schools first initiative

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Government of the Philippinesapproach to leading the nation out of its education

crisis

DRAFT as 7/15/2005DO NOT QUOTE


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Table of Contents

FOREWORD 1BY SECRETARY FLORENCIO B. ABAD

Chapter 1 2WHAT IS SCHOOLS FIRST?

AN OVERVIEW OF THE SCHOOLS FIRST INITIATIVE

Chapter 2 4WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR SCHOOLS FIRST?

A LOOK AT THE CRISIS IN PHILIPPINE EDUCATION

Chapter 3 8WHAT DOES SCHOOLS FIRST SEEK TO ACCOMPLISH?

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHOOLS FIRST INITIATIVE

Chapter 4 13HOW DOES SCHOOLS FIRST WORK?

THE SFI STRATEGIC RESULTS FRAMEWORK

Chapter 5 17WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO?PRIORITY ACTIONS

Chapter 6 21WHERE DO WE START?

CHANGING THE WAY WE LOOK AT EDUCATION

Chapter 7 24ONE FINAL WORDCONCLUSION

Appendix A 25GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Appendix B 29FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT EDUCATION SUMMIT

Appendix C 33

ELEMENTS OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN


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SCHOOLS FIRST INITIATIVE PRIMER

Foreword

The task of reforming Philippine education is a formidable one.

As we struggle to reduce the tremendous resource gaps in education, we too have to contend

with the deteriorating quality of our basic education programs, programs which have been in

rapid decline over the last three decades. In the absence of an economic miracle in our

countrys foreseeable future, we would need to develop highly innovative solutions if we are

to reverse this downward trend.

In the last few months, I have had the great privilege of meeting some of the best minds in the

field of education. The valuable inputs of these dedicated men and women have contributed

to our understanding of the education crisis and to the development of what is now our

governments response to that crisis, the Schools First Initiative.

It is my hope that with the cooperation of all our stakeholders, through our continuing

discussions with people in the field and through their actual participation in Schools First, we

can make headway in our battle against mediocrity in the performance of our schools and in

the performance of our students in the coming months and years.

The success ofSchools Firstmust be a common goal among all Filipinos.

Through Schools First, we must all work together to ensure that we have better schools for our

children. Through Schools First, we must all work together to ensure that our children get the

best education possible.

No less than our nations future depends on it.

FLORENCIO B. ABAD

Secretary of Education

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Chapter 1

WHAT IS SCHOOLS FIRST?

AN OVERVIEW OF THE SCHOOLS FIRST INITIATIVE

And what is principled leadership if not the kind that nurtures

empowerment?

The principled leader helps others discover and develop the leader in

themselves and thus propagates a community of leaders all attuned to the

common good.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

The Schools First Initiative is the flagship program of the Department of Education that

attempts to significantly enhance our efforts at improving the quality of education in our

country.

Our Crisis in Education

Schools Firstrecognizes the need to provide solutions to the many problems of our schools. No

less than our Secretary of Education, Florencio B. Abad, has declared a state of crisis inPhilippine education. This crisis situation is rooted on the fact that we are not spending

enough for education, leading to shortages in classrooms, teachers and textbooks that

contribute to the overall mediocrity in the performance of our schools and our students.

Beyond this, our centralist and hierarchal education bureaucracy, its history of short-term

planning and short-lived leadership, and its isolation from the community, have not helped to

counteract this decline. To learn more about the state of Philippine education, go to Chapter 2:

WHY DO WE NEED SCHOOLS FIRST? A Look at the Crisis in Philippine Education .

Our ObjectivesThrough Schools First, we hope to improve the quality of education outcomes in the country

based on three performance indicators participation, completion and achievement. As a

reform package, Schools First has three components Enhancement of Learning, More

Resources for Learning and Focused Organization for Learning under which are efforts

designed to meet our strategic objective of enabling all Filipinos to acquire Basic Education

competencies. In turn, this strategic objective shall be achieved based on five Out-of-Crisis

Scenario indicators. To learn more about the objectives ofSchools First, go to Chapter 3: WHAT

DOES SCHOOLS FIRST SEEK TO ACCOMPLISH? The Objectives of the Schools First Initiative .

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Our Strategic Plan

Schools Firstacknowledges the need to reform the massive education bureaucracy in order to

make it more effective at delivering outcomes. A key element to the success of this flagship

initiative is the decentralization and local governance of education in the country. While the

Departments central and regional offices focus on providing support to those in the field, thedecentralization of education shall enable our frontline instructional leaders and teachers to

have a greater stake in the delivery of Basic Education. Local governance shall enable them to

engage their respective local communities in productive partnerships for school reform. To

learn more about how Schools First proposes to achieve these objectives, go to Chapter 4:

HOW DOES SCHOOLS FIRST WORK? The SFI Strategic Results Framework.

Our Priorities

As we implement Schools Firston its maiden year, 2005-2006, we must focus on twelve priority

actions. At the school level, focus is placed on the creation of partnerships in local governancethat will ultimately lead to the establishment of School Governing Councils in all public

elementary and high schools throughout the country. A thorough discussion of these priority

actions is in Chapter 5: WHAT WE NEED TO DO? Priority Actions.

The task of reforming Philippine education out of the crisis situation is no easy task. It requires

the participation of all stakeholders in what has to be the most comprehensive education

reform package in our entire history. Just as important is the need for us to reevaluate our

perception of education, from the way we look at the education bureaucracyto the way we

look at public school educator. Schools First requires us to have a transformation towards anelightened mindset, one that shall generate positive results from the active participation of a

mobilized citizenry. to learn more about the mind change Schools First requires from each

stakeholder, go to Chapter 6: WHERE DO WE START? Changing the Way We Look at Education.

Schools Firstshall empower an enlightened citizenry to solve the crisis in Philippine education.

With the active participation of all stakeholders in education, we can expect a dramatic

improvement in the performance of our schools, our teachers and our students. Through

Schools First, we can achieve our goal of providing quality Basic Education for all.

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Chapter 2

WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR SCHOOLS FIRST?

A LOOK AT THE CRISIS IN PHILIPPINE EDUCATION

The failure of education represents the failure of society. The failure of

education represents the inability of society to adequately prepare its young for

their inevitable ascendancy into leadership roles in the future. The failure of

education represents the inability of society to properly perpetuate itself through

succeeding generations.

It therefore pains me to report to you today what you and I all know

there is a crisis in Philippine education.

Secretary Florencio Abads

State of Education Address 2004

It should no longer surprise us that the state of Philippine Education is in crisis. What mostpeople do not know is the extent of this crisis.

Let us begin by examining the nature of the crisis in Philippine Education.

Surface Symptoms

Although there had been some improvements in the

past few years, shortages of classrooms, textbooks and

teachers remain to be a major concern. This Fiscal Year

2005, we have a shortage of 57,930 classrooms, 7.8

million textbooks and 20,874 teachers. This shortage is

expected to rise in the coming years since the student

population of our public elementary and high schools,currently in the area of 17 million, increase by 2.8%

annually.

