Policy Definition in the Department and the Role of the Inspectorate Gearóid Ó Conluain, Deputy Chief Inspector Emer Egan, Assistant Chief Inspector INSPECTORATE.

Policy Definition in the Department and the Role of the Inspectorate

Gearóid Ó Conluain, Deputy Chief Inspector

Emer Egan, Assistant Chief Inspector

INSPECTORATE DIVISION

Presentation to SDPI Summer School

22 June 2006

Key drivers of the Policy formation

process

Modernisation programme for the Irish Civil Service (Strategic Management Initiative [SMI]) launched in 1994

Delivering Better Government 1996 Report by the Implementation Group of Secretaries

General– Greater openness and accountability– Efficient and fair operation of simplified regulation– Clarity on business objectives of Departments

Key drivers of the process

Public Service Management Act 1997– Enhance management, efficiency and transparency of

Departments– Mechanisms for increased accountability of civil servants– Obligations on Departments to produce Strategy Statement

setting out key objectives, outputs and how these are to be achieved

Social Partnership Agreements– National wage agreements, but more than that– Sustaining Progress 2003-6 provides for the continuation of the

modernisation programme across the Civil Service – targets for modernisation

– Specific references in SP to School Development Planning – teacher unions made commitments that SDP would continue to be implemented and embedded in the school system

Strategy statement

Strategy statement– Must be prepared by each department every three years or

within six months of appointment of Minister– Led by Change Management Unit in DES– Outlines key objectives, strategies and outputs/impacts– Sets out the medium to long-term goals and the best approach

to their development– Formal responsibility for SS lies with the Secretary General

Annual progress report on implementation in the Annual Report of the Department

In addition, a six-monthly progress report as part of Sustaining Progress– Much more focussed report on achievement of targets

Drivers of content

Programme for Government– Policy commitments given by government on taking up office

Sustaining Progress– Specific section on better government and public services– Themes such as stable industrial relations, flexibility and

change, performance and accountability, recruitment– Issues included: customer service, better regulation, e-

government, performance verification

Legislation– e.g. legal duties of the Department or Inspectorate

Drivers of content

Efficient use of resources Accountability Freedom of Information climate

– Open to greater critical scrutiny Reform of the Department of Education and

Science– Heavily centralised system– Independently managed schools– Over concern with provision of resources and

services – too little time for strategic planning

Process

Secretary General & MAC– DES priorities and high level goals– Series of objectives identified for each High Level Goal

Unit Heads/principal officers– Strategies/programmes/actions and outputs identified– Business Plans for Section/Unit

Line managers– Business plans for individuals– Performance management system

Staff members

For staff

Relate the individual business plan to the Performance management and Development System (PMDS)– PMDS bi-annual review and planning process– December/January – planning and review– July – mid-term review– Covers work plan/training needs/skills development

Weekly/monthly return of work – tracking of evaluation plans and reports

In 2007, PMDS will be linked to promotions, increments etc

Benefits

Effective business planning is at the heart of delivering strategic objectives of the DES

Clarity on what needs to be done, by whom, when and how this is to be resourced

Provides benchmarks to measure progress Communicates priorities and progress internally

Critical elements

Focus on key objectives, outcomes and customer service

Staff have clear understanding of their role and role of the division/unit

Monitoring and tracking– Self-monitoring– Monitoring by managers

Aligning targets to specific dates Communication within organisation – shared

commitment/new staff/decentralisation Responding to emerging issues Co-ordination and alignment between business

plans

The Irish education system

Education budget €7.2 billion

Schools state aided not state run

Local Boards of Management

Centralised administration

Varied demographics: concentrated urban / rural

System change and development

Social partnership model for social and economic development Education legislation

o Education Act 1998

o Education Welfare Act (2000)

o Teaching Council Act (2001)

o Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act (2004) Clarification of functions and responsibilities of stakeholders Establishment of agencies for effective delivery of services Public Sector Management Reforms – Strategic Management Initiative (SMI)

System improvement initiatives

Quality of External

Evaluation

Monitoring and

Reporting on Outcomes

Quality of Services to

Pupils

Professional Bases for Teaching

Leadership Development

in Schools

Curriculum Development and Review

Continuum of Teacher

Education

School and System

improvement

Questions & Discussion

???

A centralised Inspectorate: primary and second level

A division of the Department of Education and Science

Statutory remit under the Education Act 1998

o Programme of inspection in schools

o Promoting compliance with regulation and legislation

o Advisory role for schools and for the Department

o Contribution to policy development

The Inspectorate

Emphasis on compliance or building commitment

A policing model of external inspection

o Locates control and development outside the school

o Requires significant personnel resources

o Dealing with unsatisfactory teaching seen as an external QA function

Promoting internal control and development

o Recognises that change must be fostered within organisations

o Based on a vision of school as a professional organisation

o Sees inspectors and school personnel as co-professionals

or

Our dominant philosophy is formative

Purposes of Inspection

o Assure quality in education system

o Provide an external perspective on the work of the school

o Affirm good practice

o Constructively Identify areas for improvement

o Facilitate school self-evaluation

o Recommendations provide a platform for development

Transparent processes

Publishing of criteria and explaining procedures

o Consultation with partners

o Publication of Looking at Our School evaluation criteria

o Evaluation procedures fully explained in Guidelines for Subject Inspection and Whole-School Evaluation

o Code of Practice

o Appeal Procedure

In summary, the Minister decided that…

Wider availability of Inspectorate reports will benefit the system

Reports should be available in an easily accessible format

Reports should be published in their entirety

Inspectorate consulted with the education partners

Inspectorate to publish school evaluation reports

Publication of reports: Minister’s decision

Evaluation findings: a wider audience for reports

Supporting schools and the system to respond

where areas for development are identified

Findings have implications for schools

… and for services and agencies supporting schools

Reports for schools following WSE, Subject Inspection, Thematic and Programme Evaluations

