Evaluating education support plans: Useful or useless paperwork?

Past international research has found that children and young people in out-of-home care fare consistently worse in our education system compared to students in the wider population. How to successfully engage these vulnerable students in education has become increasingly important to academic researchers and policy-makers alike. The main policy initiative for improving the educational outcomes of children and young people in care in Queensland is the education support plan (ESP). The aim of the present study was to evaluate to what extent ESPs are effectively promoting, prioritizing and improving education for children and young people in care. Study one used a structured interview with a group of case coordinators at a non-government agency to gain a better understanding of the current use of ESPs and to assess whether the ESPs are being used and the policy effectively implemented. The results from study one indicated that there are major gaps between the intention of the ESP policy and its implementation. Study two used a number of standardized measures to investigate (a) how effectively ESPs are meeting the social and emotional needs of children and young people in care and (b) the extent of involvement that children and young people have in their plans. The participants were 63 children and young people (32 males and 31 females) in out-of-home care in Queensland. It was predicted that children/young people with ESPs would show more positive scores on the measures than children/young people who did not have an ESP. It was also predicted that children and young people who were involved in the creation of their ESP would show more positive scores on the measures compared to those children/ young people who were not involved in the creation of their ESP. The results of study two identified some trends to support the second hypothesis, however the statistical data was insufficient to sustain either hypotheses. The findings discuss possible improvements to the ESP policy, potential funding arrangements and the need for a broader review of the policy framework