Inclusion Practices in a rural environment – the case of José Saramago Cluster of Schools an Educational Territory of Priority Intervention

Short summary

The main problems identified are early school dropout; school failure and absenteeism among students from all school cycles. The target group comprises of students from kindergarten to secondary school from the specific context – rural environment. The resolution is to adopt educational policies that enable to promote educational success in specific contexts such as rural environment (rural isolation). The José Saramago group of schools signed a contract within the programme of Educational Territory of Priority Intervention with the government, advocating to

  • improve learning quality, enabling further studies;
  • bring students closer to school and promote their full integration;
  • promote curriculum articulation;
  • reduce indiscipline;
  • apply internal assessment;
  • improve the environment and quality of classroom learning.

The improvements, envisaging to achieve the main goal – to better the educational service provided by the school to the students –, were pursued through the implementation of four vital Actions:

Action 1.: Support for improved learning

  • Improvement Actions: classroom support; Class X; «A Museum for the Future» (a personal and socio-emotional skills programme);

Action 2.: Preventing school dropout, absenteeism and indiscipline

  • Improvement Actions: support students' school course; Project «Blimunda seven moons»

Action 3.: Management and organisation

  • Improvement Actions: evaluate to advance; sharing workshops

Action 4.: School, families, community and partner’s relationship

  • Improvement Actions: approach to improve, promote to approach.

Those actions were developed by the following participants:

Social partners – The partnerships are institutional and pedagogical, outlined annually, according to the annual activity plan, articulating actions and projects with the National Guard (specialised in Safe School),the Health Center, the City Council, the Parish Council, the Firefighters Humanitarian Association, the Community Center of Saint Pedro, the Social Union of Marateca, the Poceirão Culture and Sports Association, the Poceirão Cultural Center,  the Superior School of Education, the Children Occupation Center, the Child and Youth Protection Commission, Ordem de Santiago Training Center, CERCIMA – Resource Center for Inclusion and Institute of Employment and Vocational Training.

Teaching staff – Total of 83 teachers (5 to kindergarten; 24 to elementary school; 50 to high school; 4 to special needs and 1 psychologist).

School assistants – Total of 43 assistants (6 technical assistants; 37 operational assistants). 

Student population – Total of  905 students (108 in kindergarten; 332 in primary school; 191 in 2nd cycle and 274 in high school).

The results of improvement plans and decisions are visible in school results. In the last school year, there was a 100% success of the 9th-grade students (even with national exams).

Among all the improvement actions, the «Blimunda seven moons» Project, should be highlighted, because, thanks to it, there is currently a reduction in school dropout at all levels of education. This action to improve student support has developed in students' accountability for their actions on the threshold of dropout.

Through the analysis and reflection of the results obtained, it was possible to rethink the path of all students and the educational offer, which led to the implementation of secondary education in the vocational strand.

From the 2017/2018 school year onwards, there was a professional training offer in the areas of information technology, child support and wine-making (the choice of courses was in line with the students' expectations and also the profitability of available resources). This school year, 2019/2020, will be the first class of graduate students with the secondary level.

With the signing of the first Educational Territory of Priority Intervention (TEIP) Programme, in 2008 and the introduction of the first improvement plan in 2012, the results obtained in 2019 are very encouraging and positive, revealing the efficiency and adequacy of the inclusive pedagogical practices selected for this educational territory.

Context of good practice

The cluster of schools, object of this case study, was identified as educational territories of priority intervention, which came to be beneficiary from the Educational Territory of Priority Intervention (TEIP) Programme, launched in 1996 and nowadays in its third version, a government initiative, currently implemented in 137 clusters of schools and ungrouped schools located in economically and socially disadvantaged territories, marked by poverty and social exclusion, where violence, indiscipline, dropout and school failure are the most common features. Central objectives of the programme are prevention and reduction of early school leaving and absenteeism, the reduction of indiscipline and the promotion of educational success for all students. All of those 137 educational institutions have been working under special contracted conditions, being autonomy the best resource. Careful planning, self-evaluation, frequent reporting, training and peer learning, together with frequent monitoring were in use as a means to gain self-awareness of the issues involved in the improvement of teaching and learning processes and to report to local and regional authorities.

