A guide for leading dropout prevention in your small town
The Rural Advantage: Rallying Communities Around Our Students
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This case study report calls on school-community leaders to consider a made-in-Canada approach that raises literacy rates, prevents early school leaving and breathes life back into small towns.
This step-by-step guidebook provides a practical toolkit and worksheets based on the concrete experiences of the “L’ÉcoRéussite” program, which has developed a “community ecosystem” action plan in collaboration with the CTREQ: a Quebec-based research and knowledge mobilization centre. This “community ecosystem” approach provides guidance on how to engage hard-to-reach families, classrooms, schools, and whole communities in order to collectively create and lead activities that increase the language skills of toddlers and encourage the academic and social success of children and young adults ages 0-24 years-old.
Schools, school districts and community organizations can leverage this guidebook to create their own unique programs adapted to their particular needs and situation.
The Ecosystem Toolkit
This toolkit contains worksheet templates, sample community surveys and model action plans that have been carefully developed by the “L’ÉcoRéussite” program. These hands-on tools can be used as exemplars for filling-in the blank templates below, which were developed by the CTREQ.
Phase 1: Explore
This phase consists in collecting qualitative and quantitative data to develop a community portrait, engaging community stakeholders and hosting your first community consultation meeting. (Refer to Phase 1 of the report).
PHASE 2: INITIATE THE PROCESS
understanding the protective factors of student retention and success, versus the risk factors of dropping out of school
Survey to evaluate current initiatives and gaps in community service offerings
developing a community portrait
determining community needs and objectives based on Key findings and Protective factors
PHASE 3: THE PLANNING STAGE – CREATING AN ECOSYSTEM ACTION PLAN
developing a community Action Plan
PHASE 4: IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE
survey to ASSESS PARTNER SATISFACTION
Widening the scope to target individuals ages 0–24 years-old
survey to ASSESS COMMUNITY PRIORITy issues
sample results from the survey to ASSESS community PRIORITY ISSUES
Practical how-to videos for community organizations, schools, school districts and parents’ associations (in French only)
This video series on the “L’ÉcoRéussite” program will allow you to dive deeper into the winning conditions, challenges and key steps undertaken by this school-community team in creating a “community ecosystem” action plan.
How to Create a Community Action Plan in Support of Student Retention (in French only)
Building Upon Student success to Spur Parent Engagement (in French only)
The “L’ÉcoRéussite” Program: Supporting Student Success in Disadvantaged Rural Communities (in French only)
SUPPORTED BY
This initiative is generously sponsored by State Farm Canada, which shares EdCan Network’s commitment to supporting leaders who are transforming Canada’s public education system.
Meet the Expert(s)
André Rebeiz
Research Manager for the EdCan Network - Responsable de la recherche pour le Réseau ÉdCan
André makes research fun and exciting through creating knowledge and awareness-building tools including infographics, fact sheets, videos, podcasts, and marketing campaigns that advance evidence-info...
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EdCan Network
The EdCan Network is the independent national organization with over 140,000 members working tirelessly to ensure that all students discover their place, purpose and path.
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