Transforming General Upper Secondary Education in Ukraine

4. Supporting schools piloting reforms

Abstract

This chapter considers the practical steps that Ukraine might take to prepare for, and support, effective implementation of the country’s upper secondary reforms. It suggests nine important steps for implementation. The chapter draws on the direct experiences of school leaders in Ukraine from the implementation of recent reforms in primary education. The chapter considers the specific roles of key stakeholders for Ukraine’s reform – Academic Lyceums piloting change and the national policy makers - suggesting considerations for their actions and priorities for implementation.

Ukraine is considering major reforms to its Academic Lyceums at a time when the country is already experiencing monumental upheavals in daily life. Preparing for, and implementing, change in this context will undoubtedly be tough. Yet, for Ukraine, the reform is critical to ensure that the country’s young people access high-quality, inspiring education that prepares them for the modern, globalised world. Prioritising change now will create the conditions for Academic Lyceums to foster inclusive and learner-centred education that supports all young Ukrainians to become leaders of their country’s reconstruction. It will also align Ukraine with best practice across Europe and the OECD (MoES, 2024[1]).

Changes to the Academic Lyceums will ensure that the cohort of children who entered the reformed primary education in 2018 – and the cohorts following them – will have a coherent experience of education aligned with the principles of the New Ukrainian School (NUS) (MoES, 2019[2]). Reforming now also means that this cohort of learners will be able to experience the new Grade 12 in 2029 as a rewarding learning experience that is a gateway to fulfilling work, further education and valuable social action.

Next steps towards reform

In line with best practice, Ukraine is planning to reform progressively, with the most critical stakeholders, schools and students, at the centre. In 2024/25, preparation and small-scale piloting will begin with approximately 25 pilot Academic Lyceums across the country. Over 2024/25, pilot Academic Lyceums will test and provide insights to refine the reforms. During this phase, the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science will develop key educational materials, such as teaching and learning content, student profiles corresponding to different subject choices, pedagogical materials for teaching new content, and the process for organising student choices. The pilot Lyceums will be closely involved in the development of these materials, ensuring that they are developed and refined with school needs at the forefront. The pilot phase also provides an important opportunity for the Ministry of Education and Science to clearly communicate the reform’ aims and explain what changes it will bring. The initial small‑scale pilot will pave the way for large-scale piloting over 2025/26, followed by national roll out from 2027.

This section discusses what Academic Lyceums participating in the piloting can do to prepare for the changes, highlighting key support they will need from the country’s government. This section also suggests ways in which the international education community can support Ukraine over this period.

The challenges and benefits of reform

In 2017, Ukraine started implementing the NUS with pilot primary schools. The pilot lasted four years and was followed by national implementation. NUS has changed teaching and learning in primary schools. Students in schools where NUS has been implemented spend more time using and applying their knowledge and skills in unfamiliar, real-life contexts. In mathematics classes for example, students find their own solutions, and engage with real-life tools like maps, plans and diagrams. In Ukrainian language classes, students spend more time in creative, research-focused activities where they discuss with their teachers and colleagues. Students from schools where NUS has been implemented were also found to have stronger transversal skills like cooperation, decision-making and problem solving (MoES, 2020[3]).

The OECD interviewed one of the primary schools involved in the pilot of the NUS (Box 4.1). The Principal and teachers at Vinnytsia Primary Humanities School #25 see the changes that the reform have brought to their school as “titanic”. Although implementing the changes was hard at times, they noted:

We could see how happy they were during the piloting process. They were different children. You could notice the difference as soon as you walked in the classroom.” – Olena Nachyporuk, Principal of Vinnytsia Primary Humanities School #25, Ukraine

The primary school also noted the challenge that their students experience when they transition from primary education, reformed in the vision of the NUS, to secondary schools where NUS has not yet been implemented. Reforming Academic Lyceums is critical so that young people have a coherent education experience that is grounded in the principles of the NUS – where adults listen to them, and their voices and interests are valued.

Box 4.1. Implementing the New Ukrainian School in Vinnytsia Primary School #25, Ukraine

Vinnytsia Primary Humanities School #25 was a pilot school for the initial implementation of the New Ukrainian School reform. The Principal, Olena Nachyporuk, Deputy Principal, Anna Duchenko, and a teacher, Olena Hulko, shared key insights from their piloting experience:

• Change starts with a mindset shift. Before implementing any change, it was first necessary to change themselves. The teachers had to understand that they needed to have a different relationship with students and teach differently for the pilot to be a success. Reform in education is not just about changing processes, rules and structures, but it is also about changing behaviours and even long-held ideas about students, the learning process and what it means to be a teacher (Kools and Stoll, 2016[4]).

