Guyana

Ministry of Education

Education
Management
Certificate

Monitoring School Effectiveness

Module Six

Drive
Developing

Teamwork

Influencing LEADERSHIP Vision

Confidence
Accountability

Commonwealth Secretariat
Modified from
Better Schools
Resource Materials for School Headteachers
 These materials were prepared co-operatively under the Training and Support
Programme for School Headteachers in Africa in the 1990s. They were adapted and updated
considerably in Guyana in 2000, 2008 and 2019 to meet the needs of the Guyanese
educational context.

Governments in developing Commonwealth countries wishing to reproduce or adapt the

materials in whole or in part in any language should inform the Commonwealth
Secretariat which may be able to offer some assistance in doing so.

For further information, write to the Director of the Education Programme, Commonwealth
Secretariat, London.

COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT

Education Programme
Human Resource Development Group
Marlborough House
Pall Mall
London,
United Kingdom
SW1Y 5HX
or
THE DIRECTOR

National Centre for Educational Resource Development, MOE

3, Battery Road
Kingston
Georgetown
Guyana

Prepared for publication by the Materials Production Unit (MPU), National Centre for
Educational Resource Development (NCERD).
Originally designed and formatted by Geoffrey Wadsley.
Updated design and format by NCERD staff in partnership with

© Copyright Commonwealth Secretariat & Ministry of Education, NCERD Guyana 2019

Notes on Assessment
Please note that each unit contains two kinds of activities as follows: e.g.

1. Reflection – You will see these from time to time throughout the booklet in bold
text. You are not required to submit your thoughts on these issues to your
Master Trainer. You may make notes if you wish but they are your own
personal reflections on the issues raised.

2. Activities – These are formal assessments which you will have to submit to
your Master Trainer as part of your portfolio. You should number them in the
same way as the units and carry out the activity as stated.

2
 Monitoring School
Effectiveness Module 6

Introduction
The principle purpose of a school is to provide learning. The Headteacher of a school must
ensure that this function is carried out effectively. We might assume, therefore that this is
his / her most important role.

A question which might seem both easy and perplexing to answer is: What makes an
effective school? It is essential that all schools are effective as every child within them is
entitled to the same quality of education as every other child, whatever his / her
background, ability, social class, race or ethnic group. We need, therefore, to know what
we mean by this term, how we can determine the extent to which each school is effective,
identify the areas requiring attention and employ strategies to bring them up to an
acceptable standard.. A school may be effective in some areas of its operation and life, but
less successful in others. How can we determine these and how may we then plan and
provide for an improved performance?

In Guyana, the METS Unit is a key agency for determining school quality at Ministry level.
The Departments of Education have an overview of the standards of the schools within
their region. However, each school must be able to evaluate its own performance and
initiate plans for improvement without waiting for external agencies to provide advice and
support. The aim of this module is to explain and demonstrate how this might be done.

Individual study time: 16 hours

Objectives
After working through this module you should be able to:

• explain the concept and main characteristics of an effective school;

• describe the reasons for monitoring and evaluation and its place in good
management practice;

3
 • apply systematically a range of monitoring and evaluation techniques;
• plan a programme of monitoring and evaluation aimed at improving practices and
performance;
• demonstrate how to analyse and use evaluation findings to inform school decision-
making processes;
• identify a balanced set of performance indicators and explain both their use and their
limitations.

Units
This module consists of five units.

Unit 1: Indicators and Characteristics of School Effectiveness 3 hours

In this unit you will learn about a range of concepts relating to school effectiveness and
some of the characteristics by which you and your staff may recognise the degree of
effectiveness of your school.

Unit 2: The Rationale for Monitoring and Evaluation 3 hours

Here you will derive a rationale for evaluating school effectiveness as part of a process of
accountability to the learners, the parents and the community.

Unit 3: Monitoring and Evaluation Techniques 4 hours

Here you will learn some of the evaluation techniques which you need to use with your staff
to monitor and analyse the performance of different aspects of school life, and which may
also be used by external agents, such as the REDOs / DEOs or the METS Unit.

Unit 4: Planning a Programme of Monitoring and Evaluation 4 hours

In this unit, you will learn how self-evaluation may be developed as a normal part of the
planning and management processes, organised by you and your staff.

Unit 5: Using Monitoring and Evaluation Findings 2 hours

The results of an evaluation have to be used to develop aspects of school work. In this final
unit you will determine the conditions and requirements under which the results of the
evaluation exercise, undertaken by you and your staff, may be used for the further
development of your school.

4
 Indicators and characteristics of
school effectiveness Unit 1
Introduction
Schools and Departments of Education have become
increasingly aware of the need to be effective. This is
partly due to the pressures for accountability brought
about by the government, through the Ministry of
Education. The parents in a school are also becoming
increasingly aware of the need for their children to have
a sound education and the qualifications that go with it,
to prepare them for the rigours of their adult lives. At
the same time, a realisation of the importance of the
issue has grown as heads and staff have sought to
increase effectiveness in the school setting as part of
the development of professionalism. In this unit, you will focus on the concepts and
characteristics of learning and teaching effectiveness, and consider your role in the process
of monitoring school effectiveness.

Individual study time: 3 hours

Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit you should be able to:

• explain the concepts of effectiveness, monitoring, evaluation, accountability,

professionalism, assessment and performance in the school setting;
• identify the characteristics of an effective school;
• describe when and how learning and teaching are effective in the school setting;
• state the characteristics of effective guidance and counselling for learners;
• outline the qualities of a good headteacher as a leader;
• explain how school ethos and policies contribute to school effectiveness.

Terminology
In order to avoid ambiguity in the interpretation of the contents of this module, the following
definitions are suggested:

Monitoring: This can be defined as collecting information at regular intervals about

ongoing projects or programmes within the school system, concerning the nature and level
of their performance. Regular monitoring provides baselines against which to judge the
impact of inputs and identifies areas for improvement.

Effectiveness: This is the extent to which the set goals or objectives of a school
programme are accomplished. Such effectiveness can be seen in relation to the quality,
quantity, equity or equality of learning and teaching in a school.

5
 Efficiency: This is the extent to which the inputs produce the expected outcomes in a
school setting. Increased efficiency means achieving the same or better outcomes with
fewer or the same inputs.

Accountability: This is the process of justifying to others our job performance in relation
to agreed goals and targets. In other words, it is accepting the responsibility for providing
the conditions and learning experiences which will promote the development of the learners
to effectively participate in the development of the society in Guyana.

Professionalism: This is the practice of setting, maintaining and working to improve

educational standards in Guyana

Evaluation: This is a formal process normally linked to monitoring. When carried out
within a school setting, it involves forming conclusions about the quality of education
provided and the overall effectiveness of the school. It uses data provided from the
monitoring process. This data may be qualitative or quantitative in nature. In other words, it
may be based on observation and judgements about what has been seen or has happened;
or about hard numerical data, usually about learner performance over a given period. The
evaluation could be formative or summative in nature. Formative evaluation will be used by
the school to identify strengths and weaknesses and develop an action plan to build on the
strengths and improve the weaknesses. Summative evaluation is normally used by external
agencies such as the Department of Education and the METS Unit. Although, remember
that the “D” in METS stands for “Development” which would mean that their judgements
should be formative in nature and schools would be helped to improve.

Assessment: This involves the measurement of performance against a set of criteria.

In the above list of terms a simple definition of effectiveness was given; but what exactly
does this mean?

What is effectiveness?
When people discuss what they mean by ‘effectiveness’, we find that a number of terms
and concepts will constantly crop up, including efficient, improvement, quality, development,
evaluation, monitoring, reviewing, professional, appropriateness, accountability,
performance, etc. This shows us that the concept of effectiveness is very broad. It deals
with purpose, effort and accomplishment. Measurement may be used but it also involves
judgement. The determinants are manifold and complex. Thus, the headteacher may perceive the
school’s effectiveness as the learners’ performance in the external examinations. The parents
may perceive the school’s effectiveness in the way their children behave at home and
perform at national examinations. Society may perceive the school’s effectiveness in terms
of the good moral behaviour of the learners. The Ministry of Education may use a
combination of indicators. The following indicators may be used in the school setting:

• Internal performance indicators over a given period of time

• Qualitative indicators where judgements are made about what has been observed
against certain criteria, usually the objectives and mission of the school and national
expectations

6
 • External performance indicators such as CSEC, CAPE, A level etc.
• Staff productivity indicators such as punctuality, attendance, examination results,
participation.

Reflect for a while on whether you consider your school to be effective. Consider external
examination / test results, qualitative indicators and whether you consider the school meets
its stated objectives and mission.

Comments
You will not only consider whether the examination / test results are at the level they
should be, but also whether there is continuous improvement over time as a result of the
strategies you have employed to improve them. You will have looked at every aspect of
your school from the use of appropriate teaching methodologies to learner behaviour and
personal and social education to effective financial management.

It will be useful now for you to compare your thoughts on this matter with the ones below
and then attempt to make some assessment of your school’s effectiveness on these
indicators as well.

Indicators for measuring school effectiveness

When looking at the effectiveness of a school, it is
important to look at the whole institution as every
part of it can have an impact on the quality of
learning that takes place – the main purpose of
the school. When one part does not function well, it
affects the whole. For example, the best methods of
learning and teaching will be severely hindered by a
teacher’s inability to control unruly learners and,
conversely, poor teaching methodology will affect the
behaviour of learners.

In looking at the whole school, therefore, we will consider the following:

1. The leadership of the school

• The amount to which the headteacher and Senior Leadership Team, (SLT) creates the
vision for the school, articulates it to all and ensures that it is carried out
• The way in which the Senior Leadership Team will create the ethos in the school
which is conducive to effective learning and the learners’ social, moral and cultural
development
• The degree to which the SLT prioritises learner achievement and school effectiveness
• The amount of effective and guided delegation given to middle leaders in the school
(HODs, SMs, Level Heads, etc.)
• The scope created for team work and the effective involvement of all staff
• How the school uses its resources - human, property, financial and
educational materials

7
2. The standards achieved in the school
• The school’s results and learners’ achievements
• The progress learners make over a given period of time

3. Learners’ attitudes and the values they hold

• What learners think about the school
• Learners’ behaviour in and out of the classroom
• The way the learners develop in school and their personal relationships with each
other and with the teachers and staff
• Learner attendance
• The climate of the school

4. The quality of teaching and learning

• The methodologies used by teachers and their effectiveness
• The extent to which the lessons are intellectually challenging
• The quality of teaching and learning
• The way learners learn
• The structure of lessons and lesson planning

5. The curriculum
• The quality of the curriculum offered and the extent to which it is followed by the
teachers
• The extent to which all learners are catered for regardless of their race, ethnic group,
gender or ability
• The extent to which provision is made for learners with Special Educational Needs,
whether physical or learning related, temporary or permanent (See module 4)
• How the school provides for the social, cultural, moral and spiritual development
of learners
• The way in which the school cares for its learners generally, .i.e. a learner-centred
approach.
• The quality of assessment and the way it is used to improve learning
• The scope of the record keeping procedures in the school

6. The school’s relationship with its stakeholders

• The relationships of staff within the school
• The involvement of parents within the school
• The attitudes of parents to the school
• The relationship with the local community
• The relationships between the school, the Department of Education and the Ministry
of Education.

7. The professionalism and accountability of the school’s staff

• The extent to which school staff set, maintain and work to improve educational
standards in Guyana
• The way in which all staff of the school accept their responsibility to others, in and
out of the school, in relation to achieving the school’s agreed goals and targets.
• The degree to which all staff carry out and fulfill their contractual responsibilities.

8. The areas in which the school does well

8
9. The areas in which the school needs to improve

Activity 1.1
1. You have been provided above with 33 overall indicators of an effective school.
Judge your school in general on these indicators, by scoring each one with a points
score of 1 – 10, with one being low performance and ten being high performance in
each area. Do not spend too long thinking about it, but for this exercise, give an
overall first impression. However you do it, be really honest and consider the
evidence you have for your judgements.
2. Add up your scores and convert it to a percentage (your total score divided by 330
multiplied by 100)
e.g. 225 x 100 = 68.2%
330
3. Now indicate three areas for numbers 8 & 9 above – what the school does well and
what needs to be improved.

Comments
It is clear that there are very many ways of judging an effective school and your original
list may have been somewhat different to this one. However, headteachers often overlook
many of these factors, and it would be useful for you to examine some of them more
carefully so that you can reflect on the effectiveness of your school. We will deal with
this in much more detail as we progress through the module.

Effective learning and teaching

The quality of learning and teaching should take precedence over other factors of school
effectiveness. This is because effective learning and teaching determines the perceptions
of everyone who is interested in the quality of your school. Because effective learning and
teaching start from the classroom, let us see how learning occurs effectively in a classroom
situation. Children, pupils, students learn effectively when they:

• are motivated
• understand the purpose and relevance of their work
• are given tasks in a sequence planned to maximise learning
• are able to use available resources and know where and when to ask for help
• show consideration for one another and for the teacher
• rise to the challenge of working and show commitment
• have first-hand experience and are able to observe, estimate, record, measure,
collect, classify and interpret
• formulate and test hypotheses
• acquire key information and are able to recall it in new contexts
• plan, choose and take responsibility for their learning
• acquire study skills and use resources well
• revise and practice to improve performance
• receive feedback on their progress from teachers and from other learners

9
 • present good work for others to see or hear
• undertake tasks in their own time and out of school
• work co-operatively in groups
• read, write, listen and discuss in a variety of contexts
• experience the creative aspects of individual subjects.

Think about some different groups of learners in your school and ask yourself to what extent
they are provided with the above factors which will improve the quality of their learning.

