Page 293 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Contemporary European Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 293
learning difficulties and esl
educational needs achieve less than their peers and are more likely to tru-
ant and be excluded from school and therefore to be ESLers than their peers
(Rogers, 2016).
Wagner and Davis (2006) show that students with learning disabilities
and students with emotional and behavioural disorders experience dispro-
portionately higher drop-out rates than other students with special needs.
Also among adults of working age, those with a disability are roughly half
as likely to have degree-level qualifications than those without disabilities
(EHRC, 2011). The drop-out rate for all students in the USA, for example, is
7%; for students served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) it is 21.1%; while for the subset of students served under the
IDEA with emotional disturbance the drop-out rate climbs to 38.7% (Child
Mind Institute, 2016).
The prevalence of ESL among students with learning difficulties indi-
cates there is a strong connection between the two phenomena but that oth-
er factors are also significantly related to ESL, and it is evident that learn-
ing difficulty by itself does not explain the reasons for ESL more than the
other factors.
Special educational needs (SEN) or disability status may not offer an
explanation for ESL over and above that provided by other risk factors, but
nonetheless it is closely associated with those factors. In other words, stu-
dents identified as having SEN are disproportionately more likely to ex-
perience factors that increase the risk for ESL (European Agency, 2016).
Students with SEN are more likely than their peers to experience low levels
of engagement, or to experience rapid decreases in engagement, and hence
to leave school (Janosz, Archambault, Morizot, & Pagani, 2008). These are
related both to students’ individual characteristics and their family charac-
teristics (SES, support provided by the family to the student etc.)
Among the risk factors for ESL the school context is also regarded as
important, especially when considering students with learning difficulties.
Several students with learning difficulties indicated they did not feel en-
gaged and connected to the school since the traditional programmes and
teachers had failed to meet their needs (Palladino et al., 2000). It has been
stated that students are less likely to drop out of schools where the rela-
tionships between teachers and students are consistently positive (Lee &
Burkam, 2001). The relations between teachers and students have an es-
pecially strong effect on students with learning difficulties, their learning
outcomes and their motivation to stay in school (Shaddock, 2007). It may
293
educational needs achieve less than their peers and are more likely to tru-
ant and be excluded from school and therefore to be ESLers than their peers
(Rogers, 2016).
Wagner and Davis (2006) show that students with learning disabilities
and students with emotional and behavioural disorders experience dispro-
portionately higher drop-out rates than other students with special needs.
Also among adults of working age, those with a disability are roughly half
as likely to have degree-level qualifications than those without disabilities
(EHRC, 2011). The drop-out rate for all students in the USA, for example, is
7%; for students served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) it is 21.1%; while for the subset of students served under the
IDEA with emotional disturbance the drop-out rate climbs to 38.7% (Child
Mind Institute, 2016).
The prevalence of ESL among students with learning difficulties indi-
cates there is a strong connection between the two phenomena but that oth-
er factors are also significantly related to ESL, and it is evident that learn-
ing difficulty by itself does not explain the reasons for ESL more than the
other factors.
Special educational needs (SEN) or disability status may not offer an
explanation for ESL over and above that provided by other risk factors, but
nonetheless it is closely associated with those factors. In other words, stu-
dents identified as having SEN are disproportionately more likely to ex-
perience factors that increase the risk for ESL (European Agency, 2016).
Students with SEN are more likely than their peers to experience low levels
of engagement, or to experience rapid decreases in engagement, and hence
to leave school (Janosz, Archambault, Morizot, & Pagani, 2008). These are
related both to students’ individual characteristics and their family charac-
teristics (SES, support provided by the family to the student etc.)
Among the risk factors for ESL the school context is also regarded as
important, especially when considering students with learning difficulties.
Several students with learning difficulties indicated they did not feel en-
gaged and connected to the school since the traditional programmes and
teachers had failed to meet their needs (Palladino et al., 2000). It has been
stated that students are less likely to drop out of schools where the rela-
tionships between teachers and students are consistently positive (Lee &
Burkam, 2001). The relations between teachers and students have an es-
pecially strong effect on students with learning difficulties, their learning
outcomes and their motivation to stay in school (Shaddock, 2007). It may
293
