This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
Quality Assurance through Synergy of Internal and External Evaluation of Schools. Its Effects on Learning and Teaching. 114426 – CO -1-2004-1-IT – COMENIUS-C3PP
NEWSLETTER No 3 September 2006
Dear all A long time overdue, here it is – our newsletter. In the second year of the network the following activities have taken place: 4th Steering Group Meeting, Eupen, Belgium, 12 & 13, 16 & 17 October 2005 3rd Partner Meeting, Eupen Belgium, 13 – 16 October 2005 Meeting for coordinators of Comenius 2 Projects and Comenius 3 Networks, Brussels, Belgium, 17 October 2005 Meeting Coordination Team, Vienna, Austria, 28 November 2005 2nd Contact Seminar, 9 – 13 November 2005, Vienna, Austria Comenius 2.2 Course “School Based Evaluation of Quality as an Opportunity for School Development”, 5 – 11 December 2005, Vienna, Austria 5th Steering Group Meeting, Tallinn, Estonia, 22& 23, 27 & 28 March 2006 2nd Thematic Conference, 23 – 26 March 2006, Tallinn, Estonia 4th Partner Meeting, 26 & 27 March, Tallinn, Estonia, 2006 The examples of internal and external approaches to evaluation collected by the network partners have just been published. The collection of “Examples of Interesting Practice of Internal and External Evaluation of Schools” is available at our institution or as a pdf download from our homepage. The network activities are now focusing on identifying strategies of implementation of synergy between internal and external evaluation. In the partner meeting in Bled, Slovenia, 12 – 15 October 2006, the Final Declaration of SYNEVA.net will be prepared.
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In the Third Thematic Conference, in Glasgow, Scotland, 19 – 22 April 2007 (“Quality of Schools 2010. SYNEVA-Declaration for Syngergy between Internal and External evaluation and Its Impacts on Learning and Teaching in a European Context”) the Declaration will be presented and discussed. New ideas about the continuation of the activities beyond the EU funding period are being explored at the moment. Dr. Rudolf Meraner Director Pädagogisches Institut für die deutsche Sprachgruppe Bozen, Italy Find in this issue nd Short report on 2 Thematic Conference – Tallin, Estonia Comenius 2.2 Course: “School-based evaluation of quality as an opportunity for school development”, Vienna, Austria , 2005 Comenius Contact Seminar, Vienna, Austria, 2005 Associated Members of the network Comenius 2.2 Course 2007 rd 3 Thematic Conference, Glasgow, 19 – 22 April 2007
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2nd Thematic Conference “Synergy between Internal and External Evaluation and Its Impacts on Learning and Teaching” 23 – 26 March 2006 Tallinn, Estonia
Internal and external evaluation working in synergy In-service training to encourage teachers/schools to explore ways of introducing self-evaluation When numbers are supposed to be more than counting and narratives more than good stories and many others. The complete Conference Report and many materials used by the workshop presenters can be downloaded from our homepage. (http://syneva.net)
More than 90 participants from 18 European countries have shared their experiences in the field of synergy between internal and external evaluation in the 2nd Thematic Conference, organised with our Estonian partner, Eesti Vabariigi Haridus-ja Teadusministeerium, Tartu (Ministry of Eduation and Research of the Republic of Estonia). In the two keynote addresses, one by Lut Stroobants, Belgium, and one by Prof. Kay Livingston, Scotland, the benefits of internal and external evaluation for learning and teaching were explored, once from the perspective of internal, once from the perspective of external evaluation. In both addresses the main focus was on the meeting point between the two approaches to evaluation to the greatest benefit of the schools.
The experiences gained in the various workshops were shared in the form of wall newspapers. Furthermore the conference delegates brought in their own topics in the Open Space session on the last day of the conference. On the programme there was also a guided tour through the beautiful old town of Tallin, an event the delegates highly appreciated and enjoyed.
