School Dropout and Completion (eBook)

International Comparative Studies in Theory and Policy

Stephen Lamb, Eifred Markussen, John Polesel, Nina Sandberg, Richard Teese (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: PDF

2010 | 2011
XIX, 410 Seiten
Springer Netherlands (Verlag)
978-90-481-9763-7 (ISBN)

Infos

School dropout remains a persistent and critical issue in many school systems, so much so that it is sometimes referred to as a crisis. Populations across the globe have come to depend on success at school for establishing careers and gaining access to post-school qualifications. Yet large numbers of young people are excluded from the advantages that successful completion of school brings and as a result are subjected to consequences such as higher likelihood of unemployment, lower earnings, greater dependence on welfare and poorer physical health and well-being. Over recent decades, most western nations have stepped up their efforts to reduce drop out and raise school completion rates while maintaining high standards. How school systems have approached this, and how successful they are, varies. This book compares the various approaches by evaluating their impact on rates of dropout and completion. Case studies of national systems are used to highlight the different approaches including institutional arrangements and the various alternative secondary school programs and their outcomes. The evaluation is based on several key questions: What are the main approaches? How do they work? For whom do they work? And, how successful are they in promoting high rates of completion and equivalent outcomes for all? This book examines the nature of the dropout problem in advanced industrialized countries with the goal of developing a broader, international understanding that can feed into public policy to help improve completion rates worldwide.

