School improvement through external inspection and school self-evaluation

1. School improvement through external inspection and school self-evaluation SDPI Summer School NUI Galway: 22 June 2010 Emer Egan Assistant Chief Inspector INSPECTORATE PROMOTING THE QUALITY OF LEARNING

2. Overview • Structures, role and context of the Inspectorate’s work • Our approach to evaluation and school improvement • Providing an external perspective • External inspection and school improvement: what should happen after inspection? • Maximum impact from inspection • School self-evaluation: challenges and questions in realising self-evaluation • WSE: MLL • Programme evaluation

3. STRUCTURE, ROLE AND THE CONTEXT OF OUR WORK

4. Organisation Chief Inspector (Head of Division and a member of MAC) Regional Subdivision Deputy Chief Inspector Policy Support Subdivision Deputy Chief Inspector BU1-North & Dublin North BU2-South East & Dublin South BU3-Mid-West & South BU4-Midlands & West BU5: ESRU & European Schools BU6: Teacher Education Policy & Inspectorate Human Resources BU7: Curriculum & Assessment Policy & Inspectorate International Linkages BU8: Special Education Policy & Inspectorate Corporate Functions Other deployments: Regional Services, Planning Unit, Teacher Education

5. The Inspectorate • Centralised inspectorate • A division of the Department of Education and Skills • Statutory remit under Education Act 1998 • Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of educational provision at primary and second level • Support and advise schools, teachers, boards of management • Advise the Minister on educational policy and provision

6. What influences the way we work? The learner • Every learner entitled to high quality provision Legislation • Statutory remit under the Education Act and other legislation Public Service Reform • Initiatives to improve the delivery & accountability of public services • Requirement for annual business plan • Performance management (PMDS) • Each staff member agrees role profile (targets for year) with manager • Mid-year and end of year review

7. What influences the way we work? Partnership • Legislation places strong duty on Inspectorate to consult about the way in which it carries out evaluative work Professionalism • Strong historical tradition which ensures Inspectorate has close links with teaching profession • Maintenance of good, professional working relationships with schools, management bodies, teachers, students and parents

8. OUR APPROACH TO EVALUATION AND SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

9. Effective school improvement is multi-faceted Teachers

10. We all have a role to play in school improvement INTERNAL • Principal, for example… • Leadership for improvement • Setting emphasis on learning outcomes • Tackling under-performance • Each teacher, for example… • his/her commitment to highest professional standards • role in furthering improvement of co-teachers in subject department and work of school as a whole • Board of management

11. We all have a role to play in school improvement EXTERNAL Goals and standards The professional teacher The Teaching Council Continuum of teacher education Professional teacher networks Teacher quality NCCA – Curricula and syllabi State Examinations NQAI - Qualification frameworks Management organisations Patron/trustees VECs and CEOs Management supports

12. We all have a role to play in school improvement Evaluation and review DES support services (e.g. PDST, SESS) Funding: capitation, teacher salaries, capital expenditure Supports for students (e.g. SEN, NCSE, DEIS) DES supports for schools School development planning Self-evaluation External inspection National and international surveys

13. Emphasis in the inspection of schools has changed…. From A policing model of external inspection • Locates control and development outside the school • Idea that quality can be “inspected into” the school • Requires significant personnel resources To Promoting internal control and development • Recognises that change must be fostered within organisations • Based on a vision of school as a professional organisation • Sees inspectors and school personnel as co-professionals

14. Our dominant philosophy is formative • Purposes of inspection • Assure quality in education system • Provide an external perspective on the work of the school • Affirmgood practice • Constructively identify areas for improvement • Facilitate school self-evaluation • Recommendations provide a platform for development

15. We commit to… • Take account of school context and school self-review • Courtesy, respect and fairness • Sensitivity to individual teachers and schools • Fostering positive relationships with the school community • Fair and accurate judgements based on evidence • Clear and transparent review mechanism: Review Procedure under Section 13(9) of Education Act

16. Influences on evaluation approach • School improvement literature • Research and professional development of staff • Curriculum reform and review • e.g. Links with NCCA • Socio-economic demands for high quality education • Government commitment to transparency and service • International reviews of education: e.g. PISA • International educational bodies • OCED Education Committee; OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI), Towards an Integrated Public Service (OECD) • EU policy on education (e.g. teacher competencies, education for citizenship, Lisbon agenda)

17. Co-operation with other inspectorates • North-South • Management cooperation, staff exchange • Britain & Ireland (Ofsted, Estyn, HMIe, ETI & DES) • Participation in joint meetings • Sharing of good practice • Europe • European Network for the Evaluation of Educational Systems • Joint projects led by Ireland or in which Ireland participates • Standing International Conference of Inspectorates • e.g. Papers from Ireland on inspection practices and outcomes • Other countries, e.g. New Zealand • Study visits, exchange of speakers/lecturers

18. Evaluation Support and Research Unit • Develop evaluation techniques and tools • Inspection models, tools to collect and analyse evidence, reporting styles and templates • Design and lead specialised evaluations • Respond to demands/needs of Department, school system, learner groups • Design specialised evaluations, train inspectors • Oversee writing of composite national report • Publishing house for the Inspectorate • Research on issues such as inspection models, trends and developments

19. PROVIDING AN EXTERNAL PERSPECTIVE

20. External evaluations • Using a range of inspection types • Developing models to suit circumstances of provision • Current models include….