SURFACE SYMPTOMS

RESOURCE GAPS

FY 2005 @1:45Classrooms 57,930Seats 2.24MTextbooks 7.8MTeacher Items 20,874

COUNTRY SPENDING ON EDUCATION

United States US$ 2,240 per studentNew Zealand US$ 2,240 per studentThailand US$ 950 per studentPhilippines US$ 114 per studentAlso, the actual per student spending on basic

education declined dramatically in 1988 when the country first implemented free secondary

education without proportionately increasing the basic education budget. Today, we only

spend around US$150 per student per year. This pales in comparison, for instance, to our

neighbor Thailand which spends around US$950 per student for each school year.

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And little relief is expected by way of the budget

allocation for Basic Education. For Fiscal Year 2004,

88.83% of the P109.5 billion earmarked for Basic

Education goes to teachers salaries alone. Also, the

P2.5 billion increase for Fiscal Year 2005 actuallyrepresents a decrease in the percentage of the national

budget that is allotted for Basic Education (down from

13.62% in 2004 to 12.35% in 2005).

Poor System-wide Performance

As the size of the student population increases each year,the pattern of poor outcomes has remained stagnant for

more than thirty years.

EVIDENCE OFABUNDANT

AND PERSISTENTLEARNING GAPS

1986-1988 SOUTELEMath scores at 44.3% in 1986, 41.9%in 1988, overall scores of Grade 6students at 47.5%

1989 BEE-PRODED

Math scores of Grade 6 students below50%; Math is least learned subject

1991 UPCE-PRODEDGrade 6 students score at 47.3%

1993-2004 NEATMean scores in Math and Sciencerange from 40.4% to 52.7%;stagnant around 50%

2004-2005 High School ReadinessTestEnglish: 0.81% at mastery level (75+)Science: 0.85% at mastery level

Math: 2.12% at mastery levelTotal: 0.64% at mastery level.

Less than 1% of incoming high schoolfreshmen have mastered minimumcompetencies of elementaryeducation and most are not readyto learn the high school curriculum.

In the most recent National Achievement Test, the national

average was 50.03% for Grade 5 and 44.36% for 4th year

high school. In the High School Readiness Test, only 8,000

out of 1.2 million students passed (with a low national

average of 32.13%, most of these Grade 6 students have a

Grade 4 competency level). In the Trends in InternationalMath and Science Study, we placed 36th out of 38

countries. In the Self-Assessment Test for English, we

learned that 80% of our public school teachers have

inadequate proficiency of the English language.

Moreover, out of 1,000 children who enter Grade 1, 312

drop out before they finish Grade 6. Of the 638 who do

finish grade school, 249 complete the program in 9.6 years

due to repetition or interruption. And of these 638students, only seven have mastered minimum

competencies required for high school.

Only 32 out of 100 Filipino children finish high school.

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Signs of Self-:Perpetuating Mediocrity

HIGH SCHOOLBRIDGE PROGRAM

The High School Bridge Program is

a one-year remedial program in

English, Math and Science created

for students who failed the High

School Readiness Test (HSRT).

The program faced strong

opposition from parents since it

represents an additional year of

studies for their children. Manyparents opted to have their

children go straight to high

school, this despite their lack of

requisite skills in these three core

subjects.

What is truly alarming is the presence of growing signs of

self-perpetuating mediocrity in our educational system.

Poorly performing students progressing through the cycleof Basic Education eventually move on to become

teachers who are unable to deliver high quality

instruction. Meanwhile, our education managers become

consumed by the day-to-day challenge of merely

accommodating additional students. They do not have the

capacity to address the need to focus on delivering quality

instruction much less to devote any effort to reform the

way current instruction is delivered.

Further worsening the situation, in order to justify this

daily and yearly struggle, there is a growing tendency to

focus on acquiring academic credentials even without

securing the real underlying competencies these

credentials are suppose to represent (the publics negative

reaction to the High School Bridge Program is indicative of this tendency).

Root Causes of the Crisis in Education

We have identified three critical issues that have allowed our Basic Education institutions to be

overwhelmed by crisis.

First, the centralist and hierarchical operations of the

education establishment divert and distract our attention

from teaching and learning in the classrooms. Second,

short planning horizons and limited funds encourage

mere coping and unsustainable niche performance. Third,

bureaucratic isolation from the community limitsindependent initiatives for improvement.

FOUR EDUCATIONSECRETARIES IN 5

YEARS

In the last five years, weve had 4Education Secretaries: Gonzales,

Roco, De Jesus, Abad.

And although reform capabilities are tremendous in our country and solutions have been

available for the longest time, our problems in education have reached crisis proportions

because our unique strengths have not been fully exercised to have an impact on a sustained

reform movement for the entire system.

Part of the problem stems from institutional instability at the top. In the last 18 years, the

Department of Education has been headed by nine Education Secretaries, each one serving anaverage of two years (or an equivalent of one budget cycle). While our education system

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would benefit from a more consistent cumulative effort sustained over a period of at least ten

years (since this would clearly demonstrate the full impact of reforms on one cohort of

children) representing the basic education program from Grade 1 entrant to High School

graduate, we cannot achieve this precisely because of this top level instability in the education

bureaucracy.

However, a bigger part of the problem stems from institutional stagnation at the middle and

bottom of the education hierarchy. Heavily dependent on the quality of teachers and

principals, the system has suffered so much because of two key weaknesses: (1) entry level

recruits have not always been the best qualified; and (2) career progression has not always

been based on who is the most capable of delivering educational outcomes. Moreover, most

reforms merely cope with these two self-perpetuating weaknesses.

While abundant evidence suggests that public schools do not always hire the best qualifiedcandidates from among the large pool of potential teachers, in-service training programs have

been very limited, poorly targeted, and with varying degrees of effectiveness. As a result, the

demand by teachers for an improvement in their own teaching competencies is very low and

the quality of teacher-student interaction has declined in many schools.

With no consistent evidence of a systematic, sustained, organized, deliberate, unidirectional

and effective effort to raise averages, reduce variations and lessen extent of lowerend

performance, Philippine education will continue its rapid decline.

With the daily demand to cope with running a large and complex enterprise, the task of

improving the quality of Philippine education becomes an even more difficult undertaking. For

education reformers, therefore, the challenge is to continue to deliver instruction while

changing the conditions under which such instruction is being delivered.

We need to perform while reforming.

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Chapter 3

WHAT DOES SCHOOLS FIRST SEEK TO ACCOMPLISH?

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHOOLS FIRST INITIATIVE

The wonderful institution established by mankind known as education

can have only one function and this is the pursuit of truth, honor and justice.

Jose P. Laurel

The SFI Package

Our most important challenge is to make education delivery

responsive t o the demands of communities ready to make these

changes possible. Although this will not happen at the same

time all over the country but there is a need to create the proper

environment that would enable each community to move ahead

at its own pace, given its unique capabilities and preferences,

and based on its understanding of the goals and benefits of

reform.

