briefing papers for policy makers

4. As some legislation describes attainment targets in rather general terms, checking schools' compliance can be
difficult in some cases.
5. The processes of educational change, in any country, are extremely complex affairs and can be difficult to
control, particularly as responsibility is increasingly delegated towards institutions and individuals.
6. “Change management” in educational reform is not one of managing, or controlling change, but of attempting to
shape the environment in which it is to take place by creating conditions that are conducive to successful
implementation.
7. Monitoring quality assurance tends to lead to successful implementation of changes.
8. Schools are now being given more autonomy and responsibility for their own quality, with less rules and
regulations - at the input-side – for the curriculum and finance. However, - at the output side - parents, the
government and other stakeholders want to hold schools accountable for their quality and want this quality to be
controlled and expect actions to be taken if there seem to be quality problems.
9. As a consequence of the policy move towards decentralization, the role of evaluation has changed. External
evaluation by the Inspectorate has shifted from merely supervision of the legal requirements to educational
monitoring and quality assessment, based upon evaluation criteria and standards. Internal, school self-evaluation
is strongly encouraged in order to fulfil both the improvement and the accountability function. Educational
institutions are expected to bear responsibility for safeguarding the quality of the education they provide and
systematic self-evaluation is strongly encouraged.
10. In some countries, schools have to publish a school guide for all parents - with the school plan as a point of
reference. This school guide contains the results of the school in terms of examinations, the percentage of
children from primary schools transferring to various forms of secondary education and specific features of the
schools such as special programmes for music education or for science education.
11. Increasingly schools are being made financially accountable through the auditing of block grants received from
government.
12. In some countries, the Inspectorate has developed standards to monitor the quality of education, which includes
decision rules and qualifications for judging the extent to which a certain standard has been met. One method is
a school quality profile that reveals the strong and weak points and is used as a basis for discussions with the
school regarding possibilities and plans for further development.
13. In other countries the relationship between the minister, ministry, the Inspectorate and the schools is subject of
discussion.
14. Self-evaluation is also strongly encouraged and schools are gradually proceeding towards using self-assessment
instruments. Although implementation is growing, self-evaluation activities are not yet cyclic and systematic.
15. An emerging, but increasingly important issue, that still needs to be resolved in some regions - is who has the
right to information on schools and the quality of education - parents, the inspectorate and the general public?
Initial Recommendations
1. The Inspectorate should involve the school as much as possible in its judgement of the schools' quality.
2. All schools should be encouraged to develop a school plan that defines the school's own quality standards in
consultation with stakeholders - parents, local citizens and local associations.
3. Schools have to show how they interpret and realise the precise attainment targets as prescribed by the
Education Acts.
4. Evaluation criteria should be developed in consultation and these criteria could be translated into items for
questionnaires and observation forms. Training in using them and in scoring should be provided.
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