In addition, e-surveys of teacher trainees at ITT institutions taking part in the evaluation generated data related to trainees’ perceptions of SEND education at their institutions, and the impact of the TDA toolkit and the extended specialist placements. A range of school staff was interviewed at three stages of the evaluation. Finally, parents of children with SEND were interviewed to build a picture of best-practice for pupils, and provide a parent voice in relation to SEND. CEDAR’s evaluation key findings were: 쏹 The initiatives, taken together, represent a possibly unique comprehensive approach to improving the knowledge, attitudes, skills, behaviour, and confidence of the teacher workforce in relation to SEND. 쏹 The materials to support trainee teachers and those in practice have been welcomed and found to be effective. 쏹 The dissemination methods were effective, and produced a substantial platform for further dissemination. 쏹 Taken as a whole, the evidence provided support for the proposed initiatives to develop teacher training and continuing professional development set out in the recent Green Paper, Support and Aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability (DfE, 2011). Links below access our Final Report, the associated Research Brief, and the Interim Report, and its associated Research Brief: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/publicationDetail/Page1/DFE-RR115 https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/publicationDetail/Page1/DFE-RB115 https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/publicationDetail/Page1/DFE-RR058 https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/publicationDetail/Page1/DFE-RB058 Links: . CEDAR Newsletter...CEDAR Newsletter...CEDAR Newsletter...C Sheila Galloway Evaluation of Ballet Birmingham and Me Sheila Galloway The aim for young people to play a major role in the project’s management and delivery happened formally through the Youth Artistic Board. After a tentative start, this group gradually developed a strong and mature voice, becoming a channel between the youth centres and the adults ultimately responsible for project outcomes. Other young people showed their commitment over more than eighteen months, attending sessions sometimes twice weekly and at weekends in youth centres and at BRB’s city centre studios. In 2008, Birmingham Royal Ballet began a project with partners Birmingham Youth Services (BYS) and Birmingham Association of Youth Clubs (bayc) to give young people in the city the chance to take part in the arts. Dr Sheila Galloway and Professor Jonothan Neelands evaluated the project, which culminated in a performance of a young people’s version of ‘Cinderella’ at The Hippodrome in December 2010. This project operated through five youth centres in areas of the city with little access to cultural events. Youth workers supported it strongly, alongside professional dancers and other staff from Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB). Very few participants had classical ballet experience, but they performed a remarkable ‘Cinderella’ on the Hippodrome stage, scheduled alongside the premiere of David Bintley’s new production of ‘Cinderella’ by Birmingham Royal Ballet. In all, 141 young people participated and the adults involved included 33 youth workers, 103 members of BRB staff and 25 freelance artists. Funding came from the Big Lottery Fund, Dancing for the Games, Birmingham City Council, Creative Futures, and Inspire. With kind support (from Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham City Council and Birmingham Association of Youth Clubs) overall project costs were about £760,000. The vision for BB&Me originated at a time when there was a national commitment to disadvantaged communities and to what was termed ‘complex cultural activity’. However it operated with increasing economic uncertainty for partner organisations, and impending job cuts in the Youth Service. 40 young people gained Arts Award Accreditation at Bronze level and one at Silver level. 30 gained an ASDAN award at Bronze level. It proved difficult to ensure work experience while energy focused on the December production, but this is still open to young people as part of BB&Me’s legacy. Work continues on healthy lifestyles and in further reachout activity, a long-standing feature of BRB’s Learning Department. Participants had three opportunities to perform publicly. They did technical work in ballet classes, drama workshops, sessions with practising artists generating ideas, intensive training events and a demanding regime of rehearsals in autumn 2010. The youth service arranged events including a team building day and a young people’s evaluation session. The project met six defined aims: � Young people had opportunities to take part in the arts, develop skills and learn about the creative industries. � Learning outcomes were formally accredited. � There were varied professional development opportunities for BRB staff and youth workers. � The aim of achieving excellence was achieved, combining BRB’s high performance standards with its commitment to inclusion, inherent to the original vision. � BB&Me broached barriers to attendance, promoting ballet for all, encouraging young people with no ballet background to sustain their commitment. � The reputation of all partners was increased through local and regional media attention, personal and community contacts, a postproduction ‘Celebration’ event and a DVD. Performance photo: Roy Smiljanic. Rehearsal photo: Tim