Inhalt

Acknowledgements 6
Contents 8
List of Tables 10
List of Figures 12
Contributors 16
Role of Editors 20
Chapter 1: School Dropout and Completion: An International Perspective 22
Introduction 22
Defining and Measuring Completion and Dropout 25
Social Inequality and School Completion 30
Modern Growth in School Completion 31
Plan of the Book 35
References 37
Part I:Structures and Pathways 40
Chapter 2: Pathways to School Completion: An International Comparison 41
School-Based Pathways 42
Differences in Provision 42
Academic Pathways to Graduation 45
Alternative Pathways 71
Impact of Alternative Pathways 76
Pathways to Completion for School Dropouts 83
Upper Secondary Credential Equivalents 84
Apprenticeship Qualifications 85
Vocational Education Qualifications 87
Conclusion 89
References 90
Part II:Case Studies 94
Introduction to the European Education Systems 95
Chapter 3: The Question of School Dropout: A French Perspective 97
Introduction 97
The French Context of Schooling: A Centralised System, Strongly Hierarchical and Recently Transformed to a Mass System 98
Lower Secondary Education: Junior High School (Collège) 98
General and Technological Education 99
Vocational Training: Institutional Duality 100
Vocational Senior High School and Apprenticeship Centres 100
Qualifications 101
Graduation Rates: Trends Over Time 102
Democratisation: Qualitative or Quantitative? 102
An Increasingly Qualified Population 104
School Dropout in France: An Overview of What We Know 104
School Dropout Meaning What? 104
Fluidity in the Measure, and Measurement of Flows 105
Who Are the Dropouts? A Statistical Profile 106
Analyses of the Dropout Phenomenon in French Sociology 108
Conceptualising Dropping Out as a Process 108
The Role of the Institution 109
Public Policies and Programs Put in Place to Reduce Dropout 109
System Level 110
School Level 110
Individual Level 111
A Brief History of Intervention 111
Prevention Measures Under Mission Générale d’Insertion, MGI 112
Training Programs Under Mission Générale d’Insertion, MGI 112
Alternative Pathways 114
Critical Views 114
What ‘Lines of Action’ Are Needed for Reconnection with School? 115
References 115
Chapter 4: School Dropout and Completion in Spain 117
What Are the Main Features of Spain’s Upper Secondary Education and Training Provision? 117
What Are the Main Rates of School Graduation or Dropout? Have These Changed from Previous Decades? 119
Who Graduates and Who Drops Out? 124
Programs, Policies and Practices to Reduce Dropout 128
References 132
Chapter 5: Towards Compulsory Participation in England 134
Introduction 134
Compulsory Education in England 136
Post-Compulsory Education and Training in England 140
Gender Segregation in Education, Training and Work 145
Conclusion 148
References 150
Chapter 6: Participation in Post-Compulsory Learning in Scotland 153
Introduction 153
The Scottish Education System 155
The Level, Trend and Distribution of Post-Compulsory Participation 158
Culturalist Strategies 162
Rationalist Strategies 164
Developmentalist Strategies 166
Discussion 167
References 168
Chapter 7: Germany’s Education System and the Problem of Dropouts: Institutional Segregation and Program Diversification 171
Introduction 171
Main Features of Secondary Education and Training Provision 172
Secondary Level 1 172
Secondary Level II 174
Rates of School Graduation and Dropout 175
Grade Repeating and School Dropouts 175
Training Dropouts 178
Dropouts – Differentiated According to School Type, Gender, Nationality and Socioeconomic Status 180
Explanations for Dropouts in Germany 181
Prevention and Reduction of Dropout Numbers in Germany 182
Reduction of School Dropouts 182
Reduction of Training Dropouts 182
Alternative Pathways 183
Policies on Three Different Levels Aiming at Prevention of Dropout 184
References 185
Chapter 8: School Dropout in Secondary Education: The Case of Poland 188
Introduction 188
Changes in Poland’s Contemporary Educational System 188
The Contemporary Educational System in Poland 190
Selection Processes in Secondary Schooling 193
Students’ Educational Aspirations 196
(Potential) School Dropout in Upper Secondary Education 198
Mechanisms of Assistance for Students at Risk 201
Conclusions 203
References 204
Chapter 9: School Dropout and Completion in Switzerland 206
Introduction 206
The Contextual Framework: The Swiss Education System 207
The Current Reforms in the Swiss Education System 209
The Target: 95% of Teenagers with a Diploma of Post-Compulsory Education by 2015 210
Trends in Lower Vocational Training 212
Number and Types of Firms Providing Apprenticeships Is Changing 212
Costs and Benefits of Apprentice Training 213
Number and Types of Apprenticeship Contracts 214
Apprentices’ Satisfaction with Their Field of Training 215
The Transitional Programs 217
Young People Without a Post-Compulsory Diploma 219
Conclusion 222
References 224
Introduction to the Nordic Education Systems 227
Chapter 10: Dropout and Completion in Upper Secondary Education in Finland 229
The Structure of the Finnish Educational System 229
Finland at the Top of the World Rankings 232
The Main Patterns of Post-Compulsory Graduation and Dropping Out 233
Main Predictors of Dropping Out 235
Programs, Policies and Practices in Reducing Dropout in Finland 238
