COMPLETED TRAINING OF THE SELF-ASSESSMENT TEAMS OF ALL PUBLIC PRESCHOOL INSTITUTIONS AND START OF MENTORING SUPPORT IN THE SELF-ASSESSMENT PROCESS

In the framework of the project “Inclusive preschool education and Care” implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (MPNTR) with the support of the World Bank, within the framework of goal 2.3 Improvement of the system of evaluation of the quality of preschool education and care, a project task related to Improvement of the process is foreseen self – evaluation in preschool institutions. The Center for European Policies (CEP) was engaged to implement the project task, which was defined in cooperation with MP and the Institute for Evaluation of the Quality of Education and Training (ZVKOV).

The goal of the activities within this project task is to improve the process and practice of self-evaluation through the development and application of various techniques and instruments for monitoring and evaluating the quality of work of preschool institutions (PU) and strengthening the competencies of practitioners who are recognized as key actors in the process of changing practice in accordance with the starting points program concepts of preschool education and education (PVO). In this sense, it is important to ensure a common understanding of the cycle and the role of self-evaluation in the development and change of kindergarten practice, by designing different types of support for that process:

1. prepared resources for self-evaluation of the work of preschool institutions (proposed instruments (checklists for self-evaluation team members, questionnaires for educators and nurses, focus groups/interviews with educators, parents, professional associates, the director, a list of questions for consultation with children);

2. prepared Guide for self-evaluation of PU (10,600 copies are being printed so that almost every group in public PU will receive its own copy);

3. one-day training for self-evaluation teams of public PUs (during June and during September);

4. mentoring support for self-evaluation teams of all public preschool institutions through the entire cycle of self-evaluation during the working year 2022/2023;

Based on the decision of the Minister, the one-day training for self-evaluation of the quality of the work of preschool institutions was placed on the list of programs of public interest and as such is free for all participants. The training leaders form a team of 30 practitioners who were previously trained to conduct training for the self-evaluation of the work of the PU and provide mentoring support to the PU during the entire cycle of self-evaluation (past two-day training for the training of trainers).

During June, 8 training sessions were held with 200 participants, and during September, 6 training sessions were held with around 200 participants. The hosts were preschool institutions that provided their space for the implementation of the training (except for a few that were implemented in vocational training centers). In November, 3 training sessions were held for educational advisors from all school administrations in the territory of the Republic of Serbia as part of the support of PU, but also with the aim of empowering educational advisors to provide support to practitioners in PU following the new program concept.

Mentoring support to the self-evaluation teams of all public PUs is ongoing and will last throughout the self-evaluation cycle in the PUs (until June 2023).

You can see other photos here.