Cross; BRB Learning 3 Overall, the style, quality and rigour of CEDAR Newsletter...CEDAR Newsletter...CEDAR Newsletter... workshops and support for the young people was impressive, with no compromises made for an easy life. Meanwhile, young people had role models in professional artists who work at international level and others who are expert arts practitioners. The evaluation noted the strong impact on the young people involved. BB&Me was especially effective in creating a climate where professional artists, youth workers and participants helped young people with special educational needs to play a full part in rehearsals and the Hippodrome performance. We looked particularly at how the partnership operated with very different working practices and organisational cultures being negotiated, and at professional development, considered across organisations, for dancers/choreographers, and for other BRB staff. BB&Me, a complex project, was outstanding in this respect and the report comments on the different pedagogic styles. Tracking the project’s management over two years helped identify which features worked well within this model. These areas are covered fully in our final report, published by Birmingham Royal Ballet in July 2011. For the full report contact Dr Sheila Galloway, CEDAR 024 7652 2196 Sheila.Galloway@warwick.ac.uk Pearl Chesterman, Director for Learning, Birmingham, Royal Ballet, 0121 245 3556 PearlChesterman@brb.org.uk The full text of the evaluation will be accessible on CEDAR’s web site and the illustrated report will be available from Birmingham Royal Ballet in August 2011. The Better Communication Research Programme: Tracking children with speech, language and communication needs Jessie Ricketts The Better Communication Research Programme is part of the government’s response to the Bercow Review of provision for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs, published in July 2008. Professor Geoff Lindsay and Dr Jessie Ricketts from CEDAR are working with Professor Julie Dockrell, Professor Tony Charman and Dr Olympia Palikara at the Institute of Education, University of London (ULIE) on one aspect of the programme, the prospective longitudinal study. This aspect of the programme is tracking the needs of children and young people with primary language difficulties or autism spectrum disorders. We are working with approximately 170 children and young people in over 85 schools in London and the South East of England. So far, we have conducted a number of individual sessions with each pupil, observed them in the classroom context, interviewed their parents and asked both parents and teachers to complete questionnaires. Here are some of our preliminary findings: Working individually with pupils: Language, literacy and socio-emotional well-being 쏹 쏹 As expected, pupils with identified language difficulties perform poorly on a large range of tasks tapping language and communication. Many pupils with autism spectrum disorders also find language and communication difficult. Literacy difficulties can be observed in both groups but are more common in pupils with language difficulties than those with autism spectrum disorders. 쏹 Our initial findings on socio-emotional wellbeing are mostly positive and pupils with language difficulties and autism spectrum disorders did not seem to differ from pupils without special educational needs in terms of their well-being, including their physical health, friendships and attitudes to school and learning. Information from parents Through telephone interviews, parents have expressed a range of views, including the following: 쏹 Parents identified a range of strengths in their children. The most frequently reported strengths were athletic ability, computer knowledge and use, artistic ability and sensitivity to others’ feelings. 쏹 When they were asked about their children’s academic progress in school over the last year, most parents reported that progress was good or quite good. 쏹 Some parents indicated that they would like to play a larger role in making decisions about the support that their children receive in school. Information from teachers We asked teachers to tell us about the support pupils have been receiving in the classroom and the strategies that are being used to facilitate their learning: 쏹 The majority of pupils are supported by teaching assistants or learning support assistants in the classroom or in small groups or individually outside of the classroom. A few pupils also have additional support from teachers and the school SENCO. 쏹 The curriculum is being differentiated for most of the children and the most commonly employed strategies are the use of extended examples and limiting the number of concepts presented at any one time. Use of technology (such as a computer or tape recorder) and special programmes were the least reported strategies. We now have a large data set, which we will be analysing more fully over the coming months. For the remainder of the project we will continue to work with pupils, schools and families and we will continue to raise awareness of language and communication needs by presenting our research to policy makers and a range of professionals who work with pupils including teachers, educational psychologists and speech and language therapists. We are also presenting our findings at national and international conferences and this will allow us to describe our findings to practitioners and the wider academic community. Our research is funded by the Department for Education and the results will be used by the government to guide provision for children with language and communication needs. We will be submitting a report to the Department for Education next year and the next Newsletter will provide further details of this report. 