• The centrality of listening to students. One of the most valuable lessons from their piloting experiences was learning to listen to students and to value their point of view. Upper secondary students typically have many years of experience of the education system and are well placed to provide feedback on what works and what does not. Since reforms at this level are high stakes, affecting students’ future pathways, it is important they get a say on matters that affect them or the next cohort of students (OECD, 2023[5]).

• The value of being a pilot school. Pilot schools benefit from additional support, investment and motivation. Pilot schools also put in place changes prior to national implementation, providing them with more time to adjust to the changes, more professional development opportunities and potential scope to influence the final reform.

• Changes in the learning environment can support momentum for change. Financial resources for school infrastructure are not always available. As a pilot school however, resources were made available for investments like new classroom furniture, and other new equipment. Having these resources helped to create momentum and inspire a sense of change, and encourage students to value their surroundings.

Source: OECD interview with a Ukrainian primary school; Kools, M.; Stoll, L. (2016[4]);What Makes a School a Learning Organisation? OECD Education Working Papers, n°137, https://doi.org/10.1787/5jlwm62b3bvh-en; OECD (2023[5]), Student Voice in Upper Secondary Education, Web booklet, https://www.oecd.org/education/aboveandbeyond/Student-voice-in-upper-secondary.pdf (accessed on 12 December 2024).

Academic Lyceums will depend on extensive support for successful implementation

When implementing national policy changes in education, governments need to create, as far as they can, an environment in which change can succeed (OECD, 2020[6]). This includes providing detailed plans so that teachers, students and parents know what to expect (and what is expected of them). It also requires preparing the wider context, ensuring for example that teachers are ready and willing to change, that there is support and buy-in among stakeholders for the proposals, as well as mechanisms in place to monitor and pre-empty teachers’ concerns (OECD, 2020[6]; Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies, 2022[7]). The section below includes key insights for policy makers on how they can support Academic Lyceums to ensure the success of the pilot.

Preparing to pilot change in Ukraine’s Academic Lyceums

Drawing on insights from Ukraine’s piloting of NUS at lower school levels, and international evidence of school reform internationally, the steps outlined in Table 4.1. could help to support successful piloting in Academic Lyceums. Each of these steps or objectives is discussed in greater length in the section below.

Table 4.1. Steps for preparing for change in Ukraine’s Academic Lyceums

Objective 1	Identify what your school – teachers, students and families – can gain from change
Objective 2	Build an alliance for change
Objective 3	Develop a realistic vision for your school
Objective 4	Be inclusive and co-create
Objective 5	Embrace professional development opportunities
Objective 6	Draw on external support
Objective 7	Monitor and invest in staff and student well-being
Objective 8	Regularly review progress

Objective 1. Identify what your school – teachers, students and families – can gain from change

In any reform setting, there are naturally actors who are more reluctant to change. As Ukraine’s Academic Lyceums prepare for piloting, Russia’s on-going aggression against the country is likely to make it challenging for many teachers, students and their families to engage in large reforms. Yet, evidence highlights the importance of building an alliance of actors with enthusiasm for change, who can pioneer reform in their school communities and inspire others (OECD, 2020[6]).

To build interest and support for the reform – and all the ensuing difficult moments – it is critical to create a desire to change before piloting starts. In Vinnytsia Primary School #25, the principal described how they started thinking about what was not working and what they wanted to change in their school. This included asking teachers about changes they would like to see and sending questionnaires to parents asking if they were willing for their children to be in pilot classes and what changes they would like to see in the school. Almost all actors across a school are able to identify elements that they would like to change. Individuals do not need to have the answers, but creating an open space to exchange can help to create a common ground for change and improvement.

Stakeholder actions and priorities - 1

Considerations for Academic Lyceums preparing to pilot

• School leaders might create space for teachers to meet – perhaps initially just in subject and/or grade-level groups – to identify what is working well in the school and what they would like to change. School leaders, too, can actively and visibly share their views about what currently works well and less well in their schools to create an open and honest climate for reform.

