1. Towson University, Baltimore, Maryland June 8th 2010 Dr. Paul Downes
Key issues in DEIS schools in Ireland: a reference point for the US experience?
Towson University, Baltimore, Maryland
June 8th 2010
Dr. Paul Downes
Director, Educational Disadvantage Centre

2. Commissioned Reports: -Downes, P and Maunsell, (2007). Count Us In
Commissioned Reports: -Downes, P and Maunsell, (2007). Count Us In. Tackling early school leaving in South West Inner City Dublin: An Integrated Response. SICCDA and South Inner City Dublin Drugs Task Force - Downes, P., Maunsell, C and Ivers, J. (2006). A Holistic Approach to Early School Leaving and School Retention in Blanchardstown. Blanchardstown Area Partnership. - Downes, P. (2004).Psychological Supports for Ballyfermot: Present and Future (2004) URBAN Ballyfermot. - Downes, P. (2004). Voices of children: St. Raphael’s Primary School Ballyfermot URBAN Ballyfermot.
Questionnaires returned: Primary Schools: 852; Secondary Schools: 677 Total: 1, Focus Groups 57

3. NO MENTAL HEALTH STRATEGY FOR CONTEXTS OF EDUCATIONAL DISADVANTAGE: A KEY BARRIER TO PROGRESS

4. Student-Teacher Conflict Resolution
HEALTH ISSUES AND SCHOOL COMPLETION – ‘EDU-CARE’
Hunger in School
Bullying
Substance Abuse
Student-Teacher Conflict Resolution
Problematic Sleep Patterns among Pupils

5. Problematic sleep patterns among students:
On the assumption that children at primary school need at least 8.5 hours of sleep, the results from our survey of pupil responses were divided into those who usually go to sleep before midnight and after midnight.

6. A mental health strategy and fund for contexts of socio-economic disadvantage
Not one early school leaving problem: ESL is a behaviour with a range of motivations
Beyond piecemeal approach of SCP, beyond 8 week bereavement courses
Wider referral processes – reach withdrawn kids: ‘a slap in the face’
Need for prevention and early intervention: non-verbal therapeutic intervention Cf. Familiscope
NEPS – Reactive to critical incidents
Alternatives to suspension
Drug prevention issue
EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING IS A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE !

7. CHAP 29: Byrne, M. (2007). Health for all
CHAP 30: Ryan, C & Downes, P. (2007). Future steps for NEPS?
CHAP 37: Hegarty, T. (2007). Towards a narrative practice: Conversations in a city centre school
CHAP 39: Downes, P & Gilligan, A L.(2007). Some conclusions
Downes, P & Gilligan, A L (2007) (Eds) Beyond
Educational Disadvantage. Dublin: Institute of Public
Administration

8. Kaplan et al’s (1994) North American study of 4,141 young people tested in 7th grade and once again as young adults which found a significant damaging effect of dropping out of high school on mental health functioning as measured by a 10-item self-derogation scale, a 9-item anxiety scale, a 6-item depression scale and a 6-item scale designed to measure coping. This effect was also evident when controls were applied for psychological mental health as measured at 7th grade. The significant damaging effect of dropping out of school was also evident even when controls were applied for gender, father’s occupational status, and ethnicity

9. THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY BASED EMOTIONAL SUPPORTS
Would you talk to an adult working in the school about your problems?
Yes Primary 240 
No Primary 300
Maybe/depends Primary 25
Don’t know Primary 6  No Answer Primary 46   
Yes Secondary 131
No Secondary 312 
Maybe/depends Secondary

10. THE PROBLEM IS THE PROBLEM BEYOND DEFICIT NARRATIVES
HEGARTY, T. (2007). Towards a narrative practice: Conversations in a city centre school in Downes, P and Gilligan, A L (Eds) Beyond Educational Disadvantage. Dublin: IPA
THE PROBLEM IS THE PROBLEM
BEYOND DEFICIT NARRATIVES
OVERCOMING COMPETITION FOR NEGATIVE ATTENTION
PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF CHANGED NARRATIVES THROUGH A CEREMONY