In 17 workshops workshops similar topics were explored. Examples at school level, regional and national level were presented and discussed. Just to mention a few topics of the workshops: Internal and external evaluators: the dream team (Finnish, Blegian and Portuguese perspective) How our school prepares for external evaluation It takes a village to raise a child
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Report written by Ferdinand Patscheider Pädagogisches Insitut für die Deutsche Sprachgruppe, Bozen, Italy
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Comenius 1 & 2 Contact Seminar 9 – 13 December 2005 Vienna, Austria Pädagogisches Institut der Stadt Wien Silvia Wiesinger & Silvia Jindra
Participants : 42 Countries :
DE, IT, CY, GR ,TR, DK, PT , NO, PL, LT, GB, IE, BE, SK, FR, AT, FI
6 projects involving 32 countries could be realised during the contact seminar: •
Course description: This contact seminar was one of the dissemination activities of the Comenius 3 network „SYNEVA.net – Quality Assurance through Synergy of Internal and External Evaluation of Schools. Its Effects on Learning and Teaching”. It was specially supported by the Austrian National Socrates Agency and promoted by the Socrates National Agencies all over Europe. The focus of this contact seminar as well as of the network itself was quality assurance through the synergy of internal and external evaluation of schools and its effects on learning and teaching. Relevant national and international instruments for measuring various aspects of education systems were identified and shared. Information and new knowledge regarding the interplay between external and internal evaluation and quality development in the educational area in Europe were collected, analysed and compared. The aim of the seminar was to bring together a series of European institutions to join in European Cooperation Initiatives, i.e. Comenius 1 and 2 Projects.
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“To identify and remove barrriers” Coordinating country : Great Britain contact person : Graham Nelmes,
[email protected] sch.uk participating countries: LT, FR, AT, FI, BE(D) “EQUALS. Quality in evaluation equals quality in school”. Coordinating country : Austria Participating countries: BE(D), UK, NO, PT “Euro Celebration”. Coordinating country : Great Britain Participating countries: PL, BE(D), IE, FI “Development school” Coordinating country : France contact person: Jacques Toustou,
[email protected] Participating countries: AT, NO, FI “Quality assurance through the synergy of internal and external evaluation”. Coordinating country : Great Britain contact person: Paul Essenhigh,
[email protected] Participating countries: IE, LT, FR, DK, NO “External evaluation of integration” Coordinating country : Austria, HS2 Enns, http://schulen.eduhi.at/hs2enns/ Participating countries: PT, FR, PL, ES, DE
September 2006
Comenius 2.2 Course “School Based Evaluation of Quality as an Opportunity for School Development” 5 – 11 December 2005 Vienna, Austria Pädagogisches Institut der Stadt Wien Silvia Wiesinger & Silvia Jindra Participants : 29 Countries :
context of evaluation, communication strategies, etc. were explored. School visits, discussions and meetings with local teachers and school heads were organised.
RO ; D , IT , CY , IS , LU , GR , TR , BG , DK ,
Course description The aims of the course were • to encourage the participants to support evaluation in their schools • to develop a common understanding of school-based evaluation and its contribution / importance for quality improvement and school development • to offer various strategies and tools for self - evaluation This course was originally one of the main outputs of the Comenius 2.1 project “SEQuALS - Supporting Evaluation of Quality and Learning of Schools”. The approach was to look at different approaches of selfevaluation of schools as one of the main quality issues for school development. It was now further developed, to offer also the broader perspective of the Syneva - network: the synergy between internal / self-evaluation and external evaluation.
