Support to Implementation of the Regional Education Strategy

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The objectives of the Support to Implementation of the Regional Education Strategy Project for OECS Countries are to: (a) use quality learning standards to support evidence-based teaching and learning at the primary level; (b) improve teacher practices at the primary level; (c) strengthen primary school leadership and accountability; and (d) initiate the strengthening of sector monitoring and evaluation capacity in support of evidence-based strategic management and decision making, all in the member countries. There are four components to the project, the first component being curriculum and assessment. The best-performing countries have established learning standards and have developed assessment systems to monitor their achievement (Barber and Mourshed 2007). Placing students’ outcomes as the main goal of educational policies requires that the learning outcomes to be achieved at every grade level be clearly specified and that the level of expected performance be clear; grade-level learning standards need to be clarified and brought in line with international learning standards. The second component is the teacher professional development. This component will support the following activities: (a) reviewing the teacher training programs in member countries; (b) reviewing classroom practices in member countries to understand current practices and identify capacity gaps to inform teacher professional development; and (c) developing a teacher professional development course and school-based professional learning communities to improve classroom practices. The third component is to improve school leadership and accountability. This component will support the following activities: (i) developing a school leader training program based on professional standards, including instructional leadership to support teachers to improve instructional practices; (ii) carrying out competence-based training and certification activities for school leaders based on leadership standards, including on instructional leadership and use of data in planning, management, and reporting; and (iii) developing a handbook for school principals/leaders to guide school leadership and management. Finally, the fourth component is the project implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.