Title: Policy Definition in the Department and the Role of the Inspectorate
1Policy Definition in the Department and the Role
of the Inspectorate
- Gearóid Ó Conluain, Deputy Chief Inspector
- Emer Egan, Assistant Chief Inspector
- INSPECTORATE DIVISION
- Presentation to SDPI Summer School
- 22 June 2006
2Key drivers of the Policy formation process
- Modernisation programme for the Irish Civil
Service (Strategic Management Initiative SMI)
launched in 1994 - Delivering Better Government 1996
- Report by the Implementation Group of Secretaries
General - Greater openness and accountability
- Efficient and fair operation of simplified
regulation - Clarity on business objectives of Departments
3Key drivers of the process
- Public Service Management Act 1997
- Enhance management, efficiency and transparency
of Departments - Mechanisms for increased accountability of civil
servants - Obligations on Departments to produce Strategy
Statement setting out key objectives, outputs and
how these are to be achieved - Social Partnership Agreements
- National wage agreements, but more than that
- Sustaining Progress 2003-6 provides for the
continuation of the modernisation programme
across the Civil Service targets for
modernisation - Specific references in SP to School Development
Planning teacher unions made commitments that
SDP would continue to be implemented and embedded
in the school system
4Strategy statement
- Strategy statement
- Must be prepared by each department every three
years or within six months of appointment of
Minister - Led by Change Management Unit in DES
- Outlines key objectives, strategies and
outputs/impacts - Sets out the medium to long-term goals and the
best approach to their development - Formal responsibility for SS lies with the
Secretary General - Annual progress report on implementation in the
Annual Report of the Department - In addition, a six-monthly progress report as
part of Sustaining Progress - Much more focussed report on achievement of
targets
5Drivers of content
- Programme for Government
- Policy commitments given by government on taking
up office - Sustaining Progress
- Specific section on better government and public
services - Themes such as stable industrial relations,
flexibility and change, performance and
accountability, recruitment - Issues included customer service, better
regulation, e-government, performance
verification - Legislation
- e.g. legal duties of the Department or
Inspectorate
6Drivers of content
- Efficient use of resources
- Accountability
- Freedom of Information climate
- Open to greater critical scrutiny
- Reform of the Department of Education and Science
- Heavily centralised system
- Independently managed schools
- Over concern with provision of resources and
services too little time for strategic planning
7Process
- Secretary General MAC
- DES priorities and high level goals
- Series of objectives identified for each High
Level Goal - Unit Heads/principal officers
- Strategies/programmes/actions and outputs
identified - Business Plans for Section/Unit
- Line managers
- Business plans for individuals
- Performance management system
- Staff members
8For staff
- Relate the individual business plan to the
Performance management and Development System
(PMDS) - PMDS bi-annual review and planning process
- December/January planning and review
- July mid-term review
- Covers work plan/training needs/skills
development - Weekly/monthly return of work tracking of
evaluation plans and reports - In 2007, PMDS will be linked to promotions,
increments etc
9Benefits
- Effective business planning is at the heart of
delivering strategic objectives of the DES - Clarity on what needs to be done, by whom, when
and how this is to be resourced - Provides benchmarks to measure progress
- Communicates priorities and progress internally
10Critical elements
- Focus on key objectives, outcomes and customer
service - Staff have clear understanding of their role and
role of the division/unit - Monitoring and tracking
- Self-monitoring
- Monitoring by managers
- Aligning targets to specific dates
- Communication within organisation shared
commitment/new staff/decentralisation - Responding to emerging issues
- Co-ordination and alignment between business plans
11The Irish education system
- Education budget 7.2 billion
- Schools state aided not state run
- Local Boards of Management
- Centralised administration
- Varied demographics concentrated urban / rural
12System change and development
- Social partnership model for social and economic
development - Education legislation
- Education Act 1998
- Education Welfare Act (2000)
