Post on 21-May-2020
IMPLEMENTING EDUCATION POLICIES:
LEADING FOR EFFECTIVE CHANGE IN
EDUCATION
Dr. Beatriz Pont
OECD Directorate for Education and Skills
Vienna, Austria 14 December 2018
@beatrizpont
CONFERENCE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EDUCATION REFORMS
GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP IN CHANGE PROCESSES
EU PRESIDENCY AUSTRIA 2018
2
A changing world……..……...leading to education change
Education reforms, OECD, 2008-2014
OECD (2015): Education Policy Outlook 2015: Making Reforms Happen
Reforms on key policy areas Don't consider current/other policies
Content
Large reform activity (+455) Reform fatigue/lack of sustainability
N of reforms
Context of reforms
Centered around policy design Need to focus on implementation
Reform process
Evaluation
WeaknessesStrengths
Complexity between design and implementation of reforms
only 10% Evaluation research abound
Reform adoption
Need to create school learning cultures Low understanding of school capacity
OECD (2015): Education Policy Outlook 2015: Making Reforms Happen
Education policy implementation is a purposeful and multidirectional change
process aiming to put a specific policy into practice and which may affect a given
education system on several levels.
How to ensure policies reach schools, students and classrooms?
4
?
5
The process of policy making in education is no longer linear
Easton, D. (1958); Jones (1984)
Problem definition
Agenda setting
Policy options
Policy development
Policy implementatio
n
Policy evaluation
From theory…
6
Policy making ………a complex web of human interactions
influenced by the context…
… to practice
Contextual factors
• Politics, socioeconomic and timing factors
• Changing governance and institutions
• Other reforms
Policy making
• Piece meal approaches (lacking coherence)
• Insufficient capacity development
• Lack of resources
• Data/information poor
Actors• Multiple actors
• Resistance to reform
Design of the policy: coherent
Implementation:
aligned and planned
Education reform is not only for policy makers from the top down, but a
balancing act beyond evidence-based policy making
7
Not much research
evidence on
education policy
implementation.
Very context based.
8
For policy success, both the content and the policy process are important
Viennet, R. and B. Pont (2017), "Education policy implementation: A literature review and proposed
framework", OECD Education Working Papers, No. 162, OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/fc467a64-
en; www.oecd.org/education/implementing-policies
• The policy at least partially defined before implemented. Its justification, validity of its causal theory and goals, complementarity with other policies and feasibility affect whether it can be effectively implemented.
Smart policy design
• Actors can interpret, react and influence implementation. Including them throughout the process facilitates long term success and prevent reactions against reforms.
Inclusive stakeholder engagement
• The process’ features are adapted to the structures and governance of its system at a given time, to the particular actors, and around the specific educational policy.
Conducive context
• A coherent plan outlines concrete measures to make the policy design operational, with sufficient resources, capacity building, communications, and engaging stakeholders.
Coherent implementation
strategy9
A framework for policies to reach schools and classrooms
•The policy at least partially defined before implemented. Its justification, validity of its causal theory and goals, complementarity with other policies and feasibilityaffect whether it can be effectively implemented.
Smart policy design
10
8.8%
6.1%
1.9%
5.5%
8.1%6.8%
8.0% 8.3%
2.8%
13.9%
3.1%4.3% 4.0%
5.4%
2.9% 2.8%
7.3%
0%2%4%6%8%
10%12%14%16%
Dis
adva
nta
ged
stu
de
nts
Inve
stin
g ea
rly
on
Syst
em
-le
vel p
olic
ies
that
pro
mo
te o
r h
ind
er
equ
ity
Qu
alit
y o
f se
con
dar
y
Qu
alit
y o
f te
rtia
ry
Tran
siti
on
be
twe
en
sch
oo
l an
dw
ork
Vo
cati
on
al e
du
cati
on
an
dtr
ain
ing
Lear
nin
g e
nvi
ron
men
ts
Sch
oo
l lea
der
ship
Teac
her
s
Sch
oo
l eva
luat
ion
Stu
de
nt
asse
ssm
en
t
Syst
em
eva
luat
ion
Edu
cati
on
pri
ori
tie
s
Org
anis
atio
n o
f d
eci
sio
nm
akin
g p
roce
ss
Eco
no
mic
re
sou
rce
s in
ed
uca
tio
n
Use
of
reso
urc
es
Equity and Quality Preparing Students for theFuture
School Improvement Evaluation andAssessment to Improve
Student Outcomes
Governance Funding
0 10 20 30 40
Student truancy
Students skipping classes
Students lacking respect for teachers
Student use of alcohol or illegal drugs
Students intimidating or bullying other students
Teachers not meeting individual students’ needs
Teacher absenteeism
Staff resisting change
Teachers being too strict with students
Teachers not being well-prepared for classes
OECD average
OECD (2016), "Student and teacher behaviour hindering learning: Results based on school principals' reports", in PISA 2015 Results (Volume II): Policies and Practices for Successful Schools, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264267510-graph26-en.
