Dr Merryn Davies Access and Success Project

1. AN ENGAGED APPROACH TO ACCESS AND SUCCESS IN MELBOURNE’S WEST Dr Merryn Davies Access and Success Project

2. An Engaged Approach to Access and Success in Melbourne’s West: Structure of Presentation Regional Features and Context for Partnership Current Australian Policy Parameters Project Methodology and Current Activity Specific Regional Partnerships: Issues and Possibilities Pedagogical and Research Implications

3. The Australian Government Response To Bradley Report Announcement in the 2009 budget of four targets to measure extension of participation in post compulsory education and training: • to reduce by half the proportion of people aged 16-64 without a Certificate III or above by 2020; • for 40% of people aged between 25 and 34 to hold a bachelor degree or above by 2025; • to double the number of diploma and advanced diploma completions by 2020; and • for 20% of university undergraduate students to be from low socio-economic (low-SES) backgrounds by 2020.

4. Proportion of low SES students in Victorian universities 2006 (% students)

5. Living in the Northern and Western Regions of Metropolitan Melbourne • Population 1,525,119 (29.7% of State, largest Region) • Four out of five urban growth areas: Whittlesea, Hume, Melton &Wyndham; population is projected to grow by 49% by 2026 • N&WMR is the most culturally diverse Region in Victoria, 20% of the population was born in non-English speaking countries • 24% of the State’s and 51% of Melbourne’s Indigenous population live in N&WMR • N&WMR has 11 out of Melbourne’s 14 most disadvantaged LGAs • 78% of the State’s High Rise Public Housing • Seven of the State’s 9 metropolitan Neighbourhood Renewal projects

6. Learning in the Northern and Western Regions of Metropolitan Melbourne

7. Action and Research to improve the access and successful participation of young people in post compulsory education and training through collaborative research and deliberate informed strategic action through partnerships with schools in the western region of Melbourne. Learners and their needs at the centre of practice Access and Success Project :Project Goal:

8. MODEL of PRACTICE Partner Input Partner Outcomes School Student & Staff Access & Success responds to Learning Needs of Young People School Learning Student & Staff VU Student & Staff VU Student & Staff learning Systems & Organisation Organisational & Systems learning Research about Effective Practice and Outcomes

9. Key research questions for the project • How can a university increase the access and success of young people in its region in higher and vocational education? • What university strategies, partnerships and outreach activities can support young peoples’ aspirations and capabilities in succeeding in higher and vocational education? • How can recommendations emanating from this research be used to support an increase in the participation rates of people from low socio-economic status in higher and vocational education?

10. The supplementary question How does this equity agenda inform the university’s engagement with its local and more global communities and what are impacts on pedagogy, research and policy making?

11. Methodology The Collaborative Practitioner Research (CPR) methodology being used in this research has enabled school and university students, teacher researchers and university researchers to work respectfully together in the collection and analysis of data and in the proposition of research findings (Cherednichenko, Davies, Kruger and O’Rourke, 2 Data collection strategies include: • Case writing • Interviews, minutes of meetings, participant observation. • Research meetings. • School based data collected for purposes of accountability and reporting.

12. Access and Success Project • Learning Enrichment:Literacy, numeracy, engagement, teaching and learning projects in 50 schools; eg Raven Cluster project • https://fuse.education.vic.gov.au/pages/View.aspx?pin=W6QZXU&Source=%252fpages%252fTeacher.aspx • Teacher Leadership: The professional development of teachers via their participation in post-graduate education: e.g., 20 teachers and principals at Hillside Primary School enrolled and completing the M Ed at their school); • Youth Access: Working with senior secondary students to support their aspirations and provide information on pathways to tertiary education and employment e.g., 30 VU students providing mentoring support to school students interested in the Portfolio Pathways Program (PPP) entry to VU; • Schools PlusProvision: Enhancing students’ educational engagement through school-based programs with community partners e.g., Western Bulldogs Friendly Schools Program : 40 schools, 400 students, 15 players; • Access and Success Research: Developing and disseminating research about the work undertaken in each of these project arms

13. Significance for University Pedagogy and Research 1.Pedagogy • Connection of projects to students’ course work • Encouragement of interdisciplinarity when teams span sectors and discipline areas • Application of teaching to “real life” settings • Emphasis on cultural competence, responsiveness to partner needs and relationship building

14. Significance for University Pedagogy and Research • Research • Integration of school and community partners into research process • Generation of “new knowledge” through extended CPR process • Building of research communities and culture in community and school settings across region to support focussed activity and change

15. NAME: Dr Merryn Davies Access and Success Project PHONE 03 99195456 FAX 03 9919 4646 EMAIL merryn.davies@vu.edu.au CONTACT DETAILS