- Teaching Council Act (2001)
- Education for Persons with Special Educational
Needs Act (2004) - Clarification of functions and responsibilities
of stakeholders - Establishment of agencies for effective delivery
of services - Public Sector Management Reforms Strategic
Management Initiative (SMI)
13System improvement initiatives
14Questions Discussion
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15The Inspectorate
- A centralised Inspectorate primary and second
level - A division of the Department of Education and
Science - Statutory remit under the Education Act 1998
- Programme of inspection in schools
- Promoting compliance with regulation and
legislation - Advisory role for schools and for the Department
- Contribution to policy development
16Emphasis on compliance or building commitment
- A policing model of external inspection
- Locates control and development outside the
school - Requires significant personnel resources
- Dealing with unsatisfactory teaching seen as an
external QA function
or
- Promoting internal control and development
- Recognises that change must be fostered within
organisations - Based on a vision of school as a professional
organisation - Sees inspectors and school personnel as
co-professionals
17Our dominant philosophy is formative
- Purposes of Inspection
- Assure quality in education system
- Provide an external perspective on the work of
the school - Affirm good practice
- Constructively Identify areas for improvement
- Facilitate school self-evaluation
- Recommendations provide a platform for
development
18Transparent processes
- Publishing of criteria and explaining procedures
- Consultation with partners
- Publication of Looking at Our School
- evaluation criteria
- Evaluation procedures fully explained in
Guidelines for Subject Inspection and
Whole-School Evaluation - Code of Practice
- Appeal Procedure
19Publication of reports Ministers decision
- In summary, the Minister decided that
- Wider availability of Inspectorate reports will
benefit the system - Reports should be available in an easily
accessible format - Reports should be published in their entirety
- Inspectorate consulted with the education
partners - Inspectorate to publish school evaluation reports
20Evaluation findings a wider audience for reports
- Reports for schools following WSE, Subject
Inspection, Thematic and Programme Evaluations - National trends from major Thematic Evaluation
Reports - Composite reports of Subject Inspections and WSE
Supporting schools and the system to respond
where areas for development are identified
Findings have implications for schools and
for services and agencies supporting schools
21Policy Support Subdivision
- Five policy support business units supporting
policy - Evaluation Support Research Unit (BU6)
- Teacher Education (BU7)
- Qualifications, Curriculum Assessment (BU8)
- Special Education/Travellers/International
students (BU9) - Corporate Services / International linkages
(BU10) - An Ghaeilge (undertaken by BU4)
- Responsible for
- contributing to the development of Departmental
policy across a range of areas - for supporting inspection/evaluative activity
generally - for operational services for the Inspectorate
22Objective 4(a)Teacher Education
- Contribute to policy development
implementation - Advise TES on teacher education.
- Initial teacher education
- National Pilot Project on Teacher Induction
- Continuing professional development
- Teaching Council
- Qualifications/registration
- Sections 24, 28 and 29
- Under-performing teachers
- Induction and probation looking to the future
23Objective 4(b) Policy Support for QCA
- Advise sections in DES
- Ongoing advice
- When needs arise
- NCCA approx 44 committees
- PISA national committee and point of contact
for ERC - Equivalences of international school leaving
qualifications - Languages initiatives at primary and
post-primary levels
24Objective 4(b)Guidance
- Advise sections in the DES
- Liaise with outside bodies e.g. NCGE, IGC
- Composite report on inspections of guidance
- Guidance Forum
- Guidance in Youthreach and for adults
25Objective 4(c)Special Ed, Travellers
International students
- SPECIAL EDUCATION
- Inspections
- Publications
- CPD for teachers
- TES, SESS, Colleges, Inspectors
- Policy support
- Special Education other sections
- NCCA Committee work
- Legal cases
- North-South international work
- Liaison with NCSE and NEPS
26Objective 4(c)Special Ed, Travellers
International students
- TRAVELLER EDUCATION
- Advise on policy
- Assist Administration with Implementation Plan