4 CEDAR Newsletter...CEDAR Newsletter...CEDAR Newsletter.. Activating Senior Potential in Ageing Europe (ASPA) Sheila Galloway Activating Senior Potential in Ageing Europe (ASPA) has been a three-year collaboration for CEDAR in a project funded by the European Commission’s 7th Framework programme under the Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities Theme. It has been led in the UK by Warwick’s Institute for Employment Research (IER), and involved partner research organisations from the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Poland, Sweden and Italy. CEDAR’s role has been in two areas: the participation of older people in work and their participation in civil society through volunteering. In both cases, however, the focus has been on the behaviour of the organisation the employer or voluntary body - rather than the individual. training and diversity, lifelong learning and knowledge transfer, career development and job mobility, bonus and salary systems, flexible working practices and working time arrangements over a life span. Other dimensions included health and well-being promotion, workplace design, redeployment, and transition to retirement. Previous research in CEDAR on professional development in various sectors links directly to several of these ‘dimensions’. Since the start of this project, significant changes to the state pension system in the UK have given more prominence to this area. The research on volunteering has also moved centre-stage, given expectations associated with the idea of the ‘Big Society’. Some case studies involve charities and organisations which have relied on volunteer activity for some decades and have increasingly professionalised their management of unpaid (older) people’s time, skills and experience. The cross-national report explores the needs of and opportunities offered by voluntary organisations as well as the motivation of volunteers and rewards gained by them. The UK research has already been presented to policy-makers and academics at a presentation in London to TAEN – The Age and Employment Network (October 2010) and a seminar for HR professionals convened by Wright Hassall in the Midlands (April 2011). European research One aspect of the research explores the notion of ‘family friendly’ policies in an ageing society, findings on ‘Activating Senior Potential in Organisations – A Case Study Approach’ were conventionally focused on flexible working patterns for people with children. They do not given at the VII International Association of necessarily recognise that older employees may Gerontology and Geriatrics European Congress Sheila Galloway has worked with IER colleagues have caring responsibilities for spouses, partners on ‘Healthy and Active Ageing for All or very elderly and frail relatives. Much previous Europeans’ in Bologna (April 2011). A (Robert Lindley and Beate Baldauf) to carry out presentation on ‘Learning from European international comparative research has sought this research. In addition, the project has Experience: Pathways of Age Management to identify good practice ‘destinations’ ie included a survey of employers and a broad Practice’ was made to a Seminar on the theme current good practice. An innovation in the analysis of public policy developments in of ‘From Early Retirement to Active Ageing: ASPA project, led by Warwick, has been to different countries. Are European Labour Markets ready?’ introduce the idea of exploring ‘pathways of The project aimed to identify key policies and practice’ because a strategy introduced under a organised by the Directorate General Research practices which encourage the development and and Innovation of the European Commission. specific management style, a particular deployment of the skills, knowledge and expertise This took place in Brussels in June 2011. economic climate, or a local demographic of older workers (people aged 50 or more) to the situation can stall or may have to be adjusted or In September 2011 the project outcomes and benefit of the individual and the organisation. even cut to meet changing priorities or reports will be available on the ASPA web site: Case studies have focused on dimensions of pressures. www.aspa-eu.com. practice in areas such as recruitment, awareness Banging your head on the ceiling: Steve Strand Social and economic factors and their relationship to the differential attainment of Southwark schoolchildren Steve Strand The research undertook a detailed analysis of the 2008 Key Stage 2 (KS2) test results of all 2,875 eleven-year old pupils attending Southwark primary schools. In particular it focused on equity gaps including the impact of ethnicity, gender and socio-economic status (SES), along with other factors, on attainment and educational progress at school. In addition to the national test data, the report drew on pupil level data from the School Census, new attendance monitoring data and the Southwark Pupil Voice survey to create measures which might help explain equity gaps in educational attainment and progress. The overall aim was 5 to identify which groups of pupils (defined particularly by different combinations of ethnicity and socio-economic disadvantage) had low attainment or made poor progress at primary school in Southwark. The main results of the analysis were as follows: 쏹 Low attainment at the end of primary school is a key risk factor for subsequent low attainment at school leaving age, for leaving education at age 16, and for long term employment and occupational outcomes. In terms of equity gaps, SES had the biggest association with attainment. Pupils from low SES backgrounds, whatever their ethnic group, had the poorest outcomes at age 11. 