EDUCATIONFOR ALL

The quest to achieve

Education for All (EFA) is

fundamentally about

assuring that children,

youth and adults gain the

knowledge and skills they

need to better their lives

and to play a role in

building more peaceful and

equitable societies. This is

why focusing on quality is

an imperative for

achieving. As many

societies strive to

universalise basic

education, they face the

momentous challenge of

providing conditions where

genuine learning can take

place for each and every

learner.

Kochiro MatsuuraUNESCO Director-General

Of greatest potential impact are institutional changes at the

school level. We are therefore developing models of community

governance of schools and we hope to respond to the needs of

schools and communities that are ready to adopt these models.

But Schools First is not just a formal package of policy reforms. It

too is a popular movement based on the ideas and principles of

the global movement Education for All. As such, beyond the

policies and programs for Basic Education reform, we would like

to instill among our people the knowledge, information and

mindset that are crucial to understanding and appreciating

education reform and to empowering them to participate in the

process.

As a reform package, the Schools First Initiative has three key

components, namely: (1) Enhancement of Learning, (2) More

Resources for Learning, and (3) Focused Organization for

Learning.

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Enhancement of Learning

The first component of the SFI Package focuses on the

improvement of teaching and learning practices. As such, this

component aims to achieve the following objectives:

ECCD

The Early Childhood Care andDevelopment program aimsto ensure that preschoolchildren are adequately

prepared for the formallearning system. ECCDfocuses on the PreschoolProgram and the PreschoolService Contracting Scheme.

1) ECCD. Development of early childhood education standards

linked to national co-financing of local daycare and pre-

school programs;

2) Reading Proficiency. Development of reading standards,

improvement of teacher proficiency in teaching beginner

reading, and the creation of library hubs;MADRASAH

(pl. madaris) madrasah is an

arabic word meaning school

or place of learning. In the

Philippines, it is defined as

school in the Muslim

communities.

3) English Proficiency. Improvement of teacher hiring standards

and in-service interventions for non-proficient teachers;

4) Math and Science. Improvement of Math and Science

learning in Basic Education;

5) Muslim Filipinos. Promotion of Madrasah programs in Basic

Education;

6) Indigenous Peoples. Promotion of Indigenous Peoples

programs in Basic Education;

7) High Schools. Improvement of High School programs,

including Bridge to high school, Science & Technology high

schools, and Technical-Vocational Track in high school;

DEP ED-GILAS/

US-AID PROGRAM

Through the efforts of a

consortium of private

corporations and civic

organizations in partnership

with DepEd, this program

aims to provide basic internet

literacy programs and

internet connectivity to all the

5,443 public high schools by2010.

8) Teacher Preparation. Improvement of pre-service programs,

induction, and in-service training;

9) Student Assessment. Improvement of national achievement

tests in elementary and secondary levels and development

of division-based testing for instructional improvement;

10) ICT in Education. Promotion of ICT for teaching and learning

in all high schools (e.g., DepEd-GILAS/US-AID Program);

11) Values Formation. Promotion of Values Education; and

12) Distance Learning. Development of Distance Learning

programs for conflict-affected areas.

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Focused Organization for Learning

The third component of the SFI Package focuses on the improvement of the education

bureaucracy. As such, this component aims to achieve the following objectives:

1) Schools and DepEd Division Offices. Promotion of school-based management and

enhancement of Division Offices powers and responsibilities for Basic Education delivery;

2) DepEd Regional Offices. Shift in focus of Regional Offices to standards enforcement and

quality assurance at divisional level;

3) DepEd Central Office. Shift in focus of Central Office to policy, strategic direction, standards

and outcomes specification;

4) Rationalization. Implementation of DepEd reorganization with organizational structures

and staffing rationalized according to functional focus;

5) Decentralization. Acceleration of decentralization at the division, provincial and city levels(decentralization calibrated in scope and degree of autonomy based on readiness and

performance); and

6) Leadership Development. Development of principals, superintendents and educational

administration specialists under these new conditions.

Strategic Objective

INDICATORS

1. All children enterGrade 1 ready forschool.

2. All children in schoolread by Grade

3. Teachers with Englishand subjectproficiency.

4. All students obtainadequate instruction.

5. Increased demand forschooling by poor.

Our strategic objective is to enable all Filipinos acquire Basic

Education competencies.

As such, Schools First aims to provide the conditions

necessary for us to achieve this strategic objective and to get

our country out of the education crisis. This requires us to

develop in our children the ability to learn in non-natural

settings, the ability to learn literacy and numeracy, and the

ability to learn high order thinking skills. Also, we must

create measurements that both teachers and the public can

understand.

Scenario Out of Crisis

The Out-of-Crisis Scenario shall be based on five (5) Indicators, namely: appropriate early

childhood education content and outcomes. Subsequently, we would

1) All children enter Grade 1 ready for school. We would like to see more Filipino children aged

3 to 5 obtain organized early childhood development experience with adequate and liketo see all Filipino children ready to enter Grade 1. In order to help attain this goal, policies

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and programs and resources of the ECCD Council shall mobilize standards-based local

delivery of daycare and pre-school programs to the benefit of all poor households.

2) All children in school read by Grade 3. We would like to see more Filipino children in Grades

1 to 3 read with comprehension as early as possible through the use of their native tongue.Subsequently, we would like to see all Filipino children read by Grade 3. DepEd policies

and practices in the deployment, training and supervision of teachers and instructional

support on beginning reading and basic numeracy in Grades 1 to 3 help to attain this goal.

3) Teachers with English and subject proficiency. We would like to see all new teachers hired

have adequate English proficiency while more have subject mastery. Also, we would like to

see an improvement in instruction from Grade 4 to 6 and Year 1 to 4 and a rise in mastery

of grade level competencies. Policies and programs on education, licensing, hiring and

evaluating teachers and instructional support and supervision in schools help to attain thisgoal.

4) All students obtain adequate instruction. We would like to see engaged time on task in

schools increased to required levels and more students meet required competencies for

their respective levels. Subsequently, we would like to see all students meet required

competencies for each level. Classroom and school level policies and practices supported

by parental involvement and local government support help to attain this goal.

5) Increased demand for schooling by poor. We would like to see poor parents keep theirchildren in school longer while alternative learning reaches and raises competencies of all

drop-outs to levels equivalent to those in school. Other public services (e.g., health,

livelihood, social protection, nutrition) converging on poorer communities to induce poor

parents to keep their children in school longer help to attain this goal.

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Chapter 4

HOW DOES SCHOOLS FIRST WORK?

THE SFI STRATEGIC RESULTS FRAMEWORK

I am convinced that if this country is to move forward to grow at a rate

consistent with the aspiration of our people, we have to decentralize much of that

authority wielded by the National government.

Corazon C. Aquino

Key Requirements for Success

The success ofSchools First is dependent on how well teachers and learners enhance learning

in three environments, namely: (1) early childhood programs, (2) elementary and high schools,

and (3) alternative learning systems.

