Introducing EPS2.0

© 2009 CORE Education Ltd and Dr Julia Atkin

Introducing the…


A case for change…

• “schools frozen in time…”• “a yawning chasm …separates the

world inside the schoolhouse from the world outside.”

• "achievement gap" between social classes

So how do we resolve this…?


School Review & Development

• Schools are ‘organic’, constantly evolving organizations.

• Need to take account of:– curriculum changes– change in staffing, students– social and policy changes– community expectations– etc.

• Need for a process of regular review and development.


Key questions to resolve

• What are the characteristics of a high performing school?

• How do we recognise these factors?– Test results - empirical– Self review - ecological

• On what evidence? • What measures do you use? Are

measures necessary? Would a rubric be better?


What drives your process?

• External agendas?• Whole school scan – where are

you at?• Pedagogical practice?• Student achievement data?• ICT?• Assessment?• Community opinion?• School vision and values?


Some assumptions

• Based on process of school review in Australia/NZ• School governance/management highly devolved• Flexible curriculum, schools able to develop own

curriculum• ERO providing external review, moving to devolving to

process of self-review (away from compliance)• Widespread use of quantitative indicators of school

performance (as distinct from national testing etc.)


Philosophical Frameworks

• Draws from traditions of practitioner research and reflecting in action (Agyris and Schon)

• Takes an ecological view of organisational change and development (Hargreaves, Fullan et al)

• Importance of leadership (Vivianne Robinson)

• Understanding personal change (Holt)


Moral Purpose

“Moral purpose is our social responsibility to others and the environment…

School leaders with moral purpose seek to make a difference in the lives of students. They are concerned about closing the gap…

They act with intention of making a positive difference in their own schools as well as improving the environment in other local schools…

Sustained improvement of schools is not possible unless the whole system is moving forward.”

Michael Fullan


Values, Beliefs, Principles and Practices.

How we operate in our schools and classrooms is a reflection of our core values and beliefs.


Our Beliefs

• Our beliefs are the truth• The truth is obvious • Our beliefs are based on real data• The data we select are the real data

Challenges:• Understanding the “current realities”• Understanding the thinking of others and myself


Mental Models

Mental models are the assumptions & stories which we carry in our minds of ourselves, other people, institutions, & every aspect of the world.

Differences between mental models explain why two people can observe the same event and describe it differently; they are paying attention to different details.


Changing schools…

“Schools may be the starkest example in modern society of an entire institution modelled after the assembly line. This has dramatically increased educational capability in our time, but it has also created many of the most intractable problems with which students, teachers and parents struggle to this day.

If we want to change schools, it is unlikely to happen until we understand more deeply the core assumptions on which the industrial-age school is based”

Peter Senge


The Ladder of Inference

I adopt beliefs about the world

I draw conclusions

I make assumptions based on the meanings I’ve added

I add meanings (cultural and personal)

I select data from what I observe

Observable ‘data’ and experiences

The reflexive leap (our beliefs affect what data we select next time)

I take action based on my beliefs

Argyris & Schon, 2000


What is EPS2.0?

An online tool designed to enable educators to:

• understand the “big picture” within which their school is located

• identify areas of strength and weakness in their school

• plan strategically for future development.


Why is EPS2.0 useful?

• Principals and teachers are often immersed in the immediate concerns of their school/class.

• EPS2.0 provides an objective way of looking at the “bigger picture”.

• Provides a multi-dimensional picture specific to each school.


How does EPS2.0 work?

• Uses teachers’ own experiences as the basis of reflection and feedback

• Individuals respond to statements in an online survey

• Responses are combined to provide an objective overview

• Feedback can be interrogated interactively online, or printed out as a final report


Three dimensions

Philosophical Frameworks:deep exploration of the fundamental nature of educative purpose, learning, knowing and knowledge

Philosophical Frameworks:deep exploration of the fundamental nature of educative purpose, learning, knowing and knowledge

Techniques, Strategies, Structures: the tools to implement the philosophical frameworks including the design of the use and allocation of people, time, space and place

Techniques, Strategies, Structures: the tools to implement the philosophical frameworks including the design of the use and allocation of people, time, space and place

Community & Culture: the development of a learning culture and learning community

Community & Culture: the development of a learning culture and learning community


18 Elements

Provides a “birds eye view” of the feedback across all 18 elements.

The colours in each element represent the strengths and weaknesses in each dimensions, depending on how far from the centre the colour bar reaches.


Four Tests

The responses within each dimension can be interrogated according to the following four tests:

Robustness – processes up to the taskAre the processes robust enough?

Collectivity – participation and contributionWho is participating and to what extent?

Consistency – relationships of the parts to wholeIs the application consistent, across everything?

Congruence – the desired effectWhat is the relationship between theory and practice?


Starting the Survey

• School administrator registers school and distributes an access key to all staff

• Access key must be kept confidential to ensure validity of school data

• Individual staff may enter a PIN to enable them to return to the site to complete the survey or to review their results


Selecting a role

• EPS2.0 requires users to designate their role

• This enables greater levels of interpretation of the data when the final results are published

• Schools should determine who will identify themselves as school leadership for the purposes of this survey


Responding to statements

Click on ‘submit’ when all statements on the page have been responded to.

Click on ‘submit’ when all statements on the page have been responded to.

Click on the bar to make marker appear. Slide marker to position that best indicates your response.

Click on the bar to make marker appear. Slide marker to position that best indicates your response.

Click on ‘comment’ to make comments box appear.

Click on ‘comment’ to make comments box appear.

Indicator bar shows progress through the pages of the survey.

Indicator bar shows progress through the pages of the survey.

Enter comment if appropriate (140 character max.)

Enter comment if appropriate (140 character max.)


Viewing feedback

• Once completed, an individual teacher may view their personal results and explore the interactive feedback

• Whole school feedback can be viewed once all staff have completed the survey


School results


Element View

Each element can be viewed in terms of how the four tests apply:- Robustness- Collectivity- Consistency- Congruence


Slider view

Each of the elements is linked for further analysis

Each of the elements is linked for further analysis

Interactive sliders enable exploration of the “what-if” possibilities

Interactive sliders enable exploration of the “what-if” possibilities

Different views can be obtained by switching on or off the different groups

Different views can be obtained by switching on or off the different groups

Indicator statements change as the slider pots are moved, showing progressions for growth and development

Indicator statements change as the slider pots are moved, showing progressions for growth and development


PDF report views

Top statement shows overall response across all four tests.

Top statement shows overall response across all four tests.

Indicator statements reflect the position shown by the median marker.

Indicator statements reflect the position shown by the median marker.

Individual responses shown for each of the four tests.Coloured bars reflect different roles.Black marker shows the median position.

Individual responses shown for each of the four tests.Coloured bars reflect different roles.Black marker shows the median position.


Where to next?

Where to next prompts included for each element in the PDF report.

Where to next prompts included for each element in the PDF report.


Action Planning..

• What needs to be done?• Keep it SMART• Who will take responsibility and by when?• How will you know it has been achieved?


Make the most of EPS2.0


More information

For more information see:

http://eps2.core-ed.net

Or contact CORE Education Ltd:

[email protected]