The CERCA school report card: communities creating education quality - final report

Participatory school improvement: successes in Central America

By: Flórez Guio A, Chesterfield R & Siri C
Published by: Academy for Educational Development (AED), 2006
Via: Eldis

The CERCA school report card (SRC) model provides a framework to support parents, teachers, students, and community leaders to work together to collect and analyse information about their schools, using simple indicators and self-assessment tools, to develop school improvement and monitoring plans to improve classroom quality. This report describes the experience of developing and implementing the SRC model in five pilot countries: the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. It summarises the major findings, successful procedures, and implications of the experience for the region, and compares the SRC approach with other programmes to improve education quality. Key findings from the report are:

• the SRC model was effective in increasing community participation to discuss findings
• changes relating to quality suggested by the school community were addressed by participating schools
• around a third of nominated actions related to improving reading and writing
• the SRC generated results within a short timeframe, and almost all participating schools will continue to utilise the model without support from CERCA, suggesting that it is a sustainable approach
• skills gained by participants trained during the programme empowered communities to develop their own school management tools
• all parents, including those who could not read or write took on new roles, such as actively participating in analysis group discussions, monitoring the attendance and punctuality of students, and creating appropriate learning settings for children to do homework in their homes
• because external facilitation is minimal and there are no recurrent costs, the SRC process is cost-effective, in comparison to other programs funded by USAID
  

The report also observes that, to increase the reach of the CERCA SRC approach, and to ensure that it is sustainable, it will be essential to develop the active the involvement of, and ownership by ministries of education.

(http://www.aed.org/ToolsandPublications/upload/
AED%20CERCA%20SRC%20Final%20Report.pdf)

An education strategy to promote opportunity, prosperity, and growth

A framework for education policy

By: Bender J, Bordoff J & Fuman J

Published by: Brookings Institution, Hamilton Project. 2007

Via: Docuticker

This paper discusses a framework for education policy, from early childhood through post-secondary education, along with major reform ideas consistent with that framework. We present evidence showing that education is critical to broad-based economic growth. Investments in education yield large returns to both society and the individual. Furthermore, expanding access to high-quality education directly addresses one of the major causes of increased inequality: technological changes that increasingly reward skilled workers. The paper presents evidence suggesting that America’s educational system is neither in crisis nor reaching its full potential. To better secure the benefits of a strong education system, the paper outlines an evidence-based strategy that calls for new investments in some areas (such as early education) and structural reforms in others (such as the teacher tenure system). A recently proposed early education program for disadvantaged children and a proposal to dramatically simplify the federal student financial aid system are discussed in detail.

(http://www1.hamiltonproject.org/views/papers/200702education.pdf)

Education sector responses to HIV and AIDS: learning from good practices in Africa

A summary of the key issues regarding HIV and AIDS and the education sector

By: Rispel L, Letlape L & Metcalf C
Published by: Commonwealth Secretariat , 2006
Via: Eldis

This document summarises the key issues regarding HIV and AIDS and the education sector and is based primarily on a review of published literature and the findings of the regional workshop organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) from 12 to 14 September 2006 which focused on "Good Practices in Education Sector Responses to HIV and AIDS in Africa".

Education reform in Uganda 1997-2004: reflections on policy, partnership, strategy and implementation

A new model of reform?: successes and lessons from Uganda’s education reform under a budget support modality

By: Ward M, Penny A & Read T
Published by: Department for International Development (DFID), UK , 2006
Via: Eldis

When Ugandan government embarked on its ambitious programme of educational reform in 1997, it was also building a new framework for managing relationships with donors, technical assistance agencies, and stakeholders within the country. This book provides detailed studies of the Ugandan process of education reform, from partnership development, through to curriculum design and policy dialogue. It describes the internal governmental processes and politics involved in developing and implementing new policies, negotiating and managing the budget support modality, and assesses progress on increasing access to, and improving the quality of, primary education.