National Center for External Evaluation of Education

External evaluation of education

National Center for External Evaluation

is a public institution responsible for

conducting external evaluation exams in

Croatian educational system.

2

Objectives of external evaluation

To establish a system for improving the quality of education

To establish a system of standardized evaluation of knowledge and skills – competencies

Croatia’s and EU education-related documents serving as a basis

1. Declaration of Knowledge – Croatia as Based on Knowledge and Knowledge Application (HAZU, 2002.)

2. 55 recommendations for increasing Croatia’s competitiveness – Education for Growth and Development (NVK, 2004)

3. Plan for Developing Education and Training System for period 2005 – 2010 (MZOS, 2005)

4. Lisbon Declaration – Education and Professional Development until 2010 (EU, 2000)

What took place in the period 2004 - 2009?

System of external evaluation was introduced into Croatian educational system.

LAW ON EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS introduces mandatory:

1.  National Exams, 2. State Matura and 3. Self-evaluation.

National Center for External Evaluation of Education is established as a public institution.

Legal basis

Law on National Center for External Evaluation of Education (22.10.2004.)

Center’s Statute (Croatian Parliament, 9.12.2005.)

Director’s appointment (16.3.2006.) Center is a public institution with public

competencies LAW ON EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS Law on Adult Education

OUR MISSION

Center is responsible for external evaluation within Croatia’s educational and training system and for conducting exams based on national standards.

Tasks of the National Center for External Evaluation of Education

Research and preparation of national standards and exam materials Conducts international proficiency tests Coordinates the work of all participants responsible for conducting

national exams (task forces, reviewers, exam coordinators, evaluators)

Organizes and conducts training of afore-mentioned groups Organizes and conducts national exams and State Matura (print,

distribution) Processes and analyzes results, makes proposals for modifications Trains all participants to use results and to introduce modifications

in the system

INSTITUTIONS RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWLEDGE EVALUATION

Ministry of Science, Education and Sports

National Center for External Evaluation of Knowledge

Council for Introduction of State Matura in Croatian Educational System

Council for Curriculum

Scientific Project for Introducing State Matura in Croatian Educational System (MZOS)

Four-year secondary schools

Adult education institutions

Primary schools

Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, CARNET, University Computing Center, Central Bureau of Statistics, Institute of Social Sciences “Ivo Pilar”

Education and Teacher Training Agency, Agency for Vocational Education and Training, Agency for Adult Education

National exams and external evaluation

Standardized procedures used to examine students’ abilities to use knowledge and skills on certain subjects

Based on curriculums

Enable duly, reliable and objective monitoring of the efficiency of schools and teachers

Conducted throughout educational process under equal and comparable conditions

Provide explanations for success or lack of success in education and training results

Other instruments are also applied, used to determine: quality of communication between teachers and students, school climate, social and demographic characteristics, students’ and teachers’ motivation factors, level of teachers’ qualifications.

Tasks of national exams and STATE MATURA

National exams have FORMATIVE tasks State Matura has SUMMATIVE tasks National exams should provide basis for

improving educational system and for initiating self-evaluation process in schools

State Matura has to provide standardized evaluation of knowledge and skills of senior-year students at the end of mandatory education

Methodology of approach

Methodological approach on which the project is based is an adapted “Learning Results-Oriented Approach”

Approach consists of two key stages: 1. defining desirable results (achievements) of learning, harmonized with current secondary schools curriculums,

2. making defined desirable results (achievements) operational – developing instruments of exams (exercises, tests) which have attested measuring characteristics (validity, reliability, objectivity, sensibility).

Classification of knowledge and cognitive processes (revised Bloom taxonomy)

Knowledge dimensions

Dimensions of cognitive processes

1.memory

2.understanding

3.application

4.analysis

5.evaluation

6.creation

Factual knowledge

Conceptual knowledge

Procedural knowledge

Meta-cognitive knowledge

Levels of importance of learning and teaching content

Necessary to know

Deep and permanent understanding

Important to knowKnowledge and effective action

Valuable to knowGeneral knowledge

Objectives of introducing State Matura

Clear definition and standardization of desirable competencies – learning results.

Attested, reliable and objective verification of qualifications for performing a vocation – certification.

Meeting the needs of labor market – Testing knowledge and competencies important for successful adaptation to job requirements.

Contribution to defining national qualifications – Development of national vocational standards as a part of National Framework of Qualifications.

