Applications for evaluations
Applications for evaluations 2014
All independent schools that would like to be included on the IQAA bookings calendar for quality evaluations in 2014 are encouraged to make application as soon as possible in order to secure a favourable date for their evaluations.
(For details see Contact Us page.)
Onsite Training, 2014
Onsite Training, 2014
NEW TRAINING ARRANGEMENTS FOR IQAA's SECOND CYCLE OF EVALUATIONS
There will be some changes to the previous training arrangements that were used in the first round of IQAA evaluations. This first round ended in 2012.
These new arrangements apply to the second 6 year cycle of IQAA evaluations that commenced in 2013.
In the past, for each school that was to be evaluated in a given year, the principal, and as many as possible of the School Evaluation Team [SET], were required to attend a two day School In A Mirror[SIAM] orientation workshop. A per capita fee was charged for attendees.
The previous two day workshops have now been discontinued.
There will still be a training fee for 2013 and onwards, but, when compared with the rising costs and inconvenience of the previous two day workshops, schools will be better off under the new system.
The fee for training for 2013 will be adjusted from R4 500 to reflect cost of living increases. The cost will be posted on the website and on information sent to schools planning to undertake their second cycle evaluation in 2014.
The new approach to training is that the time spent by the mentor in the first visit to the school will be devoted to on-site training of the principal and the SET in the essential steps to be followed in the school's self-evaluation. This time will also be used to determine timelines for each step.
This would allow the mentor, principal and SET to work closely together on the essentials in the context of each school's particular needs and circumstances. This was not possible under the old arrangements.
The advantages of the new arrangements include:
- Eliminating most of the costs that schools currently have to meet in order to attend a workshop.
- As well as per capita fees [to be replaced by a flat fee], schools have also had to meet costs such as transport to and from the workshop, accommodation and some sustenance costs in certain cases and any replacement teacher costs.
- Eliminating the need for senior school staff to be absent from their schools for the best part of two days.
- Under the new arrangements senior staff would not have to travel to the workshop and stay overnight. They would, amongst other things, be available to deal with urgent school matters on the spot. The demands on their time would also be reduced considerably.
- The school's mentor(s) can give much more personal and detailed attention to a school's particular questions and issues than is possible in a large workshop.
- If the first mentor/SET meeting is held on a Saturday, or after school hours, then the school does not have to meet any teacher replacement costs. Even if there are some replacement costs they would be far less than under the previous arrangements.
- Exposing all of the SET to SIAM training.
- The proposed new arrangements increase the chances that all SET members will be well trained because the training will take place on school premises by the school's assigned mentor.
These new arrangements were discussed with a range of ISASA member schools to measure the level of support and to discover any problems. There has been a high level of support for the new arrangements.
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