Our frontline instructional leaders School Heads, Principals and Supervisors must work

with teachers, parents, local governments and community groups so that they can unify all

efforts and resources for organized instruction in these three environments. Our Basic

Education managers at the local level the Division Superintendents must work with local

government executives so that they can provide the leadership and the support necessary to

meet education standards throughout their assigned locality. Parents, local governments and

the community must get involved at the school-level and local-level governance of Basic

Education. The collective efforts of all of these individuals to pursue a common goal shall

provide the strength required to focus, drive and sustain the entire reform process.

The DepEd Leadership the DepEd Central Office and Regional Offices shall provide the

impetus to make local governance of Basic Education yield better educational outcomes in

every community. The DepEd Leadership shall make sure that everyone stays focused on their

respective reform efforts. It shall mobilize all stakeholders, leverage existing good practices to

catalyze broader implementation, attract new forces, resources and approaches to further

enhance the capabilities of those in the field, and provide an effective structure for coherence

among diverse efforts.

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Decentralization and Local Governance FOCUS ON FUNCTION

School and Division Levels (FieldOperations) Operate of effective public schools Maximize contribution of private

schools Support cost-effective early childhood

education Support cost-effective alternative

learning systems Maximize productivity of teachers and

staff Steward of educational facilities and

assets Optimal use of instructional materials Fair and best use of financial resources

for basic education Good relations with communities

Establish and maintain action-orientedmonitoring of basic education

performance

Schools First calls for the interaction between

education professionals and the community.

As such, each school is expected to benefit from the

active involvement of parents, local government

executives and community leaders in the running of

its affairs. Local governance of education allows each

school to take full advantage of the local resources

available for education, resources that have been

untapped by most schools primarily because of the

lack of cooperation between these schools and

other stakeholders within their respectivecommunities.

Our common desire to effectively deliver our

programs for enhancement of learning shall serve as a driving factor that will enable us to link

or integrate resources and organizational authority at each level. Resources and organizational

authority for delivery of instruction shall be concentrated at the School and Division levels.

Resources and authority for the enforcement of standards and quality assurance for instruction

at the division level shall be concentrated at the Regional level. Technical resources and

systems oversight authority for policy, strategic direction, standards and outcomesspecification for learning enhancement programs shall be concentrated at the Central Office

level.

Strategic Results Framework

The attainment of our strategic objective is anchored on four (4) Intermediate Results, namely:

(1) Implementation of School Improvement Plans, (2) Implementation of local Basic Education

Plans, (3) Implementation of regional Basic Education Support Plans, and (4) Implementation

of National Policies and Programs.

Intermediate Result 1

Intermediate Result 1 (IR1) represents outputs at the school level.

All public schools are expected to implement their respective School Improvement Plans.

Under the Schools First model, these School Improvement Plans shall focus on the leadership

of the School Head and the participation of all stakeholders in the affairs of the school with the

end view of attaining school level governance.

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Intermediate Result 2 (IR2) represents outputs at the division level.

All 184 DepEd Division Offices are expected to implement their respective local BasicEducation Plans. Under the Schools Firstmodel, these local Basic Education Plans shall focus on

the collaboration with local governments, development of population-based plans, and

implementation of local ECCD and ALS programs. Division Offices shall focus on local

governance and shall provide support to schools for the effective implementation of their

respective School Improvement Plans.


Intermediate Result 3 (IR3) represents outputs at the regional level.

All 17 DepEd Regional Offices are expected to implement their respective regional Basic

Education Support Plans. Under the Schools First model, these regional Basic Education

Support Plans shall focus on region-specific issues, including the measurement of performance

and partnership development for teachers and school heads. Also, Regional Offices are

expected to provide support for the attainment of IR1 and IR2 in their respective localities.


Intermediate Result 4 (IR4) represents outputs at the level of the DepEd Central Office.

The DepEd Central Office is expected to provide a policy and program climate that encourages

the attainment of quality basic educational outcomes throughout the country. Under the

Schools First model, the Central Office shall focus on administrative decentralization, budget

reform, creation of institutional policies, advocacy and the development of leaders for Basic

Education reform.

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THE STRATEGIC RESULTS FRAMEWORK

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Chapter 5

WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO?

PRIORITY ACTIONS

What we do for our country will be measured by what we are doing now

for our children.

Fidel V. Ramos

12 Actions

Our immediate concern is to prepare the entire education system for the maiden year of the

Schools First Initiative, school year 2005-2006. Our efforts must therefore be focused on thesetwelve (12) Priority Actions:

1) Teacher Hiring. Revision of guidelines for teacher hiring;

2) Demographics. Delineation of school service areas and set school targets based on results

of household surveys of children ages 3 to 21;

3) School Management. Establishment of guidelines for School Improvement Planning and

good governance (to include School Head training and revised guidelines for School Head

promotion);

4) District Management. Establishment of guidelines on re-orientation and re-tooling ofSupervisors as instructional facilitators and consultants for SIP implementation;

5) Division Management. Establishment of guidelines for local Basic Education Planning for

each Division in coordination with their respective LGUs;

6) Regional Management. Establishment of guidelines for Regional Basic Education Support

Planning for each region;

7) Student Readiness. Assessment of readiness for school of all Grade 1 entrants, use of

assessment results for planning of local ECCD coverage and planning of instruction for

Grades 1 to 3;

8) Teacher Development. Assessment of teachers and development of Teacher DevelopmentPlans that include the creation of new support infrastructure for the professional growth of

teachers;

9) Alternative Learning. Collaboration with LGUs and other stakeholders for the development

of ALS Plans based on results of household survey;

10) Reading Proficiency. Establishment of guidelines for upgrading reading strategies to

improve reading skills of all public school students;

11) Strategic Measurement. Establishment of policies on standardized measurements of

Strategic Objective indicators; and

12) Formative Assessment. Establishment of guidelines on formative assessments to supportmanagement and instruction.

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At the same time, we must endeavor to understand the cognitive basis for the formation of

desired Filipino social identities and core ethical values so that we can develop the curriculum

and the instructional policies that would support these social identities and core values.

We must endeavor to define the classroom, the school and the community environments that

support learning so that we can develop policies that create these environments. And we must

endeavor to define assessment tools so that we can make accurate formative and summative

measurements of actual learning.

Actions at the School Level

Schools Firstrequires every school to move towards a community-based governance model. As

such, the ultimate goal here is to establish a community-based School Governing Council inevery school. Recognizing the different levels of preparedness of each and every community,

however, we expect schools and communities to reach this ultimate goal at varying speeds.

Based on their readiness, therefore, they can participate in Schools Firstat any one of these four

(4) Stages:

Stage 1. School Head engages with stakeholders in school improvement planning.

Stage 2. School Head involves existing organizations like the PTCA in school improvement.

Stage 3. School Head joins a group of people from among stakeholders who together

embody leadership for school improvement.Stage 4. School Head and group create a School Governing Council to direct school

improvement.

