As part of the Professional Learning Community (PLC) model, which is part of the Support Program for public preschool institutions in Serbia through the Ministry of Education project “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care”, teams from 68 kindergartens of the core of change from 45 preschool institutions are in the final phase of implementing this Model.

 At the end of November and beginning of December 2022, 11 one-day professional meetings (JPS) were held, hosted by preschool institutions from: Belgrade (Palilula, Zvezdara, Vozdovac), Kragujevac (“Djurdjevdan”), Nis, Pozega, Kraljevo, Kula and Zrenjanin.

About 450 practitioners participated in 11 JPS, who, within smaller groups, exchanged 136 different examples of practice, which they had previously dealt with in their kindergartens. Each core chose one of the offered topics: Game, Space, Planning, or Documenting, while the second topic – Inclusive access was mandatory for everyone.

After the JPS, they finished with the mentoring support of the associates who were engaged within the Project with the aim of providing support to practitioners during the implementation of the Model (realizing professional meetings in the kindergarten and leading discussions, creating narratives and using tools, criteria for selecting examples, preparing for JPS – making a presentation and exposure).

The real goal of applying the Professional Learning Community Model is not preparation and participation in JPS, but change in practice through action, or the so-called PUPA. The PUPA phase that is realized after JPS, the teams of 68 kindergartens of the core of change are now in that phase when based on the defined change depending on what kind of practice they want, or on the basis of defined specific activities that should lead to the desired change, implement and monitor the change process, analyze and critically present observations to the entire process until the defined change is achieved.

Practitioners emphasize the importance of defining the plan of change and the entire process, the path of change should be the subject of joint work and planning of all educators from the core, through the steps given within the PUPA.

Preschool institutions (83) that apply the Basics of the “Godine uzleta” program from September 1, 2022, are in the phase of exchange between practitioners at the core kindergarten level of changes regarding the criteria and selection of examples for the JPS that is coming to them during April 2023.

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The Ministry of Education, within the framework of component 2 of the project Inclusive preschool education and Care (2018 – 2024), provides support to:

– the quality introduction and implementation of the new Foundations of the preschool education program;

– improvement of initial education and professional development of employees in PVO i

– improvement of the quality evaluation system of preschool upbringing and education in order to support the well-being and overall development of children.

Research and practices in the introduction and implementation of the new Fundamentals of preschool education and care programs, as well as previous insights into the process of supporting institutions for the implementation of the new Fundamentals of Programs in Serbia, confirm that the implementation of the new concept is a complex, demanding and long-term process that requires further support for practitioners in preschool institutions and after the end of the Project. Among others, the professional and advisory support that educational advisors can provide is recognized as very important.

In the period February 22-24, 2023, the Second Expert Consultation of educational advisors from school administrations: Novi Sad, Sombor, Zrenjanin and Belgrade (30) was held in Novi Sad on the topic of Quality assurance of the methodology of external evaluation of preschool institutions.

Bearing in mind the fact that from September 1, 2022, all PUs are obliged to implement the new program concept, as well as the fact that the Quality Framework adopted in 2018 has been revised (it meets the requirements of the new program concept) and so far did not apply, the key activity in the counseling was a full-day visit by educational counselors to one of the kindergartens of PU “Radosno detinjstvo” in Novi Sad (“Cvrcak i mrav”, “Krcko Orascic”, “Vilenjak” and “Zlatokosa”). Divided into 4 groups (of 7-8 counselors each), they had the opportunity to apply the revised Quality Framework and as “critical friends” gain insight into the quality of kindergarten work in two quality areas: Educational work and Support for children in the family.

On the first day of counseling, the educational counselors prepared for the visit to the kindergarten by presenting forms for observing activities in the kindergarten (according to standards and quality indicators) and presenting a package of additional instruments and auxiliary materials for activities in the kindergarten, as well as making an activity plan and dividing responsibilities feedback to the head of the kindergarten from the role of “critical friend” who will objectively assess the quality of the kindergarten’s work. Part of the preparation included familiarization with the specifics of the kindergarten they will visit, as well as research reading of 4 manuals/guides created to support practitioners in the quality application of the new program concept: A manual for documentation, a Guide for arranging the space in the kindergarten, Guide for developing the topic/project with children, Strategy of joint development of programs in accordance with the specificities of certain ages of children.

During the visit to the kindergarten, the educational counselors went in pairs to 2 groups of children of different ages in which they followed the implementation of the educational work program, i.e. the work of the teachers in the group and gave short feedback to the teachers. After that, they visited the common areas of the kindergarten (external and internal), analyzed the pedagogical documentation (Thematic/project portfolio and Children’s portfolio), conducted interviews with professional associates and managers, teachers and parents, distributed surveys to them and gave feedback on the key findings to the representatives of the kindergarten in two areas of quality.

On the third day of counseling, educational counselors worked on harmonizing assessments at the level of indicator standards in two areas of work quality, analyzing the results of surveys and interviews, triangulating quality evidence at the area level, and drafting a report on the evaluation of work quality for each kindergarten.