One of those educational institutions is the Jose Saramago; to whom was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1998. An icon of social mobility once Jose Saramago started is professional life as a mechanical locksmith and ended up as a many, many times nationally and internationally awarded writer.  

 cluster of schools located in a rural environment and is characterised by socio-cultural isolation that lacks the participation of its population in cultural and artistic activities. The essential acquired in those areas is what is offered or disseminated in school. The school plays a key role in the balanced development of its young students. 

The parish has a total of 4758 inhabitants. The latest census (2011) data show a population increase of 7%, however, this increase is due to the growth of the elderly population, as the young resident population decreased by 32% compared to 2001 data.

The main activity of the population is agriculture and viticulture. There are deficiencies at the infrastructure, such as basic sanitation, transports or school offer.

The resident population faces unemployment, the number of students who need school social support, increases.

The educational qualifications of the parents are between elementary and high school. Lately, some parents are starting to graduate, which was not the case before. 

Main characteristics of the challenge, description of the target group

The challenge of the Project and its good practices is to promote a quality teaching and learning process, inclusive and adapted to the specific needs of the students, based on the continuous training of professionals and the dynamic articulation with the partners and entities of the community.

It aims to provide each student with the acquisition of knowledge and skills that allow them to fully exploit their abilities, to become critically and actively integrated into society to contribute to the country's economic, social and cultural life.

Success factors and processes

The preconditions available have been seized since the implementation of the first Improvement Plan in 2012:

  • Teacher motivation;
  • Teacher stability;
  • Student support team;
  • Class X;
  • Development of projects with the community support;
  • Conditions to educational orientation and qualified transition to active life.

Step-by-step description of main activities from beginning to end, and conclusions:

A ction 1 – Support for improved learning

I. Classroom support

1. Preparation: identifying the problem and outlining resolution (necessary tools, etc.) 

Reflection on school failure so that its causes are identified and the most appropriate strategies are implemented, with a view to a significant and consistent improvement of results, especially in Mathematics and Portuguese.

2. Description of main activities; the approach used (necessary tools, timeframe, etc.)

In the primary school, the support is developed in Mathematics and Portuguese except in the 2nd grade. In Águas de Moura and Cajados schools, the support also works in the 2nd grade, due to the physical conditions and the fact that there is only one 2nd grade class.

The weekly distribution is 8 hours for Portuguese and Mathematics and their distribution is according to the difficulties expressed by the students. The class teacher and support teacher share classes; develop collaborative work in terms of planning activities and implementation of activities and support to students during their development.

3. Useful competencies of a problem-solving team to reach main aim (necessary tools, etc.)

The Action aims to support, relatively homogeneous groups of students, through differentiated work supporting students' learning to develop skills and achieve better levels of overall performance. The support addresses Portuguese and Mathematics learning issues and aims to improve the performance and overall results of students in the cognitive and social affective domains, by allowing them to work with closer support from the teacher; to develop autonomy, by gradually increasing the complexity of the tasks; to develop regular study and work methods; to increase and improve students´ participation in learning tasks. 

4. What is the estimated timeframe of implementation? Is this a quick solution or a long-term investment? When is it recommended to be carried out?

It is recommended that it be implemented per school year. It is a quick solution, with immediate results that can last even longer. This Action should be implemented as soon as the difficulties are identified and last as long as needed and its results are evaluated along the implementation period. Every two years the TEIP projects are externally evaluated by the Ministry of Education.

5. How is this a systems change?

It is a systems change because it promotes students' learning through support for learning differently, instigates continuous and systematic awareness and reflection on the individual learning process, promotes collaborative work among teachers. The system scope can be identified at two levels: the school as a whole and the Portuguese educational system, at least within the group of TEIP cluster of schools.

II. Class X

1. Preparation: identifying the problem and outlining resolution (necessary tools, etc.) 

Reflection on school failure so that its causes are identified and the most appropriate strategies are implemented, with a view to a significant and consistent improvement of results, especially in Mathematics and Portuguese.

2. Description of main activities; the approach used (necessary tools, timeframe, etc.)

The Class X project aims to support students in relatively homogeneous groups regarding school outcomes to do a differentiated work with these groups supporting students' learning to develop their skills and achieve better levels of overall performance.

