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Information for Accountability

EDUCATION MANAGEMENT BY RESULTS:

SCHOOL REPORT CARDS

• Alcyone Vasconcelos [Saliba]

alcyone.vasconcelos@terra.com.br• Washington, DC - November 2OO3

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my objective today is ...

...to present the Parana school report card:

• a simple and effective tool for accountability, transparency and constituency building

• applied to basic education

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Boletim da Escola

Objectives:

• ...to generate & register information

• ...to disseminate information

• ...to allow information to be used to improve schools

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

student achievement

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

student flow

school characteristics

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

parent survey

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

student opinions

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

school principal opinions

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

student achievement

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

student flow

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

school characteristics

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

parent opinion

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

parent opinion (continued)

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

student opinion

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

school principal opinion

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

achievement levels

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boletim da escolaboletim da escola

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1.3 million copies for 2 thousand schools (about 1 per student)

Parana Boletim da EscolaParana Boletim da Escola

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copies sent directly to residential address of teachers & headmasters

copies distributed to parents invited to workshops

copies given to teachers in all teacher training activities

Parana Boletim da Escola

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School Report Card

• information is relative – compares school average with municipal & state averages; allows comparisons across time

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School Report Card

• information is directed to schools – parents and professionais (in particular, headmasters)

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School Report Card

• information is public – development followed by large distribution & dissemination program

> www.pr.gov.br/cie/boletim/boletim.html

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School Report Card

• information is available to management (all levels) – relative situation of school becomes parameter for allocation of additional, discretionary resources (time, attention, $)

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What does one need?

• data (to generate information)

• terms of reference

• staff

• management choice: focus on results

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Management Choice

Focus on results -- definition

• All children in school (come & stay), learning, being promoted, completing 11 grades in 11 years

• primary “check point”: schools

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data sources

• school census (every yr)

• student assessment (every other yr)

• household surveys (every yr)

• school surveys (ad hoc)

• parents survey (every yr)

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School Report Card

“Missing link”:

• “forest” = national student learning assessments (grades 4, 8, & 11)

• “fruits” = student progress card

“trees” = School Report Card

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School Report Card

• management tool (not a teaching tool)

• replaced (non existent) inspection

• fostered (non existent) supervision and techincal assistance by pedagogical staff (non-teaching, non-management staff)

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Policy Choice

School improvement projects financed w/:

• existing resources

• additional, earmarked resources, available, on competitive bases, to finance projects defined as priority by central management (or not)

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Policy Choice

grants for school improvement

• teams of teachers, to finance teaching and learning improvement projects

• parents associations, to finance upgrading of facilities

• headmasters to finance maintenance & improvements

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School Report Card

usage is still very limited – novelty, technicalities, culture, politics, etc.

use has limitations – validity, reliability, “snap shot” approach, does not capture processes, etc.

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School Report Card

NOT A PANACEA!

• a tool that allows the practice of management by results, with community participation

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Parana (BR) School Report Card

To learn more, contact:

Alcyone Vasconcelos [Saliba]alcyone.vasconcelos@terra.com.br