Helping Schools Change

Governments around the world have adopted school self-evaluation as an essential corollary to the local management of schools. Typically this has been accompanied by prescribed frameworks, indicators and scoring systems, tending to promote a form of ritual self-inspection rather than an ongoing and dynamic process of self-evaluation. It is argued that these have derived more from an accountability imperative than an improvement motive and as such have tended to disempower rather than empower schools. This article examines the inherent tensions between external accountability and internally driven school improvement. The example of Hong Kong's new relationship with schools is used to illustrate how those issues play out in the implementation of large-scale reform, drawing parallels and contrasts with Ofsted's New Relationship with Schools in England. The responsiveness of Hong Kong's Education Development Bureau to evidence from independent research carries lessons for other countries in which such evidence has been ignored or marginalised by policy-makers. It is, in many respects, an exemplary case study of change management.     

Using value-added data for school self-evaluation: a case study of practice in inner-city schools

This study demonstrates how value-added research undertaken at the local education authority (LEA) is used directly by heads and teachers in their efforts to raise standards in schools. It draws on a decade of experience of supporting schools in the effective use of performance data for school self-improvement. The article highlights the various approaches of feeding back research findings to schools, including illustrations of contextual and value-added information, and examples of working with schools to support school self-evaluation. This is followed by detailed discussions of key issues raised during the training sessions on the use of performance data and analysis of the views of headteachers, teachers and governors about the performance data feedback to schools. The main findings from this research suggest that schools use performance data and research findings effectively for school improvement purposes. Reasons for this success story in the LEA's schools are critically discussed. The article concludes that research which addresses headteachers, classroom teachers, governors and policy makers' concerns, as is the case with this study, is likely to attract their attention and be used for raising standards.     

Critical facilitators: External supports for self-evaluation and improvement in schools

This paper explores approaches used to support schools to engage in self-evaluation for the purpose of improvement. General models of support are outlined which emphasise evaluation capacity building however the usefulness of this approach is questioned. Instead the role of the critical friend as a provider of external professional support is explored. An approach which emphasises facilitation and the engagement of an external professional to lead self-evaluation processes in schools is suggested with a view to making the process ‘easier’ and more ‘useful’. Research in relation to such an approach carried out in a range of educational contexts is presented. Implementation issues which will have relevance for schools, and for self-evaluation policy and practice in other jurisdictions are outlined.     

School self-evaluation: self-perception or self-deception? The impact of motivation and socially desirable responding on self-evaluation results

ABSTRACT

In order to enhance the quality of education, school self-evaluation (SSE) has become a key strategy in many educational systems. During an SSE process, schools describe and evaluate their own functioning, often by administering questionnaires among teachers. However, it is unknown to what extent SSE questionnaire results are distorted by respondents’ tendencies towards socially desirable responding and their motivation to fill in an SSE questionnaire. This study reports on a path analysis, performed on the results of an authentic SSE with 382 participants. Results indicate that socially desirable responding and motivation have indeed an impact on SSE results. However, the effects are differential and depend on the variable of interest. These findings can have serious implications, and should be taken into account when drawing conclusions and taking (school) policy decisions within the framework of an SSE process.     

Using data on school strengths and weaknesses for school improvement

This paper examines evaluation data use practices of a network of schools implementing an internal, independent, school self-evaluation process for more than a decade. This network currently uses data on its strengths alongside data indicative of its weaknesses, collecting and utilizing both positive and negative data for improvement and accountability purposes. We conducted multiple formal and informal interviews with 24 school management members and teachers, and gathered and analyzed 50 school documents in order to understand how the network used evaluation findings for school improvement. We identified types of data use described in the literature (instrumental, conceptual, and symbolic), and propose a complementary type of use we termed “reinforcement data use”. Our findings suggest that identifying strengths is one of the valid goals and outcomes of evaluation, shedding light on its potential to enhance school ethos, and to promote a positive attitude toward evaluation processes and their subsequent effects.     

