APPROACHES TO THE EVALUATION OF SCHOOLS WHICH PROVIDE COMPULSORY EDUCATION - THE SITUATION IN ROMANIA 1a
The Information Network on Education in Europe APPROACHES TO THE EVALUATION OF SCHOOLS WHICH PROVIDE COMPULSORY EDUCATION ROMANIA 2000/2001a
Persons responsible for preparation of the monograph: Alexandru Modrescu (Romanian Eurydice Unit)a
APPROACHES TO THE EVALUATION OF SCHOOLS WHICH PROVIDE COMPULSORY EDUCATION - THE SITUATION IN ROMANIA 2a
I. Introduction 1. Historical background
The inspection model used until 1990 was conceived for a very centralised education system,
putting an important accent on a rigid bureaucratic control. The evaluators were the bodies of
inspectors coming from the Ministry of Education or from County School Inspectorates. Those
inspectorates were the representatives of the Ministry of Education in a county, responsible for
inspection of schools in their geographical area. The inspection focused almost exclusively on
school teaching staff. The report produced as a result of the inspection contained a description
of the situation observed and some bureaucratic recommendations for improvement.
Starting with 1990, the pressure coming from the Ministry of Education decreased as a result of
the decentralisation process. The new context facilitated initiatives coming from regional
educational authorities responsible for school inspection. Each County School Inspectorate
produced its own evaluation sheet of teaching staff and used its own inspection model. This
situation could not continue since the local inspection model could not be in accordance with the
national policy concerning school evaluation, elaborated by the Ministry of Education, and could
not respect the same quality standards. On the other hand, the inspectors responsible for the
elaboration of new inspection models were not especially trained for this activity and their
competencies were based mainly on the experience obtained in the old centralised system.
In 1998, in order to face the new challenges related to quality assurance in school education, a
new inspection model was designed and implemented by the Ministry of National Education
(since the beginning of 2000 the new name is the Ministry of Education and Research) through
the Minister Order 4682/28.09.1998. The new model was conceived to ensure that school
inspections are based on a national agreed pattern.
Three basic aspects should be underlined regarding the new inspection model:
• the evaluation of quality of education provided in school
• the overall evaluation of school
• the new role of inspector as counsellor for quality improvement.
Inspectors are trained and accredited particularly for the evaluation of quality of education
provided by schools, corresponding to the new system of school inspection. This approach
gives priority to evaluation and counselling and places the control on the second plan.
The new model sets out the purposes of inspection, specifies who can carry out inspections and
provides guidance on how an inspection should be conducted. It also establishes how the
inspection system should be monitored and developed and how good schools should be
recognised and weak schools supported.
The purpose of inspection is twofold. First, it helps schools to improve the quality of education
they provide. Second, it informs decision-makers, various stakeholders, regional authorities and
parents about the schools' results and achievements.
County School Inspectorates remain the regional educational authorities responsible for
inspection. The new model takes into account the transfer of managerial responsibilities to local
authorities, as a result of the decentralisation process.
APPROACHES TO THE EVALUATION OF SCHOOLS WHICH PROVIDE COMPULSORY EDUCATION - THE SITUATION IN ROMANIA 3
The new inspection model covers all educational levels, except higher education. Schools are
evaluated for both educational and administrative tasks.
Another important moment related to evaluation of school is represented by the establishment
of the National Commission for Evaluation and Accreditation of Pre-university Education
(NCEAPE). The Law 196/1999 stipulates that the quality of education provided in every school
must be evaluated by NCEAPE in order to award the accreditation to the respective school. The
accreditation is awarded for a period of four years. After this period the school must be
evaluated again.
Recent regulations on organisation and functioning of schools (Minister Order 4747/2001)
compel them to produce their own school development plan. They are themselves responsible
for the quality of education they provide. In this context, the new inspection model could
represent a guide for the school-head and the School Management Board for the development
of a system of quality assurance in school.
2. General overview of approaches to the evaluation of schools
In Romania, the evaluation of schools is carried out externally and internally. The external
evaluation is conducted by a team of inspectors coming from the Ministry of Education and
Research and/or from County School Inspectorates and by the National Commission for
Evaluation and Accreditation of Pre-university Education (NCEAPE). The internal evaluation is
managed by the school-head.