Comments
It is an accepted fact that really effective
learning requires a good teacher. This
implies that there are certain key qualities of
an ‘effective teacher’. Children and adults will
learn whatever their circumstance and
without parents and a teacher. Life’s
experiences will provide them with
opportunities for learning through
experimentation, improvisation and trial and
error.

However, to be a really rounded person, a

child needs to have his / her learning
accelerated and the scope for his / her
experiential learning widened. This is done
through the teacher and the available
learning resources. It is true to say, therefore,
that the quality of these will affect the quality
of learning. It is, therefore, the role of the
teacher to provide for these key factors of
learning and the responsibility of the
headteacher to ensure that they do!

You may find it useful to consider the answers you gave to the above activity in relation to
the following qualities of an effective teacher:

- patience - ability to generate an - encouraging

- firmness atmosphere of purpose - emotionally stable
- enthusiasm - seeing learners as - physically stable
- calm control individuals - willingness to praise
- tolerance - ability to communicate - a genuine interest in
- understanding effectively learners
- fairness. - valuing learner
contributions

10
 Activity 1.2
1) Can you suggest other qualities that an effective teacher should have?
2) Identify the qualities of teachers in your school in relation to their ability to teach
effectively.
3) Which qualities, if any, would you suggest generally exist and are lacking amongst
your teachers?

Comments
Before a teacher can be effective, he or she must plan and organise his/her teaching well.
The following are guidelines for an effective teacher in planning and organising teaching:

• Be clear about the learning objectives both for each lesson and for the whole
programme.
• Plan each lesson well, anticipating where questions, explanations and feedback
will be appropriate.
• Allow learners to reach outcomes in different ways.
• Provide resources in such a way that allows learning to progress with little
interruption.
• Use learning groups of different and appropriate sizes.
• Match methods and tasks to the abilities of learners.
• Use the space available to best advantage including the use of displays.
• Set tasks in varied and imaginative ways.
• Be aware of other approaches to learning used by colleagues.
• Model how learners can improve
• Put the learners’ interest first
• Cater for the individual needs of all learners, regardless of their gender, age, ability,
race or ethnic group
• Ensure you provide for learners with Special Educational Needs.

The collection of information about

teaching styles and the extent to which
they are successful becomes crucial if
teachers in your school are to improve
their learning and teaching processes.
Observation of classroom practice and the
systematic collection and reporting of data
about the quality of teaching are essential.

For effective monitoring, the headteacher should

try to check on a day-by-day and week-by-
week basis what learning has taken place.
Here, the main judgements about
effectiveness will be in terms of the quality, the quantity and the variety of tasks engaged in
by the learners and its relationship with effective learning.

11
Effective guidance and counselling
One aspect of school effectiveness is the extent to which the headteacher introduces and
manages a programme of guidance and counselling of the children. This involves ensuring good
relationships between teachers and learners, meeting the needs of individual learners and
working with all the teachers to create a generally caring atmosphere. For effective
guidance and counselling, the headteacher should note:

• The need for effective organisational structures in the school

• The need for effective communication.

Effective organisation structures

The school’s organisational structure and procedures should ensure the effective care of the
learners. They will vary from one type of school to another, but in general for effective
guidance and counselling the following requirements are essential:

• appropriate information on learners

• appropriate confidentiality at all times
• sound advice and reassurance for learners and parents at important times of transition
• appropriate counselling sessions with the learners on a regular basis
• prompt responses in crises
• continuity of procedures for a learner moving through the school
• effective forms of records and record-keeping
• a policy in which all teachers and especially middle and senior leaders are involved
in information and review of the school policies.

Communication
Effective communication is an essential tool for the headteacher in managing the school and
ensuring that staff are aware of the learners’ needs at the right time. In respect of this, the
following guidelines for ensuring effective guidance and counselling are suggested:

• Make a clear statement of policy which preferably all staff have the opportunity
to formulate and review.
• Apportion and describe jobs and relevant tasks.
• Link guidance and counselling with the academic systems so that an all-round view
of the learners is available.
• Give all staff an appropriate and satisfying role within the school’s activities.
• Ensure a flexible system which allows teachers to maintain an interest in a learner
rather than handing a case totally to a colleague.

In addition, there should be a regular review of the progress of learners with specific problems
and formally conducted interviews and general discussion on important issues affecting the
learners of the school. In some schools, a special office is created for counsellors.

Finally, it is important to consider effective communication with parents. This may be

through the form of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meetings or during visiting or
open days.

12
 Activity 1.3
Plan an Open Day for the parents of your learners during which the parents and teachers
can receive reports on the progress, problems and prospects of their children/learners. You
should list areas of interest to you, including those which fall within the area of guidance
and counselling. Your objectives for the Open Day should be clearly stated in the plan.
You might consider such questions as:

• what should the parents see and why?

• What should the role of the teachers be?
• How can all the learners play some part in the programme?

School leadership
The headteacher is the leader in the school setting and he or she is involved in a number of
activities:

• The strategic direction and development of the school

• The provision of effective learning and teaching i.e. curriculum planning, coaching of
teachers, developing methodology, assessment and monitoring and evaluation.
• Leading and managing staff to achieve the stated aims, objectives and mission of
the school
• Efficient and effective deployment of staff and resources i.e. physical assets,
buildings, personnel, recruitment, budget.
• Accountability to-self, learners, staff, parents and the community,

The effective leader will do this by:

• ensuring the school has a coherent vision for the future and that it is communicated
to all
• providing opportunities to work in partnership with others as part of a team
• identifying the training needs of staff and developing them
• being accountable to all

To achieve this, he / she will:

• be confident
• have drive to lead the school forward
• have the ability to influence others both within and outside of the school
• be able to see the big picture beyond the school
• be an excellent communicator
• be capable of making decisions at all levels
• be a good motivator of people

Consider for a moment your own ability in the above activities and characteristics. If you
like you can rate yourself in the same way as you did in Activity 1.1.

Effective leadership is essential for the achievement of results. The headteacher’s leadership
strengths or weaknesses affect the performance of the entire school. He or she can:

13
 • clarify or confuse objectives, the extent to which the curriculum is oriented to
personnel and criteria for measuring performance
• stimulate or inhibit optimum performance
• encourage or retard the use of his or her staff’s abilities, skills and interests
• provide or withhold incentives for growth and development
• enhance or undermine job satisfaction and morale.

As a headteacher you would want to consider the following:

• to what extent I am democratic or display other styles of leadership (see Unit 2

Module 1)
• the level of group participation or teamwork in which I involve my staff
• the results achieved from this participation
• my ability to use authority without arousing resentment, especially amongst senior
staff
• the level to which I prevent my wishes from being distorted by those who transmit
them
• the different responses that staff will have about my leadership.

Activity 1.4
Evaluate your own performance in the six areas outlined immediately above.

Comments
If you have been totally honest and you can
find positive examples of your practice in the
areas in which you are performing well, you
will either be satisfied with your performance
or have identified areas in which you need to
improve. The whole purpose of self
evaluation is to recognise issues for which
you need further development. You will do
this in a non-threatening way, at your own
pace. Better to realise your own strengths
and weaknesses than to be told them as part
of an inspection report over which you have
no control.

All good leaders will need to develop personal

attributes such as awareness, sensitivity and
an understanding of human relations. In
addition, they will need skills in the
techniques of ascertaining the cause of
personal problems, mastery of the art of
changing behaviour and skills in on-the-job
coaching.

14
You might like to consider also some further leadership characteristics.

The effective headteacher:

• adds value to the resources of the school
• is a prime mover
• energises staff
• promotes the satisfaction of staff needs
• builds a committed and cohesive work group
• sets an example to staff
• is a resource expert
• is a change agent
• is an essential link between staff and learners.

It is possible that you are beginning to feel daunted by the requirements and characteristics
of an effective leader and are wondering how you will evaluate yourself against them.
Evaluation should always be based on evidence. You have no doubt already developed
many of these characteristics. The recognition of those you need to work on will provide you
with targets for you to meet over a period of time. Do not expect to be all things all at once.
Identify your development needs and find ways of achieving them one by one, usually
through experience.

School Ethos
Most schools have traditions for efficiency, effectiveness and quality, which are reflected in
the learners’ behaviour, dress, discipline or the school mission. Parents often choose a
particular school because of their belief in its ethos as reflected in the teachers’ attitude to
learners and general evidence that good relationships prosper.

As a headteacher you may be able to think of some other

aspects. The following are identified as factors associated
with a good school ethos:

• the general well-being of learners

• teacher commitment and morale
• positive attitudes of teachers to learners and to each other
• recognition of the motivating effects of praise
• a sense of identity and pride in the school
• suitably high expectations of academic progress and
behaviour
• the quality of teaching
• the way the senior leadership team supports the staff
• opportunities for learners to participate actively in their
own learning
• the range and quality of extra - curricular activities
• the opportunities for learners to assume responsibility
• an appropriate degree of both cooperation and competition
• a concern to establish good relations with parents and the wider community
• staff consensus on the mission and values of the school
• pleasure in learning

15
 • a sense of belonging
• courtesy
• firm but fair classroom management
• care for the fabric of buildings
• a functional and supportive alumni
• sound school policies relating to such areas as the curriculum, teaching styles,
assessment, guidance and counselling, provision for learners with learning difficulties
and disabilities, discipline, resource management, management structure and
procedures, homework and staff development.

An examination of school policies in each of the above areas will tell us a lot about the
school’s prevailing ethos.

Ask yourself if your school has such written policies that are communicated to the staff
and expected to be followed. If not, why not?

Although there are common basic policies in schools, most vary from school to school; but
differences occur also in the nature of policies themselves. Some policies are documented,
while others are traditions and a part of the school ethos. There are administrative policies
which differ from statutory ones. But having a policy is one thing, ensuring that it is
implemented is quite another and here, the headteacher’s role is crucial.

Given the policies you have identified above, recollect for a moment on how you monitor
to ensure that those policies are maintained by all in the school. If you do not do so,
consider why not.

Comments
The means you adopt to monitor the implementation of school policy will of course vary,
depending on the nature of the policy. The important point is that monitoring and
evaluating are essential for an effective school system and may involve many agents
and elements and especially all the staff at different levels. In conclusion:

1) Each school has policies and practices which require monitoring and evaluation
across all aspects of school life.
2) Individuals should monitor and evaluate their own practices, taking their learners’
views into account whenever appropriate.

Summary
Monitoring, evaluating and reviewing, therefore, are features of what should go on in every
school. Everyone engaged in the process, at whatever level, should seek to improve the
effectiveness of the school for the benefit of all concerned – staff, parents, the community,
and potential employers. The various characteristics and features of effective learning and
teaching and of the effective headteacher have been explored in this unit. Subsequent units will
look in more detail at how evaluation may be undertaken.

16
We started our discussions in this unit by looking at a few concepts, the major one being
that of effectiveness. Some indicators of school effectiveness were identified, but there is
no doubt that school effectiveness is closely tied to the existence of some key
school management characteristics. These include sound teaching and learning, functional
school organisation, good personal relations, effective guidance and counselling, a good
school ethos and effective leadership as well as continuous monitoring and evaluation. The
latter can be considered a defining characteristic of effective leadership and management.

17
 The Rationale for
Monitoring and Evaluation Unit 2
Introduction
This unit explains why monitoring and evaluation are necessary tools in determining school
effectiveness. Many headteachers do not use these tools as much as they should. They
often merely look at examination and test results but ignore, for example, the progress
learners need to make from one given point in time to another, in order to achieve good
results. They may see external examinations and tests as evaluation and consider the
results as the end of the process.

Evaluation involves reviewing the whole school process to find out why certain things have
happened or what should be done to improve performance. Headteachers need to be
aware that they are accountable not just to the Ministry of Education but also to learners and
parents, as well as the community which is served by the school.

Individual study time: 3 hours

Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit you will be able to:

• list reasons for establishing standards of accountability

• identify the main functions of monitoring and evaluation and the difference between
the two
• outline the place of monitoring and evaluation in effective school leadership and
management
• understand the importance of monitoring the curriculum and especially learning and
teaching
• understand the types of evidence used in the monitoring process
• be aware of the potential of target setting for raising achievement.

Accountability
Earlier, we defined accountability as accepting the responsibility for providing the conditions
and learning experiences which will promote the development of the learners to effectively
participate in the development of the society in Guyana.

The broad aim of formal education is to produce people who are able to appreciate the
benefits of education and contribute to the development of the community in different
spheres of life, be it political, moral, social, economic or technological. The government of
Guyana sees education as an important investment and therefore devotes huge sums of
the taxpayers’ money each year to the provision of education at all levels. The government
spends money on infrastructure, such as school buildings, on the payment of teachers and
other personnel and on the provision of materials. There is, therefore, a serious need for

18
the government, through the Ministry of Education, to ensure that the money provided for
education is wisely spent. In other words, that there is value for money.

The Ministry of Education also needs to

know that the aims of education are being
achieved. It needs to know, through
constant evaluation, where there are areas
of strengths and weaknesses which need
to be built upon or corrected so that the
goals of education can be achieved. In
addition, as schools draw their learners from
the community they are accountable to the
community in many ways including, for
example, the kind of curriculum which is
being operated, the quality of examination
results, and the health and safety of the
learners.

We will look further at the various functions in due course but first let us develop our
understanding of monitoring and evaluation as a leadership and management tool, building
on ideas introduced in Unit 1.

Effective school leadership and management

In Unit 1, monitoring and evaluating were identified as important school management
functions, necessary for ensuring effective and efficient schools.

Activity 2.1
1) From what you have learnt so far, what do you understand by an efficient and
effective school?
2) What steps should the headteacher take to ensure efficiency and effectiveness?