Irish teachers,starting on a journey of data use for school self-evaluation

With much of the literature on school self-evaluation (SSE) stressing the importance of data use, this article explores how teachers in Irish post-primary schools are coming to terms with this new challenge. Since 2012, all schools in Ireland are required to engage in SSE for the purpose of improving student outcomes. For the first time, teachers and school leaders are being asked to systematically gather and analyse various types of data, devise improvement plans and implement improvements. Despite such demands, the compulsory education system in Ireland operates within a low-stakes accountability environment, with an absence of published school league tables and no consequences for poor school performance. It is also interesting to explore the introduction of a school improvement process that requires data as evidence for self-evaluation, but where very little data currently exists compared to other jurisdictions and where the discourse of data use in schools is relatively new.This article outlines the experience of 13 post-primary schools that were supported by the DCU Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection to complete an SSE process, during which, each school gathered and analysed a range of data. This study is part of a larger action research project which explores various aspects of the implementation of SSE in schools, including models of support and continuing professional development for schools. This article looks specifically at the use of data by the schools involved. The key research questions ask: what data was gathered by the schools and what was the attitude to and experience of data-use among teachers? In doing so, this article explores some of the current research questions in relation to data use in schools. Overall, the findings indicate that schools gathered a range of data, which was mainly quantitative due to a focus on quantitative target setting. Despite a generally positive attitude to the usefulness of data and the skills learned, participants did not appear convinced that they would be involved in data use on an ongoing basis.     

The Regime of Self-Evaluation: Self-Conception for Teachers and Schools

Self-evaluation in inspection policy has become a global phenomenon. The idea is that it increases levels of teacher and school autonomy, wherein both schools and teachers have more ownership and responsibility over their work. In turn, such a process has allowed for greater accountability, which is then said to provide high quality education and, therefore, greater competitive advantage amongst knowledge-based economies. In both England and Ireland, self-evaluation has become a demanding procedure that is meant to complement external inspections of schools and teachers. In this article, I will argue that self-evaluation, whilst having the potential to become a worthwhile endeavour, does not live up to its name. In the first instance, the criteria used for self-evaluation are not internally generated but externally imposed. Thus, I would like to discuss the extent to which visions of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ education developed by inspecting bodies influence the way in which teachers and schools assess themselves. Furthermore, I will raise questions as to what appropriate criteria for teaching might look like. In doing so, I shall try to show that what is now current is a debased form of self-evaluation that is not only detrimental to the self-perception of teachers, but inadequate to what any coherent notion of the ‘self’ might be. In light of work by the philosopher Charles Taylor in particular, I will argue that the self is not something that can be examined in the way that is imagined in these inspection systems but is rather something dynamic and unfixed, constituted within a wider community of practice and, therefore, not amenable to evaluation in quite the way that is supposed.     

Towards an operationalized and effective school self-evaluation system: An ongoing action research study in Chinese secondary schools since 2011

School self-evaluation (SSE) is an effective mechanism that helps schools to put in place strategies to improve an aspect of school quality. By implementing an action research study of SSE in 24 Chinese secondary schools across seven cities since 2011, the present study generalizes and proposes an operationalized and effective SSE system to illustrate how to operationalize SSE effectively. The system was developed in three essential parts: (a) constructing the measurement model of SSE, which included identifying the framework and indicators to determine the primary evaluation contents, and designing operational evaluation modules to apply SSE indicators to school practices and integrate them into routine school operations; (b) establishing a cooperation mechanism between internal SSE groups and external “facilitative friends” to conduct SSE with different roles allocated; and (c) summarizing detailed implementation procedures and key strategies to implement a cyclical, regular and sustainable SSE process step by step.     

Exploring the Actual and Potential Rhetoric-reality Gaps in Environmental Education and their Implications for Pre-service Teacher Training

