NATIONAL EDUCATION EVALUATION AND DEVELOPMENT UNIT

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIESROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Presentation to

Parliamentary Portfolio Committee22 May 2012

Functions of NEEDUIdentify factors that:

inhibit school improvementadvance school improvement

Evaluate:how DBE and PDEs monitor schools;how DBE and PDEs support schoolsquality of leadership, teaching and learning in schools

Make proposals: for improving school quality

Publish reports: on the state of the education system

MISSION

NEEDU’s mission is to facilitate school improvement through

systemic evaluation

NEEDU’s approach

Align and synergise

National

Strategic discussion with:DGCurriculum: CAPSAssessment: ANALTSM: Workbooks

Individual discussions with each of the above

Evaluations

Assess how province monitors & supports schools

Assess how 1 district does the same

Assess 8 schools in district

Recommendations: S → D → P → N

Follow up (+ 1 year) S → D → P → N

2012 Programme

This year: Evaluation 1 district and 8 schools in

each province

Three year cycle:

Method1. Interviews • Two fieldworkers x 2 days in each school x 6 hrs/day

= 24 person hrs: • Interview principal and all members of SMT: 7h• Interview SGB Chair or senior member: 1h• Analyse school level records: 1h • Interview as many teachers as possible, max of 12– include analysis of teacher records and learner

books: 12h • Total: 21 person hrs

2. Documentary evidence• Learner books: topics covered, on how many days was

writing done, quality of writing (eg words, sentences or paragraphs in language; single step or multi-step in maths)

• Year plan: how many weeks (38-40)? does it follow the curriculum?

• Assessment records (Teacher, school)• Book inventory• Teacher attendance register• Minutes of meetings: SMT, SGB• School logbook (especially for visits by district officials)

3. Data analysis

• Triangulation

– The same questions are asked of all the teachers and of all SMT members:

– when interviewee accounts differ, arrive at the truth by reading across the interviews;

– examples of events add credibility;– documentary evidence is paramount

4. Description

• Descriptive, don’t judge• Objective, don’t pontificate

5. Recommendations

Few in number and directed specifically to: • DBE, especially ANA, CAPS, workbooks• Province: systems for monitoring and supporting

work of districts• District: systems for monitoring and supporting

teaching and learning in schools• Within the school: – Principal– SMT– Teachers