The course offered background knowledge and theory, strategies and tools as well as a reflection on the role and function of school – based development. Great emphasis was given to a practical approach, the exchange of international experiences and mutual learning. Topics such as concepts of school management, schools as learning organisations, school development, roles and responsibilities in the
Reports written by Silvia Jindra and Silvia Wiesinger Pädagogisches Institut der Stadt Wien
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Associated Members Some institutions introduce themselves The network has, at the moment, 46 associated members in 19 European countries, i.e. Germany 8; Estonia 7; Italy 5; UK, Ireland and Romania 3; Bulgaria, Poland, France, the Netherlands and Norway 2; Malta, Belgium, Slovakia, Turkey, Denmark, Greece und Cyprus 1. Find a complete list of the institutions/individuals on the homepage of the network. (http://syneva.net) Our associated members share their experiences in the field of internal and/or external evaluation with us. Some have been with us at our Thematic Conferences; some have participated in our Contact Seminars or Comenius 2.2 Course on School Based Evaluation. In the future it should be easier for them to participate at our conferences, as it is possible to be funded for such events within the Comenius 2.2c Programme. Find below the descriptions/presentations of some of the institutions.
include evaluation/assessment in my next year's School Development Plan. I have been head of this institution for the last scholastic year. Mary Rose DeBono
School No. 1. “Iorgu Radu”, Romania Address: 6 N. Balcescu street, 731149 Barlad, Romania tel/fax: 0040 235417103 e-mail:
[email protected] website: iorguradu.netfirms.com
St Bernadette Primary School – Malta
Information about the institution Type of school: primary and secondary, general, public, urban. no. of teachers: 60; no. of pupils: 1000, aged 7-15. main areas of interest: Culture and traditions, art, foreign languages, ICT, mathematics, environment, citizenship, sports.
St Bernadette Primary School caters for pupils ages 8 to 12 (Yrs 4 to 7). Three hundred and seventy pupils attend the school. The school is mixed and special needs pupils join the mainstream ones as there is inclusion. Practically in each of the seventeen classes there is the class teacher and a facilitator. The pupils sit for examinations at the end of the year when they are streamed according to the results acquired. At the end of Year 6 the pupils sit for a highly competitive local exam. The school is bi-lingual - Maltese the native language being taught together with English. Besides these two languages the children study Maths and Social Studies which is a mix of History and Geography. Religion is taught every day and the majority of the pupils are Roman Catholic. The school is situated in a relatively new middle-class area with most of the building being apartments. I have attended only one seminar on evaluation following which I held another inschool session for teachers. I intend to
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We have external evaluation and internal evaluation. External: Individual evaluation at the end of each school year – for teachers, for educational activity as well as for extracurricular activity (very well, well, satisfactory, unsatisfactory), made by administrative board, head of methodological commission
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education, whereas the following three years focus more on economic end juridical subjects. In their fourth year our students establish their own training company. We also organise two-week-stages in local banks, companies, offices etc. in order to give them the opportunity to get professional training. Particularly gifted students can get an additional specialization in physical education. In order to enrol in these classes, students have to undergo an aptitude test.
Salary/merit gradation – for teachers, awarded by administrative board/ School County Inspectorate, for 1 year/4years Distinctions – for teachers, awarded by the Ministry of Education and Research Ranking as representative school – for schools, awarded by the Ministry of education, every year. Internal: 2% of the salary for teachers, awarded by the administrative board evaluation by marks, by very well, well, satisfactory, unsatisfactory-for pupils prizes, distinctions for pupils, awarded by the school, the School County Inspectorate, local and county authorities, Ministry of Education and Research Contact person: Mrs. Tamas Carmen Daniela, teacher of mathematics, programme coordinator
2. Europe (BROCCA) The section "Europe" is a five-year-course. During the first two years the students receive a profound general education, whereas the following three years focus on natural sciences, languages end philosophy as well as on economic and juridical subjects. In their fourth year our students establish their own training company: We also organise oneweek-stages in local banks, companies, offices etc. in order to give them the opportunity to get professional training.
HANDELSOBERSCHULE H. "KUNTER" Commercial Secondary School
3. Information technology computer studies (MERCURIO) The section "computer studies" is a threeyear-course. After the first two years in one of the above-mentioned sections students have the opportunity to enrol in this section. The main focus is on computer studies and mathematics.
