Enhancement-led evaluation in the action plan supporting the capabilities for attending school of students with an immigrant background

FINEEC will conduct an enhancement-led evaluation within the action plan aimed at supporting the school attendance capabilities of students with an immigrant background from 2022 to 2024.

The KIEPPI evaluation focuses on late arrivals, particularly students in grades 7-9 who have been in the Finnish school system for four years or less. This assessment centers on established and project-developed methodologies, teaching structures, and various forms of learning support aimed at enhancing the language proficiency and educational preparedness of students with an immigrant background. Through an enhancement-led evaluation of the operational program, FINEEC supports the long-term development efforts of educational providers, enhancing the effectiveness of their initiatives and striving to establish sustainable action models.

The evaluation results are set to be published in early autumn 2024. The report will include specific solutions and proposed measures at the regional and national government levels, within educational institutions, and at the school level, all aimed at bolstering the learning process for students who have relocated to Finland and reinforcing the foundational skills and language proficiency of students with a non-native language background.

Objectives of the evaluation

• Providing information on the current status of basic education and mapping the educational backgrounds of late arrivals (students in grades 7-9 who have attended school in Finland for up to four years), addressing potential challenges in learning, identifying, and preventing them
• Focusing on practices and development activities aimed at supporting fundamental skills for disadvantaged students with a migrant background and low school readiness
• Supporting, monitoring, and evaluating the implementation of 60 development projects in collaboration with the Finnish National Agency for Education and the Ministry of Education and Culture
• Supporting the long-term development and effectiveness of educational providers
• Creating sustainable models to support teaching and learning

Evaluation questions

• How many students with an immigrant background are currently in grades 7-9 of basic education in Finland who lack adequate schooling background, language skills, or other essential skills required for school attendance? 
• How is the development of fundamental skills, especially language skills, monitored in the school environment in grades 7 to 9 for students who have been in school in Finland for only 1 to 4 years? 
• How (and at what stage of the learner's school pathway) do educational providers identify and prevent challenges, particularly for learners with a migrant background who have experienced trauma and neurological challenges? 
• What measures are in place to enhance students' language skills, learning, school readiness, and basic skills? 
• What measures are in place to facilitate smooth integration practices from preparatory education for basic education to basic education and from basic education to secondary education?
•  What factors have contributed to or hindered meeting the support needs of students with a migrant background? 
• What methods are used to identify learning difficulties when the language of instruction is inadequate?
• What changes (structural or legislative) would be necessary to enable educational providers and schools to better address the support needs of students with a migrant background?
• How do educational providers promote long-term effectiveness and establish sustainable models? 
• What are the enablers and barriers to project-based development?

The evaluation produces information for the following focus areas: Promoting equity, Developing learning and competence and Increasing the functionality of the education system.