1 / 21

Dr John Benseman The University of Auckland

Faclon Conference, Oslo Lessons learnt from the Manukau Family Literacy Program (MFLP) in New Zealand: programs, impact and evaluations. Dr John Benseman The University of Auckland. AOTEAROA LAND OF THE LONG WHITE CLOUD. Norway – New Zealand. New Zealand 13 people per sq km, Norway 14

velma
Download Presentation

Dr John Benseman The University of Auckland

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Faclon Conference, OsloLessons learnt from the Manukau Family Literacy Program (MFLP) in New Zealand: programs, impact and evaluations Dr John Benseman The University of Auckland

  2. AOTEAROA LAND OF THE LONG WHITE CLOUD

  3. Norway – New Zealand • New Zealand 13 people per sq km, Norway 14 • New Zealand 12 sheep per person; Norway, only .25! • Isolation: • Australia is 4 hours away by plane • Norway 30 hours..

  4. Social distinctiveness • Maori (15%) have Treaty with Crown – major influence on policy and practice • Pasifika (6%), Asian (8%) • Increasing cultural diversity

  5. 30% population live in Auckland (Oslo 12%)

  6. NZ International Adult Literacy Survey, 1996 • 20% (600,000) at Level 1, 25% at Level 2 (750,000) • Only 20% at Levels 4/5 • Over-representation of Maori, Pasifika, NESB, older, low-quals, low-schooling in lower levels • Similar to Australia, UK & US, worse than Netherlands & Sweden

  7. Family Literacy - assumptions • Greater benefits for learners than with child-only + adult-only programs • Children struggling with literacy come from homes where parents do too • Parents are more effective with their children when their own learning needs addressed

  8. Family Literacy in New Zealand • A number of different models operating, but most have: • low program intensity • short program duration • minimal parent education component • Now recognised in educational policy • Links well with national school policy around ‘learning communities’

  9. MFLP • City of Manukau Education Trust (COMET) • COMET Literacy Taskforce • Visit of Bonnie Lash Freeman (NCFL) • Feasibility study • 2 pilot sites, each involving an early childhood centre, a primary school & a tertiary institution • Rowandale • Bairds Otara (both Decile 1A areas)

  10. Kenan Model of FL Adult literacy Child literacy Parent & child Together PACT Parent education

  11. What happens at MFLP? • Parent and one child enrol • Children attend school or ECE • Parents on-site at school for 30 hours per week • Parents enrolled in tertiary course • 30 weeks duration

  12. Parents and Child Together Time (PACTT) • Parent goes to child’s class for 20 mins. per day • Works with child on curriculum • Parent prepares for PACTT & review in adult class • Focus on child development & key areas of literacy • Class PACTT once a month • Whanau PACTT once a term

  13. 70 participants in 2 programs • overwhelmingly female, average age of 33 • children average age 5 • 2/3 Pasifika, almost all the rest Maori • 70% had no school qualifications, most had no post-school qualifications • Most in unskilled or semi-skilled work or not in paid work prior to course

  14. Impact of MFLP • Foundation skill gains for adults & children • Builds parents’ levels of self-confidence and self-efficacy • Raise and identify long-term aims for education and employment • Encourage parents’ involvement in their children’s education • Explore and adopt new parenting skills • Build learning communities among parents, their children and participating institutions

  15. Issues arising for MFLP • Working across educational boundaries • Co-ordination of partners • Ownership of program • Funding of the tertiary component • Recruiting staff • Selection & recruitment of participants • Duration of program • Where does FL ‘fit’?

  16. ‘Drop ‘n go’ Fund-raising activities Parent help School/ECE events Family literacy Board of trustees/ EC management committee Teacher aide work School/ECE trips Parent/teacher meetings

  17. MFLP lessons learnt • Importance of lead agency • Centrality of teacher in multiple roles • Support from partner institutions • Importance of networks • Physical facilities • Momentum is important

  18. Evaluating programs • Need to be realistic, not fairy stories.. • Objectivity, credibility • Need to be useful to: • Programs • Funders • Policy-makers • Reports are readable • Widely distributed, especially to decision-makers

  19. Value of evaluation • Provide insight and feedback • Link to ‘the bigger picture’ through research literature • Provides useful benchmarks for the program • Provides a networking tool • INFLUENCES POLICY-MAKERS & POLITICIANS • Helps influences funding guidelines • HELPS SECURE FUNDING

  20. Evaluation issues • Convincing funders of the need for evaluation • Retaining a discreet distance from the program & yet, intimate enough for credibility • Measuring learner outcomes • Need for innovative approaches

  21. More information • Further information about MFLP reports: www.comet.org.nz • Cain Johnson, A. & Benseman, J. (2005) Adult literacy in New Zealand in Comings,J., Garner, B. & Smith, C (Eds) Review of adult learning and literacy, Vol 5, pp 155-186. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum

More Related