• Use meetings, questionnaires and online spaces with students and their parents to hear what they think works well and what they might like to change.

• Talk with local primary and middle schools about their reform journey implementing the NUS to understand what worked, and did not, for them.

Supporting pilot Lyceums from the centre

Before piloting can begin, and throughout the process, governments need to communicate the vision for change and how this will respond to the challenges that schools face. In Ukraine, pilot Lyceums will need to know and understand what the changes will look like in practice. This might include policymakers:

• Developing a national vision for change. A clear vision, agreed by stakeholders, orients policy and ensures understanding of the policy and its objectives. A vision that stakeholders buy into builds trust and momentum for change (OECD, 2020[6]).

• Communicating the reform. The piloting phase provides an opportunity for the Ministry of Education and Science to communicate the reform’s rationale and the changes it will bring. A national communication campaign during the piloting phase will help the school communities to feel like headliners of the reform. Communication is a key channel for consensus building, raising awareness and understanding and keeping stakeholders informed if the steps along the way need to change (OECD, 2020[6]). Policy makers can develop a communication strategy that includes a range of channels, including:

  • Publicly available information i.e. government websites, social media information informing parents and students

  • Targeted communications aimed at key stakeholders i.e. communications directly to schools, leveraging existing channels such as teacher networks

  • Designated key contacts i.e. asking schools to nominate a key contact for implementation, and having key contacts within government agencies that school staff can contact.

Objective 2. Build an alliance for change

It is important to identify early on who within the school community might champion change. These should be people who are adaptable and flexible, excited for the changes and willing to try new things. In Vinnytsia Primary School #25, the Deputy Principal described how, at the beginning, they created a small team of teachers who had similar desires and motivation to change. This ensures that the changes are advanced by a core of dedicated individuals. Over time, their successes and experiences can help to engage and inspire others. It is essential that this small group have the school leadership’s full support, and that the wider school community understands this.

A leadership team within the school, involving champions of change, could oversee the preparations for change (Education Endowment Foundation, 2021[8]) (Skolverket, n.d.[9]).

It is essential that all actors across the school know what their new responsibilities will be once the reform is rolled out (OECD, 2020[6]). School leaders could ask different departments within the school to identify their new roles and responsibilities based on the direction set by the principal or the school leadership team (Skolverket, n.d.[9]). For example, in groups, teachers could come up with a plan for what they will do differently once the changes are introduced. This not only gives teachers a voice but also allows them to brainstorm solutions to foreseeable challenges. Departmental or subject-level planning should build on the direction already set by the principal or the school leadership team (Skolverket, n.d.[9]). To ensure coherence and alignment across the school, leaders can nominate someone to act as a co-ordinator for the changes across the school.

Stakeholder actions and priorities - 2

Considerations for Academic Lyceums preparing to pilot

• Identify people who are excited to lead change in your school.

• Create a leadership team to oversee changes in your school and involve your champions of change in this team.

• When designating responsibilities for piloting, school leaders can ask teachers to volunteer, to ensure the most motivated teachers are involved. School leaders can ask teachers to select areas of piloting that align with their strengths and expertise. For example, a teacher with work experience and networks outside of education might be well placed to integrate career education across the school.

• School leaders could ask different subject departments (e.g. Ukrainian teachers, mathematics teachers) or experienced grade-level teachers (i.e. teacher in charge of Grade 11, Grade 12) to lead planning for how they will phase implementation and what they will do differently once the changes are introduced.

Supporting pilot Lyceums from the centre

Policymakers might support champions of change in pilot schools in various ways, such as:

• Publicly recognising their contributions and sharing them with other schools and colleagues.

• Facilitating regular peer mentoring and peer exchanges between the implementation teams of different pilot schools, so that they can connect with and lean on each other for support and guidance.

• Asking pilot schools that have effectively implemented the changes to support other schools that are starting the process.

• Develop and release model teacher profiles, with examples of what different teachers in a school might do as a part of implementing the changes and how the daily activities of a teacher might look different before and after the reform. School could then use these models as a basis for discussing who will take on which of the new responsibilities.

• Consider if there are discretionary funds to financially reward school staff that take on additional responsibilities and leadership commitments during the piloting period. For example, each school could nominate a teacher who would be the cross-school piloting co-ordinator and receive additional compensation to reflect their extra duties.

