Results of the School to Work Transition Observatory. Monitoring of the socio-educational network in Sant Vicenç Dels Horts for academic achievement and young people’s empowerment

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. The empowerment of young people means the development of their autonomy and self-sufficiency competences. School dropout seriously threatens it. The experience of social and educational action in the Sant Vicenç dels Horts network (Barcelona) is an example of municipal commitment with young people and its academic achievement. The network experience was created in the year 2000 to respond to social and educational needs originated by a low socio-cultural level, integrating all the local agents with the aim of improving academic achievement. Firstly, its action was focused on improving the School to Work Transition (also known as TET) thorough the collaborative effort of secondary schools and several local services. Also, the organizations organized a systematic compilation of academic achievement indicators both for Secondary Education and Vocational Training. The aim of this research is to analyse the data gathered with these successful indicators. METHOD. Descriptive statistics and a study of the school success/failure indicators (promotion, repetition, dropping out and orientation) corresponding to series of 297 a 326 students during 16 years. RESULTS. There were relevant improvements in Secondary Education (with a reduction of the starting 30% dropout figure to 10.5%); there were also important improvements in orientation and accompaniment of students with learning difficulties; school performance in women between a 5-20% higher; a reduction of 70% of dropping out in Secondary Education and raise of 20-30% in Post-Secondary Education. DISCUSSION. The TET Observatory is a valuable local strategy for the monitoring and evaluating the socioeducational action in a network project. The results indirectly show the effects of certain social educational policies developed at the local level. They also show evidences of an adequate governance in terms of systemic selfregulation and promotion of school success. The evolution of the social educational needs towards the Post-Compulsory Educational Levels suggests new local challenges.