A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of an Integrated Secondary–Postsecondary Model of Schooling for Students Identified as Failing in the Traditional School Setting

• In Event: 75.061 - Roundtable Session 34
  In Roundtable Session: 75.061-5 - Evaluating Programs for At-Risk Youth

Abstract

This paper argues that the traditional one-size-fits all secondary school system does not meet the needs of all students. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the impact the Tertiary High School (THS) had on student outcomes in comparison to their counterparts in a control group during the first two years of the THS in operation. Study one incorporated both a program logic (not included in this paper) and a narrative approach to gain an in-depth understanding of how seven, Year 11 (US Grade 10) students perceived their THS experiences in comparison to their previous traditional schooling experiences. This study found that the students in New Zealand’s first THS outperformed their counterparts in the control schools for both years.

Author

• Colleen Young, The University of Auckland