Comments
You will no doubt have looked back over unit one and identified some broad areas in
which school effectiveness might be judged. Furthermore, you will have
started to think about the means of evaluation that you would use to ensure efficiency.

This section recalls some of the points made about effective schools in Unit 1 and
introduces other issues relating to efficient leadership and management. As you read
through, check whether these notes provide a full list of everything which may contribute
to the efficient management of a school.

School organisation
A school is established to promote learning for all of its , whatever their ability. A
school that is able to discharge effectively its daily routines, is effective in the teaching and
learning of its learners and does so using the available resources is providing value for

19
money. For this to happen, the school should be well planned so that learning can take
place in an atmosphere which maximises learning opportunities. A proactive leadership
style is required where planning occurs well in advance of events occurring. An efficient
school will have good communication channels for effective management.

This simple model shows the hierarchy in the school

authority which must be maintained for discipline. A
school without discipline cannot be efficient or
effective. To each of the offices there are specific
duties attached and failure of one officer will affect
the effective administration of the school.

Every school has an allocation of staff and it is the

responsibility of the headteacher to ensure that this
is used in the most effective way. The senior staff
and middle leaders will be made up of headteacher,
deputy headteacher, senior masters/mistresses,
year-group, divisional and departmental heads.
How these are organised will depend on the size of the
school. In a large school, for examples, HODs may
form part of the middle leadership, whereas in a
smaller school, where there is no deputy and fewer
senior teachers, they may be part of senior leadership.

A school may be organised as a hierarchical structure or a flat structure. The former is the
norm in Guyana and the latter applicable only in small schools.

In a tall structure, there are many levels (tiers) of management, and the span of control of each
manager is narrow, that is the total number of persons (subordinates or employees, workers)
whom each manager controls and supervises is relatively small. In a flat structure, there are few
levels of management and the span of control of each manager is much wider.

Organisational structures are depicted by organisational charts which are defined as diagrams
which display the reporting or relationship heirarchy of organisations, businesses or governments.
A chart of a Tall and another of a Flat school structure are depicted hereunder.

20
 Tall Structure

HM

DHM

AGRICULTURE MATHEMATICS ENGLISH HOME ECONOMICS SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT

HOD HOD HOD HOD HOD SM

A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A
M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M

HM

SM HODs SAMs AMs TQMs/TUMs ATs

21
Senior Leadership Teams
Every school must have a Senior Leadership Team (SLT) which will be appointed by the
Headteacher and approved by the REDO. The size of the SLT will be according to the size
of the school and will consist of a minimum of 2 members in a small school.

• The Headteacher will lead the SLT and the Deputy Headteacher will automatically be a
member.
• In Grade A and B schools, there will be a minimum of three (3)members and a maximum of
five (5) according to the number of learners on roll. In Grade C, D & E schools, there will be a
minimum of two (2) members and a maximum of three (3).
• The third member of the Team in Grade A and B schools will be chosen from the Senior
Middle Managers (SMs, HODept/Div). The second member in Grade C school will
selected from SMs, HODept/Div . The second member in a Grade D or E school will be
chosen from the remaining staff.
• The selection will be based on a combination of competence (proven professional
ability) and years of service. However the former will be the deciding factor.

When the school’s SLT has been appointed, these members will be responsible, along with
the middle leaders (HODept/Div,etc) for monitoring key areas of the school to
ensure effective delivery of the curriculum and other areas which allow the school to
function efficiently. To do this, every member of the team must have defined responsibilities
and it is these areas for which he / she will be accountable. It is the responsibility of the
headteacher to agree on these areas of responsibility with the staff.

Under normal circumstances, each level will monitor the areas for which he / she is
responsible. Those working at higher levels will ensure that the monitoring is taking place
and will validate the findings.

Activity 2.2
Take another look at the hierarchical staffing structure you have just studied above.
Imagine one of the HODs is responsible for the teaching of Spanish.

1) What do you think his / her responsibility will be in the monitoring process?
2) What will be the responsibility of the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and Senior
Master/Mistress in the monitoring of Spanish teaching?
3) What will be the responsibility of the classroom teacher of Spanish?

22
 Comments
The person responsible for standards in Spanish in the Modern Languages
Department is the Head of Department. He / she must be fully accountable for the success
of the learning of the students studying Spanish. There can be no excuses (staffing,
resources etc.) only challenges. The Head of Department must demonstrate that the
standards in the classroom are the best they can be. This will be done by observing
lessons, scrutinising students’ work and ultimately, coaching staff to ensure they reach
the necessary standards.

The Deputy Headteacher will have an overview of the departments. Comparisons will be
made about the learning and results of individual learners and groups of learners
taught by different teachers / departments. He / she will ensure that the HOD does the
monitoring and will be available to support the HOD in the evaluation of the findings and,
in due course, the implementation of any improvements that need to be made.

The HOD is accountable to Deputy Headteacher and the Deputy Headteacher accounts
to the Headteacher who is ultimately responsible for the whole school.

Classroom teachers will be involved in self evaluation on a lesson by lesson basis.

This system need not be bureaucratic if each person understands his / her role in the
process, carries it out and accepts full responsibility. However, herein lies the problem.
It is the responsibility of the headteacher to make clear the role of each individual and to
individual and to ensure that it is carried out.

The curriculum
In Guyana, there is a national
curriculum which is prescribed and must
be followed by primary and nursery
schools. However, creative teachers will
adapt and develop this to meet the needs
of their learners and to emphasise their
own strengths and interests, thus providing
a diet for the learners which is broad,
balanced and develops their creativity.

The headteacher must provide the

wherewithal in the school for effective teaching and
learning to take place. He / she must ensure that textbooks, stationery, furniture, games
equipment and library books are available when they are needed. Of course, this will be
delegated to the appropriate person but, nevertheless, it must be done. Syllabuses,
schemes-of-work, curriculum and ‘scope and sequence’ charts, curriculum guides for all
grades and subjects must be available and, with the assistance of the SLT, teachers must be
helped to prepare appropriate schemes of work and lesson plans. The SLT will monitor those
persons who have the responsibility to make these things happen and take action when they
do not.

23
 The headteacher and SLT should ensure that notes of lessons are made
daily and that teachers teach according to them. Learners’ work,
assignments, tests and examinations should be marked and
recorded promptly and corrections done where necessary.
Teachers should do corrections with their learners so that they can
understand their mistakes. There is no place for marking in the
classroom unless it is done with the learner. A teacher sitting at a
desk marking whilst learners work is not teaching and is wasting
valuable time that could be used for the improvement of learning.
Monitoring such issues will ensure that bad practices are
eradicated and will ultimately help to improve effectiveness in
teaching.

Learning and Teaching

Arguably, the most important factor in learning, is the skill, dedication and commitment
of the classroom teacher. All three are essential. Without any one of them, the children
will be short-changed. Monitoring and evaluation, therefore, is not just about ascertaining
whether effective teaching is taking place, but also about motivating teachers to develop
their skills, to dedicate themselves in ensuring that learns do learn and be committed
to the learners’ success.

To ensure the effectiveness of the learning process, one must look at a number of key
factors:-

• the level of preparation by the teacher in the learning process

• the appropriateness of the methodologies used by the teacher to the age and ability
level of the learners
• learner response to the teaching
• the end results – what has been learnt in terms of knowledge, skills, understanding
and evaluation techniques.

These areas will be monitored in a variety of ways:-

• by looking at the teachers’ records – notes of lessons, planning file, self evaluation
notes.
• observation of lessons to ascertain whether the methods used are appropriate
based on the experience of the observer. This will form a dialogue for future
development.
• observation of lessons to note the response of the learners to what they are being
taught. Are they motivated? Do they understand? Are all learners being catered for?
• by looking at learners’ work in their exercise books and assignments.
• by scrutinising assessment scores and calculating the improvement from the
baseline assessment over a period of time. See Module 4 for information on
formative and summative assessment.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

The Headteacher should ensure that PTA meetings are held at least once a term. It is essential
that there is a cordial relationship between parents and teachers for the effective management of

24
the school. If parents are properly approached, they can help in easing some of the financial
burdens in a school. In many areas, PTAs have assisted schools with transportation,
building of classrooms and even assisted in the feeding programme for learners.

Staff meetings
Staff meetings (of the whole staff, departments and special committees) should be held
regularly to review the running of the school. Headteachers should adopt a democratic system
by listening to teachers and understanding their personal and professional concerns.

School records
Headteachers are required to keep many records and to make them available to the officers
of the Department of Education and the METS Team or whosever may need them in an
official capacity. However, this can often be burdensome and, in some cases, the
bureaucracy involved may seem overbearing and could affect the Headteacher’s priorities. You
will learn more about these records in Module 9 ‘School Records and Documents’.

He / she should ensure that complete and accurate records, including those for learners and
staff, asset registers and other records which provide a full picture of the life of the school,
are kept up-to-date. However, it is perhaps important to differentiate between those records
which will have a direct impact on the quality of learning and teaching and those which
merely support the process. We are not saying here that the latter are less important but
that this differentiation may help a Headteacher to prioritise his / her own workload or decide
what should be delegated to others.

The attendance book for teachers which clearly shows the extent to which teachers make
themselves available to do their job is a valuable record when discussing with a teacher
their willingness to be present in the classroom and thus the impact on results. We use
these terms advisably knowing that teacher attendance at the time of publication is around
72% and this we are certain is not all about sickness.

Teachers’ notes of lessons show that they have thought about their teaching and have
evaluated its impact. To keep these records up-to-date will encourage teachers to be
proactive about the learning process.

School accounts
The headteacher should keep proper accounts of income and expenditure and bills and
receipts must be accompanied by vouchers. These are required in the auditing of the school
accounts as well as promoting the principles, and practice of accountability and evaluation in
the school. Auditors will inspect the account books for the school to ensure that the financial
resources given to the school are properly spent and accounted for.

Monitoring visits
There may be a number of different kinds of external monitoring visits that the school may
experience at different levels:-

• A subject specialist may observe lessons and offer advice to individual or groups of
teachers and / or the Headteacher

25
 • Visits may be made by the District Education Officer (DEO) assigned to the school or
the Regional Education Officer (REDO). Observation of the school ethos, lessons,
teaching and learning will take place as well as the scrutiny of learners’ work and
teachers’ records.
• Formal monitoring by the METS Unit. Currently, the Departments of Education are
monitored and samples of schools visited to validate the information/data presented
by regional staff. The focus will be on teaching and learning, administration, premises,
facilities and equipment, staffing, documentation of pedagogical and administrative
practices as stipulated, and the provision of feedback on observations.

The headteacher must keep a record of all monitoring reports and discuss these with the staff so
that recommendations, with regard to how the system can be improved and developed, may
be implemented.

Activity 2.3
1) Make a list of some essential features you would expect to find in a monitoring
report. (either regional or national from the METS Unit)
2) Describe how you presently use monitoring records to contribute towards
improvements in your school and the mechanisms for implementing change.

Comments
You will probably have included a range of features in your list including observations of
lessons which focus on the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process. The
important point, which we wish to highlight here, is that monitoring records, together with
the data contained in various school records and reports, should provide information for
the headteacher which he or she may use as a means of institutionalising changes in
schools. If this is done then evaluation and monitoring become major tools for effective
leadership and management.

Let us now look at the functions of evaluation more closely.

Functions of monitoring and evaluation

It is through monitoring and evaluation that we learn to what extent the school is being
effective. It enables us to review the process of learning and teaching in all its various
forms and to devise new measures for its improvement and development. We have
described below four main functions of monitoring and evaluation.

Firstly, remind yourself of what we mean by the terms “monitoring” and “evaluation” by
looking again at the definition we provided in Unit One. Draw conclusions about the
relationship between the two.
Comments
Monitoring is about collecting the information and evaluation is the use of it to identify
strengths and weaknesses which will enable future development.

Evaluation is not possible without data, usually from the monitoring process or hard
data such as baseline and / or formative and summative assessments.

26
Collecting of evidence
The first stage in the process of Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E) is the collecting of evidence.
is the collecting of evidence. This is mainly of two types:-

Quantitative – that which is based on solid data that is quantifiable or measurable such as
test results over a period of time, final examinations or the number of times certain things
happen ,e.g. teacher punctuality, number of questions asked to boys rather than girls,
number of suspensions, regularity of financial virements. These can all be identified and
compared with results in a different period of time or with a different group of learners.

Qualitative – that which is based purely on observation formed by the experience and skill
level of the observer. This is often considered to be more subjective but need not be so. We
must accept that trained observers will be capable of making judgements about what they
see, hear and experience. An excellent classroom teacher will be able to identify good
practice in teaching methodology and that which requires attention. Although, it may not
always be purely objective, it will form the basis for discussion about the quality of what has
been seen.

Both types of evidence are acceptable and compliment each other. Pure reliance on test
results will dehumanise the process and be demotivating for teachers.

Diagnosis
The process of M & E can be used to discover or locate
strengths and weaknesses in the system, both in terms of
the quality of educational provision and also by identifying
the individual needs of your learners. Diagnostic testing will
enable you to decide whether some of your learners, for
example, may have special educational needs, perhaps a
learning difficulty or disability. (See Unit 9, Module 4) and
hence need teachers to cater for their needs.

Pre-tests given at the beginning of a class or series of

lessons are good for determining what the learners already
know and what they do not know. For instance, at the start
of an English lesson, you may ask for the meanings of
some words to find out if your learners are acquainted with
those words. You may then have to explain the meanings
of such words even before the passage is read. This is to facilitate the reading exercise.
This is a form of diagnostic evaluation – you have got some information by which you have
judged the knowledge of the learners and finally you have taken action to remedy the
situation.

At a higher level, whole groups of learners might be tested to discover their reading ages so
that progress can be measured at the end of the course and reading intervention.