The mismatch between the advocated views of theorists and the teaching realities in school environmental education is widely recognised. There is relatively little research examining the advocated practices of teachers themselves, other than already environmentally active teachers, to indicate the nature of the 'potential' rhetoric-reality gap that might exist if all constraints were removed, and teachers had a completely free choice in designing their own environmental education programmes. This article identifies such gaps by exploring current practices and teachers' views on selected components of environmental education, across a complete teacher training partnership. This information has been used to help prioritise the content and approaches used by pre-service teachers when conducting school-based environmental activities. The investigation reveals that although most schools lack a written policy on environmental education, most have a positive attitude towards the large majority of selected components and these are usually addressed in school. Teachers are not generally compelled to deliver aspects of environmental education that they deem inappropriate. Of the 10 components not currently addressed by most of these schools, the findings suggest that five would be added if constraining factors were removed, but a further five would remain absent. The overall potential rhetoric-reality differences in this case study are thus smaller than the actual existing differences, but still fall short of some theorists' goals. Within the pre-service training programme, efforts have been concentrated on components that are: (i) currently practised in most schools; and (ii) receive a positive response from most teachers, and this has resulted in markedly improved feedback from schools and trainees alike.     

DETERMINING THE QUALITY OF COMPETENCE ASSESSMENT PROGRAMS: A SELF-EVALUATION PROCEDURE

As assessment methods are changing, the way to determine their quality needs to be changed accordingly. This article argues for the use Competence Assessment Programs (CAPs), combinations of traditional tests and new assessment methods which involve both formative and summative assessments. To assist schools in evaluating their CAPs, a self-evaluation procedure was developed, based on 12 quality criteria for CAPs developed in earlier studies. A self-evaluation was chosen as it is increasingly used as an alternative to external evaluation. The CAP self-evaluation is carried out by a group of functionaries from the same school and comprises individual self-evaluations and a group interview. The CAP is rated on the 12 quality criteria and a piece of evidence is asked for to support these ratings. In this study, three functionaries from eight schools (N = 24) evaluated their CAP using the self-evaluation procedure. Results show that the group interview was very important as different perspectives on the CAP are assembled here into an overall picture of the CAP's quality. Schools seem to use mainly personal experiences to support their ratings and need to be supported in the process of carrying out a self-evaluation.     

The professional development needs of secondary school information technology co-ordinators

Abstract

Analysis of a recent survey in the United Kingdom of the roles, concerns, training needs and support priorities of secondary school Information Technology Co-ordinators has revealed a number of factors and relationships amongst these variables and with other variables concerning the characteristics of schools. In this article we present and discuss the results of a recent survey in the United Kingdom of the roles, concerns, training needs and support priorities of secondary school Information Technology Co-ordinators (ITCs). We draw conclusions concerning the unique problems faced by ITCs as a result of the expectations placed upon them, not only to teach their own subject, but also to train and support other teachers in the pedagogical application of information technology (IT). In response to a great variety of needs, there is only limited support provided for them formally by their schools and by external sources. The most highly valued support comes from informal sources. We consider the implications of these conclusions for those concerned with providing professional development in IT education. We suggest that partnership approaches may provide the basis for much improved support for ITCs, with the aim of raising the standard of teaching in schools, both of IT as a subject and with IT as an aid. We also highlight the challenges for the partnerships between schools and higher education institutions which are attempting to provide initial teacher education for IT specialists.     

New regimes of truth: The impact of performative school self evaluation systems on teachers' professional identities

The revised inspection system in England requires schools to maintain a web-based self-evaluation, which is then used as the basis for high-stakes external inspection. This paper develops a Foucauldian analysis of interview data from a single case study site to illustrate the ways that new regimes of truth are created within schools and to consider the impact of disciplinary systems on teachers' professional identities.     

Development and exemplification of a model for Teacher Assessment in Primary Science

ABSTRACT

The Teacher Assessment in Primary Science project is funded by the Primary Science Teaching Trust and based at Bath Spa University. The study aims to develop a whole-school model of valid, reliable and manageable teacher assessment to inform practice and make a positive impact on primary-aged children’s learning in science. The model is based on a data-flow ‘pyramid’ (analogous to the flow of energy through an ecosystem), whereby the rich formative assessment evidence gathered in the classroom is summarised for monitoring, reporting and evaluation purposes [Nuffield Foundation. (2012). Developing policy, principles and practice in primary school science assessment. London: Nuffield Foundation]. Using a design-based research (DBR) methodology, the authors worked in collaboration with teachers from project schools and other expert groups to refine, elaborate, validate and operationalise the data-flow ‘pyramid’ model, resulting in the development of a whole-school self-evaluation tool. In this paper, we argue that a DBR approach to theory-building and school improvement drawing upon teacher expertise has led to the identification, adaptation and successful scaling up of a promising approach to school self-evaluation in relation to assessment in science.     