Some Conclusions and Widening the Perspective: Finland – Not at the Top After All? 242
References 244
Chapter 11: Dropout in a Small Society: Is the Icelandic Case Somehow Different? 247
Icelandic Education 247
Upper Secondary School in Iceland 249
Tertiary Education 253
Patterns of School Dropout 254
Why Do Students Drop Out? Theorisation and Explanations 255
The System Perspective 256
The School Perspective 257
The Individual’s Perspective 257
Programs, Policies and Practices for Reducing Dropout 259
Prevention Measures 259
Remedial Initiatives 261
Conclusions and Future Perspectives 262
References 263
Chapter 12: Early Leaving, Non-Completionand Completion in Upper Secondary Education in Norway 266
Introduction 266
The Structure of Upper Secondary Education and Training 266
The Main Pathways 267
Governance of Upper Secondary Education 269
Main Patterns of Early Leaving, Non-Completion and Completion 270
Main Predictors of Early Leaving, Non-Completion and Completion 273
Completion, Non-Completion and Early Leaving Among Apprentices 274
Understanding Completion, Non-Completion and Early Leaving 275
Policies to Reduce Early Leaving and Non-Completion 279
References 282
Introduction to the New World Education Systems 285
Chapter 13: High School Dropouts in the United States 287
Introduction 287
The United States Educational System 287
Trends in Dropout and Graduation Rates 291
Why Do Students Drop Out? 295
Individual Factors 295
Institutional Factors 296
Families 297
Schools 297
Communities 298
Responding to the Dropout Crisis 299
Programmatic Strategies 300
Institutional Strategies 300
Systemic Reform Strategies 302
Conclusion 303
References 304
Chapter 14: Educational Systems and School Dropout in Canada 307
Introduction 307
Compulsory and Post-Compulsory Education in Canada 308
Pre-School to Secondary Education 308
Post-Secondary Education 311
Alternative Pathways 311
First-Nation Education Structure 313
The High School Diploma in Canada: Forms and Requirements 313
Patterns of School Graduation and Dropout in Canada 314
Calculating Canada’s Graduation/Dropout Rate: What are the Challenges? 315
Canada’s Graduation and Dropout Rates 315
Graduation Rate 315
High School Completion Rates Based on Cohorts 317
Dropout Rate 317
Relations Between Graduation, Dropout Rates and Learning 319
Rate of ‘Continuers’ Returning to School After Dropping Out 319
Determinants of School Graduation and Dropout in Canada 320
Economic Factors 322
Socio-Demographic Factors 322
School Environment 323
Family Structure and Functioning 323
Psycho-Social Adjustment 323
Individual School Experience 324
The Heterogeneous Dropout 324
Policy and Programming to Prevent Dropout 325
Pre-Elementary and Pre-Kindergarten Education 326
Focus on (Early) Literacy 327
School Improvement 327
School Health and Safety (in) Schools 327
School-Family-Community Collaboration 328
Conclusion 328
References 329
Chapter 15: School Dropout and Completion in Australia 333
Main Features of Post-Compulsory Provision 334
Programs 334
Schools 336
Patterns of Year 12 Completion 338
Measures 338
Trends in Completion 338
Demographic Patterns of School Completion 340
Factors Influencing Year 12 Completion 341
Political and Economic Context 342
Student and School Contexts 343
Policies to Raise Completion Rates 344
System-Level Initiatives 344
School-Level Policies 346
Pathways for Dropouts 346
Conclusion 348
References 349
Part III:Programs, Equity and Policy 352
Chapter 16: Vocational Education and Training in France and Germany: Friend or Foe of the Educationally Disadvantaged? 353
Introduction 353
France 355
Germany 357
Different Systems, Common Functions 361
Going Forward 363
References 365
Chapter 17: Pathways to Completion for School Dropouts 367
Introduction 367
Vocational Education Pathways 368
Adult and Community Education Pathways 371
Dropouts in Schools for Adults 371
What Happens to Dropouts in Adult Education Settings? 373
Conclusion 374
References 375
Chapter 18: School Dropout and Inequality 378
Introduction 378
Influences on Dropout and Completion 379
Conceptual Model of Dropout and Completion 383
SES Differences and Inequality Across Nations 385
Dropout and Completion 391
Explaining International Differences 393
References 398
Chapter 19: Policies to Reduce School Dropoutand Increase Completion 400
Introduction 400
Types of Policies 401
Individual and School-Level Policies 402
System-Level Policies 403
Counselling and Career Guidance 404
Income Support 405
Raising the Compulsory School-Leaving Age 405
Vocational Education as a Program for Reducing Dropoutand Increasing Completion 407
Diversified Qualifications and Extended Schooling 408
Systemic Reforms 410
Reducing Dropout and Raising Completion in All Systems 411
References 414
Index 416

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 29.11.2010
• Zusatzinfo: XIX, 410 p.
• Verlagsort: Dordrecht
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Pädagogik ► Bildungstheorie
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Politik / Verwaltung
• Schlagworte: early school leaving • Effectiveness • external diversification strategies • Inclusive Education • inclusiveness • internal differentiation strategies • pupil diversity • upper secondary education
• ISBN-10: 90-481-9763-5 / 9048197635
• ISBN-13: 978-90-481-9763-7 / 9789048197637