PT(C)A:WHAT A

DIFFERENCE ALETTER MAKES

PTCA is created to maintain

an active workingrelationship among parents,teachers and the schooladministration so that eachmay contribute effectively tothe education and welfare ofthe schoolchildren. It isintended to be a very goodmedium of continuingexchange of ideas andinformation among parents,teachers, the administrationand the community. Thru

PTCA, every stakeholder isgiven an opportunity to getinvolved in enhancing theeducational goals of theschool.

School Governing Council

The School Governing Council is the embodiment of local

governance of education. It is therefore an essential component

of the Schools First Initiative. The establishment of School

Governing Councils in all of our public schools is therefore highon our reform agenda.

As a governing body, the Council shall serve as the policy-

making authority of the school. While the day-to-day operations

of the school shall still be managed by the principal or school

head, the Council has overall authority over the operation and

direction of the school. The principal, as chief executive of the

school, shall in fact be accountable to the Council. Based on their

School Improvement Plan, the principal and his staff shallexecute a performance contract with the Council.

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Recognizing the important role of the Principal (or School Head) as the chief executive of the

school, he too shall serve as co-chair of the School Governing Council together with the LGU

representative to be designated by the LGE with concurrence of the local council.

The other members of the council are as follows:

1) Two (2) Parent Representatives, male and female, designated by the schools PTCA;

2) One (1) Teacher Representative, elected by the school faculty;

3) One (1) Student Representative, the student council head; and

4) Two (2) Community Representatives, belonging to the business, professional, academe,

retired, NGO, private school sectors, both nominated by the School Head with the

concurrence of the school faculty.

Working together as the School Governing Council, these men and women shall be

empowered to approve the School Improvement Plan, oversee the use of school-based MOOE

and SEF allocations available to the school, define school-level policies and resolve school-

level issues. They too shall be mandated to approve the official school profile.

Potentials and Risks

The creation of the School Governing Council offers both potentials and risks.

The Council provides a broader ownership of our public schools. The school stands to benefit

from the availability of more resources for learning, greater stability due to the increase in

grassroots support, and greater flexibility for the implementation of viable local solutions. As

the School Head is given greater latitude to function as administrative and instructional leader,

local politicians become more accountable for school improvement than for patronage. As the

rest of the DepEd hierarchy is relieved of a lot of school-level burdens, they can focus on

solving other DepEd concerns. Finally, school success becomes less dependent on recognition

from above. Instead, success shall be based more on performance from below.

Of course, the Council must contend with the possibility of abuse of power, conflicts among

stakeholders due to their individual self-interests, resistance to good policies and programs,

and misunderstanding among members of the community. The School Head may worry about

the reduction of his authority. Council work can be perceived as mere distraction to educators

not familiar with the new school management procedures. And finally, the risk of instability in

the composition of the Council can affect its performance.

In general, however, despite these risks, the potentials remain attractive. In fact, these risks are

quite manageable.

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THE SGC IS NOT THELOCAL SCHOOL

BOARD

The provincial, municipal or cityschool boarddetermines theannual supplementary budgetaryneeds for the operation andmaintenance of public schoolsand disburses these funds from theSpecial Education fund. The localboard also serves as an advisorycommittee to the sanggunianconcerning educational mattersand in the appointment of divisionsuperintendents, districtsupervisors, school principals, andother school officials.

The success of School Governing Councils is guaranteed

by the fact that each school is expected to develop and

move towards the establishment of its Council at its own

pace. There is no one-size-fits-all formula; there is no one-

time deadline. And while there are considerable rewardsfor moving towards that direction, no administrative

penalties shall be enforced on those who are not moving

at pace with others.

Furthermore, the benefits of having a School Governing

Council will fuel sustainability. Success will be addictive

and better outcomes will further energize the community

to pursue greater change.

Environment for Change

The establishment of the School Governing Council shall be facilitated by three (3) key

conditions, namely:

1) Division Superintendent and his staff prepares for school improvement and makes the

school ready for the establishment of the School Governing Council;

2) School Head sees of the advantages of having a School Governing Council and acquires

the ability to lead school improvement; and3) Teachers, parents, students and community leaders support the schools desire to move

towards the creation of a School Governing Council.

Schools First requires us to initiate public discussions of Basic Education outcomes. These

discussions are aimed at establishing a broad consensus on goals that may be articulated

through Education Summits at the local level. And while we actively engage local government

executives, other partners and potential allies in the community, a core group composed of

individuals from the DepEd further internalizes, develops and articulates the reform process.

Most important of all, we all have to make sure that these processes are brought down to thelevel of our schools.

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Chapter 6

WHERE DO WE START?

CHANGING THE WAY WE LOOK AT EDUCATION

We must transcend our petty selves, forget our hurts and bitterness, cast

aside thoughts of revenge, and let sanity, reason, and above all, love of country

prevail during our gravest hour. Benigno S. Aquino Jr.

The task of transforming Philippine education requires achange in the way we look at our public schools. This, in turn,

requires a change in the way we look at the public school

educator for they are in fact the embodiment of our schools.

REAL SCOPE OFCHANGE

Performance level: Fiveindicators readiness for school,

participation, completion,achievement, functional literacy

Characteristics behindperformance: decentralized,localized, democratized,stabilized, totalized and long-termized

Capacities underlyingperformance: leadership forchange, greater competence,wider perspectives, commitmentto values and positive culture

For years, the public school teacher has been unjustly

maligned and blamed for our failure to provide quality

education for the Filipino child. And since we too have

inaccurately diagnosed our past failures in the education

sector for so many years, it is important that we properly

examine these past failures if we are to effectively respond to

the demand for better outcomes.

Analysis of Past Failures

It would be easy to assume that our poor outcomes were brought about by the lack of effort

on the part of our public educators. But in truth, we all know they work very hard, continuously

and consistently. It would be easy to assume that our poor outcomes were brought about bythe lack of resources for Basic Education. But in truth, we all know that areas with vast

resources available for education have produced outcomes no better than those who have few

resources. And it would be easy to assume that our poor outcomes were brought about by

bad policies, programs and projects for Basic Education. In truth, however, we all know that we

have benefited from so many excellent policies, programs and projects.

It is significant to note that while all Filipinos share a common desire for better education, this

unanimity did not make a sufficient impact on the quality of our schools in the last three

decades. Our schools have in fact deteriorated significantly over the years. We therefore need

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to look at other reasons for the proliferation of poor outcomes throughout our education

system.

Mind Change for Reform

IMMOBILIZINGBELIEFS

Mind change requires us to

abandon these

immobilizing beliefs in

favor of more mobilizing

beliefs:

Were doing fine. No

need to change.

All we need is more

resources.

Tutok-pukpokwill

yield results. (results

elicited by enforcement

or maximum

supervision)

Just mandate change

and we will comply.

These are passing

fashions. Real change

is not possible, not

necessary, not

desirable.

We may have been focusing on the wrong problem.

While we have to work on improving the quality of our teachers,

providing more resources for our public schools, and developing

better policies, programs and projects (at the same time, extend

the benefits of good policies, programs and projects already

existing), we must recognize the need to change the way we

manage our schools.