21. Reports published by 27 May 2010 • Whole School Evaluation (PP): 200 • Subject inspection within WSE: 730 • Subject inspection (stand-alone): 1753 • Programme evaluation within WSE: 18 • Programme evaluation (stand-alone): 68 • Centres for Education: 64 • Whole School Evaluation (P): 857 Total: 3690

22. EXTERNAL INPECTION AND SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT: What should happen after inspection?

23. After inspection • Underlying principle: School self-review and improvement at the heart of effective school • External evaluation can provide advice but improvement only happens if there is effective implementation in school • Primary responsibility for following through on recommendations rests with board and staff • BOM, CEO, Principal, Staff must take ownership of need for change and implement change programme • Others may be involved to limited extent • Patron/VEC, certain DES divisions, school support services, etc.

24. So what should happen after inspection? • Full circulation of the report • Read and examine the strengths and areas for development • Review the school’s planning and self-evaluation • Review needs to include board, senior management, staff, parents and students, as appropriate • Have these processes identified similar priorities? • What should our priorities now be? • Does the self-review and planning process need to be improved? • What actions will we take now? • Action plan • Identify where assistance is needed • Implementation, monitoring and review to ensure real improvement happens

25. Are inspections effective? Independent survey in 2005 by MORI….. • 86% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed that “Feedback and advice were given in a supportive and constructive manner” • 80% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed that “Inspectors provided constructive advice about ways of improving educational provision” • 80% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed that “Written reports were clear and provided me with valid and constructive recommendations for development”

26. Is the Department involved in following-up? • Coordinated sharing of information between Inspectorate and Schools Division of DES • Involvement of DES and Inspectorate in follow-through to inspection is • proportionate to need • concentrated on very small number of schools with very serious failings and those with significant problems • concentrated on learning outcomes • is tailored to the needs of the individual case • looks at supports and the approach needed to address underlying issues in school

27. Examples include… • DES engaging with board and/or the patron/trustees of the school • Patron/trustees working with BOM to bring about change • School engaging with support services • Assistance to leadership or management of school • Report(s) from BOM to DES on actions taken to implement recommendations • Follow-up visit(s) by Inspectorate or other officials from DES • Combination of actions suited to needs of situation There is no one solution!!

28. MAXIMUM IMPACT FROM INSPECTION: Learning lessons from the inspection programme

29. Sharing the outcomes of inspection: Reports on the website of the DES Publication allows us to learn from each other AND can inform self-evaluation

30. For example, where WSEs find more effective leadership and middle management.. • Quality leadership, principal & deputy principal communicate effectively, cooperate fully in running effective school • Mix of pastoral, curricular and organisational duties for middle management; clear duties; effectively implemented; regularly reviewed for good of school • Collaborative policy making process; SDP focussed on core areas of teaching and learning • Time for planning but not at the expense of minimum teacher contact time for students

31. Where WSEs find less effective leadership and middle management… • Weak leadership; poor cooperation between Principal and Deputy; poor cooperation between in-school management team • SDP not well developed – paper and/or recent exercise rather than a continuous process for improvement • Middle management posts not well structured to changing needs of school • Planning and review not impacting on teaching and the quality of students’ learning • Teacher deployments / Teacher absenteeism

32. Recommendations • In some cases, evaluations have found quite considerable room for improvement… • “In line with section 21 of the Education Act, the board ….should begin immediately to develop a school plan…. • “The school’s admission and enrolment policies should be reviewed to ensure that they are in line with the policy of inclusion….” • “A total review of existing posts and duties should take place.”

33. Recommendations • “A whole-school review of the school’s code of behaviour is recommended ...” • “It was noted that…a number of teachers are allocated fewer than the stipulated minimum of 18 hours....the allocation of time for some subjects is not fully in line with syllabus guidelines…” • “A more concerted effort by the whole staff should lead to a general improvement in the quality and amount of work completed by students and contribute to the raising of standards and outcomes in all subjects.” - WSE Report, PP school

34. Composite reports • Findings and recommendations based on analysis of subject inspection reports or other inspection data • Emphasis on advice as well as evaluation • “Good practice” and “Concerns” boxes • Aimed at subject departments, school leaders, advisers

