Evaluation and Equity in Local Education Systems Realizing the Challenge AEA-E Conference Naples, November 9, 2006 Tali Freund The Center for Educational Technology

The Center for Educational Technology

The Center for Educational Technology Dr. Tali Freund - VP for Planning, Information and Evaluation The Center for Educational Technology (CET) in Israel Leading educational NGO in Israel since 1971 Our Expertise CET provides services to the Ministry of Education, local authorities, schools, funding organizations, etc.  Content development  Pioneer in introducing ICT into the Israeli education system  Professional development  Assessment and evaluation

The Center for Educational Technology Books Digital content Large-scale & classroom assessment including computerized tools

The Center for Educational Technology AgeGradeInstitutionCertificates 5-6 K KindergartenTransition to first grade Elementary schoolTransition to junior high school Junior high schoolTransition to high school High school (academic/ technological) Matriculation certificate Post-secondary vocational education Diploma (technician /practical engineer) According to the Israeli Law of Compulsory Education, compulsory education applies to children from the age of 5 through to the age of 16 and is provided free of charge through to the age of 18 Structure of Israeli System of Education

The Center for Educational Technology Type of schoolAge groupsSubjects of examination * Elementary2 nd gradeMother tongue (Hebrew, Arabic) Elementary Junior high school 5 th grade 8 th grade Mother tongue (Hebrew, Arabic), English, Math, Sciences High school10 th - 12 th gradesMatriculation in required subjects (academic) and optional (academic and technological) subjects Post-secondary13 th - 14 th gradesCertification exams for technicians and practical engineers * The exams colored maroon are developed by CET Large-Scale Assessment in Israel (initiated by the Ministry of Education)

The Center for Educational Technology  Until recently, the responsibility for the education system had been in the hands of the central authority – The Ministry of Education  In recent years, local authorities have become more involved in their regional education systems The Israeli Education System From Centralization to Decentralization As a result of this change, local education leaders are more attentive to students’ achievement in their l ocalities

The Center for Educational Technology  Some of the data come from the Ministry of Education which conducts a large-scale assessment in the 5 th, 8 th and 12 th grades  Yet, following this evaluation the local authorities receive only general information – mean scores and distributions at the municipal level  In order to design a municipal work plan, adapted to differential needs, the local authority needs detailed information – at the school as well as at the class level Lack of Data for Planning Purposes

The Center for Educational Technology  As a result of lack of data, more and more municipalities lead local evaluation processes  These processes are carried out by evaluation experts who assist in:  defining quality indicators for the local education system  developing evaluation tools  gathering data  analyzing data and drawing conclusions  presenting data to the clients Becoming Accountable also for Evaluation Processes

The Center for Educational Technology Maintaining equity all the way: from design to implementation

The Center for Educational Technology  During school years  Scholastic achievement  School holding power  Membership in a youth movement  Post school years  Military service  Academic education  Integration in the job market Equity by Evaluating Diverse Objects Multiple indicators chosen to assess the quality of the local education system by means of graduates’ surveys

The Center for Educational Technology Membership in a youth movement Holding power X Scholastic achievement Academic education Military service Example: The Story of City 1 During school years Post school years

The Center for Educational Technology Equity by a Two-step Evaluation Model  The measurement of scholastic achievement takes place twice a year – beginning and end – using two tests that are equivalent yet different  Allows evaluation of schools' relative progress, rather than evaluation of schools' absolute achievement at a certain point of time  Neutralizes inhibiting background variables prevalent in schools having populations of low socio-economic status Measuring school relative progress

The Center for Educational Technology Example: The Story of City 2

The Center for Educational Technology Equity by Expressing Trust in the Teachers’ Evaluation Skills  Using external tests to assess achievement – developed by experts  Using internal evaluation tools for screening evaluation – based on teachers' judgments  Presenting the correlation between the two information sources Measuring scholastic achievement by using both external and internal evaluation tools

The Center for Educational Technology High correlation (r=0.66, p<0.001) Example: The Story of City 3

The Center for Educational Technology Equity by Producing Reports in Various Resolutions  A general report for the whole system  A specific report for each school  A specific report for each class  A detailed report for each student Reporting data at various levels for custom-made solutions data analysis by sub-groups: students with special needs,new immigrants, weak students and gifted ones

The Center for Educational Technology Summary Maintaining equity all the way by Diverse evaluation objects Two-step evaluation model Diverse evaluation tools Evaluation products in various resolutions