Transcript Information systems for innovation and improvement in the Netherlands Kasper Weekenborg Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

Information systems for
innovation and improvement
in the Netherlands
Kasper Weekenborg
Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
Three types of systems
1.
Pupil monitoringsystem, a longitudinal system of tests to
measure the level achieved by the pupils. For teacher, school
and parents.
2.
Cohort system, periodic survey which combines progress in
school careers, test results and pupil/parent characteristics
3.
Integral education number system (new), data- information
system of all pupils/students. At this moment mainly for
policymakers
Pupil monitor system
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What is it: longitudinal test system to measure the achievement
level of the pupils during their school careers
Main purpose: to help teachers become, better teachers. They
can make instructions more responsive to the needs of the
pupils. Also, a self-evaluation system for schools.
Main test subjects: Dutch(& English)language, mathematics,
environmental studies
Use:Result data is only available to school/teacher/parents.
Coverage: Primary and lower secondary education (ISCED 1 and
2). This monitor is voluntary (CITO coverage 65% of the
primary schools).
Initiator: the monitor is designed and carried out by CITO, a
private organisation.
Cohort system
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What is it: periodic longitudinal survey which combines progress
of school careers, test results and pupil/parent characteristics
Main purpose: understanding school careers and results, in
relation to pupil and parent charactistics.
Use: Data system for research and policy makers
Coverage: pupils from their 5th to their 18th birthday’s (ISCED
level 1,2 and partially 3), 10% sample of the five year olds.
Initiator: NWO, Netherlands Organisation of Scientific.
Research carried out by a consortium of research institutes.
Integral education numbersystem
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What is it: data information system of all pupils/students based
on unique personal numbers which enables us to monitor the
school career of each pupil/student.
Main purpose: funding schools and monitoring school careers
for policy makers on school, local and national-levels.
Coverage: all ISCED levels, nearly all pupils and students (only a
small part of private schools is missing).
Initiator: Minister of Education
Integral educationno.-system:
data
Available data of every pupil/student
 Education: Grade, type of school, level of education, educational
trackrecord, test/examination results, diploma, school characteristics,
zip code school
 Person/pupil: civil number, age, sex, ethnic background, zip code
By linking databases
 Household information: income, single parent
 Parents: income, (un)employment
 …
After leaving school
 Labourmarket: (sort of) Job, income, unemployment
Integral educationno.-system:
profits
System offers a very ‘rich’ base for information
For example:
Insight into educational results on national, local, school and pupil
level in one system.
 Insight into the different school careers of different groups of
pupils.
 Insight into the success of the pupils after leaving school
(success in futher education, success in the labourmarket)
 Insight into the dropout–rates and the characteristics of these
pupils (also parents, neighbourhood) and school care
These insights help in making the right policy decisions at
school/local/national level to improve the level of education
New policy in the Netherlands
Agreement new coalition goverment:
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introducing compulsory (central)testing in primary and
secondary education to measure and benchmark learning gains
Linking learning gains and incentives for teachers/schoolteams
Establish a minimum baseline for mathematics and Dutch
language in primary and secondary education (ISCED level
1,2,3).
Integration of monitors?
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Considering an integration of the longitudinal test monitor
(CITO) and longitudinal education number data system.
Risks: CITO-test system is a voluntary self-evaluation system.
The scope and use of the tests will probably change when the
tests become compulsary and are linked to learning gains,
benchmarks and financial incentives.
Are there similar experiences in other countries?
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Challenges 1
Points of attention: testing
Compare results of tests set at fixed points along the school
career (places greater demands on the depth of the tests)
 Testing pupils with special needs
 Strong focus on qualification subjects, less focus on
socialization-matters
Points of attention: benchmarking schools
 Preventing teaching to the tests
 How to react in the case of schools with a high proportion of
disadvantaged pupils
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Challenges 2
Points of attention: data
 Privacy matters: it takes 10 years of discussion in the
Netherlands (change in personal number in another irreducible
number and create a statistic enclave for linking with other
databases)
 Technical/ICT: the school’s administration has to be ready for
the electronic data transportation of pupil data.
 The quality of the data must be guaranteed (combined with data
for funding, audited by an accountant)
Challenges 3
Points of attention: support
 Create support within schools (offer facilities for their own
information needs)
 Create support for the tests
 Create support among teachers (also within teacher training
institutions)
 Reduce the administrative burdens
 Last but not least: gain political support.