Quality Assurance and School Development

Quality Assurance and School Development

SDPI Summer School

Thursday 23 June 2005

Gary Ó DonnchadhaSenior InspectorOffice of the Chief Inspector

SDP role in schools

The Evolving Education Landscape: System Change and Development

The Programme of Inspection in Schools / WSE

Thematic or Programme Evaluation

SDP and External Evaluation

Discussion

Outline

SDP role in schools

SDP

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Parents

Pupils

Teaching and Learning

Action planning and monitoring

Leadership and Management

Ethos - Characteristic Spirit

System change and development

Education legislation

o Education Act (1998) - Education Welfare Act (2000) - Teaching Council Act (2001) - Education for Persons with Special Needs Act (2004)

Restructuring in the Department of Education and Science

Service Delivery through Agencies

o (NCCA) (NEPS) (SEC) (NEWB) (NCSE) (10 Regional Offices)

o Development of Services to Schools

o School Development Planning, Curriculum Support, Education Centres

Public Sector Management Reform – Strategic Management Initiative (SMI)

Planning for school and system improvement

SLSS

School Development

Planning Initiative

Quality of External

Evaluation

Monitoring and Reporting on Outcomes

Resource Supports for

Students

Professional Bases for Teaching

Leadership Development

in Schools

Curriculum Development and Review

Continuum of Teacher

Education

School and System

improvement

The Inspectorate

A centralised Inspectorate: primary and second level

Statutory remit under the Education Act 1998

o A programme of inspection in schools: 8,000 inspections 2001 to 2004

o Promoting compliance with regulation and legislation

o Advisory role for schools and for the Department

o Contribution to policy development

150/170 inspectors under the Chief Inspector organised in two subdivisions:

Regional Subdivision and Policy Support Subdivision

Strategic change in the Inspectorate

Primary

o Teachers on probation

o Tuairisc Scoile (School Report)

o WSE

o Thematic / Focused Evaluations

Post-primary

o Subject Inspection

o WSE

o Thematic / Focused Evaluations

Range of evaluation models

Post-Primary Subject Inspection

– Number of subject inspection reports issued from September 2001 to December 2004

Subject Inspection

Affirm good practice

Promote continuing improvement

Discussions with Principal and subject

teachers

Classroom observation

Feedback / Report

From WSI to WSE

WSI Consultative Conference in 1996

o White Paper – Charting Our Education Future

o A guiding rationale for WSI

Evolution of WSE

WSE Pilot Project in 1998/1999

o WSE based on partnership and co-operation

o 35 participating schools

“The key word is ownership.”

Purpose

Provide an external perspective on the work of the school

Affirm good practice

Identify constructively areas for improvement

Facilitate school self-evaluation

Assure quality in education system

Whole School Evaluation

Public / Taxpayer

Minister for Education

Inspectors

Parent Representatives

Board ofManagement

In-school Management

Principal

Teachers

Pupils

Whole School Evaluation

SDP support

Area 1: Quality of school management

Area 2: Quality of school planning

Area 3: Quality of curriculum provision

Area 4: Quality of learning and teaching

Area 5: Quality of support for students

WSE Framework

Reporting Inspector – responsible for the overall management of the process

Supporting Inspector –assists the Reporting Inspector

The Reporting and Supporting Inspectors attend and chair all of the meetings during the WSE process

other than those taking place as part of the subject inspections

Subject Inspectors – carry out subject inspections as part of the process

WSE evaluation team

Initial Phase

Meetings with CEO of VEC, BOM, Parents, staff

Documentation / Information from school

Mission Statement, Timetable, Prospectus, School plan (including all policies),

Handbooks/Journals, Staffing, Curriculum (planning, options, assessment, etc.), Extra-curricular

activities, etc.

Information from other sources

SEC, Administrative sections of DES (e.g. Building Unit), VEC, etc.

