‘‘Establishing educational standards and Establishing educational standards and monitoring student performance – relating monitoring student performance – relating national and international perspectives and national and international perspectives and instruments. A perspective from England.’instruments. A perspective from England.’

1010thth OECD - Japan International Seminar OECD - Japan International SeminarTokyo, 24Tokyo, 24thth June 2005 June 2005

Professor David HopkinsProfessor David HopkinsHSBC iNET Chair of International LeadershipHSBC iNET Chair of International Leadership

1950 1960

11 plus dominated"Formal"

Professional control"Informal"

Standards and accountability

NLNS

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

2004

Brief History of Standards in Primary SchoolsBrief History of Standards in Primary Schools

PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL JUDGEMENTJUDGEMENT

NATIONAL NATIONAL PRESCRIPTIONPRESCRIPTION

KNOWLEDGE KNOWLEDGE POORPOOR

KNOWLEDGE KNOWLEDGE RICHRICH

2000s Informed

professional judgement judgement

1970s Uninformed

professional judgement

1990s Informed prescription

1980s Uninformed prescription

Towards Informed Prescription: National Towards Informed Prescription: National Curriculum and TestsCurriculum and Tests

• a National Curriculum for all pupils of: mathematics, English and science; and history, geography, technology, music, art, physical education and a modern foreign language.

• clear attainment targets: detailing the knowledge, skills and understanding pupils should gain

• clear assessment procedures: comprised of national curriculum tests at 7, 11, 14 and 16

• publication of results: at schools level, made available to the public

The Education Reform Act 1988 took control of curriculum and assessment out of the hands of local authorities and examining boards by prescribing:

Ambitious Standards

Devolved

responsibility

Good data and clear targets

Access to best practice and quality

professional development

Accountability

Intervention in inverse proportion to success

High High ChallengeChallenge

High High SupportSupport

Developing Informed Prescription: Policy frameworkDeveloping Informed Prescription: Policy framework

National Literacy and Numeracy StrategyNational Literacy and Numeracy Strategy

• Problems identified in Primary schools:

• inconsistency in standards;

• fragmented provision in schools;

• concerns over subject knowledge;

• poor links across the curriculum.

• Response:

• promote good classroom provision & effective management

• use targets to raise expectations and aspirations;

• identify, support and disseminate good practice

• provide high quality training and materials to teachers over a sustained period

• develop and fund effective intervention programmes

4

Distribution of Reading Achievement in Distribution of Reading Achievement in 9-10 year olds in 2001 9-10 year olds in 2001

300

325

350

375

400

425

450

475

500

525

550

575

Sw

eden

Net

her

lan

ds

En

gla

nd

Bu

lgar

ia

Lat

via

Can

ada

(On

tari

o,Q

ueb

ec)

Lit

hu

ania

Hu

ng

ary

Un

ited

Sta

tes

Ital

y

Ger

man

y

Cze

ch R

epu

blic

New

Zea

lan

d

Sco

tlan

d

Sin

gap

ore

Ru

ssia

n F

eder

atio

n

Ho

ng

Ko

ng

SA

R

Fra

nce

Gre

ece

Slo

vak

Rep

ub

lic

Icel

and

Ro

man

ia

Isra

el

Slo

ven

ia

Inte

rnat

ion

al A

vg.

No

rway

Cyp

rus

Mo

ldo

va, R

ep o

f

Tu

rkey

Mac

edo

nia

, Rep

of

Co

lom

bia

Arg

enti

na

Iran

, Isl

amic

Rep

of

Ku

wai

t

Mo

rocc

o

Bel

ize

Source: PIRLS 2001 International Report: IEA’s Study of Reading Literacy Achievement in Primary Schools

Towards a High Excellence, High Equity Towards a High Excellence, High Equity Education SystemEducation System

Source: OECD (2001) Knowledge and Skills for Life

Low excellenceLow excellence

Low equityLow equity

High excellenceHigh excellence

Low equityLow equity

Low excellenceLow excellence

High equityHigh equity

High excellenceHigh excellence

High equityHigh equityU.K.

BelgiumU.S.

GermanySwitzerland

Poland

Spain

Korea

Finland

JapanCanada

Mea

n p

erfo

rman

ce in

rea

din

g li

tera

cy

• 200 – Variance (variance OECD as a whole = 100)

420

440

460

480

500

520

540

560

60 80 100 120 140

But in its third term the Government faces But in its third term the Government faces a range of educational challenges:a range of educational challenges:

• Maintaining progress in primary with the right balance between standards, curriculum breadth, learning to learn and welfare;

• Accelerating performance in lower secondary education;

• Achieving a settlement at 14 – 19;

• Recognising that teaching quality is crucial to achievement;

• Tackling underperformance at all levels;

• Addressing deprivation as the root cause of low attainment.

