Case Studies By Service Area
Evaluation and Research
Evaluation of the District Truancy Service
The Scope
With the District Truancy Service’s (DTS) contract ending in December 2009, the Ministry of Education (MoE) contracted MartinJenkins to complete an evaluation of the service in March 2009. The evaluation was designed to provide a richer understanding of truancy management in New Zealand and the role and contribution of DTS within the broader education system. The evaluation used a mixed-methods design to explore these issues and drew on qualitative and quantitative methods to provide the Ministry with guidance and options for the future.
Our Involvement
The evaluation was undertaken collaboratively and in consultation with key stakeholders to ensure its relevance and use. An Advisory Group comprising internal and external stakeholders was set up to provide oversight and guidance to the evaluation team. The evaluation design combined provider case studies as well as survey data gathered from all providers and a representative sample of schools to generate insights about the effectiveness of DTS in responding to truancy and non-attendance issues faced by NZ schools. The evaluation activities were undertaken jointly by Meenakshi Sankar, Senior Consultant and Marinka Teague, Consultant, MartinJenkins. Each of the case study visits to DTS providers were spread over two days and included in-depth interviews with DTS contract managers, truancy officers, other social service agencies in the community and truants and their parents and focus groups with school principals. The provider survey and the school survey were online and we achieved a response rate of over 60% for both surveys.
The Outcome
The evaluation was well received by the Ministry, as well as representatives from the DTS and school sectors. Our report provided the Ministry with a rich description of the current state of play with respect to truancy management in New Zealand and the issues and challenges with regard to definitions, school systems and processes as well as current contracting requirements. The report identified a number of benefits of the current system for schools and parents and also identified the need to enhance synergies between different systems and initiatives within the Ministry to prevent some students falling through the cracks. The report can be found on the Ministry's website.
The MartinJenkins Difference
This project required excellent coordination and stakeholder engagement skills as well as sound research and analytical skills. Meenakshi and Marinka worked closely with providers and stakeholders to understand their unique perspectives, achieve triangulation of findings, and then draw together a comprehensive set of factors that affected the implementation of DTS. In doing so, the study identified dimensions of effective practice to help differentiate between providers and elements of success for an effective truancy management service. This framework provided the Ministry with direction and guidance for truancy management infrastructure for the future and to create a more streamlined service.
Our close working relationship with the MoE and DTS providers (including schools and community organisations) allowed us to provide a seamless service and to complete the evaluation in a timely manner.