쏹 White British low SES pupils were the lowest attaining group and their low attainment is as much of a concern as other ethnic groups. However among pupils from middle SES and high SES backgrounds Black pupils had substantially lower attainment than their similarly advantaged White British peers. Control for contextual factors (age, gender, SEN, attendance, pupil mobility, EAL and school composition) attenuated but did not Continued on back page .. CEDAR Newsletter...CEDAR Newsletter...CEDAR Newsletter... substantially change the above outcomes. 쏹 In terms of progress between age 7-11 it was notable that pupils from low SES backgrounds, whatever their ethnic group, fell further behind their more advantaged peers during the course of primary school, and that Black pupils from middle and high SES backgrounds were particularly at-risk, making far less progress that medium and high SES White British pupils. 쏹 The Pupil Voice survey was used to generate a substantial number of measures of pupil, home and teacher factors, and to establish whether there were associations between these factors and pupils’ attainment and progress. However only parental support for the pupil, frequency of engaging in cultural leisure activities (attending local library, art galleries, theatre or museums) and frequency of reading for fun outside of school added further to the explanation of attainment and progress. The pattern of significant SES effects, and significant underachievement by Black Caribbean pupils from medium and high SES backgrounds, was not affected substantially by including these variables. Around half the variation between schools in terms of ‘raw’ KS2 results can be statistically explained by variation in the prior attainment and demographic characteristics of their pupil intakes. However very substantial school effects remain. The school level accounts for around 25% of the measured variance in pupil progress which is high compared to previous studies. Unmeasured factors such as leadership and management, school ethos, or the quality of teaching may account for these substantial school-related differences in outcomes. Like much data, this analysis does not provide clear cut answers to the cause of gaps in educational attainment or direct remediation strategies in relation to such gaps. However it has articulated more clearly where such gaps lie. The value of this report is in identifying the nuances in the data and in raising questions for more focussed further research. The final report can be found on the CEDAR website (see below). Strand, S. (2010). Banging your head on the ceiling: Socio-economic factors and their relationship to differential attainment in Southwark primary schools. London: Southwark Childrens Services. The final report can be found on the CEDAR website http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/cedar/s taff/stevestrand/strand_2010_southwarkfinal-report.pdf CEDAR Staff: Research interests are as follows Director: Geoff LINDSAY Special needs and inclusive education, language and communication difficulties, parenting and parent support, ethical dilemmas of professionals. Professor of Education: Steve STRAND Equity issues in educational attainment and progress (particularly ethnicity, social class and gender) and the interface with school effectiveness and improvement. Principal Research Fellow: Sheila GALLOWAY Research on arts education, the cultural sector and the creative industries, continuing professional development, work-based learning, supply teaching. Qualitative research methods. Senior Research Fellows: Ioanna BAKOPOULOU Language and communication difficulties. Mairi Ann CULLEN Special educational needs, gifted and talented young people, alternative education for disengaged young people, alternatives to exclusion from school, values education, adult education, evaluation. Qualitative and quantitative methods. Stephen CULLEN Secondary school education, adult education, gifted and talented education. Jessie RICKETTS Literacy, language and communication difficulties, autistic spectrum difficulties. Honorary Professor: Seamus HEGARTY Special educational needs, educational evaluation. Ann LEWIS Special educational needs and disability, children’s voice. Andy MILLER Associate Fellows: Martin DESFORGES Special educational needs, inclusion, the needs of minority ethnic groups. Raymond EVANS The needs of and provision for, looked after children and disaffected young people. Chrystalla KALOYIROU Bullying at school. Mel LLOYD-SMITH Special educational needs. The visual arts and education. Niki PHILLIPS Gifted and talented education. Anne SHEPPARD Dyslexia. Margaret THREADGOLD Secondary education. Educational psychology services, student behaviour in schools. Gail TREML CEDAR Tel No: 02476 523638 Published by: CEDAR, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL Fax No: 02476 524472 Edited by: Diana Smith E-mail: J.P.McElroy@warwick.ac.uk ©Centre for Educational Development, Website: www.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/CEDAR Appraisal and Research 2007 Special educational needs. ISSN 0959-6763