Education Quality Improvement Project

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Education is a national priority for Moldova in the National Development Strategy (NDS) ‘European Moldova 2030’. Moldova made significant progress on education outcomes over the last decades, but further improvements are needed. Learning losses caused by the pandemic, must be recovered, to avoid the erosion of human capital and long-term damage to Moldovan children’s future well-being and productivity. A significant reform of the education system in Moldova relates to embracing a competency-based approach in teaching and evaluation, but more is needed to enhance teachers’ understanding to practice it in the classroom. Continued efforts are also important to improve equity and inclusion. Despite the progress made, lack of access to preschool education is a persistent challenge for disadvantaged children and younger cohorts. The quality and safety of school infrastructure is an important determinant in educational outcomes, but most public schools are under pressing need of rehabilitation and modernization considering the poor state of existing infrastructure. The Model School initiative of the Government aims to create a more efficient, high-quality and inclusive education system in Moldova in close coordination and cooperation with the development partners and other education stakeholders in the sector. Component 1: Improve quality of teaching. Subcomponent 1.1. Improve quality of teaching practices of participating teachers: this subcomponent will support implementation of in-service training programs for teachers and managers as instructional leaders on revised standards (which include digital pedagogy) prioritizing schools with larger share of disadvantaged students; scale up of assessment of quality of teaching to understand extent that teachers: (a) create a culture that is conducive to learning, (b) instruct in a way that deepens student understanding and encourages critical thinking, (c) foster socioemotional skills that encourage students to succeed both inside and outside the classroom, and (d) use inclusive teaching practices that help all students learn; in-service training for teachers and educators to strengthen pedagogical capacity to implement Early Childhood Education (ECE) Curriculum (ECEC) and support play-based teaching; development of ECE classroom observation tool; quality assessment of sample of ECE service providers. In this sense, the ECEC will also be provided with a standard package which will include the provision of indoor and outdoor teaching and learning and play materials. Subcomponent 1.2. Develop, pilot and implement rapid formative learning assessments in key subject areas (e.g., reading and math) initially in one selected grade to identify lagging students and learning gaps, and to inform instructional practices and tutoring and learning recovery programs targeting disadvantaged students. The Ministry of Education will implement the tutoring program using state budget financing, with technical assistance and support provided by the project. Identification and targeting facilitated by student-level Education Management Information System (EMIS) and other sources of data on vulnerability, socioeconomic status, and academic performance. Subcomponent 1.3. Promote teacher professional development and innovative instructional practices: small grant-supported projects aligned with the NDS “European Moldova 2030” to support: (i) professional development opportunities for teachers and (ii) projects promoting innovative instructional practices in the several priority areas. These include projects relying on: (a) digital tools and focused on active and engaging learning experiences for students; (b) effective student learning assessment and feedback practices used by teachers; (c) active learning, collaborative learning, building a sense of community, belonging and well-being of students; (d) innovative remedial programs for students lagging academically and disadvantaged students including Roma children, refugee students from Ukraine and children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and disabilities, (e) girls’ participation in the STEM fields; (f) exchange experiences and mobility programs, creating and developing a community of practice in teaching innovations. They can also support the professional learning network between Moldovan teachers, and potentially collaboration with teachers from Romania, Estonia and other countries facing similar challenges. Component 2: Improve the quality and resilience of learning environments in selected educational institutions. Subcomponent 2.1. Equipping selected schools to improve learning environment. This subcomponent will support (a) an identification study, including the definition of criteria to determine which educational institutions will be selected to receive support (also considering the sustainability of investments in light of declining student population); (b) a needs assessment in each educational institution to determine the availability of basic infrastructure (water supply and sanitation) and put adequate mechanisms in place to ensure local governments supply basic infrastructure, if needed, before receiving investment ; (c) provision of furniture and IT equipment, and STEM equipment for schools, prioritizing energy-efficient equipment to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions; and (d) training of teachers and managers along with user guides and demonstration videos on operating and maintaining IT and STEM equipment as well as the use of such equipment with modern teaching methodologies and digital learning materials in the classrooms. Subcomponent 2.2. Rehabilitation of selected schools and preschools: this subcomponent will support technical preparation and design, civil works, and supervision of civil works. It will focus on school buildings that have the highest risk of collapse or serious damage in an event of an earthquake which could jeopardize the health and safety of students, teachers, and other building users. The project will target/support the schools with lower socioeconomic composition serving a larger share of disadvantaged students. The selection criteria will also prioritize the schools in areas with higher deprivation index, with sufficient school capacity utilization, failing to meet basic WASH and other infrastructure requirements. This will be followed by field verification. Schools on the priority list will be cross-checked to ensure that they are not prioritized under current or future funding by local authorities or other development partners, and that they have not undergone recent comprehensive renovations. This subcomponent would also target ECEC facilities that could expand access (with quality) to the vulnerable children from Moldovan families and refugee children from Ukraine. Minor rehabilitations including WASH facilities in centers that do not have access to water will be supported. Rehabilitation will follow similar prioritization as for schools but will focus only on those ECEC facilities which commit to expand access to vulnerable children from Moldovan families and refugee children from Ukraine, not yet covered by ECEC services. Component 3: Support capacity building for reforms and project management Sub-component 3.1: Capacity building for effective sector and reform management critical sectoral studies and capacity building for policy planning, monitoring and evaluation of reforms and project interventions focusing on support of disadvantaged students; technical assistance, capacity building and critical analytical work to support teacher policy reform including in relation to the use of the artificial intelligence for teaching and learning process in the education sector; PISA and national assessments; rapid assessments of student progress; data management and analytics for evidence-based decision-making, and on ECEC reforms; technical assistance and capacity building on upper secondary education reform; knowle