Reuben Ford, PhD. “From Research to Practice” Symposium, Ottawa 13-14 March 2013

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

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 3rd 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

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 foundlowawarenessamong LA holders of theirstatus. Higheramong 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: EYHhad few impacts on increasing demand for education

12. Take aways • 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

13. Take aways • 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.