National trends from major Thematic Evaluation Reports

Composite reports of Subject Inspections and WSE

Policy Support Subdivision

Five policy support business units supporting policy… Evaluation Support & Research Unit (BU6) Teacher Education (BU7) Qualifications, Curriculum & Assessment (BU8) Special Education/Travellers/International students (BU9) Corporate Services / International linkages (BU10) An Ghaeilge (undertaken by BU4)

Responsible for …– contributing to the development of Departmental policy

across a range of areas– for supporting inspection/evaluative activity generally– for operational services for the Inspectorate

Objective 4(a)Teacher Education

Contribute to policy development & implementation Advise TES on teacher education….

– Initial teacher education– National Pilot Project on Teacher Induction– Continuing professional development

Teaching Council– Qualifications/registration– Sections 24, 28 and 29– Under-performing teachers– Induction and probation: looking to the future

Objective 4(b) Policy Support for QCA

Advise sections in DES – Ongoing advice– When needs arise

NCCA – approx 44 committees PISA – national committee and point of contact for

ERC Equivalences of international school leaving

qualifications Languages – initiatives at primary and post-primary

levels

Objective 4(b)Guidance

Advise sections in the DES Liaise with outside bodies e.g. NCGE, IGC Composite report on inspections of guidance Guidance Forum Guidance in Youthreach and for adults

Objective 4(c)Special Ed, Travellers & International students

SPECIAL EDUCATION Inspections Publications CPD for teachers

– TES, SESS, Colleges, Inspectors Policy support

– Special Education & other sections NCCA Committee work Legal cases North-South & international work Liaison with NCSE and NEPS

Objective 4(c)Special Ed, Travellers & International students

TRAVELLER EDUCATION Advise on policy Assist Administration with Implementation Plan for

Traveller Education Strategy

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS (“non-nationals”) Process applications for teachers Revision of guidelines

Objective 4(e)An Ghaeilge

Official Languages Act 2003 Exemptions from Irish Irish in Primary Schools: National Trends in

Achievement 1985-2002 (Harris) The SCG (Qualifying Examination in Irish) Ardteastas i dTeagasc na Gaeilge Inspection of Irish Colleges Provision of resource materials

Objective 5North/South & International

European Schools– Inspections– Administration– Curriculum and In-service provision– Extension of European Schooling– Centre for European Schooling at Dunshaughlin

European and international bodies– Supporting International Section…. examples include….– OECD at CERI and other networks– EU Future objectives e.g. peer learning on teacher education– EU Network of Policy Makers – EFLUSL & CSEP Projects– Inspectorate co-operation: N. Ireland, Scotland, SICI

Questions & Discussion

???

Teacher professional development

Teacher Education Section Established May 2003 Function

To provide a range of Teacher Education and Development Programmes spanning the continuum from initial teacher education to induction to continuing professional development - covers curricular change and specific areas relating to teaching and learning at primary and post-primary levels.

Links with Inspectorate which has a remit to provide policy advice

Scope of activities

Initial Teacher Education – Colleges of Education [funding]– Education Departments in Universities

Induction– National Pilot Project on Teacher Induction [2002]

In-career development programmes [move towards CPD]– Linkage with system priorities and initiatives– Management of Education Centre network

Teaching Council

Current system: some strengths

Incremental growth in models of provision; a range of models

Direct involvement of teachers in design, delivery & management of most activities

Considerable professional development opportunities for teachers involved

High level of support from participants for support service activities

Cadre of high quality trainers with generic skills in the system

Active partnership between stakeholders Significant voluntary effort at Education Centre level Infrastructure of Education Centres Growth in TNPs and clustering arrangements Inspectorate evaluation of impact at school level

Current system: some challenges

Timing of in-career development activities: disruption caused by teacher absence (mainly second level)

Teacher replacement: experienced teachers joining SSs Time for collaborative school planning and team

development System essentially centrally driven Turnover of teachers in subjects such as CSPE/SPHE Accreditation of courses Access

Current system: some challenges

Fragmentation: independently functioning support services

Meeting system needs while also meeting the professional development needs of schools and teachers

CPD – a right and a personal responsibility? The development of practice to cover the three Is Capacity of system to embrace a new model: colleges,

schools, Education Centres Use of e-learning models/ICTs Challenge associated with development of Teaching

Council

Questions & Discussion

???

Special Education: Recent History

Establishment of special schools/classes SERC report 1993 Salamanca statement and framework for Action on

Special Needs 1994 Circulars 07/02 and 8/02 and allocation of resources EPSEN ACT 2004 Establishment of NCSE 2005 NCSE guidelines on IEPs All roads leading to greater integration of students

Special Education: Issues and Challenges

Special Education Services

Visiting teacher services

Grant-aid for assistive technology

Special transport

Reasonable accommodation in state examinations

Exemption from the study of Irish

Legislation Governing Special Education

Education Act 1998 Equal status Act 2000 Education Welfare Act 2000 Education for persons with SEN Act 2004

Features of the EPSEN Act

Duties of BOM Enrolment of SEN children Content of educational plans Implementation of education plans Role of principal in relation to Educational

Plans/assessment Parental rights

SEN Post-primary Guidelines

Will deal with: Whole school planning and organisation re

inclusion SEN teamwork in the school Whole-school approaches to assessment,

selection and planning SEN teaching strategies Guidelines on IEPs

Questions & Discussion

???