11. MURPHY, A. (2007). Peer Mediation: the Power and Importance of Children’s Voices in Downes, P and Gilligan, A L (Eds) Beyond Educational Disadvantage. Dublin: IPA
WORKSHOPS WHERE CHILDREN EXPLORE CONFLICTING SITUATIONS THROUGH ROLE PLAY, GROUP WORK DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION
GROUND RULES: NO INTERRUPTING, AND NO NAME CALLING
MAIN PROBLEMS WRITTEN DOWN BY GROUP
FOCUS IS ON PROCESS DIMENSIONS

12. Bullying in school may also need a wider community focus
Dissemination of good practice needs to occur within a school
Cross-cultural concentric structures of assumed connection need to be promoted at a system level, to contrast with diametric structures of assumed separation

13. Galbraith – Culture of Contentment BUILDING ON STRENGTHS DO YOU THINK YOU WANT TO STAY ON AT SCHOOL UNTIL THE LEAVING CERTIFICATE ? Primary Pupils: 5th/6th Class Total: yes 80 no probably 15 don’t know 15 no answer

14. COMMON FINDINGS
- evidence that some of the pupils and students that are most at risk of early school leaving are falling through the gaps and not accessing existing afterschool services,
- the high levels of pupils experiencing problematic sleep patterns potentially affecting their academic performance and linked in some responses to levels of anxiety affecting their sleep,
- a notable minority of pupils and students who stated that they have no one to talk with about their problems, 

15. - the limited availability of drug prevention programmes in local schools,
- the need for system level work with parents, for example, regarding early intervention strategies for their children’s literacy and speech and language development,
- the need for early referrals,
- the need for early intervention regarding speech and language development, and therapeutic emotional intervention.

16. health is subject to progressive realization and this
The Special Rapporteur (2006) notes that the right to
health is subject to progressive realization and this
requires development of indicators and benchmarks:

17. The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest
attainable standard of physical and mental health is
given legal foundation by a range of international legal
instruments, including:
• article 25 (1) of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights,
• article 12 of the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
• article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child
• article 12 of the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women right
to non-discrimination as reflected in article 5 (e)
(iv) of the International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

18. Indicators and benchmarks of the international right of
everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health:
Is it possible to incorporate
some of these indicators within standard relative poverty indicators ?

19. The Special Rapporteur (2006) emphasizes the importance of focus on ‘disadvantaged’ individuals and communities in relation to the right to health:
 25. in general terms a human rights-based approach requires that
special attention be given to disadvantaged individuals and
communities; it requires the active and informed participation of
individuals and communities in policy decisions that affect them;
and it requires effective, transparent and accessible monitoring and
accountability mechanisms. The combined effect of these - and
other features of a human rights-based approach - is to empower
disadvantaged individuals and communities.

20. A DISTINCT FUNDING STRAND FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE –SUPPORTED BY FUNDING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND LAW REFORM FOR MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTIONS FOR STUDENTS AT RISK OF SUSPENSION/EXPULSION - INCLUDING MEDIATORS - 10 MILLION FROM PRIVATE SCHOOLS FUND

21. Table 3. “At what time do you usually go to sleep on a weekday?”
Before Midnight
Midnight
After midnight
Varies/NA
School A
42%
16%
---
School B
54%
15%
School C
78% 9% 6% 7%
School D
83%
11%
School E
40%
26%
34%
School F
60% 8%
32%
School G
81% 4%

22. UNITED NATIONS Economic and Social Council 3 March 2006 Commission on Human Rights Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Paul Hunt
Cf. Argument that rates of early school leaving are a benchmark/indicator of a right to health norm

23. BEYOND EDUCATIONAL DISADVANTAGE (Downes, P. & Gilligan, A L
BEYOND EDUCATIONAL DISADVANTAGE (Downes, P. & Gilligan, A L. (Eds) (2007). Dublin: Institute Of Public Administration PRIORITY ISSUES 1) Developing school climate at post-primary level 2) Developing teachers’ early literacy instruction skills 3) A mental health strategy and fund for contexts of socio-economic disadvantage 4) Community development and lifelong learning

24. 1) Developing school climate at post-primary level
No sunlight ! Not money !………..
NDP ………………………………..
Transition – not merely a problem
of the individual
H.Dip……………………………….