The Class X project, applied in the curricular areas of Portuguese and Mathematics, aims to improve students' performance and overall results in the cognitive and social affective domains, allowing students to:

Integrate homogeneity groups in the 2nd, 5th and 7th-grade classes that will operate in a triangular system - for example, students in class A and class B will be selected according to their profile to temporarily integrate an AB class (A + B);

To temporarily integrate students from the various classes of the 2nd year, forming homogeneous and autonomous working groups with the same work schedule and the same syllabus, adjusting the pace and type of work to be developed.

This Action foresees, in the primary school per class/group, 9 hours, being distributed according to the difficulties presented by the students and 6 hours in the 5th grade. and 5 hours in the 7th grade in the curricular areas of Portuguese and Mathematics.

3. Useful competencies of a problem-solving team to reach main aim (necessary tools, etc.)

Equivalent diagnostic assessment activities for each grade level; Organisation of groups taking into account school outcomes and relevant information from the level group diagnostic assessment (in consideration school outcomes and student profile); Development of various activities depending on student groups; Supportive training activities and systematisation of learning aimed at preparing for assessment moments; Moments of reflection to reformulate practices and strategies with students and/or teachers; Weekly meetings (90 minutes) with teachers involved in the Action by disciplinary group and cycle (planning and construction of assessment tools, results analysis, selection of consolidation activities; Elaboration of specific general criteria to correct the planned activities (formative and summative); Collaborative elaboration of assessment instruments with the respective criteria and matrices, to be applied to all students (those of homogenous groups and those of origin classes); Regular analysis of results and selection of consolidation activities.

4. What is the estimated timeframe of implementation? Is this a quick solution or a long-term investment? When is it recommended to be carried out?

It is recommended that it be implemented per school year. It is a quick solution, with immediate results that can last even longer. This Action should be implemented as soon as the difficulties are identified and last as long as needed and its results are evaluated along the implementation period. Every two years the TEIP projects are externally evaluated by the Ministry of Education.

5. How is this a systems change?

The changes 

  • contributes to the improvement of learning with expected reflexes in the improvement of the internal evaluation;
  • involves and commits students to their learning process;
  • encourages awareness, reflection and continuous and systematic dialogue between students/teachers about their learning process;
  • promotes/develops success-promoting measures tailored to the level groups involved in the process;
  • deepen knowledge of each student's learning levels and ability to achieve to reduce outcomes between internal assessment;
  • develop autonomy, gradually increasing the complexity of the proposed tasks;
  • develop regular study and work methods;
  • improve confidence and self-esteem by integrating balanced and homogeneous working groups;
  • increase and improve oral participation;
  • work based on objectives set by students, contracting goals to be achieved upon entry into Class X;
  • perform a regular self-assessment;
  • work the syllabus of the original class, with the same workload, but advancing at their own pace, with greater support from the teacher;
  • submit its work to permanent monitoring, with a regular indication of the progress made and the aspects to be improved.

The system scope of those changes can be identified at two levels: the school as a whole and the Portuguese educational system, at least within the group of TEIP cluster of schools.

III. «A Museum for the Future» (personal and socio-emotional  skills programme)

1. Preparation: identifying the problem and outlining resolution (necessary tools, etc.) 

Development of personal and socio-emotional skills of students involved in the Action.

2. Description of main activities; the approach used (necessary tools, timeframe, etc.)

The project "A Museum for the Future" aims to support students in heterogeneous groups regarding their age and educational level, from primary school to high school who have common learning difficulties associated with relevant emotional disorders. It is an art education project that aims to develop personal and socio-emotional skills of the students involved. This initiative aims to widen accessibility and promote identity reinforcement by bringing the school and heritage closer together. It intends to reinforce the idea of art education as an integral part of the formation of young students.

Based on the premise that creativity plays a considerable role in the daily experiences of students, it is intended to understand this dynamic and to return the benefits that its promotion and increment provide to participants. The activities are promoted by a multidisciplinary team that involves several partners/areas of intervention.

The vital goal is to stimulate and develop two interrelated cognitive skills, social and emotional, respect for others and self-control in social relationships.