Prediction
It is possible to predict future performance of learners by administering diagnostic tests at an
early age. This is useful in that it can be used to predict the potential of individual or groups

27
 of learners, enabling the teacher to develop appropriate teaching strategies and set
challenging targets. Such tests are usually nonverbal in that they test intelligence rather
than the ability to read and write or specific skills and knowledge. The downside is that such
tests are expensive and require great skill to interpret the results.

Optimum use of resources

Through monitoring and evaluation we learn where additional and better resources –
human, material and financial – are required. This results in less wastage and better
resource management. An analysis of the curriculum will allow us to identify specific skills
required of our teachers and hence, their precise training needs. It enables the Teaching
Service Commission to identify the exact staffing needs of the school and to appoint the
right persons. Likewise, curriculum planning and evaluation will enable us to purchase
specific rather than general resources. You will recall also from Module 5 Financial
Management, the way in which the budget is constantly monitored to provide greater
financial efficiency.

Grading
In Guyana, schools and centres are graded based on learner enrolment. The grades in
use are A, B, C & D for Nursery Schools; A, B, C, D & E for Primary schools; A, B ,C & D
for Secondary Schools; and A, B & C for Practical Instruction Centres. The ranges of
enrolment figures which determine the grades of schools/centres are as follows:
Nursery: Grade A - 250 children and above; Grade B -150 to 249 children, Grade C – 60 to 159
children; Grade D - 59 children and below.
Primary: Grade A - 750 to 999 pupils; Grade B - 500 to 249 pupils, Grade C – 250 to 499 pupils;
Grade D- 100to 249 pupils; Grade E- 99 pupils and below.
Secondary: Grade A - 550 to 699 students; Grade B - 400 to 549 students, Grade C – 250 to 399
students; Grade D- 249 students and below.
Practical Instruction Centre: Grade A - 121 students and above; Grade B - 80 to 120 students,
Grade C – 79 students and below.
Schools and centres are regraded every three (3) years based on increase or decrease in learner
enrolment.
Secondary Schools are also ranked based on student performance at National Assessments and
Regional Examinations. They are categorised as List A, List B, List C, List D and List E Schools.

Target setting
Having identified the ability and potential of individuals and groups of learners, schools are
increasingly using target setting to challenge their learners and teachers to achieve better
results. When we are not fully aware of the potential of a learner, it becomes so easy to
have low expectations and thus lower results. Baseline testing enables us to identify current
performance and set targets for future performance over a period of time. In target setting,
you need to have a specific objective (or target) you want to accomplish, a plan as to how
you will achieve that target and then evaluation procedures to indicate whether it has been
achieved. Targets work best when they are applied to individual children. Weaknesses are
identified and a programme of remediation can be implemented. You might like to look
again over Module 4, Unit 6, Assessment and Record Keeping.

Target setting might apply equally to teachers and learners. In the case of the former, it may
be decided that a teacher does not have the necessary skills to carry out his / her job
effectively. This might be through lack of qualifications, experience, aptitude or even
motivation. Rather than simply complaining about the teacher’s underperformance, the
situation needs to be evaluated and appropriate targets set. These might include an
upgrading programme whereby the teacher will be trained at CPCE or, in the case of a
senior leader, on this very Education Management Programme.
28
 For example, you may have many unqualified teachers in your school who can adversely
affect the quality of education. You may decide that you need to encourage them to obtain
training through CPCE, UG or some other accredited programme. You will need to set a
time limit for this upgrading programme and also decide what method of upgrading will be
most appropriate. After setting the time target, you will need to plan your approach. As
teachers already working in the school, their upgrading programme has to be an in-service
course. You then need to decide the period of time over which they will be trained as too
many teachers training together will affect the quality of education because, for them, it is
an onerous task. The final step in the process is to decide on criteria for evaluating whether
the objective has been achieved – that is, whether the quality of education improved and to
ensure that the results of any evaluation are utilised to plan the next development.

In the case of learners, it is essential to have some information about their capabilities,
potential and performance. Baseline assessment or pre-tests will assess their current
capabilities; diagnostic tests will assess their potential; challenging targets and formative
assessment will encourage learners and teachers to work towards that potential and their
performance will be measured by summative assessment techniques such as Grade 6
Tests and CSEC.

Give some thought for a moment about how any particular curriculum programme in your
school might be enhanced by monitoring its performance, evaluating the findings and
initiating further development.

Comments
In fact, there is no programme in your school which would not benefit from some
scrutiny by middle or senior leaders. Even if it is totally successful, the evaluation should
be used to say so and congratulate those responsible for it.

However, in essence, one might start with those programmes where one feels or one
has evidence for underachievement. It is essential, of course, that once the evaluation
has been completed, further development takes place.

Summary
In this unit you have studied the reasons why monitoring and evaluation are essential
characteristics of effective school leadership and management and particularly for
establishing standards of accountability. The major functions of M & E have been identified.
In particular, you have linked the process of the collection of quantitative and qualitative
evidence to the analysis and evaluation of the data which has been collected. This, in turn,
is used for further development and is the critical part in the agenda for raising
achievement.

The process falls into two main categories:

• to assess the extent to which goals are being achieved in order to improve
performance;
• for accountability purposes in order to justify the school’s performance to others.

29
We have stressed that the main function of a school is about learning and teaching and,
therefore, it is essential to monitor every aspect of curriculum provision and delivery in the
classroom to identify strengths in order to build upon them and give credit where it is due
and also to recognise weaknesses so that a programme of development can be
implemented.

Your attention has been drawn to the potential of target setting both to improve the
performance of teachers and to give learners realistic goals to work towards which are
within their capabilities.

M & E is about asking appropriate questions, observations, analysing data and gathering
information. Attention has been drawn to both the quantity and quality of information which
the headteacher needs in order to help improve school effectiveness.

30
 Monitoring and Evaluation
Techniques Unit 3
Introduction
In this unit we will discuss the different techniques which the Headteacher can use in assessing the
performance of different components in the school. Monitoring involves collecting
qualitative and quantitative information and evidence at regular intervals about ongoing
programmes within the school. This evidence is then analysed and evaluated and, where
there are shortcomings, leads to a programme of improvement.

The collection of evidence can be in the form of the

observation of learners and classroom teaching, the scrutiny
of learners’ work, analysing data and test results, seeking
views through discussion groups, peer evaluation and
interviews, etc. This unit examines these techniques and
also considers the role of external agencies such as the
Department of Education and the METS Unit in the
evaluation of the school.

We will continue to remind you of the main function of

a school – the provision of effective learning and teaching;
and, therefore, the importance of ensuring that it is of the
highest quality. This will be affected both directly and
indirectly by systems within the school. The Headteacher will
ensure that, in the first instance, he / she will monitor and
evaluate those factors which influence learning and
teaching directly. Amongst these are the ability and skill
levels of the teachers, the methodologies used, the
appropriateness of resources and response of the learners to the teaching given.

Individual study time: 4 hours

Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit you should be able to:

• describe different monitoring techniques and their appropriateness to different

situations
• apply appropriate evaluation techniques to meet different situations
• understand the importance of self evaluation
• outline the different activities and techniques adopted by external agencies such as
the Department of Education or the METS Unit in the evaluation of your school.

The various techniques of monitoring and evaluation

Evaluation involves making judgements about achievement in terms of set goals but, before
you can pass judgement, you must pin-point an area of activity which you seek to evaluate

31
and then seek information about it. Based on the information you have collected, you are
then in a position to pass judgement on the quality of the activity or the particular situation in
relation to the criteria set.

Any or all of the following techniques may be used to gather information:

Observation of lessons: this is perhaps the most important of the monitoring techniques in
that it gets right to the heart of teacher and learner performance and the interaction between
the two. It evaluates, principally, the effectiveness of teachers, the appropriateness of
methodologies, the response of the learners, the overall learning and teaching environment,
the teachers’ classroom control, the use of learning resources and physical facilities.

Scrutiny of learners’ work: the work of the learners, both in terms of what they write, record or
draw as well as their interaction with others and their teachers during lessons, is evidence
of their learning or the process of their learning. Scrutiny of this work, and making
judgements about its quality in relation to the age and ability of the learners, is one of the
prime methods of evaluating success.

Analysis of data and test / examination

results: Assessment needs to have a
purpose. One of its functions is to use the
data to improve the quality of teaching and
learning. Theevaluation of this information
can identify where teaching has been
successful and where it needs to be improved.
It can identify individual children who will need additional help or a specific programme to meet
their needs.

Questionnaires or checklists: These can be used by the headteacher to obtain from learners or
teachers an assessment of various aspects of school life, for example, the success of
certain innovations introduced to the school. It is particularly important not to try to evaluate
too much at one time; instead focus on a relatively discrete and manageable topic, component or
area of school life.

Systematic record keeping: The collection of evidence about areas of school life and
performance is enhanced by records which later can be analysed and evaluated. Schools
may keep records, amongst many others on the following:-

• teacher and learner punctuality and attendance

• learner suspensions
• acts of indiscipline
• the attendance at extra curricular activities
• the attendance at PTA meetings
• the number of certificates, merit certificates or merit marks awarded
• the completion of homework

Interviews: This is a technique whereby information is collected from learners, staff or parents
through a face-to-face interview focusing on a specific issue.

32
Peer Evaluation: Evaluation often seems to imply someone more senior evaluating the
work of someone junior. Peer evaluation involves co-workers (headteachers, teachers or learners)
using the techniques described above to help each other.

Discussion groups: This technique recognises the views of different groups, such as
teachers in different departments, school prefects, the various clubs and societies, in their
evaluation of different aspects of school life. Their purpose is to evaluate their work
situation and then make suggestions for improvement. The Guyana Teachers’ Union,
Headteachers’ Meetings and Cluster Groups are really discussion groups on a large scale.

Reflect for a while on whether you have used any of the above monitoring and evaluation
techniques and to what extent they have been successful in improving school
effectiveness.

Comments
We will deal with each technique in turn to enable you to reflect further on its
development and application. But it is important to remember that whatever technique is
used, you have to ensure that the information is recorded simply and accurately in a
form that will enable you to analyse it quickly. This is most likely to involve written data
(for example, questionnaires, assessment data and diaries) but could include audio /
visual material, for example when carrying out observations.

Before we go into detail about some of these techniques, we feel it is important to

emphasise that the procedures used in monitoring teachers’ work should not be a
threatening exercise for them. Few people like to be watched and particularly to receive
criticism but it is part of the process of professional development. The headteacher must ensure
that observations are taking place not to find fault but to develop the skills of the teachers
and ultimately to make them more effective and improve learning. It is a partnership
between the observer and the observed which will identify areas for development and also
give credit for those aspects of the teachers’ work which are going well.

Now let us look a little more closely at some of the examples already cited:-

Observation of lessons
Perhaps the most useful form of M & E in schools is that which gets to the heart of the
learning process. Observation of lessons is a method of evaluating the teaching and
learning process, assessing the classroom performance of teachers and providing a regular
check on the state and use of resources and classroom facilities.

Headteachers should organise routine observations of classes at different times of the day in the
school by different teachers, including his or her own lessons. This can be done on a formal
and informal basis, either with or without prior notification to the teacher.
As the senior professional in the school, it is perfectly reasonable for a Headteacher
(and indeed the senior staff) to observe the learning process anywhere and at anytime
unannounced.

Formal observation: the headteacher, other senior staff member, HODept/Div observes a
full lesson, either announced or unannounced using previously agreed criteria and makes

33
judgements on what he or she sees. In all
cases, a verbal feedback will be given to
the teacher as soon as possible after the
lesson. This feedback will contain positive
aspects of the lesson, areas for
improvement and how the observer will
support the teacher to make the
necessary improvements. Usually, when
a teacher is given prior notification, it will be
useful to provide written feedback and this
will be kept as a record in the teacher’s
file.

Informal observation: this is always

without notification and is usually carried out by the teacher’s line supervisor or senior staff. It
will usually involve the observer entering the classroom for a shorter period of time or passing
through to ensure work is being carried out appropriately. Even with such observations, a
short word of praise for something well done in the lesson will always be motivating and well
received. Where a problem arises, unless it is a health and safety issue, ask to see the teacher
later to discuss it.

In Guyana, such a monitoring programme can be a challenge because of the current

shortage of trained teachers. However, this should not stand in the way of developing a
programme as the benefits will outweigh any difficulties headteachers may find in its organisation.
Teachers learn from each other, both how to do things and how not to do them – learning
from each others’ mistakes.

Activity 3.1
Make a list of five or more items you would want to make judgements on when
monitoring a teacher’s effectiveness in delivering a lesson.
E.g. Use of effective questioning techniques

Comments
As we noted in the previous section, observation will focus on aspects of the learning
process such as the way a teacher will communicate with his /her learners. In addition,
your list probably includes materials which were prepared for the lesson, evidence of a
lesson plan, indications that the teacher has clear learning objectives and is sticking to
them as well as a range of items concerning interactions between learners and staff .

Indeed, in order to evaluate the extent to which effective learning has taken place in the
classroom, attention has to be focused on learners as well as the teacher. Therefore,
observation will include, for example, responses of learners to the questions of the
teacher, the time given to, and quality of written work, and the use and availability of text
books and other learning resources. You might also want to evaluate contributions
made by a teacher to a subject outside the classroom, for example, in a departmental
meeting.

34
Activity 3.2
Draw up a programme of classroom observation which enables you and your staff to
have an effective and regular coverage of classes in your school for three months. It
should cover:

• a majority of teachers, if not all of them;

• all subjects on the curriculum;
• all classes in the school.

Remember that you will have to make provision to ensure that all classes are being
taught whilst observations are taking place.