25. CHAP 28: Darmody, M. (2007). Strengthening the school social climate
CHAP 34: Downes, P. et al (2007). The jolt between primary and post-primary
CHAP 35: Maunsell, C. et al (2007). Primary to post-primary: Perceptions of pupils with special educational needs
CHAP 36: Farrelly, G. (2007). Bullying and social context: Challenges for schools
CHAP 38: Murphy, A. (2007). Peer mediation: The power and importance of children’s voices

26. 2) Developing teachers’ early literacy instruction skills
Speech and language – system level skills for teachers and parents
- NDP – ring-fenced funding
- an aspect of drug prevention
More hours in curriculum ? Integrate with other subjects
Motivation and reading
Arts and literacy: Fear of failure – process drama for language, emotions and social skills

27. CHAP 15: Quinn, S. (2007). ‘Only brainy and boring people read’
CHAP 16: Kazmierczak, S. (2007). Preventing potential weaknesses in early literacy instruction
CHAP 17: Mullan, Y. (2007).Raising literacy levels locally
CHAP 18: Kennedy, E. (2007). Literacy in designated disadvantaged schools
CHAP 25: Hefferon, C. (2007). A model of drama for educational disadvantage
CHAP 26: Murphy, P. (2007). Drama as radical pedagogy
CHAP 27: Butler, D & Kelly, J. (2007). The digital era: Empowerment or digital divide ?

28. 4) Community development and lifelong learning
Schools as a community resource: Nicholas of Myra
Collaboration not contracting out
Parent peer support – Freirean models
Community leaders from ethnic minorities including Travellers
HSL – evenings, wider than teacher-only
Regional educational structures

29. CHAP 11: Bane, L. (2007). A seagull’s view: Adult and community education
CHAP 12: Mulkerrins, D. (2007). The transformational potential of the Home School Community Liaison Scheme
CHAP 13:Owens, T. (2007). The development of men’s community education in Ireland
CHAP 14: Waters, L. (2007). Community education: A view from the margins
CHAP 22: Boyle, A. (2007). Traveller parents and early childhood education

30. QDOSS: An Agenda for Development
QDOSS is calling for a national
strategy on Out of School
Services – a strategy that is
sensitive to the needs of local contexts.

31. 1) Key Structures Underpinning Out-of-School Services 2)
1)      Key Structures Underpinning Out-of-School Services 2) Out-of-School Services: Bridging Health and Education Needs  3) Out-of-School Services: Contribution to Development of School Climate 4) Out-of-School Services: A Key Resource in Culturally Relevant Curriculum Implementation 5) Community Development Principles and Out-of-School Services 6) Evaluation: Structural, Process and Outcome Indicators

32. Downes, P (2006) Quality Development of Out of School Services: An agenda for development. Complied for the QDOSS Network
Downes, P. Intravenous Drug Use and HIV in Estonia: Socio-economic integration and development of indicators regarding the right to health for its Russian-speaking population
Liverpool Law Review (2007). Special Issue on Historical and Contemporary Legal Issues on HIV/AIDS, Vol.28,
Downes, P. Prevention of Bullying at a Systemic Level in Schools: Movement from Cog nitive and Spatial Narratives of Diametric Opposition to Concentric Relation. In Shane R. Jimerson, Susan M. Swearer, and Dorothy L. Espelage (Eds.), The Handbook of School Bullying: An International Perspective , Section III., Research-Based Prevention and Intervention (pp ). (2009). New York: Routledge
Downes, P & Gilligan, A L (2007) (Eds) Beyond Educational Disadvantage. Dublin: Institute of Public Administration
References:

33. Galbraith, John (1992) The Culture of Contentment. London: Penguin
Kaplan, D.D., Damphousse, J.R. & Kaplan, H.B. (1994). Mental health implications of not graduating from high school. Journal of Experimental Education, 62,
UNITED NATIONS Economic and Social Council 3 March 2006 COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of
everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Paul Hunt