WSE Initial Phase

In-school Phase

Review of documentation, meetings, observation, subject inspections

Meetings with;

Senior management

Middle management

Education support team

School planning team

Pastoral care team

Student Council representatives

other

WSE In-School Phase

Preliminary meeting with subject teachers

Discussions around whole school provision, planning and preparation and assessment

and achievement

Evaluation of the quality of learning and teaching

Observation of a range of lessons, interaction with students, discussions with teachers,

review of documentation

Feedback meeting with subject teachers / principal

Discussion of main findings and recommendations

Subject Inspection within WSE

Planning Documentation

Assessment Records

Interaction with Pupils

Discussion with School Personnel

School Information Form

Observation of Teaching and Learning

Evidence gathering for WSE

Final Phase

Meetings with senior management, staff, BOM

WSE report is factually verified with principal

Individual Subject Inspection Reports appended

Report cleared by Inspectorate and issued to school

… and follow up development activity in schools

WSE Final Phase

Information on WSE for schools?

Reporting on individual teachers?

Resource implications of recommendations?

Follow-up to WSE?

Timing of WSE and the School Year?

Reviewing the process?

WSE FAQ

Literacy and Numeracy in Disadvantaged Schools

12 of the 100 most disadvantaged

Primary Schools

Poverty - drug abuse, lack of effective parenting

Widespread low achievement

Absenteeism is a major problem for some pupils

Between 9% and 40% absent for more than 30 days

Poor attendance has serious, long-term educational consequences

The report highlights serious levels of low achievement among pupils

Very few pupils in the top category of achievement

Almost two-thirds in lowest achievement band in Mathematics

Pupil achievement

Literacy Mathematics

One-third of the teachers had 3 years teaching or less

9% of teachers not qualified - High teacher turnover in a few schools

Most felt unprepared for teaching in disadvantaged schools

Management and Planning in the Schools

not MORE planning! - more FOCUSED planning

delegation of curriculum leadership

should plan for improvement in literacy and

numeracy

additional non-contact time is required to support

school planning and review

An Evaluation of Curriculum Implementation

Primary School Curriculum (1999) - ‘an exciting opportunity for change and renewal in primary schools’

Inspectors observed teaching and learning

Reviewed whole-school planning, classroom planning

and children’s work

Interviews with class teachers and principals

Whole-school planning:Primary Curriculum

Effective school plans - a collaborative and consultative process

Subject co-ordinators played an important role in whole-school planning

Structure of the curriculum – positive response from teachers for the Mathematics

and Visual Arts curricula

Planning for English – challenges for the future

Effectiveness of whole-school planning

37%

72%

48%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

English Visual arts Mathematics

Understanding school Vision and a strategic perspective on school change

Supporting constructive change in school context and culture

Realistic expectations and professionalism in the change leadership role

o Making connections in the teaching / learning process

o Making connections in the functioning of the school as an organisation

Supporting school leadership to promote excellence in the school

School Development Planning in action

Making Connections for School Improvement

Professional development

and expertise of teacher in

teaching, learning and

assessment

teacher

Translating whole school teaching, learning and

assessment policies into classroom actions

School to classroom

Improving teaching, learning and

assessment in the school

Professional leadership

for teaching, learning

and assessment

principal

Connecting class-based

teaching, learning and

assessment and whole school

policy and practice

classroom to school

SDP support

Balanced Scorecard Planning models in industry [ref: Kaplan and Norton]

Clarity in major goals and in particular objectives – specific initiatives tied to the achievement of objectives – eg development of teaching methods

Emphasis on making the priorities everybody’s everyday business

Setting of targets and monitoring progress towards achievement of objectives

o What are the observables of improvement?

Managing and monitoring implementation of plans

SDP and WSE / Subject Inspection focusing on school improvement

Evaluation capability as central in both SDP and WSE

o Sources of data for evaluation – and effective analysis

o Reporting on the findings of monitoring and review

SDP and follow-up actions recommended in WSE / Subject Inspection

SDP and WSE / Subject Inspection as mutually supportive processes

SDP and Evaluation

Discussion

Contact:Gary Ó Donnchadha

Senior InspectorOffice of the Chief Inspector

Department of Education and ScienceTelephone +353 1 889 6425

Fax: +353 1 889 [email protected]