Comments
We think you will agree that it is useful to have some form of policy and programme for
carrying out regular classroom observations. This should be done in such a routine
way that teachers and learners become familiar with observations in the classrooms.
Such regular monitoring should enable any deficiencies by teachers to be rectified. As
may be expected, you will find teachers making mistakes during their lessons, but you
should not correct them there and then in the classroom in the presence of the learners,
as this will inevitably undermine the teacher and destroy the confidence the learners have
in their teacher. However, where a teacher’s mistake is likely to put the learners or the
teacher in an obvious danger, such as an experiment or the use of tools in a workshop,
the prompt intervention of the headteacher is defensible.

When observing lessons, it is good practice to be very

clear about what you are observing and about what you will
be making judgements . This information should
be shared with the staff well in advance so that they
know your expectations and will feel less threatened
by the process.

You may wish to limit yourself to overall impressions in

the first instance. In this case it would be helpful to
have a few headings to focus your opinions. (See
Proforma 1). You may, however, wish to be more
specific in order to analyse strengths and
weaknesses. More detail will be required. (See
Proforma 2). These are only suggestions and you will
no doubt wish to develop your own.

35
Lesson Observation Proforma One

Lesson Observation Proforma

Subject ______________ Class __________ Teacher_______________________

Date_______________ Period ___________ Observed by __________________

Number of learners at start of lesson _________________ # of Latecomers ____________

Action taken with latecomers ___________________________________________

Subject material, context and learning objectives____________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Register taken __________________ Homework followed up _________________

Aims of lesson made explicit ____________________________________________

Learning environment / Display __________________________________________

TEACHING

LEARNER RESPONSE

36
 LEARNER ATTAINMENT

LEARNER PROGRESS

Homework Set ________________________________________________________

Lesson summing up ____________________________________________________

Use grades 1 - 7
2 = very good / well above average 4 = satisfactory / about average 6 = poor

The following form is an example of a specific focus. In this case it is the language use of
the teacher and language development of the learners.

37
Lesson Observation Proforma Two

Teacher ____________________ Subject ______________ Class ____________

Age group of class

Ability range of class - mixed ability, setting etc.

Language environment

Appropriateness of materials and strategies

Actual materials and strategies used for this lesson

Appropriateness for this particular group.

Engagement of whole class and different groups and individuals in each part of the lesson

Appropriateness of language used by teacher

• in lesson delivery
• to individual learners
• in the written materials

Use of subject specific language by teacher

Teaching of subject specific language

Opportunities for use of spoken language by learners

• in front of whole class
• in groups
• in pairs
• with teacher individually

Opportunities for reading

• in front of whole class
• in groups
• in pairs
• with teacher individually

Opportunities for listening

Learner response

Difficulties in language experienced by learners

• written
• spoken

38
Ways in which teacher overcame difficulties of individual or groups of learners

Specific teaching and learning strategies used in the development of language

General comments

Scrutiny of work
As with observations, looking at learners’ work can be done in both a formal and informal way.

Formal: Ask teachers to provide for you, by a certain time and date, selected exercise
books of individuals, groups or the entire class. They should provide a range of
varying age groups, ability levels and subjects. You can either allow the teachers to select
the books or you can do it yourself. One way of doing it at random is to tell teachers to
provide you with the exercise book of a particular number on the register for a particular
subject. E.g. Number 7 for Social Studies in all classes. It is important, of course that you
provide feedback to the teachers about what you have seen. Likewise, a comment in the
learner’s book will also be appreciated.

Informal: This is when you look casually at books whilst observing lessons or passing
through a classroom. Feedback is not normally given, although any issues must be raised
with the teacher at a later time.

When looking at written work, one would look at the quantity, the quality and the
presentation of the work, evidence of the concepts and skills taught as well as the
appropriateness of the work for the age and ability of the learners. Verbal learner response in
the classroom is perhaps more difficult to evaluate. However, speaking and listening skills
might be identified along with creativity and dramatic performance.

It is important not to try to look at too many things at once when looking at learners’ work.
You can focus on the learner or on the teacher. You might ask yourself some of the following
questions:-

Teacher focus
• Is the work appropriate for the age and ability of the learner?
• When was the last time the books were marked?
• Has the teacher written encouraging comments in the marking?
• Has the teacher shown how a learner can improve in the marking?
• Is the marking accurate?
• Has the teacher commented where the learner has not met expectations, e.g. wasting
paper, underlining, titles, dates, etc.?

Learner focus
• Has he / she followed the instructions of the teacher?
• Has he / she produced best work?
• Is the presentation as good as it can be?
• Is the content good?
• Has the learner taken note of the comments made by the teacher?
• Have the corrections of previous work been done?

39
If you want to change your qualitative judgements into quantitative data, it is possible to
grade the work you have seen according to the agreed criteria and use this to show
improvement overall by the teacher and the learner.

E.g. Each of the above focus points is graded on the following scale:-

5 = Excellent, 4 = Good, 3 = Satisfactory, 2 = Poor, 1 = very poor

Or perhaps the following:

5 = Fully, 4 = Mainly, 3 = Partly, 2 = Rarely, 1 = Never

When looking at a whole department, the data can be divided up so that it is focused on a
particular issue, e.g. the quality of marking. This can be done for individual or groups of
learners or the whole classes. An average grade can be created or a percentage depending on
your needs. If, for example, a teacher scores an average of 3.2 (a little better than
satisfactory), he / she can be set the target of an average of 4 (good) by the next time the
books are looked at. You will, of course, need to coach him / her as to how this can be
achieved and how improvements can be made.

Monitoring must always be followed by support and development.

Analysis of data and test / examination results

We need to offer a word of warning here. The use of data must always be for a specific
purpose and you must be very clear about how its analysis will
help to raise achievement. It can be an expensive process
both in time and resources; and testing inevitably utilises
teaching time. Decisions need to be made about whether the
focus will be on individual or groups of learners or on the
performance of the teacher.

Information can be very powerful and can provide a valuable

insight into the current performance of learners, their progress
over time as well as making predictions about their future
performance. Progress is normally measured through pre- and
post-testing and analysing the difference. Where a specific
remedial intervention has taken place, one would expect
progress beyond the level expected without the intervention.

Comparisons can be made about the performance of individuals and groups of learners with
different teachers and patterns can be identified and conclusions drawn. However, be very
wary about using such evidence to discipline a teacher before you have done everything
you can to support him/her to improve.

Many teachers use a form of continuous assessment of their learners’ work which involves a
range of techniques by which a headteacher ensures that learners’ work in the various subjects is

40
regularly and comprehensively evaluated. This could include the use of regular
assignments, pencil and paper tests, projects, practical work as well as observation and oral tests.

Activity 3.3
Compile a list of forms of continuous assessment used in lessons in your school over a
period of a week (or more) in selected subjects. Assess the adequacy/inadequacy of
the test or assignments or other techniques used by teachers and the quality of
reporting.

Comments
You will have observed many different forms of assessment from formal
assignments to impromptu class tests. Some will be marked by the teacher and
others by the learners themselves. Some teachers will record results and others not.
When evaluating what you have seen, try to make a decision about which forms of
continuous assessment you consider to be the most effective in raising achievement.

The following is the process in summary:-

Baseline Assessment / pre-tests

Setting targets

Monitoring / post-tests

Evaluation of results

Review

Questionnaires
The use of a questionnaire is an important technique where concrete information can be
collected from the staff and the learners on the issue to be evaluated. A checklist may also be
suitable in which simple and uncomplicated answers are required such as ‘Yes’ or ‘No’,

41
‘Supported’ or ‘Not supported’, or simple ticks are required on a graded scale or against a
predetermined range of answers. In order to get some objective responses there may be
the need for anonymity. However, this could be supplemented by more subjective data
from interviews, for example.

In any event, a questionnaire should be simple, with short and close-ended questions. After
designing the questionnaire, you will need to ensure that it is distributed to the whole group
or a representative group, if the target population is too large. After administering the
questionnaire, you will have to analyse the information and use the results to allow you to
make informed decisions about future development and strategies for improvement.

Interviews
Interviews may be structured (following a set list of questions) or unstructured (a discussion
following no set plan) or semi-structured (partly set questions and partly free discussion).
The last is the most common approach. You probably have used informal interviews many
times to collect information from members of staff and will be aware of some of the
problems surrounding this face-to-face technique of asking questions and taking note of the
answers.

You might like to spend a few moments jotting down some of the advantages and
disadvantages of interviews.

You will no doubt agree that a major advantage of interviewing is its adaptability. A good
interviewer will be able to follow up leads: ‘You mentioned that…’, ‘Could you explain…’;
probe responses: ‘Why do you think that?’ and generally get closer to an interviewee’s true
feelings, motives or attitudes. This is something which a questionnaire can never do.
The problems are, of course, that a good interview can be very time-consuming and there
are many opportunities for bias. This can be as a result of the way in which the questions
are asked and also as a result of respondents giving an ‘acceptable’ but inaccurate answer.
Preparing for and undertaking interviews and analysing the information collected requires
considerable care and attention.

In summary, as with many of the other techniques discussed here, the choice should be
determined by the sorts of information you wish to collect, why and from whom. For
example, if you want to obtain information form younger learners, you would probably obtain
better results from talking with them rather than asking them to write responses in a
questionnaire.

Systematic record keeping

It is a useful exercise for the headteacher to draw up a checklist of important school records which
should be in place, at regular times in the school and then to evaluate the purpose which
such records are expected to serve in the school and their quality, especially in relation to
whether they directly or indirectly have an effect on the quality of learning and teaching. In
the process, the headteacher will not only have a useful set of records but will also have a list of
staff who are responsible for keeping such records.

42
Below is an example of a checklist of equipment, records and facilities which should be in
place for the effective management of the school laboratory (excluding a list of specific
science equipment).

Activity 3.4
Draw up a checklist similar to the one below of the records and equipment which should
be available for the general operation of the Art Department of your school. You might
like to consider how often in a school term you would actually use the list and how you
might use it to evaluate the general effectiveness of the administration of that
department.

Comments
One of the important points to remember about such systematic records is that for them
to be useful for monitoring the effectiveness of leadership and management, they must
be maintained and regularly updated. They can provide a criterion against which
evaluation can be made. For example, taking Item 5 below, a quick assessment can be
made as to whether the information in the stock book is up-to-date.

Equipment and facilities record

Stock Number OFFICER/TEACHER REMARKS

EQUIPMENT RECORD RESPONSIBLE

1. Sand bucket Science teacher Available at all times

2. Fire extinguisher Headteacher Functioning always
3. Fire blanket Headteacher Available
4. First Aid box School secretary Should contain essential
items of First Aid
5. Stock book Science teacher To be kept up-to-date
6. Breakage book Science teacher To be kept up-to-date
7. Fume box Headteacher Available
8. Gas/electricity supply Headteacher/Science teacher Available
9. Rules and regulations Science teacher To be displayed
on use of laboratory conspicuously
10. Subject syllabus Department Head / Science Current syllabus
teacher
11. Schemes-of-Work Department Head / Science Break down on weekly
teacher basis for each year
12. Mark books Science teacher Available at all times

13. Departmental library Department Head Available

43
Discussion groups
There are sometimes specific situations in a school
where an evaluation would be best made by using
the views of a range of appropriate groups in the
school. This method must be used with care
especially when seeking the views of learners in the
school. We must be careful not to undermine
teachers in the presence of their learners. It is often
used, therefore, when evaluating situations which do
not involve the process of learning and teaching;
perhaps the general welfare of the learners in the
school. It is often better conducted in separate
groups of learners and adults.

Let us consider an example where there have been

repeated complaints by learners and parents about the
general quality of food available in a school dining hall or snackette. It would be difficult for
the headteacher to obtain an accurate evaluation of the catering services in the school without
seeking the views and opinions of all involved: the catering officers, cooks, house parents
in a boarding school, and those who supervise the learners during meals and the learners
themselves. Thus, one obvious approach to the evaluation of the catering system would be
to call a series of meetings of this group of people to address the issue.

The views and advice of these people would no doubt go a long way towards an accurate
evaluation of the effectiveness of the catering services in the school. Can you suggest
other sources or methods of obtaining information? You will probably have thought that a
questionnaire might usefully be administered or individual interviews undertaken.
Frequently, a combination of evaluation techniques is most likely to provide the range of
information which is needed in order to draw conclusions.

Evaluation and external agencies

In Guyana, schools are externally supervised by the officers of the Departments of
Education – DEOs and REDO. A set format is used for these supervisory visits. They are
either scheduled or unscheduled. If you do not already have a copy, you would be well
advised to obtain information about the latest regulations on such visits from the
Department of Education.

Monitoring of education delivery in the eleven Education Districts is done by the Monitoring,
Evaluation, and Training Support Unit (METS), headed by the Deputy Chief Education
Officer (DEV). The METS Unit is located at the Central Ministry. It has absorbed all of the
functions of the Inspectorate Unit as regards quality assurance.

Currently, the METS Unit conducts monitoring visits to each Education Department on a yearly
basis. A monitoring instrument is used to guide the process. Information is gathered on the
staffing, management and supervisory practices of officers and school leaders, premises,
facilities and equipment, and outside links. The emphasis is on self evaluation at every level
from the Departments of Education through to the schools and the individual teachers.
A sample of schools is also visited to validate the data presented on them by the officers.

44
An outcome of the visit to the Department of Education and selected schools is the Report
of Findings which is submitted to the:-

• Chief Education Officer

• Regional Executive Officer
• Deputy Chief Education Officer (Administration)
• Assistant Chief Education Officers (N,P,S,T)
• Chairman of the Regional Education Committee
• Regional Education Officer
• Headteacher- (in the case of a school that was visited).