35. Other composite reports Other titles Looking at Guidance, English, History Forthcoming: Looking at Biology

36. Thematic evaluations • Specialist evaluation projects with a research focus • Considerable research in advance of evaluation • Specific evaluation criteria, templates and schedules developed and tested • Additional focussed training for inspection teams • Reports • Highlight good practice • Identify challenges of the system • Suggest how schools can improve practice

37. Thematic reports

38. SCHOOL SELF-EVALUATION How can it help us to improve our school?

39. What can school self-evaluation do? School self-evaluation is a process that should enable the principal, teachers and school community.... • to evaluate how well their school provides for its students • to make a difference to the experience of every student by enriching teaching and improving learning outcomes • to reflect on whole-school and classroom practice • to recognise the strengths of their school • to focus on teaching and learning strategies and on student learning outcomes

40. What can school self-evaluation do? • to examine areas where outcomes could have been better and identify areas for further development • to assist staff in sharing ideas and good practice • to provide opportunities for teachers to monitor their own teaching and identify their professional needs • to support the ownership of school policies and establish a clear vision for future direction of the school • to provide a means of school accountability

41. How could self-evaluation differ or relate to School Development Planning? • SDP processes are well embedded in many schools • Robust self-evaluation should be a key element in the SDP process • Self-evaluation should not be additional to SDP, rather it seeks to provide a sharper focus to SDP: • Acknowledges the context of the school • Brings more critical, objective focus to the review of the school’s work • Can lead to better action planning • Should result in better monitoring of progress and implementation • And it can be used to provide better information to parents and others about the work of the school

42. How could self-evaluation bring about this better focus? • By asking questions about outcomes such as… • How effective is our teaching and the learning of our students? • Are the learning outcomes of our students improving? • What are the learning outcomes for different groups of students? • Are we good at retaining students? At promoting student attendance? • Are we stretching students’ achievements as much as possible? Getting as many as possible to take higher levels? • How good is the management of this school in terms of the leadership it provides for school improvement? • How good are the supports we provide to students?

43. How could self-evaluation bring about this better focus? • By basing judgements on solid evidence, e.g. • Detailed questionnaire evidence from students and from parents, board members, etc. • Analysis of examination results and comparisons with national data: for all students; for different groups (e.g. higher/lower achieving groups) • Standardised test results • Analysing uptake of higher levels in subjects / subject in senior cycle • Achievements in terms of students’ skills/abilities • Tracking and analysing data on retention of students • Examining attendance patterns • External evaluation evidence

44. How could self-evaluation bring about this better focus? • By facilitating and encouraging peer learning and peer review, for example…. • Encouraging teachers to share good practice • Facilitating teachers in observing each other teach and providing developmental feedback • Developing a culture of discussing pedagogy, suggesting and accepting suggestions for improvement • Creating a culture where teachers are constantly asking • “How can I do this better?” • “Can you suggest to me how I can improve?” • “Could we improve this by …….?” • By having principals, curriculum leaders, etc. engage in reviewing teaching and learning in classrooms

45. How could self-evaluation bring about this better focus? • By setting clear targets for change and improvement… • Identifying areas for improvement, planning how change can be brought about e.g. improving achievement levels in specific subjects or for specific groups of students • Helping to identify staff learning needs and addressing these • Setting clear short-term and longer-term goals for improvement that can be measured • Providing a way in which progress can be monitored, acknowledged and celebrated

46. Promoting self-evaluation Social Partnership Agreement delivering School Self-Evaluation • Towards 2016 embeds the Inspectorate’s Looking at Our School framework in the partnership agreement with teachers • The agreement intended to facilitate the systematic implementation of school self-evaluation in all primary and post-primary schools • Agreement specifically mentions schools assessing performance in teaching and learning

47. So in the interface between inspection and self-evaluation… • External evaluations, composite reports and Looking at Our School can help to inform the criteria by which schools judge their outcomes • Inspectorate can develop more refined criteria to aid self-evaluation • Can do this in cooperation with schools and others • Initially, self-evaluation needs to be primarily for the school community • But as confidence grows, schools should share findings with others • Schools could aim to publish their own reports, targets, achievements and areas for development

48. So in the interface between inspection and self-evaluation… • External evaluation • Complements internal evaluation • Can look at the school’s self-evaluation as one key element of evidence • Self-evaluation has potential to inform and sharpen the “School Response” to inspection reports • School community should compare findings of external and internal processes • More focussed statements about what school will do next • Models of inspection could adjust over time to incorporate outcomes of robust self-evaluation • WSE could be less intensive in some cases • Shorter or less frequent or different forms of evaluation • Quality assuring self-evaluation

49. WSE MLL Management, Leadership and Learning

50. Model of Inspection trialled at Post Primary level in 2010 • WSE – Management, Leadership and Learning • Aim: to facilitate a shorter, more focused evaluation of the work of schools • Main focus on the quality of management and leadership and the quality of teaching and learning • WSE-MLL designed to complement the established evaluation models (WSE, Subject, Programme, Thematic).