• Ensure that nationally and regionally there are clear contact points within government whom teachers and schools can reach out to and draw on for support.

Objective 3. Develop a realistic vision for your school

Create your own school vision based on the challenges identified by your school community

School leaders set the stage for implementation by helping the whole school to understand and get on board with their vision of change (Education Endowment Foundation, 2021[8]). A vision helps to bring the school community together and creates momentum for the reform (OECD, 2020[6]). Ukraine’s pilot schools might create their own local vision, tailored to their context, aligned to the national vision and strategy (see Objective 1) (Kools and Stoll, 2016[4]). The school‘s vision can set out how it plans to address the school‑specific challenges and aspirations for change, as raised in initial conversations with teachers, students and their parents (suggested in Table 4.1). Teachers, parents and students might be more inclined to trust the process when they know what they are working towards.

Identify what you will stop doing to preserve capacity and resources to achieve your vision

A key challenge for schools is balancing everything that is important in the present with preparing to implement future changes. In Ukraine, this challenge is particularly acute because schools and teachers are already stretched and under pressure due to Russia’s aggression against the country. Lessons from other countries show that a lack of capacity among schools and teachers risks the success of a new policy (OECD, 2020[6]). It will be critical for Ukraine’s pilot Lyceums to have an honest conversation about what is achievable and how implementation of change can be phased.

School leaders can set expectations for what teachers can stop doing to allow time for future planning as well as for the day-to-day activities that are a priority to retain. Scaling down or stopping some activities can give time and space back for other priorities (Education Endowment Foundation, 2021[8]). Teachers may even be able to reduce the time that they dedicate to certain activities that are not aligned with the NUS vision , such as dedicating time for content revision and memorisation. To support the well‑being of the staff implementing changes for the pilot, school leaders can consider giving the pilot implementation team a reduced workload for other regular activities, such as lunch supervision.

Start small

Piloting gives schools the space to try new approaches and see what works in contained areas. In Vinnytsia Primary School #25, they began piloting with two classes out of 26 classes. This meant that teachers who were not undertaking the piloting were able to watch the process and learn from those undertaking the pilot.

Stakeholder actions and priorities - 3

Considerations for Academic Lyceums preparing to pilot:

• School leaders might take the national vision for the reform and link it to discussions that have already happened in their school, so that teachers, students and their families can see how working towards the national vision will benefit them.

• Review and discuss with teachers their existing activities and time to identify activities that can be deprioritised either temporarily or permanently to create more time and energy for new activities related to the pilot. School leaders might encourage honest answers by using anonymous forms and by treating all ideas as worthy.

• Academic Lyceums might start small by implementing changes in just one or two classes within each grade, or in specific subjects, or by focusing on specific parts of the reform such as the student project or career education.

Supporting pilot Lyceums from the centre

Effective reforms take account of the context in which they are taking place and schools’ capacity (OECD, 2020[6]). During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, many OECD countries had to pause or pivot existing educational reforms to respond to the crisis. In 2021, New Zealand announced a ‘rephasing’ of reforms to upper secondary education to give schools space to build back from COVID‑19 (New Zealand Qualifications Authority, 2021[10]). In Ireland, plans to introduce teacher-based assessment were paused due to fears of misuse of artificial intelligence, with the government committing to accelerate other aspects of the reforms instead that would not require extra workload from teachers (Department of Education, 2023[11]).

Central policy can help schools to prioritise what is essential so that schools have achievable tasks:

• Acknowledging the immense challenges associated with reforming in the current context, while communicating the importance of reforms for young Ukrainians and the country.

• Giving piloting Lyceums different options for what they pilot and how much they pilot at once. For example, some schools could pilot a student project, others could pilot new subject curricula, others could pilot a new framework for student choice, etc. Schools with more capacity might be able to pilot multiple elements, while others can start small.

• Helping pilot schools to identify what they will stop doing to release resources for piloting.

• Encouraging schools to develop their own vision and plan for implementation that takes into consideration their local needs, challenges and capacity levels.

Objective 4: Be inclusive and co-create

Use inclusive design processes to bring key players on the journey

The NUS reform involves decentralising aspects of curriculum design and gives schools unprecedented autonomy in determining how they will develop key competencies in their students (MoES, 2019[2]). This increased flexibility opens the door to a range of new ways that schools could approach teaching and learning. To design approaches that work, schools can involve key stakeholders – like teachers and students. Bringing people on board of the design process can ensures their buy-in for the vision (OECD, 2020[6]). In Vinnytsia Primary School #25, the Principal emphasised the importance of involving teachers in the process of creating the materials and content for the reform. Students, too, can bring ideas based on their own experiences and aspirations (OECD, 2023[5]).