Our education system has practiced an Administrative Approach to

Education.

This approach underscores the importance of hierarchy, a

hierarchy that is based on standardization management by rules

and regulations, demanded compliance and exactedaccountability for inputs and procedures. It is a hierarchy that

emphasizes a system of supervision and control, a hierarchy that

rewards obedience and punishes deviations. This approach has

resulted to bureaucratic atrophy characterized by massive efforts

bringing about little improvement. Under this approach, we have

been asking ourselves this question: How do we get our public

schools to properly implement the policies, programs and projects

our best leaders have created?

The mind change for reform requires us to practice an Education Approach to Administration.

This approach underscores the importance of self-governance, self-governance that

emphasizes the need to transform our public schools into institutions that are efficient in

learning and in applying what is learned to what is unique to local situations. This approach

stresses the need to turn all public educators at the school, division, region and central office

levels into authors or creators of the four intermediate results that will enable us to attain

our strategic objective. Under this approach, we should now ask ourselves this question: How

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do we get our public schools to learn continuously

and apply what they learn to how best they can

obtain better educational outcomes for all?

The nobility of the teaching profession is personified here in thePhilippines in our teachers for it istheir unwavering dedication and their

continuous performance of their dutiesdespite all odds that make all 40,000 ofour schools work day in, day out.

The Filipino Teacher is overworkedand underpaid. The Filipino Teacher ismaligned and unrecognized. And inorder to fulfill the mandate of ourcountrys constitutional democracy, theFilipino Teacher is even placed inharms way during elections.

Despite all hardships from poor pay to poor working conditions the

Filipino Teacher is still there.

Florencio B. AbadSecretary of Education

This mind change for reform is what we intend to

institutionalize through the Schools First Initiative.

Schools First shall enable us to reinvent the

Philippine education system to make it more

efficient and effective at addressing the needs of

each and every school.

Mind Change for Success

The success ofSchools First shall rely upon how well

we change the way we look at our public educators.

We cannot achieve our strategic objective if public

educators are perceived with disdain by other stakeholders. And we cannot improve the

quality of Philippine education if public educators have low regard of themselves as well.

Although we recognize the need to raise teacher standards, we too must recognize the fact

that the public school teachers failures are rooted on the defects of our hierarchal system ofeducation, a system that marginalizes and sidelines the teacher, a system that keeps the

teachers hands tied, his decisions second-guessed and his actions subjected to policy

restrictions.

Schools First requires us to acknowledge them as dedicated professionals. As such, we must

accord them the autonomy they need to learn and develop expertise. As such, we should

grant them control over the resources they need to pursue excellence. And as such, we should

provide them with unending opportunities to learn and practice what they have learned to

increase their impact. At the same time, we can expect them to be held accountable for

responsible performance.

The men and women that comprise our public education sector are some of the most

dedicated and hardworking public servants in our country. Given enough support and

encouragement, we can expect a lot more from them. We can expect no less than prompt

turnaround of our educational outcomes and our immediate exit from the crisis scenario.

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Chapter 7

ONE FINAL WORD

CONCLUSION

Ang matinong edukasyon, kapag ito ay nakamtan, ang sa taoy

magluluklok sa mataas na pedestal na mahigit pa sa gintong kapurihat

karangalan.

Jose P. Rizal

Education in our country has been declining for the past three decades. And although thetask of reforming our education system may seem daunting, we can no longer allow this crisis

to continue for another 30 years.

It is our responsibility to effect change today.

As proven by our many failures in the past, this responsibility must not rest in the hands of the

Department of Education alone. We have to realize that we all have a stake in this and that we

all have a role to play in this undertaking. With much faith in the collaboration of all of us who

share the same genuine concern for the welfare of our children, we must all take part in this

great endeavor.

The success ofSchools Firstdepends on the enthusiasm of the people in the field, enthusiasm

that would translate to cooperative efforts at improving each and every one of our schools

throughout the country.

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APPENDIX A

GLOSSARY

BASIC EDUCATION refers to education intended to meet basic learning needs, instruction at the firstfoundation level, in which subsequent learning can be based. It encompasses early childhood andprimary (or elementary) education for children, as well as education in literacy, general knowledge andlife skills for youth and adults, and it extends into secondary education.

BASIC OR SIMPLE LITERACY refers to the ability to read and write with understanding simplemessages in any language or dialect. (FLEMMS)

COHORT SURVIVAL RATE - is the proportion of enrollees at the beginning grade or year level whoreach the final grade or year level at the end of the required number of years of study.

COMPLETION RATE - is the percentage of first year entrants in a level of education who complete/finishthe level in accordance with the required number of years of study.

CURRICULUM a systematic group of experiences or sequences of courses or subjects required forgraduation or certification in the elementary and secondary levels of education.

DROPOUT RATE - is the proportion of pupils/students who leave school during the year as well as thosewho do not return to school the following school year to the total number of pupils/students enrolledduring the previous school year.

EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT (ECCD) - was institutionalized by RA 8980 in 2000 topromote the optimum growth and development of children. To ensure that children are adequatelyprepared for the formal learning system, preschool education was provided and most of these classeswere established under the Pre-School Service Contracting Scheme.

EDUCATION comprises organized and sustained communication process designed to bring aboutlearning.

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION - refers to the stage of formal education primarily concerned with providingbasic education and usually corresponding to six or seven grades.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - refers to a school offering elementary education.

ENROLMENT - is the total number of pupils/students who have registered as of August 31 in a givenschool year.

FORMAL EDUCATION is the institutionalized, hierarchically structured, chronologically gradededucational system running from the elementary to tertiary levels.

FUNCTIONAL LITERACY represents a significantly higher level literacy which includes not onlyreading and writing skills but also numeracy skills. These skills must be sufficiently advanced to enablethe individual to participate fully and effectively in activities commonly occurring in his life situation thatrequire a reasonable capability beyond oral and written communications. (FLEMMS)

GASTPE (Government Assistance to Students & Teachers in Private Education)This widen access to secondary education and assist small private schools through Education ServiceContracting (ESC) Scheme and Tuition Subsidy (TS). Students who cannot be enrolled in publicschools because of lack of teachers, space or facilities are entitled to receive P4T yearly subsidy from thegovernment to be able to enroll in the private school.

GRADE refers to a stage of instruction usually covered in the course of a school year.

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GRADE-TO-GRADE/YEAR-TO-YEAR SURVIVAL RATE - is the percentage of pupils/students enrolled ina grade/year who reach the next grade/year of a particular level.

LITERACY is the ability to read and write with understanding a simple message in any language ordialect.

LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD - In terms of functions, the provincial, city or municipal school boarddetermine the annual supplementary budgetary needs for the operation and maintenance of publicschools, disburse funds from the Special Education fund, serve as an advisory committee to thesanggunian concerned on educational matters and in the appointment of division superintendents,district supervisors, school principals, and other school officials.

