The Principals Management Development Programme (PMDP) Does it really work?

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt The Matric Results and School Principals Matric results and the debate about quality and standards? High school Principals and accountability for their schools’ results Primary school Principals and ANA Principals are being placed on the carpet!

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt Principals, Accountability and Training Principals are held accountable worldwide, but… They must be personally capable, qualified, experienced If we point fingers… We must also question their preparation for the job… At present training is largely left to Universities (with a focus on qualification and certification – rather than skills development and application)

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt Leadership and management skills Leadership/management skills are required for effective schools Very little has been done to prepare SAs principals The Provincial DoE/NGO efforts are minimal The most visible and large scale training for principals is the ACE – School Leadership But, the Jury is still out on whether it ‘works’

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt The ACE – School Leadership Aimed at future principals ( a long-term strategy ) The Evaluation of the ACE ( Bush et al, 2009 ) –Two ambitious and different aims Mentoring Networking –A surprisingly positive response from participants? Inconsistencies across Provinces ‘Mentoring’ not understood ‘Networking’ confused with collaborative study –Effect on learner results largely negative

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt The ACE (SL) – Some personal observations The ACE is conceptually different in design –It correctly identifies mentoring and on-site support and networking But…Universities are not geared for delivery Competent, trained Mentors are in short supply –Has a paradigm shift happened? Who is providing the funding? –…when they don’t pay? ACE is a long-term strategy – we don’t know yet if it works

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt Another Intervention? PMDP The Principals Management Development Programme (PMDP) –An innovation in Education ( modelled on corporate sector development training ) –Currently underway in KZN –On-going tracking is very positive –Great potential to make meaningful and sustained change in management –Improving results quickly

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt Some comments on the PMDP ‘… the work of the PMDP is exceptional in its scope and impact on school performance in South Africa.’ Mary Metcalf (DBSA) ‘…fixing the education challenge starts with the most important person in the school – the principal – and this initiative is aimed at equipping schools with the skills that enable the whole school to benefit…the initiative proves that partnerships between private and public sector can make a tangible difference in society where it is most needed’. Jay Naidoo (J&J Development Projects Trust

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt So, what are the PMDP objectives? Rapidly upgrading the management skills of principals in selected schools through a highly applied methodology Strengthening the work relationship between the four critical layers in the functioning of a school (Ward manager/ Principal/ SMT and SGB) Improving the coaching and support skills of Ward Managers and other DoE officials Developing sustainable professional learning communities and building a public/private funding and delivery model (PMDP Research Report, 2011)

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt PMDP and Partnerships A strong multiple partner initiative –Professional Solutions Africa (PSA) –PriceWaterhouseCooper (PWC) –University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) –KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (KZNDoE) PMDP is aimed at both Primary and Secondary schools as well as the Ward/Circuit managers, to assure sustainability

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt How PMDP is delivered Monthly weekend residential workshops, followed by: Mentoring/ Coaching in the Principal’s school to support the application and assimilation of learning into practice The submission of 24 outputs directly related to the work a principal should be doing

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt Does it work – and how do we know? The empirical facts: The pilot group (50 schools) – in grade 12, An average improvement on previous year – 12% (against a national decline) The same schools achieved a further 9% the next year Of the first full cohort 573 schools in 2010, 197 offering matric averaged 15.8% improvement on matric results

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt How is it happening? This looks good on paper, but why, and how is it happening? Can it be sustained? Further Research: –A large scale survey of 2009 and 2010 schools –Included principals and SMT members –Responses from 550 schools

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt The Survey Data 70% - PMDP is not a duplication 91% - learner attendance and punctuality has improved since PMDP 95% - teachers more conscious of and managing punctuality and attendance (including their own) 76% - Weekend workshops were different from other workshops they attend (NB Methodology) 87% - Positive changes to management were strongly influenced by the PMDP

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt More Survey Data 95% - felt facilitators had sufficient skill and knowledge to meet principals’ needs 88% - felt Ward Managers were supportive of PMDP practices 78% - reported Ward Managers now working in similar ways to PMDP facilitators 95% - PMDP has provided skills to run good schools 95% - the requirement to complete outputs (with support from mentors) helped make actual changes in practice

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt Perhaps the most important? 96% - confirmation that the Curriculum Management Tracker has made significant changes to the way curriculum is implemented.

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt In Summary… The PMDP seems to have brought about: More learners and teachers in class and on time Innovative, personalised learning of skills by the Principals Support of the Ward Managers Better management of Curriculum implementation and control Hence, better results??

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt PMDP and current thinking in SA? SAFM’s ‘Forum at Eight’ (14 May 2012) –Prof Mary Metcalf (DBSA) –Prof Ihron Rensburg (NPC Commissioner) –Yoliswa Dwane (Head of Policy, Equal Education) Pannelists reflected on Trevor Manuel’s paradigm shift that is called for in the NPC’s Development Plan for Education (which focuses on Principals’ competencies) and noted….

PMDP Rollout Progress Report December 2010.ppt PMDP Research November 2011.ppt NPC’s Development Plan for Education noted specifically the poor performance of schools with regard to: Curriculum coverage ( as little as one third in many schools ) –PMDP Curriculum Management Tracker Time on Task ( as low as 3.5 hours in some schools as opposed to required 6 hours ) –Teacher and learner absenteeism reduced by PMDP The perceived lack of support for teachers and schools from District Offices. –Direct involvement of Ward managers in PMDP