1 NZPF Moot – April 2008 Graham Stoop Chief Review Officer

1NZPF Moot – April 2008

Graham StoopChief Review Officer


I want to do two things today: 1. Talk about the value that evaluation has

to you as school principals. I want to encourage you to think about this value

2. Talk about how ERO is taking the good things

that have occurred over recent years and moving forward with them


The value of evaluation

School self-evaluation is a process of:

Conceiving Collecting Analysing Communicating information


This process has several purposes:

Inform decision-making in a school


“Well, Lemme think. …You’ve stumped me, son.Most folks only wanna know how to go the other

way


Purposes - cont

Demonstrate professional accountability

Ascribe value or worth

Establish public confidence in the school


Self-accountable professionals:

Not only reflect upon their practice to improve internal working of a school generally

Evaluate against criteria and standards Research shortfalls in provision/performance Respond to changes, experiment Evaluate and develop new programmes Engage in negotiation; make findings accessible


Evaluation has wider benefits too:

Accountability Development Knowledge Creativity Moral purpose in a

democratic society


Assurance/audit is something different – a technology

Evaluation isn’t just a technology for assuring the effective and efficient management of society

Evaluation isn’t just a technical undertaking – application of tools, systems, procedures for determining goal attainment, outcomes, effects, and polices

Evaluation is an independent kind of questioning and informed critical analysis

I believe in the role and purpose of evaluation. It is a crucial practice in an open, democratic society


Evaluation serves professional and ethical purposes: Supporting and strengthening collective

professional development of teachers and schools can improve the quality of education

Evaluation is an important process in a collaborative culture where all groups can safely, critically, and publicly evaluate their work and conditions

Schools that implement processes of on-going self-evaluation and open this to public scrutiny demonstrate professional accountability and moral purpose


ERO looking forward How can we link what I have just been

talking about to ERO’s role as an external evaluation agency?


ERO’s Education Reviews Two purposes: Evaluation for accountability Evaluation for improvement


As long as governments finance schools, forms of monitoring will always have to be devised and schools will need to be accountable


At present primary responsibility for educational quality lies with the school: School improvement plans Internal evaluation of quality Planning and reporting initiatives

How do we match the need for governments to be assured about public investment on the one hand, and schools’ autonomy on the other?


Key issue

The responsibilitites for quality assurance are spread across various partners


Outcomes are more likely to be good when external and internal evaluation complement each other

i.e. when a school’s self-review information is used to inform ERO’s judgements


You have all had a review in the past few years. You know that ERO’s current methodology is flexible and responsive – not at all one-size-fits-all

There is scope in an ERO review both for schools with excellent internal review processes – and for those that need the specific direction that an ERO review can give


Some schools are leaping ahead in their capacity for internal review

ERO already has the ability, in its review cycle, to customise its reviews of these schools – the overall goal being better outcomes for students


ERO will develop its review methodology to increase schools’ evaluation capacity

This is a specific project over the next 12 to 18 months


ERO may run a pilot programme. This would be grounded in the theory of evaluation practice and take into account:

Accountability and school development dimensions of evaluation

Legally anchored expectations

School and community internal expectations


As a further capacity-building initiative, ERO will also review how it uses principals and other senior staff members in the ERO external review process

Greater understanding of the ERO methodology and its application will help school leaders and trustees to apply the methodology in their own context


Options that could be reviewed: The role of a friend of the school Placement of senior school staff in ERO

for professional development Designation of relieving review officers Secondment to ERO as temporary

review officers


Key issue

The responsibilities for quality assurance are spread across various partners


In ERO

In the schooling sector

In the wider community

Internal

External

Schools

Kura and KōhangaEarly childhood

services

Building Capacity in Evaluation

Documents

1 NZPF Moot – April 2008 Graham Stoop Chief Review Officer