3. Useful competencies of a problem-solving team to reach main aim (necessary tools, etc.)

The activities aim to develop personal and socio-emotional skills of the students involved. They are held at the José Saramago School; Gulbenkian Museum (Center of Modern Art),Palmela Castle (Palmela City Hall Educational Service),Saint João Movie theatre, Águas de Moura Health Museum, Poceirão Cultural Center and Palmela Municipal Library. In these places are developed several activities:

  • Diagnostic assessment activities: carried out in articulation between teachers and special education teachers;
  • Organisation of groups: Considering the profile of the participants (students from primary school to high school who have common difficulties associated with relevant emotional disorders);
  • Meetings: monthly with the above-mentioned museum educational service professionals to plan the sessions, select the activities, identify and contact relevant partners for project implementation and reflect on the work done. Punctual meetings with the teachers involved in the project;
  • Group dynamics: sessions that take place in a very dynamic course of observation and interpretation of art exhibited in the museums visited, considering some of the creative processes of the artists. These sessions serve as an inspiring and meditative element for students to express their ideas and opinions for a personal production from the impressions that each work of art gives them. The art is interpreted through group dynamics and cooperative games that involve and promote participation and emotional and bodily expression;
  • Workshops of artistic expression: starting from a thematic proposal allusive to heritage, students will have the opportunity to learn how to do it (hearing how it is done, seeing how it is done and trying to do it are the three essential phases of this process). The art will be produced in a multidisciplinary perspective (involving the participation of several teachers / multidisciplinary) and exposed to the educational community at the end of each school year.

4. What is the estimated timeframe of implementation? Is this a quick solution or a long-term investment? When is it recommended to be carried out?

It is recommended that it be implemented per school year. It is a quick solution, with immediate results that can last even longer. This Action should be implemented as soon as the difficulties are identified and last as long as needed and its results are evaluated along the implementation period. Every two years the TEIP projects are externally evaluated by the Ministry of Education.  

5. How is this a systems change?

It is a systems change by improving the school results of the students involved in the action; improving the socio-emotional skills (consideration for others and self-control in social relations) of the students involved in the action and reducing indiscipline behaviours. The system scope of those changes can be identified at two levels: the school as a whole and the Portuguese educational system, at least within the group of TEIP cluster of schools.

Action 2 – Preventing school drop out, absenteeism and indiscipline

I. Support students' school course

1. Preparation: identifying the problem and outlining resolution (necessary tools, etc.) 

Monitoring and reflection on the data on the success promotion measures implemented to increase their effectiveness; promoting student accountability; promotion of strategies to bring parents and guardians closer to school life; standardization of prevention strategies and action towards indiscipline by teachers and non-teachers in the school; articulation with the teachers, Police and Child and Youth Protection, in the control and combat of school drop out and absenteeism.

2. Description of main activities; the approach used (necessary tools, timeframe, etc.)

Capture students who manifest risk behaviours, in projects and/or actions/tasks that foster behavioural/relational improvement; strengthen communication with the family, promoting a more active and constructive participation of parents/guardians in the student's educational process and school career; prevent school drop out, absenteeism and indiscipline by acting early and preventively on emerging situations in everyday school life; act on properly identified and persistent cases.

3. Useful competencies of a problem-solving team to reach main aim (necessary tools, etc.)

Supporting the student's educational path should work in accordance with the various skills it incorporates to work with students who have difficulties with learning and/or the acquisition of behavioural skills.

The activities, in general, aim to promote citizenship values and personal appreciation:

  • Student Support Team: integrates Student Support Office and Tutorials. It promotes the monitoring of indiscipline and seeks to act in a preventive and dissuasive manner in all occurrences. It assumes an important mission with the principals/school coordinators Each cluster of schools has a Principal who is responsible for the management of all the schools composing the cluster, but he/she is assisted in each school by a coordinator to whom is delegated the management of that school mainly on applying the decisions taken centrally at the several Councils of the cluster. 

 who are pivots between the school and the families;

