REVISING EROS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION REVIEW METHODOLOGY Early

REVISING ERO’S EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION REVIEW METHODOLOGY Early Childhood Council Annual Conference 2012 26 May 2012

ERO’S ROLE AND PURPOSE ERO is an independent external evaluator ERO has a dual purpose in helping to bring about improvements in the quality of education provided for children, while ensuring accountability; and ERO provides information for parents, communities and the Government to inform their decision making

ECE REVIEW METHODOLOGY Last ECE methodology change was in 2002 -from Accountability Reviews to Education Reviews. This signalled an overt shift in ERO’s focus from accountability to improvement ERO has continued to make changes to its processes so that reviews are increasingly contextspecific and formative.

WHAT IS MEANT BY METHODOLOGY IN THIS CONTEXT? The theoretical framework and processes for undertaking ERO reviews, including time frames for reviews, and all related documentation

Which services are included in the scope of the ECE review methodology project? Most early childhood services including education and care centres, kindergartens, Playcentres, Aoga Amata, and a small number of Māori immersion services. Outside of the project scope at this time Home-based care networks Hospital based services Kōhanga Reo The current processes for ERO reviews will be used until the methodologies for these services are revised.

Some specific aims of the revised ECE methodology are to: Promote improvements in quality in all EC services Promote positive outcomes for Māori and Pacific children Increase the focus on provision for infants and toddlers

Increase utilisation of ERO findings Provide greater clarity for parents about the quality of the service Efficient and effective use of ERO’s resource in a growing sector Encourage service accountability and support effective self review

NGĀ POU HERE Pou Whakahaere � how the service’s vision and philosophy is determined, guides decision making and gives direction to achieve positive outcomes for all children Pou Ārahi � how the leadership and capability of all involved, including educators, enhances positive outcomes for children Mātauranga � whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children Tikanga Whakaako � how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children

CONNECTING AND LINKING NGĀ POU Within the pou, ERO considers the effectiveness of partnerships with whānau and self review. ERO evaluates how well placed the service is to make and sustain improvements for the benefit of all children Capacity is a key theme through the methodology

Our evaluative focus is always context specific –this will mean that the extent to which we investigate each pou will be different in in each service

OUR CURRENT FOCUS Education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of: the programme provided for children; the learning environment; and the interactions between children and adults. Contrast this with our new focus

CLUSTER REVIEWS Cluster reviews are a way to think differently about our processes for reviewing services that have an umbrella management body. The aims for cluster reviews are to 1. Make use of ‘umbrella’ and centre self review 2. Build service/organisation capacity in self review 3. Be more efficient 12

DIFFERENTIATED RESPONSES ERO is working towards having different approaches and possibly different return times depending on the capacity of the service

SO WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN FOR YOU? Reflect on the quality of your self review Become familiar with the Self Report Learn to speak with confidence about your practice and review processes

TIMELINES We aim for the new methodology to be implemented from term 3 2012. During term 1 & 2 we are trialling various elements of the new process. The feedback we receive from services will help us to develop useful and manageable approaches to reviewing in the ECE sector.

COMPLEMENTARY EVALUATION Complementary evaluation is where internal (service self review) and external (ERO review) evaluation come together to usefully contribute to each other Complementary evaluation will underpin ECE reviews. This means there will be a stronger emphasis on service self review and building capacity in self review

SELF REVIEW IN ECE. . WHERE HAVE WE COME FROM? 2006 1999 1996/1998 1990 2008

NGĀ AROHAEHAE WHAI HUA � Relationships � Evidence � Vision � Improvement � Ethics � Wisdom Relationships Evidence Vision Improvement Ethics Wisdom

GMA 6 Governance Management & Administration criterion 6 An ongoing process of self-review helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care. Documentation required 1. A process for reviewing and evaluating the service’s operation (for example, learning and teaching practices, philosophy, policies, and procedures) by the people involved in the service. The process is consistent with criterion GMA 4, and includes a schedule showing timelines for planned review of different areas of operation. Recorded outcomes from the review process.

What we are interested in the EC Service’s internal evaluation/self review: � what the EC service knows about the quality of what it does for children/students – its own effectiveness; � how it knows this – the nature and quality of its review processes and evidence; and � what it does with what it knows, to bring about continuous improvement in outcomes for children

COMPLEMENTARY EVALUATION An evaluation approach that balances external ERO review with service self review according to each service's circumstances. ERO REVIEW EC SERVICE SELF REVIEW EC services with very limited self review EC services operating well with established processes of self review EC services sustaining high quality provision and continuous improvement through 22 effective self review

ACTIVITY Thinking about your service’s self review on this continuum, where would you place your service and what are the features of your self review that contributed to that decision? Share in small groups Limited SR Self review that meets requirements Highly effective self review

UPDATE OF THE ECE EVALUATION INDICATORS The evaluation indicators: � are linked to factors that contribute to positive outcomes for children’s learning and development � are supported by current theory and research � are consistent with widely acknowledged good practice � align with the current priorities of the Government and ERO � promote consistency by providing guidance for reviewers undertaking reviews in early childhood services.

PURPOSE OF THE EVALUATION INDICATORS For ERO, the evaluation indicators: � support the implementation of Ngā Pou Here review framework � keep the reviews focused on the factors that contribute to successful outcomes � keep the importance of success for Māori children to the fore � assist ERO reviewers to consider what is significant when making judgements about how well placed the service is to promote positive outcomes for all children � provide a basis for discussion with service personnel about what they know about the quality of education and associated outcomes for children who attend their service.

PURPOSE OF THE EVALUATION INDICATORS For early childhood services, the evaluation indicators: � assist them to be more responsive to their diverse groups of children and their families � make the review process transparent and consistent in quality � help them to understand the basis on which ERO makes it judgements � focus them on factors that contribute to positive outcomes for children � provide a tool to assist them with their own self review � help to build their evaluation capacity by modelling evaluative questions and evidence-based judgments.

CONSULTATION –WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK External consultation will be undertaken on the indicators as part of wider consultation on the new ECE methodology (ERO’s approach to education reviews in early childhood services) � through ERO’s website � through presentations and meetings with sector groups

Ko te Tamaiti te Pūtake o te Kaupapa The child is the heart of the matter Mary-Louise Stocker Project Manager ECE Review Methodology Sandra Collins Senior Evaluator, Project Manager for ERO’s ECE Indicators