Towards Informed ProfessionalismTowards Informed Professionalism

a b ca b c

National PrescriptionNational Prescription

Schools Leading ReformSchools Leading Reform

High High Excellence, Excellence,

High High EquityEquity

Personalised Learning

The 5 Year StrategyThe 5 Year Strategy The 5 Year StrategyThe 5 Year Strategy • At 0 – 2 years old, a wide range of accessible, affordable high quality early

learning and childcare

• At 3 – 4 years old, flexible ‘educare’ – integrated education and childcare – to meet families’ needs

• From age 5, wrap-around childcare before and after school & in school holidays

• Between 5 and 14 an unrelenting focus on high standards, the acquisition of skills and the induction into a broad and rich curriculum

• 14-19 a wider choice of high quality programmes, and more places in popular schools

• At 0 – 2 years old, a wide range of accessible, affordable high quality early learning and childcare

• At 3 – 4 years old, flexible ‘educare’ – integrated education and childcare – to meet families’ needs

• From age 5, wrap-around childcare before and after school & in school holidays

• Between 5 and 14 an unrelenting focus on high standards, the acquisition of skills and the induction into a broad and rich curriculum

• 14-19 a wider choice of high quality programmes, and more places in popular schools

The published response is the 5 year strategyThe published response is the 5 year strategy

I interpret this to mean a renewed emphasis I interpret this to mean a renewed emphasis on the central pillars of existing reform:on the central pillars of existing reform:

i. Personalisation of curriculum, teaching and learning

ii. Workforce Reform and reducing within school variation

iii. A New Relationship with Schools

iv. More Intelligent Accountability System

v. Networks to spread innovation & school in challenging circumstances

vi. A focus on System Leadership

(i) Personalised Learning: Adding Value to (i) Personalised Learning: Adding Value to the Learning Journey the Learning Journey

All these …. whatever my background, whatever my abilities, wherever I start from

All these …. whatever my background, whatever my abilities, wherever I start from

I know how I am being assessed and what I need to do to improve my work

I know what my learning objectives

are and feel in control of my learning

My parents are involved with the school and I feel I

belong here

I enjoy using ICT and know how it can

help my learning

I can get the job that I want

I know if I need extra help or to be challenged to do better I will get the

right support

I know what good work looks like and can help myself to

learn

I can work well with and learn from many others as well as my teacher

I can get a level 4 in English and Maths

before I go to secondary school

I get to learn lots of interesting and

different subjects

5 key components of Personalised Learning5 key components of Personalised Learning

“We need to engage parents and pupils in a partnership with professional teachers and support staff to deliver tailor made services – to embrace individual choice within as well as between schools and to make it meaningful through public sector reform that gives citizens voice and professional flexibility” (David Miliband, 18 May 2004)

Assessment for Learning

Effective Teaching and Learning

Curriculum Enrichment and Choice

Organising the School for Personalised Learning

Beyond the Classroom

Inner CoreInner Core

Personalising Personalising the School the School ExperienceExperience

(ii) Enhancing Professional Development (ii) Enhancing Professional Development through Workforce Reformthrough Workforce Reform

Workforce Reform is essentially about creating the conditions to deliver personalised learning:

• Teachers freed to focus on teaching and learning

• More professional support staff both in and outside the classroom

• Teacher promotion based on classroom practice

• Cutting edge ICT to revolutionise curriculum delivery and streamline “back office” systems

• Getting the culture right, willingness to re-examine existing models

The School as a The School as a Professional Learning Professional Learning Community, reducing within school variationCommunity, reducing within school variation

• Build in time for collective inquiry

• Collective inquiry creates the structural conditions for school improvement

• Studying classroom practice increases the focus on student learning

• Use the research on teaching and learning to improve school improvement efforts

• By working in small groups the whole school staff can become a nurturing unit

• Staff Development as inquiry provides synergy and enhanced student effects

(iii) A New Relationship with Schools(iii) A New Relationship with Schools

“If we want to make personalised learning the defining feature of our education system then we need to develop a new, focussed and purposeful relationship between the DfES, LEAs and schools.”David Miliband, Minister for Schools, North of England Speech, 9th January 2004

Planning for improvement• 3 year funding• Bottom up targets• Single conversation on school’s future• School Improvement Partners

Accountability• Starts from school self-evaluation• Sharper, lighter inspection• Annual profile

New Relationship with SchoolsNew Relationship with SchoolsSingle Conversation

• new School Standards Grant, combining most grants, from April 2006

• bottom-up targets

• multi-year, academic year budgets from April 2006

• enables improvement planning and budgetary planning for the medium term

•school’s SEF

• school’s development plan

•Exceptions report on student attainment and equity gaps

•value for money comparisons

•Data on pupil attendance•Other data

InputsOutputs

how well is the school performing?

what are the key factors?

what are the key priorities?

how is school going to get there?

head’s performance management

•report to heads, GB,LEA

• self assessment• priority and targets•action and support

•agreed package of support inc engagement with other schools

• recommendation on specialist schools resignation

•advice to GB on HT appraisal

Focus

(iv) Towards an Intelligent Accountability (iv) Towards an Intelligent Accountability framework:framework:

Internal External

Tests Assessment for learning using a range of tools at all ages

Teacher assessment at KS1

External tests at KS1, KS2 and KS3. Test results published at KS2-3.