Guntschnastr. 1 Bozen IItaly 39100 0471 281054 0471 282312 homepage: www.hob.bz.it e-mail:
[email protected]
JOB PERSPECTIVES for all the students: accountants, secretaries, running one’s own business, computer consultants, etc. Experiences in the field of self-evaluation School climate Use and maintenance of technical facilities 5-day week (experimental time table) final exam school management sports branch school leavers participation in a Comenius 1 project focusing on teaching
Our school is a vocational school to applied economics. The students attend school for five years, taking a national exam as part of their training to get a diploma that enables them to go to university. It has three different sections: Applied Economics (IGEA) Europe (BROCCA) Computer Studies (MERCURIO) 1. Applied Economics (IGEA) The section "applied economics" is a fiveyear-course. During the first two years the students receive a profound general
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Fachoberschule für Curie”, Meran, Italy
Anderson High School, Scotland Stewart L. Hay
“Marie
Some basic data: approx. 750 students (aged 14-19); approx. 10% male students, approx. 10% boarding students, approx. 90 teachers public school with school leaving certificate enabling students to study at university three branches: “Biological Branch” with main focus on sciences “Touristic Branch” with main topic on languages, law and economics “General Branch” with main focus on home economics
Project Information In 1998/9 as part of the growing international commitment to school self evaluation projects Anderson High School in Shetland Islands, Scotland UK established an agreement with five partner schools to undertake an International Student Research project involving one or two students from each of the five schools spending post High School year researching aspects of learning in each of the schools.
Experiences in the field of evaluation: A group of teachers has, over a number of years, carried out self-evaluation projects, in the following areas: school leavers Comenius projects in the areas of self evaluation and school development support for interested teachers in self-evaluation in cooperation with students who spent a year abroad: comparison of teaching methods, schools and school systems. So far we have no experience with external evaluation, are, however interested in having one or the other areas of our school organisation externally evaluated soon.
Beginning in 1999/2000 a small team of international students from each of the schools - Anderson High School, Shetland Islands (UK), Bobergsskolan, Ange (Sweden), Graf Friedrich Schule, Diepholz (Germany), Gymnasium Zlin, Zlin (Czech Republic), Nara Women's University Secondary School, Nara (Japan) and Harold Cressy High School, Cape Town (SA) but replaced by South Peninsula High School/Academy of Maths Science, Technology, Cape Town (South Africa). Led by two Graduate Coordinators the small team of students undertook research gathering students’ views on aspects of learning in each school. Supported by Professor John MacBeath ,Professor of Leadership Education, Cambridge University, UK, and Professor Hidenori Sugimine, Nara Women's University Japan, the project is now in its sixth year.
Contact: Dieter Oberkofler FOS Meran Mazziniplatz 1 I - 39012 Meran Tel. +39 473 201213 Fax +39 473 201214 e-mail:
[email protected] Homepage: http://www.schule.provinz.bz.it/fos-me
Publications: MacBeath and Sugimine : Self Evaluation in the Global Classroom (Routledge 2003) Website www.learningschool.org
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Soziales
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Comenius 2.2 Course “School-based evaluation of quality as an opportunity for school development” 23 – 29 March 2007 Tramin/Termeno, Italy Reference number: AT-2007-006
Description of course contents
Working methods will be theory - input in plenaries, group work with workshop character, discussions and case studies. School visits and meetings/discussions with teachers; school heads; advisers and consultants will be organized. As preparation for the course: the participants will be sent material and will be asked to prepare a poster describing their actual situation and background, a pre course questionnaire. Evaluation strategies during and after the course. Follow up: minutes of the course, building up a post course network between participants and course organizers, trainers and their project(s) e.g. by means of using ict and / or platforms. The course was developed in the SEQuALSComenius 2.1. (www.sequals.org) and is now build in into the follow up Comenius 3 network SYNEVA.net - Quality Qssurance through Synergy of Internal and External Evaluation of Schools (http://.syneva.net) linking to this network is also offered as a follow up activity.