The Chief Education Officer (MOE) convenes a meeting with senior officers of the Ministry
of Education to analyse the Report of Findings and to determine the
necessary follow-up actions to be taken, one of which is the scheduling of a Feedback
Meeting with stakeholders in the particular Education District.

The Feedback Meeting in the Education District is chaired by the Chief Education Officer.
Those in attendance are:-

• Senior Officers from the Ministries of Education

• Regional Executive Officer
• Chairman, Regional Education Committee
• Head of Department of Education
• District Education Officers
• School Welfare Officers
• Regional Information Technology Officer
• Regional Assessment Officer

One of the expected outcomes of the Feedback

Meeting is the identification of leadership,
managerial, evaluative and pedagogical needs of
officers and school staff, for which training
packages aimed at addressing those needs are
subsequently prepared. Another outcome is the
highlighting of issues to be reflected in an Action
Plan to be prepared by the Head of Department
of Education and staff, copies of which are
subsequently sent to the Chief Education Officer
through the Regional Executive Officer.
A Monthly Status Report on the
implementation of the Action Plan is also sent.

The Chief Education Officer convenes meetings

with members of the DCEOs, ACEOs and the staff of
the METS Unit to analyse those Monthly Status

45
Reports and to determine the need for other interventions deemed necessary for capacity
building in the Education District.

It is important for the headteacher to be familiar with the work and methods of operation of external
agencies who are involved in evaluation, such as the Department of Education and the
METS Unit. It is likely that some of the techniques used by these bodies for the evaluation of
schools can be adapted for use in schools and exposure to new ideas and innovative
practices in the evaluation of schools will be useful. In this respect, the headteacher could obtain
copies of reports of monitoring visits carried out by the METS Unit as well as guidelines used by
subject specialists for the development of subject areas in schools.

Others are also involved in education in all of the regions. The Chairman of the Regional
Education Committee and the Regional Executive Officer may all play an important role in
the quality assurance of education in the region and its schools.
In Georgetown, this function is currently carried out by the Ministry of Education.

Activity 3.5
1) Obtain copies of the METS guidelines and reports on various areas of monitoring
including individual subjects. Then examine them with respect to the techniques
used to evaluate:

• different subjects of the school curriculum;

• school leadership, including management, administration and organisation;
• extra-curricular activities;
• school ethos.

2) Extract from these documents approaches which are applicable to the self-
evaluation of your school, for use by the Senior Leadership Team, Senior Teachers,
Heads of Departments/ Divisions/Year-Groups.

Comments
Monitoring Officers adopt a range of evaluation techniques in order to gather information,
draw conclusions concerning all aspects of the school and make recommendations for
improving school effectiveness. It is very likely that some of the practices adopted by
those officers can be used by you and your staff in order to undertake the self-evaluation of
your programmes and teaching.

However, you will do well to remember that monitoring and evaluation should principally
involve the core function of the school – learning and teaching, and this cannot be
evaluated by solely looking at paperwork, although scrutiny of notes of lessons, etc.
would be desirable. The only way to evaluate the quality of the learning process is to
observe samples of lessons and scrutinize learners’ work. This would be done using
pre-determined criteria so that teachers and learners would be clear about your
expectations.

46
A critical examination of the reports of external agencies such as the METS Unit should
provide you with some useful insights into how to plan and execute a programme of
evaluation. Reports of inspection are available on the internet, especially from the USA and the
UK for education departments and individual schools. You will find some good examples
at [Link] for schools in Great Britain. This is the Office for Standards in Education
in the UK (OFSTED).
We will focus on planning a programme of evaluation in the next unit.

Before completing this unit, consider the main areas of school life, including the
curriculum, staff and students, discipline, pastoral care, environment, finance and
resources, etc., and the evaluation techniques which you have been introduced to in this
unit. Think about the techniques you might develop and apply in each area in order to help
contribute towards improving school effectiveness.

Summary
In this unit you have been introduced to some important techniques of monitoring and
evaluation, including: observation of lessons, scrutiny of learners’ work, questionnaires,
interviews, discussion groups, continuous assessment and the systematic keeping of
records. You have also learnt that whichever techniques you use, you first have to record
the information gathered carefully in order to be able to analyse it and make judgements
concerning the questions being asked and issues addressed.

Developing evaluation instruments and analysing information may be a little technical and
you may therefore need to set up a committee in your school to design lesson observation
instruments and scrutinise work proforma, effective school assessment instruments like
questionnaires, interview questions, observations, record keeping methods and to devise
ways of analysing the data and information collected. Such a committee can also help guide
the planning and execution of an ongoing programme of school evaluation, as explained in
the next unit. Your Department of Education should also be able to give you considerable
help in this.

We have considered the way in which external agencies such as the METS Unit will tackle
the monitoring of your region and some of the schools within it as well as the attendant
reporting procedures.

However, first and foremost you

must remember the reasons
you are monitoring the provision
of education in your school and
evaluating the results. It is to
improve school effectiveness and
increase learner capacity.

47
 Planning a Programme of
Evaluation
Unit 4

Introduction
Evaluation is a key managerial skill, required by
both those working from outside schools, such as
REDOs, DEOs, the METS Unit and examiners;
and those working from within – Senior Leadership Team, Middle Leaders and teachers.
This unit focuses on self-evaluation, which is the process of each school evaluating its own
work as part of a supervisory, planning and managerial process. This builds on our
discussion of evaluation techniques in Unit 3.

It focuses on the quality of learning and teaching in the school. This underpins everything
that takes place. Hence the quality of senior and middle leadership as well as the ability of
teachers in the classroom is linked to how effective the school is in achieving its stated
objectives and mission. Thus, any programme of monitoring and evaluation will take this
into account.

Individual study time: 4 hours

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit you should be able to:

• analyse the factors which determine how self-evaluation could be conducted in a

school
• plan a suitable evaluation programme for your school
• be aware of specific criteria for the evaluation of school effectiveness
• identify priorities and time-scales within which such plans could be achieved
• identify the resources available for the evaluation bearing in mind other pressures on
resources

48
 • collect, record, collate, analyse, interpret and report information.

School readiness for self-evaluation

There are a number of reasons schools should evaluate their own performance. Firstly,
knowledge and information about how well we are doing enables us to congratulate those
responsible for good performance. Secondly, we are able to identify those areas which
require improvement and do something about them. Lastly, it is better to be prepared and
have identified our own strengths and weaknesses and to have an action plan to deal with
them, when external evaluators come into the school.

We would all agree that a conducive, non-threatening school climate is a prerequisite for
successful teaching and learning. However, it is an equally necessary condition for
undertaking a self-evaluation exercise in which teachers will be honest about their
performance, knowing that the information they provide will assist others in helping them to
improve rather than being critical and using the information against them. It is a fine balance
for headteachers to keep in gaining the confidence of the teachers as well as operating as
their supervisors and being part of the process of the appraisal system. Such an exercise
presupposes that both the headteacher and the staff have the right type of positive attitude
that will enable successful self-evaluation projects to be conducted. For an evaluation
programme in school to be effective, the headteacher and the staff must cooperate and work as
a team. When the staff are consulted in all aspects of school matters, they are more likely to feel
committed and to carry out assignments given by the headteacher. Thus, a climate of
encouragement in which teachers feel able to make mistakes without recrimination is a
necessary condition in introducing a systematic self-evaluation scheme into a school.

So, how might we describe this climate of openness between the Senior Leadership Team
and the staff? The following are some of the conditions we may look for:

• Commitment of the leadership of the school which is expressed in clear statements,

acknowledging the importance of self-evaluation as a necessary and ongoing aspect
of policy
• A leadership style based on openness, trust and confidence
• A school climate which fosters collaboration, innovation and the expression of ideas
and opinion formed through rational argument
• A school culture in which there is an expectation of critically reflective practices,
access to information on current educational thinking and development and which
exploits the use of available expertise within the local community, CPCE, the
Ministry of Education, the University of Guyana and other agencies.
• A culture where the leaders set high standards for themselves so that others will
follow by example
• Leaders who have the humility to make mistakes and admit them without blaming
others
• The willingness for all to be prepared to do oneself what we would ask others to do
• The ability to participate in others’ learning and facilitate it rather than simply
directing it
• The readiness to give people the credit they deserve thus motivating them and
keeping them on target
• A culture which allows people to make mistakes and learn from them.

49
 • A national, regional and district support system which is responsive to the needs of
schools in developing the skills and expertise needed to develop self-evaluation
strategies
• Acknowledgement of the distinctions between self-evaluation procedures and
appraisal procedures (see Module 3, Personnel Management, for detailed
consideration of appraisal)
• Considerations of the resource implications of self-evaluation procedures
• An awareness of the time implications of self-evaluation activities
• An expectation that identified needs will be satisfied

The last point is perhaps the most crucial. We monitor so that we will be able to identify
need and issues for improvement. If we are not able, as leaders, to provide the wherewithal
for teachers to develop, we will create frustration within them. This is why effective training
programmes are so important at all levels.

Now, consider for a moment, using the conditions outlined above as a guideline, how ready
you and your staff are to undertake a programme of systematic evaluation in your school.

Comments
When you carried out this exercise, did you realise that you were carrying out an
evaluation exercise on the climate and educational ethos of the school? However, it is
really important that when you make your assessments and your judgements that you
are really honest. It is difficult to be totally objective when you are personally involved.
This is where the monitoring assists in the process. You will collect qualitative evidence
that will support your judgements. For example, in the statement that credit is given
where it is deserved, what evidence is there of this? Is there public recognition of a job
well done? Are certificates awarded? Does the headteacher write to staff, send a memo or
see them individually?

Here is one way that you might want to go about it.

• Prepare a short questionnaire to survey staff opinions on a range of aspects of your

school which might include questions about the following:

▪ the learning process and levels of performance

▪ learner behaviour
▪ the curriculum and how it is implemented in your school
▪ teaching and learning styles
▪ teacher attendance and punctuality and its impact on learning
▪ The physical environment, including provision and maintenance of the
buildings
▪ staff facilities
▪ staff development opportunities
▪ the support of parents
▪ Senior Leadership Team / staff relationships

50
You could make several simple statements about each aspect and let your staff react to
each. Score a grade of 1 to 5 (1 totally disagree, 5 totally agree) to indicate to what extent
you agree or disagree with each of the statements

e.g. Most learners in the school behave in an appropriate manner to facilitate effective
learning and teaching. Score a grade of 1 to 5. Even if you disagree with the response, you
must accept that this is the perceptions of the staff and you must do something about it.

• You might also undertake informal interviews raising questions related to the
‘conditions’ listed above.
e.g. To what extent do you feel that your identified development needs will be
satisfied?
• Prepare a short questionnaire to survey learner opinions on a range of issues which
are likely to affect them in the school. Pose the questions so that they do not
become personal.
e.g. Do you feel generally that teachers go out of their way to help you when you do
not understand something? Score a grade of 1 to 5. This provides valuable evidence
for you to tackle the problem of child-centred learning, if it is not happening in your
school?
• You also need to undertake your own self-assessment. A questionnaire, which you
devise yourself with specific questions, could be used. We have provided an
example below. Answer the questions about yourself as a leader and get some
colleagues who you can trust to answer the same questions about your leadership
skills. If you choose 5 persons and allow them to do it anonymously, you are likely to
get more honest answers. Choose a range of colleagues from the least to the most
experienced. A brave headteacher would ask all of the staff to complete it.

51
Example of a self-assessment questionnaire

Put an X on the line which best represents your answer.

1. Treats all staff equally

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5
2. Has an open style of leadership

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5
3. Is confident

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5
4. Is well prepared and organised

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5
5. Has a clear vision for the school

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5
6. Has clear expectations of the staff

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5
7. Involves staff in the decision making process

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5
8. Is a good listener

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5

52
9. Has a clear drive for improvement

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5
10. Supports all staff well

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5

You will need to decide what you want to know about yourself and your leadership style.
You might like to use some of the following headings to devise questions to make the
assessments.

• Ability to think strategically

• Ability to influence others
• The extent to which you push for improvement
• Your personal convictions
• Your communication skills
• The extent to which you hold people accountable
• The degree to which you challenge performance
• Your initiative in sorting out problems
• Your ability to ask pertinent questions and research
• Your aptitude for analytical thinking

From your answers you may be able to see, for

example, whether you are making all the
decisions affecting your school alone; or if you
believe in teamwork and involve your staff in the
decision making. Note that some seek ‘agree’
answers while others seek ‘disagree’ or even
neutral answers. You will be a courageous
headteacher to carry out such an exercise.
Nonetheless, it will give you an insight into your
own performance and allow you to create an
action plan to improve if you need to do so. Your
staff will respect you for going through this
course of action and it will make it easier for you to carry out the same process with them as
senior or middle leaders. Remember, a good leader will never ask someone to do
something that he / she is not prepared to do himself/herself.

In assessing the climate of your school, please note that there is no perfect school. No-one
is likely to agree with you about everything! Your teachers may tend towards being helpers
or hinderers. It is your job to try to make everyone see how they may contribute to the
evaluation and change process in their own way.

53
Planning an evaluation programme

Identify the issues

In planning a suitable evaluation programme for the school, the areas to be monitored must
be identified and sorted into types or categories, and then ranked according to criteria such
as urgency and feasibility. Thus you can isolate the issues to be studied. Such matters
must be important and manageable. Do not try to evaluate too much at one time.

Activity 4.1
Thinking about your own school or one you know well, carry out the above exercise by
identifying some of the issues and categorizing them into priority areas.

Comments
We hope that you will have concentrated on the learning and teaching process.
Although this can be one of the most difficult areas to monitor, because it involves the
observation of teachers’ classroom performance, it surely must have the highest priority
in the school in terms of school effectiveness.