After finalizing the report, upon returning to the school administrations, the heads of the school administrations will send the reports to each of the 4 kindergartens, in the role of a “critical friend” who provides a different perspective on the work of the institution, and which can be useful to practitioners in a more objective assessment of the quality of work.

All counseling participants expressed their satisfaction after the three-day work, during which they had the support of 4 mentors/leaders for the implementation of OP.

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EDUCATIONAL ADVISORS AS SUPPORT FOR IMPROVING THE WORK QUALITY IN PRESCHOOL INSTITUTIONS

As part of the Project of Inclusive Preschool Education and Care, the Director of the World Bank for External Communications for Europe and Central Asia, Nicole Frost, together with Mirjana Popovic – Public Relations Specialist, Gordana Filipovic – Public Relations Advisor (from the World Bank office Bank in Belgrade), as well as representatives of the Ministry of Education and project management units, visited the kindergarten “Vracarac” today, in order to see the possibilities to further support the visibility of the project, taking into account the results achieved so far.

Kindergarten “Vracarac” was opened in the building of the administration of the city municipality of Vracar, which was reconstructed, renovated, and equipped in accordance with the new Foundations of the Program and repurposed for educational work within the framework of the Project. Within the “Vracarac” kindergarten, 131 children attend the preschool education program, and the teachers from this facility are trained in the application of the Basics of the program and apply them in their work. The kindergarten started operating on September 1, 2021.

The Ministry of Education, through the Inclusive Preschool Education and Care program, and in cooperation with the “Novak Djokovic” Foundation and local self-governments, in previous 2 years, provided around 150 new education rooms through minor adaptations, repurposing, or furnishing of existing spaces in local self-governments. In this way, it was possible for 3000 children to be included in the preschool education program. In addition, in 34 cities and municipalities, local projects financed from grants are implemented, through which, among other things, 51 rooms for educational work have been adapted and equipped.

Thanks to the Project, so far 82% of educators have been trained in the application of the new Foundations of preschool education and education program – Years of Ascension, with the tendency for the coverage to be complete (100%) by the end of the project. All public preschool institutions received mentoring support in the implementation of the new program concept, as well as manuals. Support for strengthening the competencies of educators from all preschool institutions is ongoing through participation in two learning models through the horizontal exchange of practitioners.

The goal is to include 223,559 children with the Project of Inclusive

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As part of the Ministry of Education’s project “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care”, the Support Program for the Implementation and Expansion of the Basics of the Program – Godine uzleta is implemented, which includes all preschool institutions, and which includes: training, mentoring support, the application of two models of horizontal exchange and learning between practitioners (Joint Learning by Modeling – ZUM and Community of Professional Learning – ZPU) and the creation and distribution of a series of manuals and guides under the common name “Linije leta”. The manuals and guides were prepared at the Institute for Pedagogy and Andragogy of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, and the publisher is the Ministry of Education.

The “Linije leta” series includes:

● Manual for documentation – Pedagogical documentation and documentation in the Basics of the preschool Education and Care program “Godine uzleta” – prof. Dr. Zivka Krnjaja and Prof. Dr. Dragana Pavlovic Breneselovic.

● Guide for the arrangement of space in the kindergarten – Space in accordance with the Basics of the program of preschool Education and Care “Godine uzleta” – prof. Dr. Dragana Pavlovic Breneselovic, prof. Dr. Zivka Krnjaja and Sandra Backovic.

● Developing an integrated approach to learning through topics/projects – Guide for developing a topic/project with children in accordance with the Basics of the preschool education program “Godine uzleta” – prof. Dr. Zivka Krnjaja and Prof. Dr. Dragana Pavlovic Breneselovic

● Manual Strategy for the joint development of programs in accordance with the specificities of individual children’s ages – – Developing a realistic program in accordance with the Basics of the PVO “Godine uzleta” program, prof. Dr. Prof. Dr. Dragana Pavlovic Breneselovic, Zivka Krnjaja, Marija Jovanovic, Gordana Sjenicic.

All the manuals and guides from the “Linije leta” series are printed in a circulation of 10,600 copies, which allows it to be received by every public preschool institution: all professional associates and all trainers/mentors for the Fundamentals program, as well as almost every educational group. In the case that each group did not receive a distributed printed copy, preschool institutions also received a PDF version of the manual.

Also, the manuals were delivered to all school administrations, all faculties, secondary and higher schools that educate teachers, as well as teachers who implement the preparatory preschool program in the organization of elementary schools.

The PDF version of the handbook was also given to all private preschool institutions.

We are convinced that the manuals and guides from the “Linije leta” series will represent important professional support and an invitation to practitioners in all public and private preschool institutions to, in the process of spreading the Basics of the program, reconsider their own starting points and beliefs and deepen their understanding of various aspects of the program concept, with the aim of building program quality.

PDF versions of all manuals/guides are available at the link.