Targets Targets for every child – part of the learning culture

Self evaluation identifies priority areas for targets & action

Use pupil performance data to inform target levels

Schools must set targets at KS2-4.

High quality data means LEA can check targets are stretching

Floor targets bite on low performers

Tables VA & CVA help establish strengths / weaknesses relative to peers

Raw at KS2, KS3, GCSE & A-Level. VA at KS2-GCSE, & KS3-GCSE

Inspection (2005/06)

Rigorous self-evaluation throughout school required to demonstrate sound management to OfSTED.

Every 3 years at no notice. More frequent in weak schools. HMI oversee all inspections.

Balancing Internal and External AssessmentBalancing Internal and External Assessment

Summative

Formative

ExternalInternal

Assessmentfor

Learning

Pupil Achievement Tracker / FFT

ModeratedTeacher

Assessment

National Curriculum

Tests

(v) Networks and Innovation(v) Networks and Innovation

Networks supporting educational innovation by:

• Providing a focal point for the dissemination of good practice and the agents of knowledge creation, transfer and utilisation.

• Keeping the focus on the core purposes of schooling in particular creating and sustaining a discourse on teaching and learning.

• Enhancing the skill of teachers.

• Building capacity for continuous improvement at the local level.

• Ensuring that systems of pressure and support are integrated, not segmented.

• Acting as a link between the centralised and decentralised policy initiatives.

Intervention Strategies:Intervention Strategies:

Type of School Key elements of the offer

Leading Schools - Funding to become leading practitioners

- Formal federation with lower-performing schools

Succeeding, self-improving schools

- Regular local networking for school leaders

- Entitlement time from consultants

Succeeding schools with internal variations

- Consistency interventions: such as AfL.- Subject specialist support to particular depts.

Underperforming schools - Tailored consultancy for underperforming depts.

- Underperforming pupil interventions, eg: catch-up.

Low attaining schools - Formal support in Federation structure- Consultancy in core subjects and best practice, eg: curriculum content for low-attaining students.

Failing schools -Intensive Support Programme-New provider: eg: Academy.

(vi) System Leadership(vi) System Leadership

If our goal is both ‘high equity and excellence’ then policy and practice has to focus on system improvement. This means that a school head or principal has to be almost as concerned about the success of other schools as he or she is

about his or her own school. Sustained improvement of schools is not possible unless

the whole system is moving forward.

Research based conclusions about Research based conclusions about successful school leadership:successful school leadership:

• Leadership has significant effects on student learning, second only to the quality of the curriculum and teachers instruction

• Heads and teacher leaders provide most of the leadership in schools, but other potential sources of leadership exist

• A core set of leadership practices form the “basics” of successful leadership and are valuable in almost all educational contexts

• Successful school leaders respond productively to challenges and opportunities created by the accountability-oriented policy context in which they work

• Successful school leaders respond productively to opportunities and challenges of educating diverse groups of students.

These six reforms will take the UK some of These six reforms will take the UK some of the way, but there will also be pressure to the way, but there will also be pressure to up the ante:up the ante:

• Segmentation, with networks and intervention better targeted at institutional need and context, including through self-evaluation.

• Control and management of Demand and Supply, with:

• Choice: using parental demand as a driver for improvement; and

• Contestibility: expanding supply with new places in good schools, new schools and new providers.

• Structural change linked to national professional practice, to ensure increasing teaching quality impacts on standards.

The Inside - Out StoryThe Inside - Out Story

• Schools exist in increasingly complex and turbulent environments, but the best schools ‘turn towards the danger’

• Schools adapt external change for internal purpose.

• Schools should use external standards to clarify, integrate and raise their own expectations.

• School benefit from highly specified, but not prescribed, models of best practice.

• Schools, by themselves and in networks, engage in policy implementation through a process of selecting and integrating innovations through their focus on teaching and learning.

Reform is neither only system led nor only schools led, but necessarily both supporting each other:

POWERFUL LEARNING

EXPERIENCES

PISA, International Benchmarking and a PISA, International Benchmarking and a Dialogue on Large Scale reformDialogue on Large Scale reform

PISA data not only offers the opportunity for international benchmarking, but can also help develop insights into what kinds of good classroom practice, school organisation and policy levers make a difference. For example groups of relatively similar countries could:

• Undertake detailed self analysis on the nature of educational provision in each country at school and classroom level;

• Develop hypotheses about the impact of and identification of key drivers for system-wide educational reforms;

• Conduct country level research to test hypotheses and develop policy advice;

• Compare the policy advice for groups of countries at different levels of performance as measured by PISA.