MADRASAH - (pl. madaris) schools in Muslim communities

MOOE (Maintenance and Other Operating Expenditures) - refers to the account which includesrecurrent expenses for travel, communication services, repair and maintenance of government facilities,supplies, materials, desks, rent, water and electricity, maintenance of motor vehicles, discretionaryrepresentation expenses and other expenses.

NEAT (National Elementary Assessment Test) - is the national examination which aims to measurelearning outcomes in the elementary level in response to the need of enhancing quality education asrecommended by the Congressional Commission in Education. It is designed to assess abilities and skillsof Grade VI pupils in all public and private elementary schools.

NSAT (National Secondary Assessment Test) - is the national examination which aims to assessabilities and skills of Fourth (4th) year high school students in all public and private secondary schools.

NON-FORMAL EDUCATION or ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM refers to any organizededucational activity outside the established formal system, that is intended for specific objectives and toserve identifiable clientele.

OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH those of school age from six (6) years old to thirty (30) years old who are notenrolled in any educational institution, public or private, for one reason or another, not employed andnot a tertiary level graduate. (UNESCO)

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS - refer to the several key indicators that can be computed and utilized forevaluating the educational systems performance at various levels, using the data available in theeducation statistics data bank. These indicators constitute an important component of a managementinformation system.

PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION - is an organized learning experience including play activities for childrenbelow 6 years old. It aims to develop the child in all aspects (physical, social, cognitive, and emotional)

so he/she will be better prepared for socialization and cope with the demands of formal schooling.

PRE-SCHOOL - refers to a school that admits pupils who are not old enough to enter the first level ofeducation. These pupils are usually from 4 to 5 years of age.

PRIMARY SCHOOL - refers to a school primarily concerned with providing basic education and usuallycorresponding to the first four grades of elementary education.

GOVERNMENT (PUBLIC) SCHOOLS are the schools controlled, managed, supervised and operated bythe Department of Education (DepEd); the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority

(TESDA); and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

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PRIVATE SCHOOLS are those operated by a non-government organization or association, a religiousbody, a foundation or a business enterprise, on either a profit or non-profit basis.

PTCA (PARENTS-TEACHERS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION) - association of parents, teachers and schooladministrators in the school. It is created to maintain an active working relationship among parents,

teachers and the school administration so that each may contribute effectively to the education andwelfare of the schoolchildren.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS DISTRICT SUPERVISOR Provide professional and instructional advice and supportto the school head and teachers/facilitators of schools and learning centers in the district cluster thereof.

PUPIL/STUDENT refers to a child enrolled in the elementary level while children or adults enrolled atthe secondary and tertiary levels are students.

REGION/REGIONAL OFFICE - is an administrative unit covering a geographic area over several

elementary and secondary schools and is headed by a regional director. There are 15 regions/regionaloffices and 1 autonomous region (ARMM).

REGIONAL DIRECTORS - Has the power over all schools division superintendents and assistant divisionsuperintendents in the region. Approve the establishments of public and private elementary and highschools learning centers

REPEATERS are pupils/students who failed or left a particular grade/year levels during a given year, orpupils/students who are enrolled in the same grade/year for a second (or further) year.

RETENTION the enrolment in any school year that continues to be in school the following year

SCHOOL an institution recognized by the state which undertakes educational operations.

SECONDARY EDUCATION - is the stage of formal education following the elementary level usuallycorresponding to four years of school, concerned primarily with continuing basic education andexpanding it to prepare the students for higher education and/or the world of work through theacquisition of employable gainful skills.

SECONDARY SCHOOL - is an educational institution offering secondary education usually consisting ofa four-year general secondary curricula.

SCHOOL-AGE POPULATION (FOR BASIC EDUCATION) the population from ages four to sixteeninclusive and irrespective of the existing requirements of compulsory education or the period ofeducation provided for in various types of schools.

SCHOOLS DIVISION SUPERINTENDENT Develops and implements division education developmentplans and is assigned to monitor the utilization of funds provided by the national government and thelocal government units to the schools and learning centers. Supervises the operations of all public andprivate elementary, secondary and integrated schools and learning centers

SCHOOL HEAD - Administer and manage all personnel, physical and fiscal resources of the school anddevelop the school education program and school improvement plan.

SPECIAL EDUCATIONS FUND (SEF) - This represents local government funds intended for education.

SCHOOL GOVERNING COUNCIL (SGC) Structure organized by the school head, with support of thesuperintendent, and concurrence of schools stakeholders (teachers, students, parents, community

leaders and local government officials) according to administrative guidance to be issued by DepEd

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TEACHER is a person employed in an official capacity for the purpose of guiding and directing thelearning experiences of pupils/students in an educational institution, whether public or private. In thepublic schools system, a teacher is one who holds the position tile of Teacher I, II or III or Master TeacherI or II.

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) - An action plan describing objectives, results, activities and organisation

of a specific endeavour. Most often used to describe technical assistance, study assignments, orevaluations

THIRD ELEMENTARY EDUCATION PROJECT (TEEP) - It is the flagship project of DepEd in response tothe Social Reform Agenda (SRA) initiatives of the government. TEEPs goal is to give children in 26 poorprovinces good, quality education. This means that these children will have a chance to learn more, tostay in school, and to finish their basic education. It focuses on disadvantaged children in poor, isolatedand remote rural areas, children who have little or no access to education.

UNDERSECRETARY (USEC) advises and assists the Secretary in the formulation and implementationof Department policies, plans and programs; Oversees all the operational activities of the Departmentfor which he will be assigned and held responsible by the Secretary, Coordinates the programs andprojects of the Department; On the basis of an official designation, discharges temporarily the duties of

the Secretary in case of the latters inability to discharge his duties or in case of vacancy of the said office.

YEARS INPUT PER GRADE percentage of a pupil cohort actually reaching each successive grade ofelementary education.

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APPENDIX B

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about "Education Summit"

1. What is an education summit?

This is a special meeting about basic education matters of importance and strategicconcern to influential persons in barangays, municipalities, cities or provinces. It is asummit because it includes the key persons in the locality - educators, political leaders,parents, and other citizens - who have both the interest and capability to improvebasic education outcomes for children in the locality.

2. Who undertakes an education summit?

Local government leaders in cooperation with heads of DepEd units serving thelocality jointly undertake an education summit. In some localities, a non-governmentorganization assists and participates in the organization of a summit.

3. Why does DepEd support the holding of education summits?

DepEd regards an education summit as an essential foundation of sustained andsuccessful multi-sectoral ownership of local reform in basic education as part of theSchools First Initiative and the Education for All 2015 Plan. A summit can createwidespread awareness of the specific local nature of the education crisis, facilitate the

emergence of local consensus for purposive action to improve future educationaloutcomes, and start the community moving on the road towards cooperation forcontinuous quality improvement in education. For DepEd, a summit demonstrates thekey principle that basic education is a shared responsibility of schools and thecommunity and that children's education is too important to the life and well-being ofthe community to be left to DepEd alone.