Deciding how you will monitor

After selecting the issues to be studied,
you now decide on the method of
monitoring (see Unit 3). For example, the
priority may be the performance of
learners in a certain subject, or the
behaviour of a particular group of learners
who exhibit out of the ordinary traits by
playing truant or destroying school
property. You need to keep within the
bounds of your enquiry and limit you
monitoring so that it focuses clearly on the
issues.

Activity 4.2
Now apply a monitoring technique to the areas you have identified as your priorities.
Explain why you think this would be the best way of obtaining the information you
require.

Comments
Remember, your methods should be non-threatening to teachers – at least to those who
work hard and are trying their best! Is the data you gather going to be qualitative (based
on the professional judgement of yourself and your teachers); or quantitative (based on
data you can count) e.g. attendance figures.

54
Fix a time-scale
You now need to fix a time-scale within which to conduct the monitoring. In fixing this, you
should take into consideration the earliest time for it to be accomplished and the latest
allowable time. If the evaluation goes on for too long people may lose interest and
introducing changes may become more difficult.

Match resources to the programme

It is also important to identify the resources available for the evaluation, in particular, the
time of those who may be involved. This is necessary because the successful
accomplishment of the programme will be eroded if, for example, the staff are too busy to
participate. Once resources are allocated, they must be matched to the time-scale. You
should monitor progress to ensure that the exercise is completed on schedule.

Collect the information

As soon as the preliminary stages of monitoring have been completed, the investigating
team can begin the work of the evaluation proper. Basic information on the issues which
have been isolated for study could be obtained using one or more of the following
techniques:

• using diaries that are kept systematically by individual teachers

• interviews
• observations, including shadowing selected teachers or learners
• brainstorming discussions
• questionnaires

Collate the information

The information needs to be gathered and arranged in a systematic order which will help
you or your team to analyse, and interpret the data.

Interpret the data

It is important that an evaluation exercise such as the one we are proposing is not intended
to be major research but as a practical, problem-solving exercise to provide new solutions
to old problems. The analysis and interpretation of the data should thus be limited to
describing the problem and identifying possible ways forward.

Write the report

You will need to consider carefully the form of your report and how it will be disseminated.
The purpose of the evaluation and the target audience must be kept in view when compiling
the final report. It must be short, perhaps just two or three pages, and to the point.
Overlong reports divert attention from the set objectives. A good report will:

• state the problem

• describe briefly the methods used to collect information
• identify alternative ways forward
• make recommendations about which strategies to be used and what needs to be
done to implement it.

The final point is the most important as there would be no point in going through this
process unless it leads to some improvement in the effectiveness of your school.

55
Case Study

Problems at La Belle Primary School

Some parents are withdrawing their children from La Belle Primary School. Mr Lodge, the
new headteacher, decides to mount an evaluation programme to find out the reasons for the
withdrawal and how best to reverse the situation.

What steps could he take? Outline a possible plan of action

Comments
You could consider the following outline and see how it tallies with your own plan, and
then enrich yours where necessary.

Identifying issues
The headteacher calls a Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meeting to identify the problems.
Suppose the problems listed are:

• teachers not attending classes as and when due

• lack of equipment
• low performance of learners in science
• poor behaviour of some learners affecting the education of others
• poor Grade 6 test results
• large numbers of learners unable to read at expected levels for their age and ability

Deciding on the priorities

The headteacher then calls a staff meeting to explore these problems with the staff, to ascertain
whether they agree, to ask for their opinions, to establish their priorities and then to decide
on them as they feel appropriate, given the available resources and time. Remember that
even if the staff do not agree with the parents, it is still a problem which must be solved
because this is the parents’ perception and learners are being withdrawn from the school.

Re-arrangement of priorities may be like this:

1. Poor Grade 6 test results

2. Large numbers of learners unable to read at expected levels for their age and ability
3. Low performance of learners in science
4. Teachers not attending classes as and when due
5. Poor behaviour of some learners affecting the education of others
6. Lack of equipment

Planning the evaluation programme

The headteacher now decides to evaluate the first two areas and find out why the Grade Six
learners are underperforming and why the reading programme appears to be inadequate.
He considers the scope of the evaluation and the precise form in which it will take. Some of
the topics to be evaluated will include the correct implementation of the national curriculum,

56
examination of lesson plans, timetable allocations, the suitability of teachers and the actual
teaching performance of teachers in the class.

Carrying out the programme

The headteacher makes it clear that the monitoring is essential to identify the causes for the
underperformance and rectify them by staff training and support. This approach is essential
so that the staff will cooperate and not feel threatened. He decides to carry out the
following:-

• Set up a programme of lesson observations of all teachers by the Senior Leadership

Team (Headteacher and Divisional Heads)
• Create a proforma so that there will be uniform observations looking particularly at:-

▪ Appropriateness of work for age and ability of the learners

▪ Methodologies used by the teachers
▪ Teachers’ ability to maintain order in the classroom
▪ Learner-Centred approaches
▪ Inclusion of all learners and the provision of differentiated work for those with
learning difficulties
▪ The quality of learner response to the teacher’s learning strategies

✓ Set up a series of level meetings where teachers as a group that will look at
learners’ work, discuss it and make judgements about its appropriateness.
✓ Have a weekly analysis of notes of lesson.
✓ Test all learners in the school for their current reading age.
✓ Retest the learners after every six months.
✓ Analyse more carefully all of the assessments carried out in the school and
particularly those at Grades 2 and 4

Collate the information

Each member of the Senior Leadership Team writes a brief report on the findings of the
monitoring exercise. It is important that this deals with
issues, does not make value judgements and is not
personal. You could write:-

17 of the 35 learners entered Grade 6 with a reading

ability below the level expected for their age and
ability.

Rather than:

Ms Hamilton, Grade 5 teacher, failed to prepare the

learners adequately in their reading skills to cope with
Grade 6 work.

It would be inappropriate to pinpoint the Grade 5

teacher as all teachers prior to Grade 6 would have
had a part in the process of the teaching of reading.

57
Presentation to the staff
The headteacher holds a staff meeting to discuss the findings and to gain initial ideas about the
solutions. A parent representative is invited to this meeting so that he / she can report back
to the PTA.

Creation of an action plan

The SLT meets to create an action plan which includes a staff development programme,
individual coaching, guidelines for a whole-school literacy policy and an analysis of the
requirements of the Grade 6 tests.

Report to parents
The headteacher and staff representatives call a PTA meeting to address the concerns of the
parents and outline what the school will do about them. The assistance of the parents is
requested to support teachers in the classroom and take individual learners to hear them
read. A programme of home reading is developed and the cooperation of the parents is
requested.
Activity 4.3
Reread the evaluation plan outlined above
for La Belle Primary School.

1) If you were to carry out the same

programme in your own school, would
you expect there to be any staff
resistance to it?
2) How would you overcome this?
3) Would you need to make any
adjustments to the programme and what
would they be?

Comments
It would be an unusual school and a remarkable headteacher where the staff did not have
any opposition to a scrutiny of their work, even if it were not said outright. We remind you
how important it is that the staff do not feel threatened by your actions, are confident that
they will not be blamed and that you will support them to develop.

Criteria for the evaluation of school effectiveness

Now that you understand the process of evaluation and, hopefully, are convinced that school
effectiveness is principally about the quality of what happens in the classroom, it is time for
you to look at the criteria by which we judge that effectiveness.

We could put it into broad headings as follows:-

1. The school context – the background information about the school, the nature of its
learner intake, its geographical location, its size, the number of learners with special
educational needs, its social context.

58
2. The standards – the outcomes of the school, test and examination results for at least
the last five years where available, any trends or patterns in performance (growth,
decline etc.)
3. The attitudes of the learners and their values – their attitudes to the school, their
behaviour in and out of lessons, their personal and social development, their attendance
and punctuality
4. The quality of learning and teaching – How good is the teaching? Do teachers use a
variety of methodologies? What are the standards of
classroom management? What is the learners’ response
to their learning activities? How well do the learners
cooperate with each other in class? To what extent do
teachers meet the needs of ALL learners?
5. The quality of the curriculum – Although there is a
national curriculum, here we consider the extent to
which it is implemented, the way teachers interpret it
to meet local needs and their ability to deliver it
through use of the curriculum guides available and the resources within the school.
6. Provision for learners with Special Educational Needs – The degree to which
teachers cater for the needs of ALL learners with either temporary or permanent Special
Educational Needs, whether it be learning difficulties or learning and / or physical
disabilities. (See Unit 9, Module 4)
7. Provision for the social, cultural, personal, health, moral and spiritual
development of the learners – To a greater or lesser extent, schools need to cater for
all of these needs both for the welfare of the learners and also for the reason that it
assists in the smooth running of the institution.
8. The care of the learners – the way in which the school puts its learners first, caters for all of
their needs and enables a happy, purposeful and learning ethos.
9. The quality of leadership – this not only refers to senior leadership but the middle
leaders (SMs, HODept/Divs/HOYear Groups, etc.) as well as the way teachers lead
their learners through effective learning strategies. (See Unit 3)
10. The support of the parents – the way in which parents are involved in the school,
support it and are involved in the learning process of their children.

Consider for how many of the ten headings above you could make objective judgements
about your school that are supported by qualitative and quantitative evidence.

Comments
Unless you have recently undergone a period of monitoring and evaluation, it is very
unlikely that you would be able to comment on many of these effectively. You would
have an opinion and perhaps a perception of the situation but this would be based on
one person’s point of view and would likely be subjective and without sound evidence.

Remember the purpose of M & E is to improve the school by increasing its

effectiveness. We can only do this by “knowing” what is happening rather than simply
relying on our personal perceptions. In the end, you will have to decide yourself which
methods you will use to make your judgements objective. Ultimately, this is the only way
that outside evaluators will be able to rely on your conclusions.

It is through this process that you will demonstrate your own personal drive for
improvement – one of the key qualities of a leader.

59
A closer look at the effective school
As we have mentioned before, the key people in the effective school are its teachers. The
greatest influences on their performance is the expectations that their headteacher has of
them, the extent to which he / she holds them accountable and the degree to which he / she
insists they are professional.

Let us remind ourselves of the definitions of the last two – accountability and
professionalism:

Accountability: This is the process of justifying to others our job performance in relation
to agreed goals and targets. In other words, it is accepting the responsibility for providing
the conditions and learning experiences which will promote the development of the learners
to effectively participate in the development of Guyana.

Professionalism: This is the practice of setting, maintaining and working to improve

educational standards in Guyana

Both of these are inextricably linked with the expectations that the headteacher has of his / her
staff. These have to be clear, made explicit and stated frequently. Teachers will then know
what is required of them and their performance can be evaluated against those
expectations and standards. Headteachers who have low expectations of themselves and
of their staff and whose attitude is “That’s not my problem!”; “I can’t do anything about that!”
and constantly blame the teachers and the system for the failings of the school, are rarely
successful.

Do you and your headteacher fall into this category, even to a small extent? Do you know
anyone who does? What effect do you think it has on his/her school.

Comments
You will no doubt have identified someone, if not
yourself to a certain extent and have concluded that it
has a negative effect on school improvement.
However, there is no reason such attitudes cannot
change once we learn to put the learner at the centre of
all we do.

So now, let’s state the expectations. These are how we

differentiate between a good teacher and any other untrained
person who could stand in front of a class. You will make
decisions yourself about how you will monitor them using some
of the techniques we have discussed so far.

Principle ideals for the effective school

All teachers must:

1. focus all of their interests on the welfare, happiness, safety and security of the learners.

60
2. be aware that all learners are different and unique and that each will be respected
equally.
3. accept that learners have different abilities and that each will be catered for using
different approaches to suit his/her needs.
4. understand the importance of using available resources to their maximum effect.
5. be creative in their teaching methodologies in the interests of effective learning.
Remember that copying from a blackboard is NOT teaching and should rarely be used
as a sole teaching methodology.
6. be able to assess the progress of their learners with honesty and integrity.
7. be reliable in all they do especially in terms of their attitude to work, preparedness to
teach, attendance and punctuality.

Expectations of the classroom teacher

All teachers must be able to:

1. organise their classrooms in such a way that they will provide a rich learning
environment which is conducive to effective interaction with the learners and a quality
education.
2. communicate well with the learners in a clear and precise manner which avoids all
misunderstandings.
3. engage the learners by the use of open-ended questioning techniques which give them
the scope for speculation and hypothesis.
4. develop the learners’ ability to think in a critical manner, giving them skills of
understanding, interpretation and evaluation.
5. provide good examples of what is required of the learners to enable then to develop
from one stage to the next.
6. recognise learner achievement, no matter how great or small, and provide the
wherewithal for them to develop to their highest potential.

All of the above apply to all levels of education from Nursery, through to Primary and
Secondary, as far as college and university.

Now let us focus a little more on the practical issues rather than the overriding ideals.

The good classroom teacher will:

1. be confident and knowledgeable in his / her own subject area, possess a general
knowledge and be self-assured, by and large, in being able to guide learners through the
curriculum generally.
2. plan structured lessons meticulously and evaluate his / her own performance frequently.
3. cater for the specific learning needs of all learners in their classroom.
4. identify specific learning objectives for every lesson, share them with the learners and
assess learner progress based on those objectives.
5. not only increase the learners’ knowledge but will develop their understanding of the topic
and will provide opportunities for evaluation.
6. arrive at his / her lessons on time.
7. start his / her lessons on time.

61
8. will maintain focus on the plan and the learning objectives, including any contingency
plans, throughout the lesson.
9. teach rather than mark books or any other non-teaching activities during the lesson.
Please note that the only reason a teacher might mark a book in a lesson would be
when he / she does it with a learner in order that they will learn from the experience.
10. insist that learners arrive on time and follow up when they are not in lessons.
11. give clear guidelines to substitute teachers when they have a planned absence.
12. plan with learners what they will do when they have an unplanned absence.
13. be able to maintain good order.
14. remain in charge at all times.