The objectives of the course are: to encourage the participants to support evaluation in their schools to develop a common understanding of school-based evaluation and its contribution / importance for quality improvement and school-development to offer various strategies and tools for self-evaluation The target group of the course are members of the school staff who are involved in the quality management of their schools as internal supporters (e.g. members of a steering- or project-group, headmasters..), as well as all people form the educational field who are supporting school based quality development work of schools, like e.g. advisers, consultants, supervisors, inspectors etc. Based on the international experiences of the Comenius 3.1. Project "SEQuALS-supporting evaluation of quality and learning of schools" the course will focus on school-based evaluation and its value for quality improvement and school development. It will offer background knowledge and theory, strategies and tools and reflect on the role and function of school based development. Great emphasis will be given to a practical approach, the exchange of international experiences and mutual learning. Participants will be encouraged to work on their own examples and questions and to apply some of the strategies and tools introduced in an experimental way.
Programme of the course (day by day) Tuition every day from 09.00 - 12.00 and 14.00 - 18.00 hours, on some days evening sessions will be possible according to participants’ interests and topics (open space)
1st day, March, 23rd 2007:
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Arrival of participants, first meeting in the early evening, getting to know each other and introduction to the course.
Details of organizing institution: Pädagogisches Institut der Stadt Wien Burggasse 14-16 1070 Wien Austria Tel.: 0043/1/523 6222-93214 Fax: 0043/1/523 6222-9993210
2nd day, March 24th, 2007: What is school-based evaluation? Philosophy of the SEQuALS concept working on a shared understanding of school-based evaluation. Exchange of experiences: background and situation of participants and their schools, overview of different concepts of quality management and their function. Reflecting on schools as learning organisations
Contact person: Ms Silvia Jindra e-mail:
[email protected] website: www.pi-wien.at
3rd day, March 25th, 2007: How can we initiate and maintain an evaluation process? Consideration of the principles of school development. Strategies and tools for schoolbased evaluation. Different stages of an evaluation process. Examining case studies. 4th day, March 26th 2007: What can we learn from other schools? Visits to schools, reflection on school visits. 5th day , March 27th 2007: Managing change Creating a culture for school-based evaluation. Roles and responsibilities for implementing school-based evaluation. Development of communication strategies in schools. Cultural visit. 6th day, March 28th 2007: What next? Profile for effective school improvement. Preparing an action plan for success. Planning next steps, planning further cooperation - participants / schools network together with the SYNEVA.network. Feedback and evaluation of the course. 7th day, March 29th 2007 Departure after breakfast
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114426 – CP – 1-2004-1-IT-COMENIUS – C3PP
“Quality of Schools 2010. SYNEVA-Declaration for Synergy between Internal and External Evaluation ant Its Impacts on Learning and Teaching in a European Context” 3rd Thematic Conference Glasgow Scotland 19 – 22 April 2007
After collecting and analysing a series of examples of good practice of internal and/or external evaluation of schools, strategies of the implementation of synergies between the two approaches to evaluation have been identified and explored. The findings are expressed in the SYNEVA Declaration, which will be presented and discussed in this conference. In two key note addresses – one by A. Schleicher on “Quality of Schools 2010” (not confirmed yet) and one on the Scottish quality concept “How Good is Our School” – future trends in education will be focused on. In two parallel strands of workshops various European experiences will be presented and explored. Questions such as What does this mean for my/our country? What implications does this have for my/our school? How does this influence our regional strategies? etc. will be discussed.
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Thematic focus of the Conference • Strategies of implementing synergies between internal and external evaluation of schools • Role of internal and external evaluators • Role of decision makers • Regional networking • Dissemination of strategies Target groups of the conference Teachers, school managers, the middle management (members of steering groups, coordinators, teachers with special functions in the field of school development), supporting institutions, internal and external advisers, evaluation experts, regional/national school authorities and regional/national/European policy makers.
More detailed information will soon be made available on our homepage (http://syneva.net).
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