Workshop on Self-evaluation

The aim of the workshop was to familiarize schools with the basic theoretical base of self-evaluation, arrange for participants sharing of experiences on self-evaluation of schools (which could serve as inspiration and examples of good as well as bad practice) and stimulate collaboration among schools in the field of school self-evaluation. The participants were supposed to share their experiences with each other in terms of planning and implementation of the self-evaluation process. The assumption was that they would share their experience of how they plan to implement the unfinished self-assessment, how they have divided responsibility at school for different areas of self-evaluation, what evaluation criteria they have, what tools they use and in what period - and why, what are the pitfalls or benefits. The aim was for the participants to acquire and subsequently use both the positive and negative findings, gain motivation to improve self-evaluation processes in their schools, and also get, at least some of them, partners for further cooperation.

Sub-objectives to be achieved through workshops on self-evaluation

• Exchange both positive and negative experiences of school self-evaluation.

• Improve understanding of the processes taking place in the school.

• Strengthen own responsibilities for the processes taking place at school.

 

The way to achieve objectives

The creative workshop associated with the presentation of the self-evaluation process was based on presentations of schools, discussed were topics of planning, self-evaluation process and outputs as well as those of processes, through which individual representatives of schools represented their way to conduct self- evaluation of the school. This presentation was the basis for further discussion on the topic, which the entire group joined.

 

A facilitated discussion took place at the workshop, the main theme of which was the course of self-evaluation processes in the school. The lecturer activated the participants with questions such as:

• How did you start self-evaluation in the school (how did you draw up the plan, who was involved, who was managing, what roles were handed out and fulfilled, who was invited...)?

• Did you plan what data you needed to acquire to be able to assess to what extent you have achieved the objectives? Do your results correspond to the criteria laid down? How did you determine what data you needed?

• Did you plan how to get the data? How?

• What tools did you use (questionnaires, observation, SWOT analysis, analysis of documentation including personnel matters - teaching portfolios, sociometric tests, class observations, mutual visits, certification processes - benchmarking ...)?

• Did you use standardized and external tools (counselling service, comparative tests) - what and what for?

• How did you assess the data collected?

• How did you divide the operation of the school in areas and sub-areas? Did you pursue all the areas and sub-areas evenly? Why? Or did you identify some priorities? According to what, how?

• How did you divide the tasks / roles (who was responsible for what)? - Provide more details...

• How did you involve other partners?

• How and who did you acquaint with the results; did you acquaint them continuously, at one time, how?

• How did you present the results of self-evaluation in the school (at a meeting, through a message board, web site, on a trip?

• Did you set new objectives for the school on the basis of self-assessment - partial or global? Why yes, no? What? Based on what did you set objectives and criteria for the next period?

• Did you adopt any action based on the obtained results - what?

• Do you follow in a long term and purposefully the quality of any phenomenon - for example, quality of teachers' work, in doing so, do you use any tool and which one, or have you created any tool of your own?

• Self-evaluation is not a paper, but a process that helps to improve oneself – did self-evaluation help you improve yourself in any areas during that time, which one?