Use the opportunity to be involved in the development of new educational materials

During the piloting phase, Ukraine will develop the materials and the process for implementing student choice. This will include producing content for the new three-year upper secondary programme, the different subject profiles, setting out the process that schools and students will use to make choices and developing pedagogical materials such as textbooks. The pilot schools will have the opportunity to be closely involved in the development and trialling of these materials. Their feedback will help to ensure that these materials are relevant and valuable for schools.

Help parents understand key changes

In many education systems, parents are a challenging community to involve because they have sometimes strong views about their children’s education, and schools may have limited means to engage with them. When Vinnytsia Primary School #25 first started to implement changes, many parents were concerned that their children were simply playing rather than acquiring knowledge. The school took a very hands-on approach by inviting parents to observe classes so that they could experience the different pedagogical approach they were introducing.

Stakeholder actions and priorities - 4

Considerations for Academic Lyceums preparing to pilot:

• Following the principles of the NUS reform, engage the whole-school community – including teachers, students and their families – in co- designing the reform.

• Use community and school events, like parent-teacher evenings, to hear from parents and to communicate with them about what the changes mean in practice.

• Actively participate in the development of new materials for the reform.

• Given the maturity, and experience of upper secondary students, pilot Lyceums could involve them in the curricula changes. For example, Chapter 2 suggests that Lyceums could consider introducing a student project. Schools could engage students in designing this and how they will be assessed.

Supporting pilot Lyceums from the centre

Given Lyceums will have increased flexibility and autonomy under NUS, national standards, guides and templates will be essential to ensure consistency and promote equity. Policy makers can ensure that these materials meet the needs of schools by involving schools and teachers in their design. Ways of doing this include:

• Creating a working group to draft the materials for each subject. These groups would be composed of teachers, subject matter experts and curriculum experts.

• Creating a wider review group of teachers, school leaders, students and other key parties (e.g. teacher unions and industry representatives) who provide feedback on the materials prepared by the working groups (SLO, n.d.[12]).

Teachers who are involved in developing these materials will be better able to anticipate challenges, and to put changes into practice. Inviting teachers in the development of the materials also recognizes their expertise and experience, which can help build their support for the reform.

Objective 5. Embrace professional development opportunities

Changing what you teach and how you teach is no small feat. It required being equipped to fully embrace the new approach (OECD, 2020[6]). In Vinnytsia Primary School #25 the Principal, Deputy Principal and teacher spoke about how valuable professional development around the reforms were. They saw the time spent on professional development as one of the central reasons for the success of the pilot in their school because it prepared teachers for changes.

Effective professional development typically includes both upfront training and follow-on supporting activities, such as coaching (Education Endowment Foundation, 2021[8]). Upfront training can help staff understand the theory and rationale behind the new approach(es) and to develop key skills, knowledge, and strategies. Coaches or mentors can provide feedback and support to help staff apply the new ideas and skills they learned in their classrooms (Education Endowment Foundation, 2021[8]). School leaders in Ukraine can foster a continuous improvement mindset among the staff, even after the first wave of implementation (Kools and Stoll, 2016[4]).

Stakeholder actions and priorities - 5

Considerations for Academic Lyceums preparing to pilot:

• School leaders can create the expectation that teachers in their schools attend available professional development. To facilitate this, school leaders can release teachers from other duties. School leaders should also ensure that they themselves attend available professional development to demonstrate that it is a valued and essential activity.

• School leaders can also ensure piloting teachers have opportunities to put their new skills into practice.

Supporting pilot Lyceums from the centre

• Provide upfront training to help teachers in Ukraine understand the theory and rationale behind the new approach and to develop their skills, knowledge, and strategies.

• Ensure that upfront training is followed up with continuous coaching and other activities at the school level that support teachers to keep developing the skills and knowledge they will need to implement changes.

• Create a timeline of upcoming professional development opportunities so that schools and teachers know what they can look forward to and plan for this.

• Consider identifying days when students do self-paced remote learning so that teachers can focus on preparing for the changes.

