Quality Assurance and the work of the Inspectorate SDPI Summer School NUI Galway 19 th June 2007 Emer Egan Assistant Chief Inspector Teacher Education Policy Support Unit

System improvement initiatives School and System improvement Continuum of Teacher Education Curriculum Development and Review - NCCA Teaching Council Leadership Development in Schools Support for Schools – Planning and Curriculum Additional Supports and Services to Pupils National and International Reporting on Outcomes State Examinations Commission Quality of External Evaluation LEGISLATION SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT TOWARDS 2016

System change and development  Social partnership model for social and economic development  Education legislation oEducation Act 1998 oEducation Welfare Act (2000) oTeaching Council Act (2001) oEducation 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)

 A centralised Inspectorate: primary and second level  A division of the Department of Education and Science  Statutory remit under the Education Act 1998 oProgramme of inspection in schools oPromoting compliance with regulation and legislation oAdvisory role for schools and for the Department oContribution to policy development The Inspectorate

 150/170 inspectors under the Chief Inspector organised in two subdivisions: Regional Subdivision and Policy Support Subdivision Strategic change in the Inspectorate

 Primary oTeachers on probation oWhole-School Evaluation oThematic / Focused Evaluations  Post-primary oSubject Inspection oWSE oThematic / Focused Evaluations Range of evaluation models

So! What is Inspection about? A platform for improvement  Evaluation provides a review of how well schools are meeting their objectives and a service to schools providing …. oSupport for leadership and management oCritical analysis and commentary on teaching and learning and on the school’s functioning in its context oClearly articulated rationale and realistic proposals for action planning oWhere necessary a strong message about things that must be done better oFindings that affirm professionalism and foster development

Improvement – school’s responsibility and capability  External evaluation is a professional input into the action planning and programme implementation in the school in the future oSchool improvement is a management and organisational responsibility within the school oEvaluation advice in relation to action planning is critical – but improvements in educational provision can only result if there is effective implementation oA critical factor is the capability of professionals in schools to manage a change process.

WSE framework 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

Looking at our school – evaluation indicators

Planning Documentation Assessment Records Interaction with Pupils Discussion with School Personnel School Information Form Observation of Teaching and Learning Rigorous evidence- gathering procedures

 Foirm Eolais  Review of school policies  Observation of teaching and learning  Work of in-school management team  Management of pupils  Audit of school resources  Interviews with BOM, principal, in-school management team, teachers, parents Drawing from a variety of sources of evidence

The inspection may be appealed under Section 13(9) Review Procedures The WSE report  Report identifies strengths and areas recommended for development  WSE report is issued to chairperson and the school principal - part of the agenda for development  Recommendations should be addressed in the school staff’s action planning

Factual Verification and School Response oNew processes promoting school engagement with the Inspection reports oSchool responses published on the Department’s website

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

Guides to WSE – Primary and Post-primary schools

Where the Inspectorate is going … continuing to change  Employing a range of evaluation modes – to meet a range of system demands  Communicating evaluation findings to a range of partners and the public  Sharing evaluation procedures and processes with others and promoting capacity for school self-evaluation and development  Further building the evaluation expertise of the Inspectorate in areas such as school leadership, disadvantage, special education, parental involvement  Working to build professional capacity in schools, in governance, in management and in teaching, and supporting local and system strategies for improvement

Some Challenges for the Inspectorate oFurther refining our evaluation processes and procedures oDeveloping systems to support and evaluate self-evaluation processes in schools oIdentifying how best to assist schools in responding to the outcomes of evaluation.

 Initial teacher education, induction and continuing professional development: connection  Lifelong learning framework/skills: ITE provides the foundation; on-the-job skill development  Teacher formation: development of skills of reflective practice; teacher as researcher  Attention to development of subject and pedagogical knowledge at each stage throughout the career  Primary role for school as site for learning, schools as learning communities CPD: Key messages Continuum of learning

 Engage in self-review and development planning  Improved student outcomes is the focus of school improvement efforts  Links teacher development to school development and improvement  Leadership a key factor in improvement activities  Informal learning valued [innovation, joint problem-solving, networking, sharing experience]  Professional dialogue is promoted within and between schools  Research and development integrated into school’s work School domain Towards improvement in teaching and learning

develop as communities of learners link teacher learning to school improvement provide for both on and off the job professional development network with providers and other schools mentor student and beginning teachers entry to the profession give status to good teachers Towards teachers who are : committed to lifelong learning and link professional development activities, improvements in their own practice, student progress and overall school improvement Signposts Towards schools which:

Personal competences that make a difference to the quality and effectiveness of teaching: sound subject knowledge; communication skills; ability to relate to individual students; self management skills; organisational skills; classroom management skills; problem- solving skills; a repertoire of teaching methods; teamwork skills; and research skills. Lingard et al (2002) and Ayres et al (2000) in OECD (2005) Teachers Matter Teacher domain Towards improvement in teaching and learning

New Strategic Context: Social Partnership Agreement delivering School Self-Evaluation oTowards 2016 embeds the Inspectorate’s Looking at Our School framework in the partnership agreement with teachers. oThe agreement will facilitate the systematic implementation of school self-evaluation in all primary and post-primary schools. oThe agreement also addresses underperformance in teaching. oMain challenge is to develop systems to support and evaluate self-evaluation processes in schools.

T16 Part Two Section 31 – Education Sector 31.1 Under the Education Act 1998 a school is required to establish and maintain systems whereby the efficiency and effectiveness of its operations can be assessed. In this context Section 23 of the Education Act 1998 sets out the responsibilities and functions of the school principal which covers, inter alia, the creation of a school environment which is supportive of learning and on a day-to-day basis the guidance and direction of the teachers and the promotion of their professional development, for which the principal is accountable to the employer The parties recognise that within the overall performance of a school or education centre the effectiveness of the contribution made by each teacher is critical not only to the interests of the specific students for which the individual teacher has direct responsibility but also to the overall performance of the school. The parties agree that the most appropriate basis for the development of strategies to enhance team and individual contribution is in the context of school development planning and holistic self-evaluation processes conducted by the school in line with best practice.  Part A - Teachers - Performance Management

T16 Part Two Section 31 – Education Sector 31.3 The parties have agreed that each school will utilise the Department of Education publications “Looking at our School – an aid to self-evaluation in primary schools (2003)” and “Looking at our Schools – an aid to self-evaluation in second level schools (2003)” to conduct a self-evaluation of school performance Schools will consider the role and contribution of teachers to overall school performance in the context of the school development plan. Each school will assess performance by using the themes for self-evaluation set out in the above documents for the aspect Teaching and Learning as a dimension of overall school performance.

T16 Part Two Section 31 – Education Sector 31.7 Section 24(3) of the Education Act, 1998 provides that a board of management of a school may suspend or dismiss teachers in accordance with procedures agreed from time to time between the Minister, the patron of the school, recognised school management organisations and any recognised trade union representing teachers The parties are agreed that it is timely to review and revise existing procedures. Discussions in that regard shall commence under this agreement and new procedures will be agreed in time for implementation with effect from the commencement of the 2007/2008 school year.  Difficulties in relation to Teacher Performance There will be Performance Verification Groups (PVG) for each of the Civil Service, Education, Health and Local Government sectors.  Section 33 - Performance verification process

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