  • Student Support Office: It's guiding principles are the mediation of conflicts between students, between students and teachers and students and staff; the fight against absenteeism and lack of attendance; the prevention of risk behaviours and their sanction and correction. It also intends to be a supportive space for students who voluntarily seek it; it will foster and coordinate the framing of certain students in specific projects that promote the student's personal, relational and social development, as well as their self-esteem and self-confidence, always to increase their relationship with the school.
  • Tutorials - Seek to prevent and/or correct risk behaviours, as well as cognitive and/or relational difficulties, through an intervention that allows the appreciation of study methods, consistent work, accountability, seeking to develop autonomy and self-esteem and self-confidence, starting from the construction of a relationship of empathy, respect and complicity between tutor and tutoring.
  • Best class: Competition between classes of the same grade, based on monitoring and consequent attribution or subtraction of points from a set of indicators, individual and collective, related to the achievement, attendance, behaviour and participation in the School Annual Activity Plan and Projects. Moments of analysis of class performance and redefinition of individual and collective strategies to develop accountability, cooperation, group spirit and mutual help, as well as improving the relationship with the school; updating of the leader boards after the mid-term and final evaluation moments with dissemination to all elements of the educational community.
  • Specific Tutorial Support - Aims to provide permanent support to students with two or more retentions in their school career, through a multilateral approach to behavioural, academic and project identification and construction aspects.
  • Act: Develop activities to promote citizenship values and personal appreciation. Present a set of proposals/ideas to develop in the school space

4. What is the estimated timeframe of implementation? Is this a quick solution or a long-term investment? When is it recommended to be carried out?

It is recommended that it be implemented per school year. It is a quick solution, with immediate results that can last even longer. This Action should be implemented as soon as the difficulties are identified and last as long as needed and its results are evaluated along the implementation period. Every two years the TEIP projects are externally evaluated by the Ministry of Education.  

5. How is this a systems change?

It is a system change by:

  • preventing / mediating conflicts between students and teachers and students and staff; 
  • preventing and fighting absenteeism and dropout; 
  • implementing tutorials;
  • strengthening bridges of communication between school and family;
  • developing the acquisition of behavioural skills;
  • developing activities that promote citizenship values and personal appreciation;
  • identifying/referring students with low self-esteem and reduced self-concept to specific projects, whose objective is to work on improving these indicators;
  • providing permanent support to students with two or more retentions in their school career;
  • developing responsibility for cooperation, group spirit and mutual support;
  • improving the relationship with the school,
  • presenting a set of proposals/ideas to develop in the school space;
  • developing activities to promote citizenship values and personal appreciation.

The system scope of those changes can be identified at two levels: the school as a whole and the Portuguese educational system, at least within the group of TEIP cluster of schools.

II. Project «Blimunda sete luas»

1. Preparation: identifying the problem and outlining resolution (necessary tools, etc.) 

Improvement of socio-emotional skills of students involved in the Action.

2. Description of main activities; the approach used (necessary tools, timeframe, etc.)

Using dynamic coaching techniques who intend to develop socio-emotional skills and facilitate the perception of the usual modes of social interaction and implementation of socio-emotional skills. It is intended to stimulate and develop interrelated cognitive, social and emotional skills, namely: respect for others and self-control in social relations.

3. Useful competencies of a problem-solving team to reach main aim (necessary tools, etc.)

Streamlined activities are directed at classes referenced by class principals because they have a significant number of students with learning disabilities associated with relevant emotional disorders. The actions implemented aim to stimulate and develop personal and socio-emotional skills.

  • Group dynamics: activities to be performed with the group that aims to stimulate the perception of the usual modes of social interaction and implementation of socio-emotional skills. Conducting educational games and practical exercises aimed at reinforcing the focus of attention and training of logical memory;
  • Expository / Interrogative Sessions: Transmission of information about interrelated competencies and the appropriate way to put them into practice in the various life contexts of the students involved in the action. Promotion of critical reflection and brainstorming on the information presented;
  • Worksheets: planning and recording of objectives set by students;
  • School trips: promote direct contact with emblematic elements of the topics addressed during the sessions to stimulate observation, listening, interpretation and narrative construction that meet the appreciation of the stimulated socio-emotional skills.

4. What is the estimated timeframe of implementation? Is this a quick solution or a long-term investment? When is it recommended to be carried out?

It is recommended that it be implemented per school year. It is a quick solution, with immediate results that can last even longer. This Action should be implemented as soon as the difficulties are identified and last as long as needed and its results are evaluated along the implementation period. Every two years the TEIP projects are externally evaluated by the Ministry of Education.  

5. How is this a systems change?

The Action empowers participants to develop socio-emotional skills and reduces indiscipline behaviours. The system scope of those changes can be identified at two levels: the school as a whole and the Portuguese educational system, at least within the group of TEIP cluster of schools.