Transparency and comparability of qualifications – securing distinction and recognition of our qualifications in the EU – our secondary school diplomas are becoming clear and comparable documents on local and European labor markets, as well as in European educational system.

Development objectives

To structure education in alignment with needs of economy and to harmonize with EU developments.

To stimulate positive competition between schools. To improve the quality of schools – promotion of quality of learning and

teaching. To improve the culture of attesting and evaluating knowledge and

competencies – increasing the quality of assessments in school. To better define desirable results, objectives of education – basis for

curricular reform. To increase efforts – investment into quality of own work. Better quality of communication between teachers and students –

partnership.

Key competencies Communication in native language Communication in a foreign language Mathematic literacy, science and technology Digital literacy Learning about learning (learning skills) Inter-personal, inter-cultural, social and citizen

competencies Innovation and entrepreneurship Cultural awareness and expressivity

Center’s ACHIEVEMENTS

System of task forces established (secondary school teachers and university teachers on a certain subject)

System of exam coordinators in secondary schools established

Building of self-evaluation system in secondary schools has began

Scientific and technical cooperation with a series of important institutions established

Education of all participants has began

Exams conducted

In 2006, national exams in 1st grades of comprehensive schools In 2007, national exams in 2nd grades of comprehensive schools In 2007, test of knowledge of 8th grade students of primary schools

(students’ sample – math and Croatian) In 2007, national exams in 1st grades of vocational schools and

comprehensive schools In 2008, test of knowledge of 4th grade students of primary schools In 2008, test of knowledge of 8th grade students of primary schools In 2008, experimental State Matura for 3rd grades In 2009, national test of achievements in 2nd grades of

comprehensive schools In 2009, experimental State Matura for 3rd grades Exam catalogues for State Matura in 2010 published Self-evaluation in comprehensive schools, vocational schools and

primary schools

STATE MATURA

WHAT IS EXAMINED?

SAME FOR EVERYONE

MathCroatian language

Foreign language

Elementary level Elementary level

Elementary level

Higher level Higher level

Higher level

Yet, somewhat different…

…for students of classic comprehensive schools

MathCroatian language

Foreign or classic

language

Elementary level

Elementary level

Higher level Higher level

Higher level

Elementary level

…for schools operated on languages of ethnic minorities

Mother tongue

Croatian language

Elementary level

Elementary level

Higher level Higher level

Higher level

Elementary level

Foreign language or

Math

STATE MATURA EXAMS

EDUCATION COMPLETED

COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS

FOUR-YEAR VOCATIONAL AND ART

SCHOOLS

STATE MATURA

(there is no Matura paper) FINAL PAPER

STATE MATURA EXAMS:

three mandatory examsand

optional state matura exams

STATE MATURA CENTRAL REGISTER AND CONTINUATION OF EDUCATION

STUDENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS

STUDENTS OF FOUR-YEAR VOCATIONAL AND ART

SCHOOLS

WHEN WHAT

15 October EARLY REGISTRATION

1 FEBRUARY REGISTRATION of exams accompanied with the list of course programs in which students intend to enroll after finishing secondary school

FEBRUARY – JUNE EXAMS FROM OPTIONAL SUBJECTS

APRIL ESSAY (Croatian and Foreign language)

16 MAY – 30 MAY EXAMS FROM MANDATORY SUBJECTS

30 JUNE RESULTS AND ENTRY INTO STATE MATURA CENTRAL REGISTER

15 JULY REGISTRATION FOR AUTUMN TERM (for those who did not take the test, who failed in the 1st term or who wish for a better grade)

16 AUGUST – 30 AUGUST AUTUMN TERM

1 SEPTEMBER RESULTS AND ENTRY INTO STATE MATURA CENTRAL REGISTER

1 SEPTEMBER STUDIES

Reserach & Conclusions

Education of parents Teacher training Teachers Marking vs. Exam Marking Regional Socio-Economical

conditionings Students motivation New type of examination

Today and tomorrow…

CENTER is an institution that provides links between professions, with a goal to improve quality of education

CENTER offers and seeks cooperation

CENTER should serve to everyone to build evaluation system which would responds to requirements of new generation and labor market

External evaluation will become SCHOOL’S need

What else we do

NQF expert groups Licencing teachers & principals PISA, PIRLS International cooperation (CITO, IEA,

ALTE, Language Survey, ) Regional cooperation (Prag Group, C-

S Regional Group)

THANK YOU !