for Traveller Education Strategy - INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS (non-nationals)
- Process applications for teachers
- Revision of guidelines
27Objective 4(e)An Ghaeilge
- Official Languages Act 2003
- Exemptions from Irish
- Irish in Primary Schools National Trends in
Achievement 1985-2002 (Harris) - The SCG (Qualifying Examination in Irish)
- Ardteastas i dTeagasc na Gaeilge
- Inspection of Irish Colleges
- Provision of resource materials
28Objective 5North/South International
- European Schools
- Inspections
- Administration
- Curriculum and In-service provision
- Extension of European Schooling
- Centre for European Schooling at Dunshaughlin
- European and international bodies
- Supporting International Section. examples
include. - OECD at CERI and other networks
- EU Future objectives e.g. peer learning on
teacher education - EU Network of Policy Makers EFLUSL CSEP
Projects - Inspectorate co-operation N. Ireland, Scotland,
SICI
29Questions Discussion
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30Teacher professional development
- Teacher Education Section
- Established May 2003
- Function
- To provide a range of Teacher Education and
Development Programmes spanning the continuum
from initial teacher education to induction to
continuing professional development - covers
curricular change and specific areas relating to
teaching and learning at primary and post-primary
levels. - Links with Inspectorate which has a remit to
provide policy advice
31Scope of activities
- Initial Teacher Education
- Colleges of Education funding
- Education Departments in Universities
- Induction
- National Pilot Project on Teacher Induction
2002 - In-career development programmes move towards
CPD - Linkage with system priorities and initiatives
- Management of Education Centre network
- Teaching Council
32Current system some strengths
- Incremental growth in models of provision a
range of models - Direct involvement of teachers in design,
delivery management of most activities - Considerable professional development
opportunities for teachers involved - High level of support from participants for
support service activities - Cadre of high quality trainers with generic
skills in the system - Active partnership between stakeholders
- Significant voluntary effort at Education Centre
level - Infrastructure of Education Centres
- Growth in TNPs and clustering arrangements
- Inspectorate evaluation of impact at school level
33Current system some challenges
- Timing of in-career development activities
disruption caused by teacher absence (mainly
second level) - Teacher replacement experienced teachers joining
SSs - Time for collaborative school planning and team
development - System essentially centrally driven
- Turnover of teachers in subjects such as
CSPE/SPHE - Accreditation of courses
- Access
34Current system some challenges
- Fragmentation independently functioning support
services - Meeting system needs while also meeting the
professional development needs of schools and
teachers - CPD a right and a personal responsibility?
- The development of practice to cover the three Is
- Capacity of system to embrace a new model
colleges, schools, Education Centres - Use of e-learning models/ICTs
- Challenge associated with development of Teaching
Council
35Questions Discussion
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36Special Education Recent History
- Establishment of special schools/classes
- SERC report 1993
- Salamanca statement and framework for Action on
Special Needs 1994 - Circulars 07/02 and 8/02 and allocation of
resources - EPSEN ACT 2004
- Establishment of NCSE 2005
- NCSE guidelines on IEPs
- All roads leading to greater integration of
students
37Special Education Issues and Challenges
- Special Education Services
- Visiting teacher services
- Grant-aid for assistive technology
- Special transport
- Reasonable accommodation in state examinations
- Exemption from the study of Irish
38Legislation Governing Special Education
- Education Act 1998
- Equal status Act 2000
- Education Welfare Act 2000
- Education for persons with SEN Act 2004
39Features of the EPSEN Act
- Duties of BOM
- Enrolment of SEN children
- Content of educational plans
- Implementation of education plans
- Role of principal in relation to Educational
Plans/assessment - Parental rights
40SEN Post-primary Guidelines
- Will deal with
- Whole school planning and organisation re
inclusion - SEN teamwork in the school
- Whole-school approaches to assessment, selection
and planning - SEN teaching strategies
- Guidelines on IEPs
41Questions Discussion
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