The translation of transitions policies into school enactment

Abstract

This chapter presents a synthesis of the themes and issues emerging from the contributions across this section, each of which focused on the transition to post-school life for young people in Queensland, Australia. In particular, it applies a curriculum enactment perspective to this synthesis. The enactment of education policy is held to involve 'interpretation because implementers must figure out what a policy means and whether and how it applies to their school to decide whether and how to ignore, adapt, or adopt policy locally' (Spillane J, Diamond J, Burch P, Hallett T, Loyiso L, Zoltners J, Educ Policy 16(5):733, 2002). As a consequence, beyond the policy prescriptions provided earlier in this book, here the consideration turns to issues of enactment and an appraisal of nexus between intentions and enactments. In doing so, the chapter is presented in three parts. It commences by revisiting the policies relating to post-school transitions in Queensland and Australia and locating policy prescriptions in turn within the international context. The second part draws on the case study evidence to identify the characteristics and consequences of the curriculum decision-making associated with the implementation of transition policies, as discussed in the case studies. This section draws out similarities and differences amongst the various approaches to managing transitions across the three case study schools. In the third section, conclusions are identified from the study's findings for informing productive transition policy and enactment more widely. In all, it is concluded that factors extending from global sentiment, federal schooling funding priorities, state government policies and local preference and requirements shaped what is done in three Queensland schools to facilitate student's post certification transitions from school to further learning or work.