The following table gives an overall view of different tasks evaluated by external and internal
evaluators:
Evaluators School tasks which are being evaluated external internal joint
1. Teaching/learning concerned with abilitiesand knowledge
Inspectors and School head
-
Educational tasks
2. Teaching/learning concerned with preparation for life in society /career guidance Inspectors and NCEAPE School head-
3. Management of human resources Inspectors and NCEAPE School head
-
4. Management of operational resources Inspectors and NCEAPE School head
-
5. Management of capital resources Inspectors andNCEAPE School head
-
Administrative tasks
6. Information/information resources/relations/partnerships
Inspectors and NCEAPE School head
-
Legend
NCEAPE = National Commission for Evaluation and Accreditation of Pre-university Education (EN)
NCEAPE = Comisia Naţională pentru Evaluare şi Acreditare a Învăţământului Preuniversitar (RO)
APPROACHES TO THE EVALUATION OF SCHOOLS WHICH PROVIDE COMPULSORY EDUCATION - THE SITUATION IN ROMANIA 4
The main distinction between schools' evaluation performed by inspectors and that performed
by NCEAPE is determined by the purpose of each evaluation. The first is oriented towards
counselling and helping schools for improvement of education provided by them, while the
second is directed to control if schools meet the necessary requirements in order to receive the
accreditation. This entitles public schools to be public-funded and private schools to function.
The inspection teams coming from the Ministry of Education and Research and/or from County
School Inspectorates are expected to use the same procedures for evaluation focused on the
following issues:
• the educational performances attained by pupils
• the way the school supports and encourages pupil's personal development
• the quality of teaching and of teaching staff
• the quality of school management and the efficiency of resources utilisation
• the quality of school's curriculum and extracurricular activities, and the way the national and
local curriculum is implemented
• the school-parents relationships
• the school-local community relationships
• the extend to which the school carries out its legal responsibilities
• the attitude of pupils towards education provided by school.
The National Commission for Evaluation and Accreditation of Pre-university Education
(NCEAPE) evaluates schools both for educational and administrative tasks. It takes into
account:
• the context in which the school carries out its activities
• the school-local community relationships and partnerships with other institutions
• the school development plan
• the management of human resources
• the use of capital and operational resources
• the quality of activities carried out by the teaching staff
• pupils' results
• the school ethos
School heads are responsible for internal evaluation of school activities. Schools are
encouraged to develop their own system of self-evaluation, which is seen as an important tool
for the improvement of education quality. In this context, the school head co-ordinates the
elaboration of school development plan and evaluates the attainment of its objectives. The
result of the evaluation is included in an annual report presented and discussed by the School
Management Board and by the School Professorial Board.
3. Structure of the monograph
The monograph covers two approaches to external evaluation: one carried out by bodies of
inspectors coming from the Ministry of Education and Research or from County School
APPROACHES TO THE EVALUATION OF SCHOOLS WHICH PROVIDE COMPULSORY EDUCATION - THE SITUATION IN ROMANIA 5
Inspectorates (Section 1 of Part II, heading 1.3.1) and the other conducted by the National
Commission for Evaluation and Accreditation of Pre-university Education (Section 1 of Part II,
heading 1.3.2).
The internal evaluation is conducted by the school head and it is presented in Section 2 of Part
II. In Romania, there is not any approach to joint evaluation of schools.
4. How the evaluation of schools relates to evaluation of education as a
whole
In the framework of education reform, the central administration paid a special attention to
school evaluation, considering it as being a very important and efficient tool, useful in the
process of evaluation of the whole education system. In order to assure a coherent and realistic
evaluation of schools, the legislative framework has been developed. It includes the Ministry
Order 4682/1998 for the implementation of the new inspection model, the Law 196/1999 for the
establishment of the National Commission for Evaluation and Accreditation of Pre-university
Education, the Government Decision 31/1999 concerning the organisation and functioning of
the National Commission for Evaluation and Accreditation of Pre-university Education, the Law
128/1997 concerning the teaching staff statute. The last one contains important information
concerning the role of the school head as evaluator and the follow-up of inspectors' activity.
The management of the whole system of school evaluation is the responsibility of the Ministry of
Education and Research. The evaluation is conducted by its representatives: bodies of
inspectors from the Ministry or from County School Inspectorates and the National Commission
for Evaluation and Accreditation of Pre-university Education.