Objective 6. Draw on external support

Research shows that professional networks are important for maintaining teacher well‑being in challenging times (Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies, 2022[7]). They allow teachers to discuss with peers that are going through similar experiences or to ask for advice if they find implementation difficult.

External mentors can support the piloting Academic Lyceums by providing an outside perspective, sharing insights from their own contexts and reflecting on strategies that they have applied in their own practice. Many education systems and their schools around the world stand ready to share their experiences with Ukraine. As presented in Chapter 3, education systems – particularly those where students have some choice over what they study, are able to undertake a student project or have dedicated time for career education and personal development – can provide Ukraine’s pilot Lyceums with practical insights about how they organise teaching and learning.

As part of its support to Ukraine, the OECD has been working with Academic Lyceums in Ukraine piloting the reform – the “Ambassador Schools” - and international schools to create partnerships for mutual exchange and experience sharing. The Ukraine-international school partnerships aim to support Ukraine’s Ambassador schools piloting the upper secondary reforms by:

• Sharing direct insights and experiences

• Sharing practical tools

• Being a source of inspiration and support.

As of September 2024, there are over 25 international schools partnered with Ukraine’s schools from Croatia, England (United Kingdom), Estonia, France, the network of International Baccalaureate (IB) schools, Ireland, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden.

Stakeholder actions and priorities - 6

Considerations for Academic Lyceums preparing to pilot:

• Use partnerships with international schools to discuss the benefits and challenges of providing choice, projects and career guidance in upper secondary education.

• Learn about the tools and approaches that international schools use to offer students greater choice e.g. how to cater to a wide range of interests, to manage competing staff and student timetables, and to balance school’s resources and students’ demands.

• Interact with a wide range of stakeholders within international schools – such as the school leadership, teachers and students – to learn about their perspectives and create opportunities for them to speak to different actors across your school e.g. providing a virtual meeting where students in an international school can speak with students in your school about how they choose subjects.

Supporting pilot Lyceums from the centre

• Creating a space for international school partners and Ukrainian pilot Lyceums to get to know each other and set out the expectations for the partnerships e.g. through an introductory virtual meeting.

• Suggesting ways in which Ukrainian pilot Lyceums and international schools can interact e.g. frequency of meetings, the mode of interaction and themes or topics.

• Bringing together groups of pilot and international schools to discuss shared challenges and to identify solutions based on the practical experiences of the international schools and the specificities of the Ukrainian context.

Objective 7. Monitor and invest in staff and student well-being

Hear the concerns and anxieties of others and build this into your planning

Given Ukraine’s NUS reforms focus on person-centred, adaptive, collaborative and inclusive principles, it is important that the whole school – from principal through to students – lives and breathes these principles (MoES, 2024[1]). The well‑being of staff and students should be prioritised throughout implementation. This is especially important in Ukraine where the on-going aggression has complex socio-emotional consequences for everyone.

School leaders can monitor the well‑being of staff and students in their school to spot who needs extra support. Short surveys or discussions can be a way to get insights from teachers and students on how they are coping (Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies, 2022[7]). These ‘pulse checks’ can help ensure the stresses and strains of implementation are not adversely affecting the well-being of the school community (Education Endowment Foundation, 2021[8]).

In Vinnytsia Primary School #25, the Principal, Deputy Principal and teacher spoke about how they had broken down hierarchies within the school, to the point that students and teachers now feel comfortable going through the principal’s open door for a chat or to ask a question. This required challenging some longstanding assumptions about the roles of the principals, teachers and students in school.

Stakeholder actions and priorities - 7

Considerations for Academic Lyceums preparing to pilot:

• Transform hierarchies across the school by involving teachers of all levels and stages and students in school leadership groups and by questioning existing hierarchical norms and behaviours.

• Create informal and anonymous avenues to monitor stress and well-being, such as short surveys, questions and informal discussions with staff and students.

Supporting pilot Lyceums from the centre

To support teacher and student well-being and foster a positive teaching and learning environment, particularly in times of crisis, the government can provide mental health and psychosocial support (Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies, 2022[7]). This can involve:

• Organising mental health and psychosocial well‑being information sessions for students and teachers.

• Organising social and emotional competencies training sessions for staff.

• Ensuring staff and students have access to a school counsellor.

