the SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT report
Students will provide an in-depth analysis and critique of any ONE comprehensive, large scale reform project or component implemented within the Caribbean using theory and principles gleaned from both site based and large scale reform to analyse functionality and efficacy, in order to predict or explain outcomes.
Trinidad and Tobago Examples
SEMP or SEMP Project (Sector)
School based management and decentralization-implementation & evaluation
NCSE curriculum and assessment-development & implementation
Technology education
Leadership Training (UWI/TELP/UWI IOB)
Reading Strategy/Programmes and Reading Coaches-implementation
SEMP Secondary Schools-Policy, Change Strategy, Implementation
Technology/ICT Integration/Implementation/Policy
Enhanced School Library Services/Training
Teacher Education-Policy & Implementation
For teacher education, see also Andrews, I., Keller, C., & Wideen, M., (1998). Secondary education modernization project: Professional development quality sub-component. Aranguez:SEMPCU. Additional reports may be available in the SoE Library
Seamless or Seamless Project (System) including curriculum, assessment or governance changes.
School Improvement Planning
PCR New Primary School Curricula
Single Sex Conversion
De-Shifting Schools
ECCE Expansion
Teacher Education-See Seamless Inception Report Here
Monitoring & Assessment
Post Seamless or ongoing Government Initiatives (There might be much less support for these mostly atheoretical programmes)
Form 1 Remediation
Clinical Supervision
CAC
Fourth Basic Education Reform or Project (Sector)
School Improvement Projects
Leadership Training (B.Ed)-Leadership development as policy
Learning Resource Centre-Use and Impact
CAP 2000
New Primary Schools
ECCE Curricula-Implementation & Impact
Caribbean Examples
Rose Project
Research and Technology Training in Rose
OECS Education Reform
OECS Reform Initiatives
OR
the SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT project
Document through video (30-45 mins edited vieo) and accompanying text (1,500 to 2,000 words) the journey towards educational improvement of your school. You must have documented state evidence that your school has improved in terms of achievement scores and this evidence must be provided for at least a five year period. Theory and principles of school improvement (educational improvement) must be used in the analysis.
The assessment is an extended performance assessment and embedded within the course, running from weeks 11 to 13. Students will begin preparing the assignment in class from week 3, working collaboratively.
Week 3-Topic Selected
Week 5-Draft Outline
Week 7-Extended Outline
Week 9-Literature Review
Word Limit: 5000 words.
The assignment will be scored using a rubric that is shared with students at the start of the course. Students will have an opportunity to engage in self peer assessment, but these evaluations will not form part of the final grade.
Scaffolding
SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT
What is the project about?
What is the theory of action?
What was the social and educational context for the reform?
Why were the outcomes achieved or not to achieved and what was the impact?
How can the principles of system improvement or benchmarking improve future system change in this area?
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
What was quality of the school prior to the reform?
What was the quality after the reform?
What was the vision and strategy behind the change agenda?
What projects were attempted and what was the quality of implementation?
What are the views of stakeholders about the school improvement journey?
Criteria
Use of theory (school effectiveness/school and system improvement/benchmarking/ educational theory) (50%)
Comprehensive and insightful analysis (20%)
Logical and coherent presentation (10%)
Innovative/creative presentation (10%)
EXCEEDS STANDARDS (100-75)
Insightful and consistent use of school and system improvement theory to explain all aspects of the direction and outcomes from the project. Use of education theory to explain multiple features of planning and implementation. Deep and insightful analysis that extends meaning and conclusions derived from the project. Presentation is unique and innovative with all ideas logically developed.
MEETS STANDARDS (74-50)
Consistent use of school and system improvement theory to explain several aspects of the direction and outcomes from the project. Some use of education theory to explain key features of planning and implementation. The analysis is useful and somewhat insightful, but meanings and conclusions from the project are still to be fully explores. Presentation is logically developed and somewhat innovative.
JUST MEETS STANDARDS (< 50)
Some use of school and ystem improvement theory, but incosistently applied and used to explain the direction and outcomes from the project. Limited use of education theory to explain features of planning and implementation. Limited analysis of issues and meaning and conclusions derived from the project are not clear. Presentation lacks logical coherent development and is not innovatively presented.
Resources
These were the questions I used to evaluate the SEMP Reform
To what extent was each programme component objectives achieved?
What value was added by particular programme components?
How did the programme components produce the identified outcomes and what actually have they produced?
What are each programme components shortfalls & negative side effects?
What are the programme components positive side effects?
What were the most important reasons for each program’s success or failure?
What are the programme components most important unresolved issues?
What merits & demerits distinguish the reform from similar reforms in the past?
Were each component programme grounded in some validated theory and are the programme operations consistent with the espoused guiding theory?
What changes in each program design or implementation might have produced better outcomes?
What program or implementation features are essential for successful replication?
What interesting stories have emerged?
See article related to evaluation
De Lisle, J. (2012). Explaining Whole System Reform in Small States: The Case of Trinidad and Tobago Secondary Education Modernization Program. Current Issues in Comparative Education, 15(1), 64-82.
2020 Alternative-The Benchmarking Project
Conduct a policy analysis on a specifc area of education policy such as classroom assessment or inclusive schools. Identify practices and policies in named high performing countries. Write a paper with
1) the local policy analysis-In the local policy analysis identify partricular policies from identified time periods.
2) practices and policies in the benchmarked countries (4 to 6)-explain why comparison is approriate and why target country is considered as best practice
3) an explicit theory of action and/or a theory of change for the proposed system reform in Trinidad and Tobago
4) elaborate on implementation approaches and lessons learned.
More scaffolding
What are the policies over time and what is current practice?
What are the target countries and why is the comparison appropriate?
How are the countries best practice in the policy area?
Explain how the benchmarked policy will work in this context
Explain how you will implement the policy
Discuss the lessons learned from the benchmarking exercise
Your paper is to be titled, Lessons learnt for policy on_________ in Trinidad and Tobago from _________, _________, __________ . . .
References
De Lisle et al. (2017) Benchmarking the Trinidad and Tobago Education System Using International Performance and Contextual Data. AERA Repositry.
See the benchmarking page from this site at Link