4. Why does DepEd not undertake education summits on its own?

The lead taken by LGUs, particularly by mayors and governors, and the criticalparticipation of cause-oriented NGOs, in organizing the education summit are crucial

aspects of a successful summit. Substantive participation by key stakeholderinstitutions such as LGUs is what makes a summit a valuable starting point ofeducation improvement. DepEd holding a summit on its own and merely inviting keystakeholders to attend will not achieve the prime purpose of the summit, which is tobuild multi-sectoral ownership of local reform in basic education. It is important thatthe desire and drive to hold an education summit come from local stakeholdersthemselves rather than from DepEd, although it is also important that DepEd be assupportive as possible.

5. What happens during an education summit?

Many different things happen during an education summit. People from differentbackgrounds encounter factual information about the state and direction of public

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schools and basic education. They grapple with issues such as drop-outs, under-achievement, large class sizes, lack of textbooks, non-readers, lack of Englishproficiency, among others concerns. They then determine what are the key prioritiesfor improvement and propose solutions they can carry out with their means andresources. In the most successful summits, participants move towards a common view

about their shared educational situation or at least begin to understand the differentviews of various groups about the situation. This allows them to agree to pursuecommon goals and work for desired results. And finally they decide to cooperate intaking action towards producing the results that can bring them closer to theircommon goals.

There are four distinct parts to a complete education summit. Part 1 is the discussion ofthe state of education in the locality. Part 2 is the consideration of current ideas forimprovement. Part 3 is the negotiation on goals and results to attain. Part 4 is theagreement on actions to take. The actual form and specific activities to cover thesefour parts could vary from locality to locality depending on the desire and capabilities

of organizers and participants.

6. Who should participate in an education summit?

Three groups are essential, first parents and students; second, public educators atdivision, district and school levels and, third, local government officials at barangay,municipality/city and province levels. In addition, NGOs, private schools, local businessleaders, local professionals, local Church leaders and other interested parties are alsodesirable participants.

7. What preparations should precede a summit?

Prior to the summit, the following preparations should be made:

Undertake a fact-finding of the state of basic education in the locality. Thislargely involves collecting available data on various education indicators fromschools and division offices of DepEd. This might also involve collectinginformation on the levels and use of local Special Education Funds in the pastyear or so.

Prepare presentations and fact sheets that can serve as starting points for thediscussions during the summit. This might include a presentation on the stateof education in the locality, specific proposals for education improvement goals

in the coming year(s) and specific proposals for actions to attain improvementgoals in the period. Some summits consider only one year of action, whileothers consider 3-year time frames to match the term of local governments. It isimportant that specific proposals will be made during the summit fordiscussion by the participations.

Invite participants and guests to the summit. It is important to stress that thesummits is not merely an occasion to listen to experts or authorities, but forconcerned citizens in the locality to talk among themselves about a matterimportant to them and their children. The guests are to be invited to supportthe discussions and decisions of the participants, not to make decisions inbehalf of the local stakeholders.

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8. How should preparations be undertaken?

Localities intending to hold a summit should organize a "preparation team" that willplan and organize the meeting. The members of the preparation team might includecouncilors or board members from the local council's Committee on Education, district

or division supervisors, a school head or principal, heads of PTCAs, association ofbarangay councils, teachers' organizations, and youth associations, representativesfrom NGOs, church, business, professions (such as the local medical association) andsimilar groups in the community. A team of not more than 10-12 people should bemanageable. It is important to choose people who care deeply and passionately aboutthe education of children in their own community but who come from the range ofbackgrounds and interests the cut across the community. The composition of the"preparation team" should be negotiated between the local chief executive, the DepEdofficial in the locality and the NGO involved in organizing the summit, if there is any.

The "preparation team" should undertake all preparations for the summit such as:

decide on the program, determine participants, issue invitations, arrange for venueand amenities as needed, prepare inputs to substantive discussions at the summit,arrange for facilitators in the summit discussions, and invite guests and participants tothe summit.

Localities can hold their education summits anytime during the year.

9. What results or output are expected from a summit?

Three results are obtained by successful summits: agreement on the local problems inbasic education, agreement on improvement goals desired by the locality, and

agreement on actions to take in order to attain the improvement goals. In most cases,a successful summit leads to the proper allocation and use of SEF to support schoolimprovement priorities.

10. How should DepEd support a summit to be successful?

DepEd should not approach the summit with defensiveness and fear of beingcriticized. DepEd should provide truthful, honest, cooperative, responsive andprofessional assistance to those in the locality who demonstrate a desire to helpeducation improve by undertaking an education summit. DepEd should encouragemayors and governors to lead in organizing a summit and should then provide its

staff's substantive participation in the preparation team as well as in the summit itself.DepEd should provide technical expertise to enable participants to understand anyspecialized information on education so that even ordinary laymen and non-educatorscan understand what the issues and proposed solutions are all about.

11. What follow-up actions should be done by DepEd after the summit?

Except when the summit leads the participants to create a permanent committee tooversee the implementation of agreements reached during the summit, DepEd isoften the only organized group that can take the results of the summit and followthrough by periodically reminding everyone about their agreements and

commitments. So the follow-up of the summit's decisions is something that DepEd

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should take up with mayors and governors as well as other stakeholders in thecommunity.

12. How could central or regional DepEd participation in a summit be arranged?

Municipalities, cities and provinces holding a summit can coordinate with DepEdregional and central offices through their respective divisions to arrange for theattendance of senior DepEd officials in the summits.

13. What resources are available for localities holding an education summit?

DepEd itself does not have resources to organize and hold education summits as all ofits resources are allocated as far as possible to the delivery of basic education. Mostsummits held thus far are funded by localities themselves with support and assistanceof local sponsors. In some cases, NGOs with access to donors provide the assistance toundertake the summit.

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APPENDIX C

ELEMENTS OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

I. SITUATIONAL ANALYSISA. School Performance

Student Achievement Performance Indicators

B. Instructional Materials School Equipment Textbooks Teaching Aids

C. Personnel Profile Teaching Non-Teaching

D. Physical Facilities Classrooms Workshop Toilet and Bath Buildings Library Medical/Dental Laboratories Guidance School Furniture Non-Instructional

E. School Management1. Planning and Development Process2. Organizational Structure and Staffing3. Systems and Procedures

EMIS M&E Fiscal Rewards Communication/Feedback Recruitment/Selection of Teachers Instructional Supervision INSET

4. Leadership

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Administrative Academic (Instructional Leadership) Establishing Linkages Management of Stakeholders

5. Ancillary Services Delivery Quality Scope/Types

6. Management of External Environments/AffairsII. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

F. Vision, Mission StatementsG. Goals and Objectives

School Performance (academic, participation rates, retention rates)H. Contributory Objectives

Instructional Materials Human Resource Physical Facilities School Management Ancillary Services

III. PRIORITY IMPROVEMENT AREASIV. PROGRAMS AND ACTIONS FOR 5 YEARS

5-year Plan Annual Plan

V. ORGANIZING FOR IMPLEMENTATION(specifically the M&E section)

schools first initiative

Documents