1. Local level initiatives – policy recommendations OECD, Paris, October 13-14, 2008 Jana Huttova

2. Local Level Initiatives  with decentralised systems the role of local governments crucial  increased importance of public-private partnerships  great varieties of policies but missing dissemination and lateral learning  lack of evaluation

3. Selected Characteristics of ‘Good Practice’  School culture for critical reflection  Inclusion and diversity are reflected in school curriculum and school organization  Strong school leadership with a vision and commitment to addressing inequality  Admission and induction strategies for ‘ newly arrived ’ migrant pupils  High quality teacher training  Meaningful involvement of parents and community  High expectations from teachers ’ and all school staff of their students, and the inclusion of mentoring programs  Utilizing ‘ restorative ’ and ‘ preventative ’ approaches to behaviour management

4. Policy Recommendations Arriving from ‘Good Practice’  Provision of comprehensive services tend to be most effective  National policy framework with explicit commitment to equity and respect for diversity  Legislative framework prohibiting any form of discrimination and racism, obliging schools to develop culture that values equality and diversity and establishing system of monitoring and sanctions  Provide centralised guidelines on strategies for improving attainment, including examples of successful schools and clearly defined set of criteria of what constitutes good practice  Teacher education should prepare for diversity, multicultural education, anti-bias education, bilingual education approaches