Remember that a good teacher will not only be able to set standards for his / her learners but
also maintain them and work to improve those standards in the future.

Activity 4.4
What do you think will be the best
way of finding out your teachers’
strengths and weaknesses in these
skills?

Comments
We hope that you have come to the same
conclusion as we have. That is, there is no
other effective way than carrying out planned
and impromptu observation of your teachers’
lessons either by yourself, your senior team
or the teachers’ line supervisors.

To do this, you will need to plan for it, give it a

high priority and spend most of your time
around the school. This also will have a
positive effect on learning.

And remember when you see good things,

offer praise and when you have any
concerns, provide the necessary support for
the teacher to develop.

Below you find another example of an observation proforma which encourages uniformity of
approach. Look at this alongside the ones offered as examples in the earlier part of this unit.
By using grades, you will be able to quantify performance across the school overall and in
each of the areas, so that you will know what you have to work on to develop your teachers.

62
A sample observation report

Observation of Lessons Proforma

Teacher______________________ Class______________ Grade _____________

Observer _____________________ Date __________

Learning objective _____________________________________________________

Grades: 5 = Very Good; 4 = Good; 3 = Satisfactory; 2 = Poor; 1 = Very Poor

REMARKS
TEACHING TECHNIQUES OBSERVED
1) Evidence of well-planned and structured lesson
2) Clear learning objectives
3) Good learning environment
4) Preparation of resources and use of appropriate teaching materials
5) Variety and effectiveness of teaching and learning methodologies
6) Provision for ALL learners
7) Provision for learners with SEN
8) Quality of learner response and enthusiasm
9) Questioning skills
10) Ability to elicit critical thinking
11) Evidence of subject knowledge
12) Encouragement of independent learning
13) Use of audio-visual materials
14) Educational standards
15) Learner output – work in books etc.
16) Appropriate use of the national curriculum
17) Lessons with an introduction, main activities and plenary session.

REMARKS
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ATTRIBUTES
1) Communication skills
2) Sensitivity to learners
3) Professional appearance and demeanor
4) Voice and use of language
5) Understanding of principles of learning
6) Enthusiasm for subject
7) Ability to keep good order based on respect and understanding
8) Attention to detail such as own and students’ punctuality and
attendance. (based on 90%+ attendance and 98%+ punctuality for
both)

63
When dealing with different learning and teaching strategies or methodology or what we
might call pedagogy, you will need to do some work with teachers to ensure that they
understand the range that is available to them. They include the following and many more:

Whole class work, group work, individual learning plans, modeling, observation, play,
multi-media stimulus, information technology, instruction, questioning, explaining,
investigation, extra mural activities, field work, collaborating, learning by teaching,
scaffolding, inquiry, etc.

Summary
In this unit you have examined the steps to be taken in planning a programme of self-
evaluation in your school. We have also looked at the criteria for an effective school and
how this translates into actual action by the teachers and how this can be evaluated in the
classroom, mainly by observation of lessons.

Remember, self-evaluation is an important leadership and managerial skill, the purpose of

which is to bring about change in all areas of school life and to increase school
effectiveness. Self-evaluation should be a continuous process, taking each part of school
life in turn. Such an incremental approach to school development is likely to lead to more
self reliance, more accountability and a more confident, more motivated and higher
achieving school.

We wish to reiterate at this point, the importance of gaining the confidence of the staff in
ensuring that the whole process will be used for their development rather than be seen as a
means of disciplining them or reprimanding them for inadequate performance. It should also
be used to give credit where credit is due and can be seen as a good motivator by
strengthening the professional competences of teachers and giving them the confidence to
take control of their own professional development needs.

And, of course, it creates a more effective school!

64
 Using Monitoring and
Evaluation findings Unit 5
Introduction
As you will now appreciate from your study of Units 1 - 4, evaluation is a systematic,
planned enquiry undertaken in order to enable senior leadership teams to make judgements
concerning the quality of learning and teaching, school policies and their implementation,
projects or programmes of study. Monitoring and evaluation can be a lot of effort but, when
done efficiently, vigorously and with the intention of improving educational provision, it is
worthwhile for the information gained about the school. Thus, it can be fed back into the
system to improve the effectiveness of the institution.

But, quite often, the findings of evaluation are not implemented. In this unit you will be
asked to consider how evaluation findings can be disseminated and to examine how we can
ensure that the evaluation findings are used by all concerned to enhance school
effectiveness.

Individual study time: 2 hours

Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit you should be able to:

• state the importance of reporting the results of monitoring and evaluation

programmes to those who need to know
• integrate the analysis of evaluation findings into the school decision making process
• relate the quality of evaluation findings to the level of effectiveness of the school
leadership.

The importance of evaluation findings

The host of educational problems besetting schools today, such as learner wastage in terms
of those not completing the course or underachieving and the low standard of education
found in some schools, all point to the need to overhaul our educational systems and
programmes. But before this can be done, we need reliable and objective data about their
current status. Through regular monitoring, evaluation and reporting we will know much
better where we are and thus be able to decide what changes are needed to bring about
improvement.

As we have seen in the previous units, monitoring is the regular collection of information
about ongoing projects and programmes within the school system with a view to
determining the nature and level of their performance. A report from a monitoring team
should be an objective account of progress in carrying out plans, which provide a baseline
against which to judge the impact of inputs onto the system under study. School self-
evaluation should be done mainly by headteachers, SLTs and middle managers. External

65
monitoring and evaluation in Guyana takes the form of visits by the officers of the
Departments of Education and the METS Unit from Central Ministry.

Evaluation concerns judgements made for the purpose of improvement or accountability. It

is also a formal process which should be formative or summative in nature and is always
designed for a particular educational purpose.

Activity 5.1
In your experience, are reports from internal monitoring and supervisory visits from the
Department of Education and the METS Unit, made widely available to
headteachers, schools and parents?

What is your view on the dissemination of this information? Give your reasons.

Comments
It is essential that all who have the power to improve education –
REDOs, DEOs, Headteachers and teachers are kept fully informed of the judgements that are
made about their work. Otherwise, how can they know what they need to do to improve?

The steps which need to be taken to rectify the situation include:

• Writing reports which can be read (that is, they are brief and to the point and use
intelligible language)
• Improving the means of production and reproduction.
• Recognising that knowledge and power are for sharing
• Ensuring accuracy and reliability in our reports, through setting and demanding high
standards.

Evaluation reports
In order to appreciate how to improve the
dissemination and use of evaluation findings, it
will be helpful to recall the steps which lead
to the planning and implementation of an
evaluation project and the preparation of the
report.

We have seen in Unit 3 that before embarking

on evaluation there are certain points that we
need to clarify, including:

• For what purpose is an evaluation required?

• Who will organise the evaluation, who will participate and in what ways?
• What are the possible modes of evaluation?

66
 • What are the appropriate tools of evaluation?
• How will the data be recorded and analysed?
• Who will use the information?
• What are the best ways of giving the information to them?

The information gathered should be seen as relevant to the purpose of the evaluation. The
credibility of an evaluation process and its findings can be established in relation to the
following:

• It has to pass scrutiny amongst all those concerned with the overall quality of
education.
• It needs to be seen to be credible in the school, for example, in respect of what is
being evaluated.
• It has to satisfy people that any conclusions drawn, derive from good quality
information and are valid and reliable.
• It must lead to development and ultimately to raised standards.

Activity 5.2
Identify the qualities of a good evaluation report. Use your school experience and
knowledge of reports by the region or the MOE to answer this question.

Comments
You will probably have included in your list, qualities such as: systematic,
comprehensive, relevant, usable, valid, reliable, quantifiable, based on evidence,
objective. It must also be readable!

If the purpose of an evaluation is absolutely clear, it is more likely that the correct
information will be gathered to enable conclusions to be drawn and recommendations
made as a basis for decision-making. It is therefore very important that, after an
evaluation is done, one or more meetings between the evaluation team and the rest of
the staff are held, during which the findings can be discussed before the release of the
evaluation report. Results could also be disseminated, for example, to parents,
through other means, such as a newsletter or a briefing at one of the PTA meetings.

Evaluation findings by external agents, such as the METS Unit or the Department of
Education canhelp to justify the huge amounts of money spent on education every year,
as well as to clarify the progress of major innovations in education such as the
introduction of a new curriculum. This highlights how important it is for headteachers
to be able to analyse evaluation findings and decide whether, for example, the advantages
claimed for a particular innovation which formed the focus of an evaluation, are
valid enough for them to continue to use it or perhaps to adapt it more precisely to the
school’s needs.

67
The relationship between evaluation and effective leadership
We can illustrate the relationship between evaluation and the use of evaluation data or
findings for effective school leadership by considering a number of examples.

Learners’ enrolment
Often school enrolments fluctuate from
year to year. Many factors may account for
this. It might be difficult for a headteacher to
explain such a phenomenon, let alone
suggest solutions, unless some evaluation
is conducted and the findings disseminated.
Such an evaluation might enable factors like
school performance in national assessments
or regional examinations, distance of the
school from the village, safety and security of
learners, availability and quality of transport,
movement or transfer of parents to be taken
into account in an analysis of the situation. There are also the issues of early leavers and
fluctuations and movements. A school may wish to evaluate the influence of some of these
factors to try to rectify the situation. On the other hand, the MOE might decide to evaluate the
situation in a sample of primary schools, the results of which may provide useful conclusions
and solutions which may be applied to all schools.

Activity 5.3
Using your school experiences, show in a table the enrolment of learners for the last two
or three years by class. Indicate the following as a percentage of the total:

• early leavers
• casual intake or repeaters
• graduation rate
• test or examination success at a level commensurate with the age of the learners

Discuss this with a trainee in another school.

1) How do these figures compare with those for other schools in your locality?
2) To what extent would you say the issues you have discovered are common or
unique?
3) Where there is a problem, what would you choose to do about it?

Comments
You may have difficulty in completing this activity, if your school records and data are not
well kept or up-to-date. You may not have been aware of the importance of such
records nor how to keep them correctly maintained, in which case, could it be that you
and your staff should try to obtain more training in record-keeping? You may also feel
that training is required in the use of evaluation instruments and in the interpretation of
data and in the use of evaluation findings.

68
Leadership effectiveness
Evaluation can be used to assess leadership effectiveness in a school. We first looked at
this in Unit 4. We will say a little more about it now. Firstly, you may need to consider what
leadership effectiveness is, and the extent to which it is determined by:

• Personal characteristics of the leader

• The context of the school
• Personal characteristics of the staff

Next you would need to develop evaluation criteria in order to assess your own leadership
effectiveness together with that of your other senior staff. The chart below suggests ten
criteria for judging leadership and you might like to develop this by adding more evaluation
criteria. If you were to undertake such a self-evaluation exercise, how might such findings
be useful to you as a headteacher in improving your leadership practice? You may wish to
answer this for yourself and get others to comment on your own leadership skills as stated
below. Remember, in all cases, there must be evidence.

Assessing leadership effectiveness

INDICATORS LOW HIGH

1) Clear vision for the school

2) Ability to delegate
3) Thinks strategically
4) Has a drive for improvement
5) Holds people accountable
6) Uses initiative
7) Develops potential
8) Creates teams
9) Shows respect for others
10) Challenges and supports

We will complete this unit and module by being quite

controversial. It could be argued that the effectiveness of
a leader should be judged solely on the effectiveness of
the school. In other words, if the school performs well, the
leaders must also be doing a good job. Conversely, if
school performance is below par, the leaders are less
than effective.

Activity 5.4
Read the above statement a second time and give
arguments for and against the propositions made.
Support your answer with evidence and examples.

69
 Comments
You may agree or disagree with this statement but it is never that simple. Some schools,
although rarely, have proved to be effective despite their leaders, although they rely
heavily on the ability and experience of the teachers as well as the compliance of the
learners. On the other hand, a headteacher may be very effective in that he / she is
implementing strategies for school improvement for which it will take time for the school
to see the effects. This is why monitoring is so important so that we can see the
changes which result from such plans.

Summary
Your studies of this unit and of others in this module, will, we hope, have convinced you of
the importance of monitoring and evaluating and of using the findings to bring about school
improvement. We have provided below just a few examples. There are, of course, many
areas where an evaluation exercise is likely to produce findings which could inform the
school decision-making process and contribute towards improved school effectiveness, for
example in:

• teaching and learning

• school-community relations
• financial management
• effectiveness of the curriculum
• social development of the learners
• behaviour management
• resource management
• leadership skills

You should have noted that monitoring school effectiveness involves the regular review of
all the services of your school and especially, its prime function – teaching and learning.
Through the collection and analysis of relevant information and the setting of appropriate
expectations, criteria and standards, you may draw conclusions about the extent to which
the mission, objectives and targets of your school are being achieved.

70
The diagram below relates monitoring and evaluation to decision-making, which is the
essence of any effective leadership activity.

Monitoring, evaluating and decision-making

Monitoring
A systematic and regular overall
collection of qualitative and quantitative
information about performance

Decision-making Evaluating
The process of using management The targeting of questions, carrying out
information to inform collective plans and specific activities and drawing
make decisions about future development conclusions which lead to development
di t

Review of Policy Reviewing the success of

The practice of appraising the quality of developments
policy decisions which is carried out by Further monitoring which leads to the
further monitoring and evaluation continuation or adjustment of the programme

As you can see, the whole process is a cyclical one and continuous. A headteacher can never
sit back and say “We have finished our work” but must constantly respond to the changes and
challenges which he / she faces. But, of course, it is also a good idea to pat oneself on the
back from time to time to recognise a job well done.

71