Objective 8. Regularly review progress

Prior to beginning implementation, schools should develop goals, with associated metrics (Skolverket, n.d.[9]). A pre-agreed timeline for evaluating progress against these success metrics will help schools to see what is working and what needs more time, energy or a different approach.

While comprehensive evaluations might be conducted at specific moments of time (e.g. the end of an academic year), smaller evaluations can occur along the way. For example, in Ukraine, a school’s goal might be to shift away from memorising dates and names in history and instead focus on developing enquiry-based thinking and analysis and interpretation through historical contexts. To measure whether this goal has been achieved, staff could undertake a short staff self-assessment to see if they agree with statements such as:

• I understand the goals of the curriculum for history.

• I have implemented learning activities that support developing competencies in my classes.

• At my school, we regularly meet as teachers to discuss the development of competencies through historical contexts.

• At my school, learners are prepared to engage with history topics they haven’t studied in class.

• At my school, learners are prepared to apply these competencies to other contexts like current affairs.

The principal and other champions of change can use these results to understand what did or did not work (Education Endowment Foundation, 2021[8]), and adapt their approaches as needed.

Stakeholder actions and priorities - 8

Considerations for Academic Lyceums preparing to pilot:

• School leaders and teachers participating in the pilot can come together at the beginning of the process to develop indicators of success, both for the short and long term. At this point, schools can set a timeline for when and how they will evaluate their progress towards these indicators of success.

Supporting pilot Lyceums from the centre

Governments should set clear objectives for reform and communicate metrics that will be used in national evaluations. To support piloting Lyceums policy makers can:

• Create templates for school-level check points during piloting related to specific milestones and provide self-assessment forms that schools can adapt to their own contexts.

• Suggest metrics and other sources of information that schools can use to monitor implementation.

• Organise training for schools on how to effectively measure progress during piloting.

References

[11] Department of Education (2023), Minister Foley announces update to Senior Cycle Redevelopment, https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/c4bd8-minister-foley-announces-update-to-senior-cycle-redevelopment/ (accessed on 22 March 2024).

[8] Education Endowment Foundation (2021), Putting Evidence to Work – A School’s Guide to Implementation, https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/implementation.

[7] Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (2022), A Guidance Note for Teacher Wellbeing in Emergency Settings, https://inee.org/sites/default/files/resources/INEE%20-%20A%20Guidance%20Note%20for%20Teacher%20Wellbeing%20in%20Emergency%20Settings%20v1.1%20EN%20LowRes.pdf.

[4] Kools, M. and L. Stoll (2016), “What Makes a School a Learning Organisation?”, OECD Education Working Papers, No. 137, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/5jlwm62b3bvh-en.

[13] Levin, B. (2000), “Putting Students at the Centre in Education Reform”, Journal of Educational Change, Vol. 1, pp. 155–172, https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010024225888.

[1] MoES (2024), Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Education and Science until 2027, Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science.

[3] MoES (2020), Monitoring: Results and Recommendations First Stage 2019-2020, https://elibrary.kubg.edu.ua/id/eprint/34103/1/NUSH_monitorynh_7.08_2.pdf.

[2] MoES (2019), New Ukrainian School, https://mon.gov.ua/eng/tag/nova-ukrainska-shkola (accessed on 8 May 2024).

[10] New Zealand Qualifications Authority (2021), Rephasing of the NCEA change programm, https://www2.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/news/rephasing-of-the-ncea-change-programme/#:~:text=The%20rephasing%20of%20the%20NCEA,standards%2C%20and%20Te%20Ao%20Haka. (accessed on 22 March 2024).

[5] OECD (2023), Student Voice in Upper Secondary Education, https://www.oecd.org/education/aboveandbeyond/Student-voice-in-upper-secondary.pdf.

[6] OECD (2020), “An implementation framework for effective change in schools”, OECD Education Policy Perspectives, No. 9, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/4fd4113f-en.

[9] Skolverket (n.d.), How to implement Gy25, https://www.skolverket.se/regler-och-ansvar/forandringar-inom-skolomradet/amnesbetyg-pa-gymnasial-niva---gy25/sa-implementerar-du-gy25#h-Steg8Utvarderapahuvudmannaniva (accessed on 15 March 2024).

[12] SLO (n.d.), Actualisatie kerndoelen en examenprogramma’s (Updating core objectives and examination programs), https://www.slo.nl/thema/meer/actualisatie-kerndoelen-examenprogramma/ (accessed on 13 March 2024).