The importance given to external evaluation conducted by bodies of inspectors is underlined by
the Law 128/1997. It stipulates that the inspection reports are further used for diagnosis and
prognosis of the education system and for making conclusions and proposals presented to
executive and legislative bodies.
At the end of each school year the General School Inspector draws up a report on the status of
education in the respective county. The report is sent to the Ministry of Education and
Research, Government representatives in the county, county council, local council and all
educational institutions situated in the county.
The information collected from the reports on school external evaluation is analysed and
included in an annual report on the situation of the national education system, presented by the
Ministry of Education and Research to the Parliament. This annual report is published in the
Official Monitor, a publication containing the legislative regulations adopted by the Parliament.
The inspection system covers the following education levels: pre-school, primary, lower
secondary, upper secondary and post secondary. It includes also special education. The same
external evaluation system applies to public and private educational institutions.
The evaluation of education provided by schools became a priority of education reform, in order
to assure the necessary quality of the whole education system. Thus, the National Commission
for Evaluation and Accreditation of Pre-university Education evaluates all the educational
institutions at pre-university level, public and private, and awards the accreditation for
functioning. The evaluation process includes also the analysis of the information presented in
the self-evaluation report conducted by the school head.
APPROACHES TO THE EVALUATION OF SCHOOLS WHICH PROVIDE COMPULSORY EDUCATION - THE SITUATION IN ROMANIA 6
The National Commission for Evaluation and Accreditation of Pre-university Education has
representatives in each county (the County Commission for Evaluation and Accreditation of Preuniversity Education). The evaluation is carried out by sub-commissions nominated by those
representatives. Reports coming from sub-commissions are collected and analysed by the
County Commission for Evaluation and Accreditation of Pre-university Education. The
conclusions are included in a report sent to the National Commission for Evaluation and
Accreditation of Pre-university Education. The information included in the received reports is
used for writing of the annual report, which is presented by the commission to the Ministry of
Education and Research. The last report represents a basis for the annual report on the status
of the education system presented to the Parliament by the Minister of Education.
APPROACHES TO THE EVALUATION OF SCHOOLS WHICH PROVIDE COMPULSORY EDUCATION - THE SITUATION IN ROMANIA 7
II. Approaches to the evaluation
1. External evaluation
The Ministry of Education and Research is responsible for the whole system of external
evaluation of schools.
1.1. General objectives
General objectives of external evaluation can be observed in relation with two categories of
evaluators:
• School inspectors coming from County School Inspectorates and/or from the Ministry of
Education and Research;
• National Commission for Evaluation and Accreditation of Pre-university Education –
NCEAPE.
School Inspectors coming from County School Inspectorates and/or from the Ministry of
Education and Research The Education Act No. 84/1995 sets out responsibilities of school inspectors. Their main tasks are related to the monitoring and evaluation of the whole pre-university school network. Purposes of the school inspection, carried out by an inspection team and formulated in the Minister's Order No. 4682/1998 are the followings:
• to help school for improving its activity;
• to report on performances attained by a school to various stakeholders, the Government
and Local Authorities.
National Commission for Evaluation and Accreditation of Pre-university Education – NCEAPE
(Comisia Naţională pentru Evaluarea şi Acreditarea Învăţământului Preuniversitar)
The Law No.169/1999 established NCEAPE, assigning the task to evaluate all educational
institutions at pre-university level, in order to accredit them. The same law specifies the general objectives of the evaluation carried out by sub-commissions of experts, comprising
representatives of NCEAPE:
• to ensure that minimum quality standards, set up at national level, are achieved in all
evaluated schools;
• to offer equal opportunities for increasing the quality of education provided in all schools.
1.2. Evaluators
External evaluation is undertaken by two categories of evaluators.
School Inspectors coming from County School Inspectorates and/or from the Ministry of
Education and Research
All pre-university educational institutions are inspected on a regular basis by school inspectors
(the Education Act no 84/1995). Forty-two County School Inspectorates, established at regional
level for monitoring the whole school network, are decentralised decision making bodies,
subordinated to the Ministry of Education and Research. Each inspectorate is headed by a
Rodica Barlau-2002