Constance Nasi Under-Secretary National Education Services ...

Constance Nasi Under-Secretary National Education Services, Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, Solomon Islands

Karoline Afamasaga-Fuata’i CEO, Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture, Samoa

Fred Brooker Principal Education Adviser, Centre for Employment Initiatives

1. Pacific Benchmarking for Education Results (PaBER)

2. Experiences from learning assessments in the Solomon Islands)

3. Policy assessments in PNG, Samoa and Solomon Islands

4. Research – preliminary results from Samoa

5. Some results are in …

1. PaBER

The Pacific Benchmarking for Education Results

(PaBER) program was introduced in 2012 to improve

the quality of education and student performance

across the Pacific. The aim of the program is to

improve literacy levels of children in the region by

providing education ministries with systematic and

reliable analysis of their own systems and those of

their neighbours.

Three countries are participating in the pilot phase

over four years: Papua New Guinea, Samoa and

Solomon Islands. PaBER comprises a number of

diagnostic benchmarking exercises, policy and

institutional analysis and focussed research on

learning.

PaBER comprises 3 components.

1. regional learning assessment

2. benchmarking of education policies and

institutional capacity

3. research at the classroom level

PaBER did not lead on policy reform in the three

countries. It supported ongoing reforms that all the

countries had started – is creating evidence which the

countries will be able to use.

2. learning assessments

Indicator 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

ECE 34.3% 34.1% 31.1% 30.7% 34.3%

Primary Prep-Year 6 91.2% 91.6% 89.5% 88.9% 88.4%

Junior secondary, Form

7 to 9 39.5% 40.8% 41.3% 41.8% 42.0%

Senior Secondary, Form

10 to 13 22.8% 24.0% 24.6% 26.6% 28.6%

Dropout Rate (DR) in

Prep to Year 6 7.2% 8.9% 6.3% 6.6% 9.1%

Transition Rate (TR) to

Year 1 of Primary

Education 94.9% 92.7% 95.2% 93.5% 91.1%

Transition Rate (TR)

from Year 6 to Form 1 95.7% 92.3% 90.0% 93.7% 91.4%

Transition Rate (TR)

from Form 3 to From 4 93.3% 89.1% 87.4% 92.6% 89.1%

Education expenditure for the last 10 years

Management & HR5%

ECE5%

Primary36%

Secondary26%

TVET2%

Tertiary26%

Total Sectoral Share 2015

Huge investment in education. Solomon Islands like

other Pacific countries has invested heavily in

education.

Establish whether the educational achievements are

commensurate with the substantial investment made

by the government.

Identify areas of poor performances that would

require further investigations and interventions.

66.463.8 64.6

32.3

26

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39.6

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10

20

30

40

50

60

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English Literacy Reading Language Writing

At or above Emerging Critical

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18.0 18.0 16.7

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30

40

50

60

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Male Female Rural Urban Government Private

Gender Location Authority

Performing at Working to Yet to work at

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Male Female Male Female Male Female

Samoa PNG Solomon Islands

Performing at Working to Yet to work at

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Training of teachers (pre-service/in-service/PD

support for teachers)

Use of assessment data at school level to inform

teaching

Support base for teachers

Monitoring of teaching and learning

Curriculum implementation and monitoring.

• Continuation of the whole-system reform of literacy that is

currently underway, using these results to modify any

elements.

• Overhaul of pre-service and in-service training of teachers to

ensure there is particular language knowledge being built

and appropriate pedagogy. This includes a major reform of

SINU literacy education program.

3. policy intent and implementation

a. Buy in and ownership (process)

b. Usefulness of reports

c. Some results …

Preparation workshop

PaBER held a 2-3 day preparation workshop (Step 1) with key staff

from the relevant policy area on each domain. Consultants were

engaged to carry out the review using the SABER methodology.

The instrument was presented by the consultants and PaBER

Assessment Officers for discussion and clarification. In addition,

additional items were included in the instrument relevant to the

countries’ context.


1

Data collection / report writing / approval

The consultants with the PaBER Assessment Officers carried out

the reviews in each country (Steps 2-4). The first part of the

exercise was to collect data in country. The draft reports were

written by the consultants or by the SABER team(s) in Washington

depending on the domain. The Curriculum and Materials

instruments were developed by the PaBER team with assistance

from Pearson but using the SABER methodology. The draft reports

were presented to the Ministries for validation and approval.


Data Collection

Report writing

Validation & approval

1 2 3 4

Cross Country Analysis workshop

Following the validation and country approval of the reports, a 2-3

day workshop (Step 5) was held with all three countries. The

participants were senior staff (3-4) from the relevant policy

sections. The reports were reviewed and agreements were made

for each country on the issues to adopt. It should be noted that

countries brought other issues to the table and shared their

practices and solutions with each other.

Cross-country

workshop5


Data Collection

Report writing


1 2 3 4

PaBER approvals

The results from workshops were consolidated into regional

reports. The reports were discussed in a Technical Working Group

for endorsement submitted to the PaBER Steering Committee for

final approval (Step 6).

Cross-country

workshop5


Data Collection

Report writing


1 2 3

PaBER TWG / SC

approval4 6

Implementation at country level

The reports were disseminated in the

ministries for the most part. Education staff

had a general knowledge of the policy analysis

but did not always attribute it to SABER or

PaBER. This phase added the element of

‘policy implementation’ to the dialogue.

