Inspectorates of education make their voices heard

Schools are subject to many different types of evaluation – internal or external, through class observation or document analysis – but the end goal is always informed decision making on all sides to help plan for improvement. This article presents one international and three national initiatives that constitute successful examples of quality assurance.

Better Inspection for Better Social Inclusion

Inspectorates, quality assurance and evaluation departments, and other stakeholders from seven countries have come together for the project Better Inspection for Better Social Inclusion (BIBESOIN). The partners represent a variety of backgrounds – with more or less centralised systems, from different geographical zones, cultural and historical contexts in Europe. This diversity is quite deliberate, as it allows for a critical examination and exchange of methods.

Through a range of transnational meetings and training activities, the project looks at ways of promoting and stimulating social inclusion in mainstream schools. This includes:

• reducing the impact of disadvantages on educational outcomes;
• fostering social, civic and intercultural competences;
• tackling discrimination and violence;
• supporting access to and engagement with digital technologies.

All conclusions and results will be gathered in the Toolbox for Evaluating and Stimulating Social Inclusion in Education (TESSIE).

The project is still ongoing, with participants from Belgium (Flanders), Cyprus, Estonia, France, Malta, Spain and Wales.

Portugal: Mutual Benefits of External School Evaluation

In Portugal, the assessment of schools is carried out via an internal or self-evaluation by the school itself and an external evaluation by the Inspectorate-General of Education (IGEC), based on the self-evaluation. These aim to promote professional ethics, participation in school life, and public understanding.

The external evaluation team includes two inspectors and an expert (a professor or researcher). Following a review of school data, the team visits the school for a period of three to five days to interview stakeholders (such as pupils, parents, local authorities and community organisations) and take stock of the teaching practices, equipment and environment. IGEC classifies the school’s performance in different domains on a five-level scale, then shares this evaluation report with the school, as well as publishing it on its website. Within the next two months, the school submits an improvement plan, which is also made publicly available, for example on the school website. Schools are asked to complete a questionnaire about their experience with IGEC.

This procedure has been in place since 2002 and applies to both public and private schools.

Italy: Training School Heads for Self-Evaluation

In Italy, Regional Education Offices organise training activities for new school heads during their induction period. That way, school heads learn early on in their role how to develop and revise strategic documents, including the triennial school development plan, the school self-evaluation report and the improvement plan. The training lasts a minimum of 50 hours and is tailored to the profile of the school head.

During their career, school heads’ performance is regularly assessed, especially to check how they facilitate evaluation and how they contribute to improving organisational processes, classroom teaching and student attainment.

This procedure was launched in 2017 and is still in effect nationally.

Netherlands: Round Tables for Policy Development

The various stakeholder groups in the Dutch education system are actively involved in informing national policy through reports and discussions.

For example, the Dutch Inspectorate of Education organises quarterly “round tables” with all stakeholder groups (e.g. unions, councils for primary and secondary education, teacher representatives, parents and students) to discuss ongoing issues and changes to the inspection framework and to hear their views.

The engagement of these stakeholder groups is also promoted through the annual inspection report, which reviews the quality of each sector (primary, secondary and further education) and of specific thematic areas, e.g. teacher competences. Some of the stakeholder groups also publish their own annual report on the inspection website, giving a voice to the groups they represent (for example, Ouders & Onderwijs, representing parents). The annual inspection report is published and discussed in an annual public conference co-organised with these stakeholder groups.

This cooperative practice has been implemented in the country since 2016.

You can find the publication here in 23 languages: 

https://www.schooleducationgateway.eu/en/pub/latest/practices/inspectorates-of-education.htm