Evaluating Integrated Children’s Services: The Politics of Research on Collaborative Education and Social Service Research

Abstract

Based on the history of education and other human services (e.g., health, welfare, housing, and social work) in the United States, this article analyzes the differing political status among providers of student services. The resulting political pressures structure professional research norms and mitigate against professional collaboration at both the delivery and research levels. The chapter identifies four key issues that need addressing in the design of collaborative research projects to be responsive to converging political pressures. These issues emerge not only from the efforts to collaborate but from the differing training, backgrounds, and interests of evaluators and researchers from various service agencies and schools, and from the divergent needs of clients around health, housing, welfare, job preparation, and K-12 education. The role of the school is key because shared services often occur on the school site, where children spend the most time.

Developing Strategies at the Pre-service Level to Address Critical Teacher Attraction and Retention Issues in Australian Rural, Regional and Remote Schools

“…Twomey, 2008) and feedback from graduates is that they are not well prepared for rural, regional and remote teaching and living (Frid, Smith, Sparrow & Trinidad, 2008. Within the first five years of rural and regional practice, isolation in the way of geography and professional development is likely to result in many professionals leaving their professions in country placements (Herrington & Herrington, 2001).…”

Preparing Teachers for Rural Appointments

“…Traditionally it has been difficult attracting and retaining teachers and other professionals to rural and remote areas (Miles, Marshall, Rolfe & Noonan, 2004). Within the first five years of rural and regional practice, isolation in the way of geography and professional development is likely to result in many professionals leaving their professions in country placements (Herrington & Herrington, 2001). In the metropolitan areas of Australia, professionals account for 20% of the workforce, while in regional areas, professionals comprise only 11% (Miles, Marshall, Rolfe & Noonan, 2004).…”

The Partners in Prevention Program: Further Development of the Task-Centered Case Management Model

“…Given that most mental health services are actually delivered in school settings (Hoagwood & Erwin, 1997;Rones & Hoagwood, 2000) and that most reports of neglect and abuse are reported by school personnel-with over half of all reports coming from teachers (Sedlak & Broadhurst, 1996)-it is clear that schools are where the action is for both identifying children who are vulnerable as well as providing those interventions that address the consequences of risk factors. The magnitude of problems facing children is so large that the community of service providers cannot succeed without partnering with schools (Herrington & Lazar, 1999).…”

“…Part of the failure to measure the impact of school services on academic achievement may be what Sarason (1995) refers to as a pervasive suspiciousness or hostility toward attempts to evaluate school-based interventions because teachers fear seeing themselves as the unending objects of criticism. It is also difficult to measure innovative social work interventions in schools when they generally do not last very long (Elmore, 1996), tend to be implemented on a school-by-school basis (Adelman & Taylor, 1997;Herrington & Lazar, 1999), and often lack sustainable funding (Adelman & Taylor, 2003;Johnson, Hays, Center, & Daley, 2004). Innovations that require deep changes to the core of educational practices-those that actually address how teachers teach and how students learn-seldom penetrate more than a small portion of schools and classrooms.…”