NATIONAL EDUCATION EVALUATION AND DEVELOPMENT UNIT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Presentation to Parliamentary Portfolio Committee 22 May 2012

Functions of NEEDU Identify factors that: inhibit school improvement advance school improvement Evaluate: how DBE and PDEs monitor schools; how DBE and PDEs support schools quality 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 NEEDU Synergise NationalSchoolDistrictProvincial

Align and synergise DBE Workbooks aligned with CAPS? Use verification ANA to measure improvement? CAPS training aligned to workbook use? PDEs Train IDSOs and CAs on WBs, CAPS, ANA IDSOs and CAs monitor and support SMTs Schools SMT: Instructional leadership using CAPS, ANA, WBs Teachers: follow WBs, use ANA diagnostically

National Strategic discussion with: DG Curriculum: CAPS Assessment: ANA LTSM: 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:

Method 1. 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