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When dreams turn to nightmares.

CES 2012

Dave Wood

www.typefocus.com

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Educational Transition – what can we learn?

Drop Out Rates by Institution

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%

2-Year Bachelors Masters Ph.D.

Series1

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Educational Transition – what can we learn?

Drop Out Rate by Year

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Series1

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Educational TransitionHigh Schools - BC

BC’s Six Year Completion Rate – 2007/08

Boys – 76%

Girls – 82%

First Nations – 47%

Prepared by: Analysis and Reporting Group, Ministry of Education

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Reasons – 2012 Data

Dropping out could be a coping mechanism for the stress of change.

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Simple Summary

Being better prepared leads to better success.

More change leads to less success (more stress?).

But change is not the same as loss and two clients may experience the same change but experience two totally different losses and therefore two different stress levels.

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Transition Model

Pre-change

Stability

Coping Effectiveness

Post-change

Stability

??

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Question

5x5: Group Discussion:

What changes do students face in high school? Are Aboriginal students different in anyway?

What about college or university students?

What ends with these changes and how are these seen as losses?

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Transitions ModelIt isn’t the changes that do you in, it’s the transitions. Change is not the same as transition. Change is situational: the new employment status, the new job, the new boss. Transition is the psychological process people go through to come to terms with the new situation. Change is external; transition is internal.

Unless transition occurs, change will not work.Change focuses on outcomes, transition focuses on the endings you will have to make to leave the old situation behind.

William Bridges - Managing Transitions

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Transitions Model

Transition is the psychological process people go through to come to terms with the new situation. Change is external; transition is internal.

Unless transition occurs, change will not work.Change focuses on outcomes, transition focuses on the endings you will have to make to leave the old situation behind.

5x5: What are some examples from your experience with students when change has not worked?

I.e. not coming to terms with the new situation. I.e. not leaving the old situation behind.

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Transition ModelTom Hanks – Sleepless in Seattle

Pre-change

Stability

Endings Neutral Zone Beginnings

Depression; Suicide

Sense of Failure

Return to status quo

Improved Self-awareness

Coping Effectiveness

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Transition Model Metaphor

Pre-change

Stability

Endings Neutral Zone Beginnings

Depression; Suicide

Sense of Failure

Return to status quo

Improved Self-awareness

Slaves in Red In desert Entered promised land -

Egypt Sea for 40 Years No longer slaves

Who am I

Post-change?

Flee the Neutral Zone

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Endings Phase

Stages of Grieving High School = A; College = C

Stage 1:Denial: Everything is great.

Stage 2:Anger and blame: Stupid professor; stupid test; stupid school

Stage 3:Bargaining: If I study real hard . . .

Stage 4:Depression: What's the use? or I can't. Loss of energy.

Stage 5:Readiness: OK, things haven’t worked out … what now?

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Endings Phase over time

Immediate Five YearsOne Year

5x5: Is your own wisdom based on loss?

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Metaphor

Pre-change

Stability

After grieving the loss, they will go into the Neutral Zone – what would be a metaphor or a symbolic picture for this period?

What does this feel like?

How would you describe it?

E.g. I feel lost … or Everything’s out of control.

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Workshop Exercise

Small group exercise:

Discuss the common endings and neutral zones your students experience.

Draw a detailed picture of some sort of vehicle that symbolizes how they feel.

Post in 15 minutes and select a spokesperson to explain it.

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Reframe Metaphor

Small group exercise:

Get your picture back.

Examine your symbolic vehicle and reframe/edit it to something more positive.

Post in 10 minutes and be prepared to share your ideas.

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Transition Model

Pre-change

Stability

Neutral Zone

What can be done to change your clients’ metaphor – from what to what?

This discussion fits their experience, helps normalize their angst and leads to a discussion of reasonable actions that can form a plan.

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Transition Model

Pre-change

Stability

Endings Neutral Zone Beginnings

Depression; Suicide

Sense of Failure

Return to status quo

Improved Self-awareness

Now they are ready to start thinking about new things: Beginnings.

Shift from negative self-talk (focus on the past which can’t be changed) to positive self-talk (focus on the future and what can be changed).

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Transition ModelSummary:

At this point we can see that the transition model predicts that students will be under the stress of the neutral zone and trying to understand who they are. Your normalization of the Neutral Zone will help them move forward.

Another factor to discuss with them is their social support – which may have been one of their losses.

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TypeFocus Research Chi-Square Results comparing enrolled vs. not enrolled after one year – all were in expected direction:

Accepts Responsibility 0.15• Academic Competitiveness 0.09• Self-esteem 0.66• General Health 0.13• Time Management Skills0.49• Reaching Out 0.86 • Social Support 0.02• External Commitments 0.01• Campus Life Events 0.68• Goal Persistence 0.30

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Retention Research - Universities

Combo-GenHealth & Soc Supprt & External Comm

141312111098765

Cou

nt16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

ENROLLMENT STATUS FO

NOT ENROLLED

ENROLLED

P < 0.06

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Retention Research - Universities

P < 0.06

The students completed their questionnaire in Fall ’07 above = Fall ‘08

External committments * ENROLLMENT STATUS FOR FALL 2008 Crosstabulation

1 1

5.6% 1.3%

5 3 8

27.8% 5.0% 10.3%

8 29 37

44.4% 48.3% 47.4%

3 23 26

16.7% 38.3% 33.3%

1 5 6

5.6% 8.3% 7.7%

18 60 78

100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Count

% within ENROLLMENTSTATUS FOR FALL 2008

Count

% within ENROLLMENTSTATUS FOR FALL 2008

Count

% within ENROLLMENTSTATUS FOR FALL 2008

Count

% within ENROLLMENTSTATUS FOR FALL 2008

Count

% within ENROLLMENTSTATUS FOR FALL 2008

Count

% within ENROLLMENTSTATUS FOR FALL 2008

Very Heavy

Heavy

Average

Light

Very Light

Externalcommittments

Total

NOTENROLLED ENROLLED

ENROLLMENT STATUSFOR FALL 2008

Total

P < 0.01

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Failure to Thrive ModelPoor Skills Good Skills

Low Grades/EQ High Grades/EQSupported in Transition?

Psycho-SocialGeneral HealthExternal Demands

Yes

No

Struggle with transition:• May need basic training• May need to drop courses• Attend summer school?• Change major?• Transfer? – college/trade• May be a “stop-out”

Struggle with transition:• Lost souls• dramatic failure – low

GPA in first term• 55% of Fall ’08 drop-

outs had GPA < 1.3 at end of Fall ‘07

Succeed with transition:• Most will persist• A few may have

“learned what they need to learn” and drop-out but they are functioning at a higher level.

Struggle with transition:• Lower than expected

GPA• Fragile – at risk for

negative events• Unexpected (based on

their high aptitude) failure to thrive

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Best PracticesWhat can be done to support students who are

in transition? Early warning systems marks are a good

indicator Proactive advising, counseling, and mentoring

accurate choice of majors helps student success and retention

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Thank you – I hope this session has been worth your time. Dave Wood

PS –the PPT is posted on the CES Website.