11
Percentage of students in schools where the school principal reported that the following phenomena hinder student learning to some extent or a lot:
• Actors can interpret, react and influence implementation. Including them throughout the process facilitates long term success and prevent reactions against reforms.
Inclusive stakeholder engagement
TENSIONS
12
Students/
Classroompractice
Ministries
Regionalbodies
Universities
Schoolowners
Schoolleaders
Teachers
Defining roles and attributions
• Actors can interpret, react and influence implementation. Including them throughout the process facilitates long term success and prevent reactions against reforms.
Inclusive stakeholder engagement
13
Political environment
Governance and institutions
• Central/decentralised
• External institutions
Complementary policies
• Assessment policies
• Curriculum reform
• Initial teacher education
System and school leadership
• The process’ features are adapted to the structures and governance of its system at a given time, to the particular actors, and around the specific educational policy.Conducive context
14
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Ice
lan
d
Irel
and
Fin
lan
d
Ne
ther
lan
ds
Den
mar
k
Un
ite
d K
ingd
om
Be
lgiu
m
No
rway
Swit
zerl
and
Fran
ce
Can
ada
Slo
ven
ia
Ne
w Z
eala
nd
Au
stri
a
Luxe
mb
ou
rg
Po
rtu
gal
Au
stra
lia
Swe
de
n
Ital
y
Ge
rman
y
Jap
an
Cze
ch R
ep
ub
lic
Isra
el
Hu
nga
ry
Slo
vaki
a
Po
lan
d
Esto
nia
Un
ite
d S
tate
s
Me
xico
Ko
rea
Spai
n
Turk
ey
Ch
ile
Gre
ece
2013 2005
Source: World Gallup Poll 2013
• The process’ features are adapted to the structures and governance of its system at a given time, to the particular actors, and around the specific educational policy.Conducive context
Public confidence in education system, 2005, 2013
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Objectives
indicators
TargetedCommunication
Timing
Clarity in rolesand
responsibilities
Resources
Monitoring feedback
• A coherent plan outlines concrete measures to make the policy design operational, with sufficient resources, capacity building, communications, and engaging stakeholders.
Coherent implementation
strategy
• Review by G Donaldson in 2015 to understand need, to define .
Smart policy design
• Consultation in independent review.
• Pioneer schools
• Parliamentary acceptance
• Co construction.
Inclusive stakeholder engagement
• Political moment suitable. .
A conducive context
• Outlines concrete measures to make the policy design operational, with sufficient resources, capacity building, communications, and engaging stakeholders.
A coherent implementation strategy
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Dimensions of effective policy implementation
Wales
Clarify objectives
related to wales
development;
PISA
consultation;
co-construction
Pioneer schools
Political moment
Consortia; school
improvement plan
Co-construction
Plan w/resources
OECD
Japan
Every 10 years
Update curriculum
For 2030
consultation;
Pioneer schools
Political moment?
Governance
Resources/capacity
17
For policy success, both the content and the policy process are important
Viennet, R. and B. Pont (2017), "Education policy implementation: A literature review and proposed framework", OECD Education Working
Papers, No. 162, OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/fc467a64-en
18
Implementing education policies: supporting effective change in
education
Strategic advice
Policy assessment
Implementationseminars
OECD education policy implementation support from a comparative perspective
19
Tailored OECD Implementing Education Policies Support: Selected
examples
• 3 years
• Schools as Learning Organisations (SLO) model
• 2 Policy Assessments
• Strategic advice and Implementation Seminars
• SLO survey, School self-evaluation toolkit
Wales
• 2 years
• Competence development model for schools
• Policy assessment
• Participation in meetings, doc. review, reference group
• Implementation Seminars
Norway
• 1 year
• Senior Cycle Review
• Policy Assessment
• Participation in national consultation meetings, steering group
Ireland
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Publications and other deliverables: selected examples
The School as Learning
Organisation model in Wales
Frameworks HighlightsPolicy Assessment
ReportsBriefs Seminars
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
www.oecd.org/education/implementing-policies
Beatriz Pont Sr. Education Policy Analyst, Directorate for Education and Skills
beatriz.pont@oecd.org; + 33 (0)14524 1824
@beatrizpont