The DECIDE project held an expert session on the development and implementation of School Development Strategies
From 18 to 20 November, an expert session «Practices of development and implementation of general secondary education institution development strategies: experience of communities and educational institutions» was held in Kyiv.
The event gathered more than 50 participants from Ivano-Frankivsk, Luhansk, Odesa, Poltava and Chernihiv regions, including representatives of educational institutions from 16 DECIDE project partner communities. School principals and deputy principals, teachers, members of the boards of trustees of community educational institutions, and teams of strategy development mentors.
Participants shared their experience of participatory development of general secondary education development strategies and the first steps towards their implementation through development projects. They also learned how to use the opportunities of social partnership for improving the educational environment and the educational process, teaching and management, etc. The focus was on the establishment of democratic governance in schools as an important factor in the quality of school education.
Thus, during 2024, 24 general secondary education institutions of the DECIDE project partner communities developed strategies for the development of the general secondary education and long-term plans for their implementation. By the way, this is the «second wave» of strategy development in partner communities. The first one, which lasted until 2023, resulted in 13 developed and approved School Development Strategies, which are now at the stage of implementation and monitoring.
Notably, all school strategies were developed using the «Schools of Effective Democracy» methodology. The participants also analysed four areas in a discussion format: the educational environment, the educational process, teaching and management. They also developed a common vision of the school's development potential.
And during the final session, while reflecting on the question «What would happen if there was no strategy?», the participants developed arguments in favour of strategising the development of general secondary education from different perspectives, including those of educational process participants, the community and the state.
At present, the second wave educational institutions, like the first wave educational institutions, have begun implementing development strategies, which involves further monitoring and evaluation of progress in achieving the planned strategic and operational goals of the development of general secondary education institutions.