Cross-country

workshop

Implementation

Internalisation & development of

policies and plans in country

5


Data Collection

Report writing


1 2 3

PaBER TWG / SC

approval4 6

Development Partners

The DPs in country did not initially use the

reports, findings and recommendations in

their policy dialogue or provide additional

funding.

Cross-country

workshop

Implementation

Internalisation & development of

policies and plans in country

5


Data Collection

Report writing


1 2 3

PaBER TWG / SC

approval4 6

Development Partner

participation

Financial and technical support

The policy assessments carried out have been utilised throughout all of the countries and the ministries and departments.

What has been more difficult is to attribute the usefulness to SABER specifically or to PaBER more general or to the ongoing policy reform agendas going on in the countries.

13

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SABER MESC SABER NDoE SABER MEHRD

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Need to improve the role of the community (school

management) especially in monitoring teaching performance

Monitoring teaching and learning at the school level (teacher policies) should be a focus and better use of teacher time, but this was in only two of countries

Development of strong classroom assessment policies and practices (student assessment) combined with continuous professional development

SABER was largely successful for the following reasons:

There was buy in from the governments from the beginning – the program ‘survived’ changes in Ministers and Senior Management in all countries

It was one part of a larger comprehensive program – PaBERthat was genuinely designed by the countries

PaBER supported ongoing institutional and policy reforms in each country

The domains selected were complementary and formed a broader systems approach

policy

policy implementation

policy implementation practice

practice

implementationpractice

policy implementation practice

4. research / evidence base

a. Policies -> Implementation -> Practices

b. Assessment Practices

c. Curriculum & Materials

d. Teacher Quality

e. School Governance & Management

1st Strategic Plan 1995-2005 – as part of Public Service

Commission Reforms

Institutional Strengthening Project (ISP) in the middle

nineties

2nd Strategic Plan 2006-2016

Education Sector Project-2 (ESP-2) 2013 ->

Establishment of the Education Sector Plan (3rd year now)

• Practices – some principals & teachers report full knowledge of

centrally developed policies – majority have little knowledge or

any awareness they exist

• Full implementation of policy - Little evidence available in

classrooms and school offices to demonstrate full implementation

of most of the policies

• Monitoring of implementation of policies at school level – if not

regular then policy implementation fails at school level – ministry,

district, school etc

• Existing Practices lacking connections to existing policies and

vice-versa - at the teacher/principal level – because that is how it is

often done

The distinction between different types of assessment are well documented

in Curriculum Documents and National Assessment Policy Framework

(intent). Findings show that:

Summative assessment – ie assessment for – eg topic tests, end of

term and end of year exams are common – results are mainly used for

ranking students and as part of term and annual reports.

Formative assessment – ie assessment for, assessment as, eg

student portfolios, running records -- to track progress of students

against the standards -- little to no evidence found in the majority of

classrooms

School Board/Parents/Community Engagement in Assessment

Matters/Issues – not a common practice in government schools but

quite common with non-government schools

National Curriculum Framework & Teacher Manuals in all subjects

Up to date Versions of Curriculum Documents (Framework and Year

Teacher Manuals) – many classroom teachers do not have the full set for

their planning and usage – shared copies in a school

Materials and Supporting Resources – limited supplies, newly bought

resources under the Samoa School Fee Grant remain unopened and/or

underutilized

Curriculum Standards vs Student Achievement – little to no curriculum

support provided to teachers after the one and only national workshop to

familiarize teachers with the new curriculum document, to support

teachers as they grapple and begin to use new curriculum – as a result,

most teachers resort to teaching old curriculum

National Teacher Development Framework – professional teacher standards -

National Professional Development Framework Plan– once/twice a year –

Induction Program for newly hired teachers – 1-3 years since appointed

District Level PD – clustering teachers from local district – twice/3-times a

year

School-Based PD – supposed to be principal / infant supervisor driven –

more regular but little to no evidence that these are planned in advance or

structured to specifically address school achievement results on national

literacy and numeracy testing

Shift from teacher-centred to student-centred – mainly former is practiced

– gap between curriculum intent and teaching practices

What is the impact of all the PDs on student learning?

Current on-going national teacher upgrades – multiple approaches to

address teacher qualifications & shortages in primary and secondary schools

School Organisational Manual, Minimum Standards, School

Improvement Plan

New Roles or Confused expectations for principals – high turnover of

principals (retiring or exiting profession)

Curriculum or professional leadership – confused roles and

responsibilities at school level as to who should be doing what to make a

difference in student learning and to plan/deliver school-based PD

School Board roles and responsibilities – government schools mainly

focused on money and physical facilities but not teaching and learning

issues/matters

Parents and Community Engagement – entrenched perceptions of

roles and parents in relation to assessment, teaching & learning matters

– absence of community engagement except in support of some reading

programs

5. key results

The policy and institutional assessments carried out impacted directly on the development of the 5-year National Education Action Plan in the Solomon Islands. This included an implementation plan for new and revised education policies.

The Government of Samoa This has contributed to country wide Public Service Reform that has been carrying out for in the last 20 years. PaBER has already provided preliminary evidence for the education sector in Samoa.

The Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture is now implementing a broad policy reform which includes a review of all policies and an implementation plan to ensure that policies are becoming practice at the school level.

The role of assessment in the acquisition of literacy and numeracy is established. Formative assessments are distinguished from summative assessments and are often used to inform class engagement in the learning of literacy and numeracy.

Thank you!

Constance Nasi Under-Secretary National Education Services ...

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