Action+Research+Project

 To further enrich the environment for students at Moomba Park Primary School so that they not only feel safe and secure but that they also experience a partnership of Student Mentoring. These relationships further nurtures and promotes their learning through “...students feeling better about themselves, particularly when they have a pre-existing low self-esteem that may hold them back academically or result in challenging behaviour that put them at risk of school exclusion.”(Lacey, K. 1999)
 * Project aim:**

This proposal is in agreement with Teasley, 1995, when he states, “I believe a more structured program where Peer Mentoring can effectively improve learning for all involved is essential. We must no longer assume that student learning can only manifest through the teacher. Peer learning, based on the interaction generated within the framework supplied by the teacher, places speaking between classmates as one of the most decisive factors in the process of mutual help and transfer of control.”    Activities, development play, literacy based activities and  computer skills.  The following proposal reflects work that has been carried out in 2009.  **Brief outline of your project proposal:** **Project target group (age group, gender etc):** The target group are students in Year 5 and 6, children that are 10, 11 and 12 years old, and working with younger children that are 5, 6 and 7 years old. It is important to note that the majority of these students are male.  2008 school data showed that grade 5 & 6 students at Moomba Park Primary School were starting to show signs of disengagement, lowered academic achievement, and poorer school attendance. Data showed that a significant % of children didn’t reach benchmark. The Naplan test also verified that intervention was essential to improve children’s academic levels. The need to plan a more effective program was evident. Since 2007 an intervention program was introduced targeting ‘children at risk’. Although effective, the current program needs additional support as provided by this submission.   <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">8 classrooms (4 grades in Year 5/6 and 2 Preps and 2 Grade 1/2 classes) <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">will be involved so there will be 8 classroom teachers and at least 2 support staff. However there will be a need for at least one staff allocated to collecting and evaluating data and also parents and staff from the Hippy program. We also anticipate staff from the local library. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; msospacerun: yes;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">  <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Objective: **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">to improve children’s motivation to learn through A Peer Mentoring Program
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Focus: **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> Older children (at risk) to assist younger children in oral language
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Reason for targeting this group **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">:
 * Adults involved in project delivery** (number of teaching staff, agency staff/ parents/<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">volunteers)

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">In 2009 the pilot phase involved 8 classrooms in total. 4, Year 5/6 classrooms; 2, Prep classrooms and 2, Year 1/2 classrooms. The group of students from the older classes were selected based on 2 main criteria; they were below average students who were also perceived at ‘risk’ of dropping out of school. (The children lacked motivation, had behavioural problems both in and out of the classroom). <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Initially all children in all 4 classrooms were involved and paired. This was especially successful for the 2 classes in Year 5/6 who were given buddies from the 2 Prep classes. A sound relationship was established between buddies through informal play, computer activities, and language games. For these students the buddy set up was not a strange practice so when the peer mentoring program was started it was a natural progression to the already established curriculum. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">The next phase of the program was to formally skill the older children. Since these children were of low academic standard it was important for the teacher and their peers (with high literacy skills) to instruct and guide the children at risk before any formal teaching was to be executed with the younger buddies. It was critical that the teacher intervened at this stage and implemented clear lessons on, for example; Getting knowledge ready before reading a story, how to question before and after reading a story, introducing vocabulary before reading, paraphrasing a story, etc. It was imperative that this stage of the program was implemented correctly and successfully. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">To heighten the success, it was important to assign peer mentors to the children ‘at risk’. The peer mentors were students from the same class, but who were really good role models and helpers to these children. It would be a reciprocal role, the expert mentors would help their peers and in turn those peers would help their little buddies after their confidence and skills had been built. The benefits included: <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">After evaluating the pilot phase in 2009, it was evident that further work needed to be undertaken to improve the Mentor’s training. It was also felt that strengthening the project through working collaboratively with both the Hippy project and the local library would have significant benefits. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">During 2010 it is envisaged that the above successful project would be continued with additional intensive training of all mentors as well as accurate and significant data being collected and analysed especially for Group 2 (Students ‘at risk’). This would be achieved through: <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Quantitative: <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Qualitative: <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">In order to maximise the benefits of this project, it is imperative that funding is provided. This will facilitate teachers having the resources to provide student training and supervision, and the project team being able to collect and analyse relevant data. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> //<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(see the “Guide to applying for SFYS brokerage” pg 4 for more information regarding measuring outcomes) // <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Expected outcome (what will change!) || <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How it will be measured? (please attach example copies of measurement tools) || <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Improvement in student’s attitudes to school, including students feeling better their learning and their capacity to help others. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> || <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Attitude to school surveys <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Student self-reflections <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Student forum comments || <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Improvement in literacy outcomes <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> || <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Naplan, On-line testing, Running Records, VELS. || <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Improved school attendance <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> || <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">School attendance data || <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Method: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Pilot Phase: **
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Young Buddies (group 1 **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">) were helped by the children ‘at risk’
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">The children at risk (group 2) **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> built on their skills for the purpose of helping their little buddies therefore, building on their literacy skills and self-efficacy
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">The expert mentors (group 3 **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">) benefitted by assisting their peers and further developing their skills through instructing others.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">2010 **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Pre-testing – Naplan, Literacy on-line tests, Attitude to School, Running Records, and Attendance data.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Post-testing – as above to determine improvements.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Student surveys – Pre and Post
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Student reflections on the Wiki page including discussion forums
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Teacher reflections
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Please identify at least 2 expected outcomes for this project? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Eg outcomes for young people, outcomes regarding relationships between partners or outcomes about changing practice or policy.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Outcomes for young people should **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">relate **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> to the **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">risk factors **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> identified above

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