强化学校自我评价,提高督导效能——英国学校督导评价最新发展趋势

近年来,英国教育标准局为了提高督导效能,强化了学校自我评价,要求学校形成有效的自我评价机制,一方面作为外部督导评价的可靠依据,另一方面,作为学校实现自我改进、提升自我发展能力的重要机制。学校自评呈现出广泛参与、与学校发展计划紧密相联、将自评融入到学校日常管理中等特点,文章论述了英国教育标准局有关学校自评的内容和具体要求。     

Organisational learning approaches to school leadership and management: teachers' values and perceptions of practice

In this article, we report results of a survey of 1,397 teachers in 26 primary and 17 secondary schools in England as part of the Learning How to Learn project. We consider how school self-evaluation can be understood within an organisational learning frame. Factor analysis of teachers' responses helped us identify 4 dimensions of organisational learning approaches to school leadership and management. Comparisons were made between teachers' perceptions of school leadership and management practices and the values they placed on those practices. We discuss the usefulness of analysing values-practice gaps for furthering understanding of organisational learning approaches to school leadership and management. Analysis of gaps between teachers' values and practices reveals significant inconsistencies between perceptions of current practices and values across a broad spectrum of school leadership and management practices. Perceptions of practice were significantly behind the values that teachers place on each of the 4 dimensions of practice.     

An evaluation of Learning Contracts within the context of partnership in school‐based training: implications for school based mentoring

This paper explores parents' expectations and perceptions of effective induction and formative partnership with their child's school during the transition to full‐time statutory education.

Based on fifty case study children from two schools of similar size and catchment area but with different induction practices, it looks at a range of issues including parents' perceptions of home visiting, pre‐entry visits to school and pre‐entry profiles, as well as parents' knowledge about school and their notions of partner ship.

The paper outlines the implications for schools' partnerships with parents, exploring: ways in which schools and parents can begin to understand one another; how schools can help parents to support their children's learning; and ways in which effective schools can create opportunities for parental involvement.     

Project Infusion: teachers,training, and technology

ABSTRACT

This paper describes a teacher training project at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. The purpose of this project is to develop, implement, and evaluate a model for providing district‐wide teacher training in the use and integration of instructional technology to achieve curricular goals that are competency‐based and designed to be world class standards. The project was funded by the US Department of Education's Fund for Innovation in Education for a period of three years. During that time, 284 elementary teachers received graduate credit at Barry University for participation in an intensive course on the infusion of technology across the curriculum and for conducting teacher training at their own schools. This paper describes the teacher training model and preliminary results of the project.     

Towards a change in the role of the support teacher in the Spanish education system

This paper presents a research study carried out in Murcia, Spain. The research explores the way support teachers understand their role and how they carry it out. We have analysed certain aspects of the schools studied, the students with special educational needs who attend these schools and the support teachers' training. This information allows us to assess their role and to determine the changes necessary to understand it from the curricular model characteristic of an inclusive school.     

完善学位点自我评估制度的思考

加强学位点自我评估制度建设,是培养单位自我发展、自我完善、自我监督的重要举措。文章从自我评估的意义入手,进而提出自我评估应遵循实事求是、定性定量相结合、整体就高评估等原则,最后构建出自我评估指标体系。     

中小学校长教育科研能力现状与对策建议

依据研究能力的内涵界定,采用自编问卷,以294位参加北京教育学院校长培训项目的中小学校长为样本,调查了当前中小学校长的教育科研能力。调查结果表明:整体上,校长对教育科研的价值和目的有着较为清楚的认识,具备一定的研究能力,但对研究文献的收集和利用相对薄弱;没有研究时间、知识与能力不足,是制约校长进行研究的最主要因素;来自城区学校、乡镇学校和农村学校的校长,在研究能力上有较为明显的差距。基于此,建议加强学习和培训,增强校长对研究的知识积累和实践能力;加强行政支持,给校长从事自主研究的时间和空间;正视城乡差异,增强对农村校长的培养和支持力度。