1. Early High School Interventions to Increase Students' Access to Post-secondary Education: Experimental Impacts from the Future to Discover Project Reuben Ford, PhD. “From Research to Practice” Symposium, Ottawa 13-14 March 2013

2. The problem  Increasing the number of youth who participate in post- secondary education is an economic imperative (supporting economic growth as population ages)  Post-secondary education (PSE) is also an effective means to promote social inclusion and to reduce social and health inequalities  PSE access rates could be higher, particularly for young people in key subgroups  Lower rates of access could be due to Lack of information about careers and relative benefits and costs of PSE or inadequate preparation/ability to use information Anticipated unaffordability of PSE

3. It is rare to be able to identify a program that will achieve a policy objective with certainty

4. Future to Discover tests two interventions separately and in parallel EYH: Explore Your Horizons Enhanced early career education in Grades 10, 11, and 12 LA: Learning Accounts Early guarantee of $8,000 grant to pursue PSE for lower-income students

5. EYH has six career education components: 20 workshops – 2 hours after school/evening sessions 1.Career Focusing (G10) – explores career and education options matched to passions and interests 2.Lasting Gifts (G11) – helps parents to understand career development and become “career allies” 3.Future in Focus (G12) – promotes strategies to support students through transitions 4.Post-secondary Ambassadors (G10-G12) – connect with PSE students to better understand career and education planning 5.F2D Magazine (G10-G12) – 6 issues sent to home 6.Web site for EYH students only (G10-G12) EYH (enhanced career education programs) delivers workshops, magazines, Web site

6. LA provides an early guarantee of student aid to lower-income families  New Brunswick families with below median income (taken from both parents’ tax returns)  Account grows over Grades 10-12  Total $8,000 grant available  Account closes at end of 3 rd post-secondary year  Early promise of aid: enter Grade 10 knowing grant available  No obligation to apply for loans

7. Random samples of Grade 9 students randomly assigned: 4,400 in NB and 1,000 in MB Grade 9 students in 51 schools New Brunswick Learning Accounts eligible Random Assignment Comparison Group Learning Accounts Explore Your Horizons + Learning Accounts Explore Your Horizons New Brunswick Learning Accounts ineligible, and Manitoba participants Random Assignment Explore Your Horizons Comparison group

8. The interventions were implemented as intended: some non-take up Three key findings:  Strong delivery fidelity to both program models.  EYH participation declined from Grade 10 through Grade 12.  Survey in Grade 12 found low awareness among LA holders of their status. Higher among Francophone students.

9. NB Anglophone students in lower-income families: interventions increased demand for education

10. NB Francophone students in lower-income families: interventions increased demand for education

11. Manitoba students: EYH had few impacts on increasing demand for education

12.  Interventions can make a difference on behaviour Youth can be sensitive to quite modest interventions to make potentially major changes in their lives  Interventions could have larger impacts if: Steps taken to increase awareness of Learning Accounts EYH sessions make better use of resources in the current system  Variations in impact should be expected from one population to another  Matching program to target groups as closely as possible would increase cost efficiency of the program.  Cannot ignore supply Take aways

13.  Career Education (EYH) should remain an important element of future interventions. Relying solely on fiscal incentives (LA) to promote PSE access may lead to sub-optimal results. Take aways