Action 3 – Management and organisation

I. Evaluate to advance

1. Preparation: identifying the problem and outlining resolution (necessary tools, etc.) 

Consolidation of the self-assessment process to achieve the sustainability of the school's development; monitoring and reflection on the data on the successful promotion measures implemented to increase their effectiveness.

2. Description of main activities; the approach used (necessary tools, timeframe, etc.)

The internal evaluation team meets weekly 90 minutes, according to the established schedule. The adopted work methodology favours the systematisation of document analysis, together with questionnaires, whenever considered relevant.

The work developed focuses on the creation/reformulation and application of instruments that allow the monitoring of improvement actions, as well as the achievement of the objectives of the educational project, and the provision of relevant information to support decision making.

3. Useful competencies of a problem-solving team to reach main aim (necessary tools, etc.)

  • Creation/recasting of monitoring instruments;
  • Application of monitoring instruments;
  • Dissemination of Results;
  • Dissemination of the monitoring process;
  • Production of relevant information for decision making.

4. What is the estimated timeframe of implementation? Is this a quick solution or a long-term investment? When is it recommended to be carried out?

It is recommended that it be implemented per school year. It is a quick solution, with immediate results that can last even longer. This Action should be implemented as soon as the difficulties are identified. The self-assessment process provides data for the external-assessment process which takes place every two years.

 

5. How is this a systems change?

The Action consolidates self-assessment as a process for identifying strengths and weaknesses, it systematically monitors the implementation of the Improvement Action Plan, it supports decision making by providing relevant information and disseminates results to the educational community. The system scope of those changes can be identified at two levels: the school as a whole and the Portuguese educational system, at least within the group of TEIP cluster of schools.

Action 3 – Management and organisation

I. Sharing Workshops

1. Preparation: identifying the problem and outlining resolution (necessary tools, etc.) 

Improvement of the process of vertical articulation of the curriculum, to attune the sequencing of learning and promote educational success; establishment of systematic mechanisms for supervising classroom teaching practice as a formative strategy for the improvement of the teaching and learning process and consequent repercussions on academic outcomes; increasing articulation practices between formative and summative assessment to reflect favourably on student performance.

2. Description of main activities; the approach used (necessary tools, timeframe, etc.)

Collaborative work between the Pedagogical Council; Department Coordinators; Curricular Departments; Year Departments;  Disciplinary Groups and articulation between cycles.

(according to the aspects of improving identified by the external evaluation)

3. Useful competencies of a problem-solving team to reach main aim (necessary tools, etc.)

Disciplinary articulation, pedagogical, organisational and other materials collaborative work, measurement of results of collaborative work, horizontal supervision, with peers, at least one class per year for each teacher.

4. What is the estimated timeframe of implementation? Is this a quick solution or a long-term investment? When is it recommended to be carried out?

It is recommended that it be implemented per school year. It is a quick solution, with immediate results that can last even longer. This Action should be implemented as soon as the difficulties are identified. 

5. How is this a systems change?

It promotes curriculum articulation, encourages collaborative work, sets mechanisms for monitoring teaching practice throughout the school year, provides a reflection on teaching practices and strategies implemented, continues the process of supervising peer teaching practice (one class observed by the teacher) and foresees diversified formative assessment tools. It is systematic in itself at the cluster level, once the articulation of the curriculum is done vertically going through every year of every school cycle

Action 4 – School, families, community and partners relationship

I. Approach to improve, promote to approach.

1. Preparation: identifying problem and outlining resolution (necessary tools, etc.) 

Reflection on school failure, co-responsibility of families in success.

2. Description of main activities; approach used (necessary tools, timeframe, etc.)

Participation of the Educational Territory of Priority Intervention coordinator in the extended meetings of the coordinators of improvement actions, collaboration in the organisation of Annual Activities Plan and regulation of the implementation of the Annual Activities Plan.

3. Useful competences of problem solving team to reach main aim (necessary tools, etc.)

Encourage Positive Parenting sessions with families, in partnership with teachers, educational community (Child Occupation Center, Palmela City Council, Union of Poceirão and Marateca parishes); and articulate and meet with social partners and families.

4. What is the estimated timeframe of implementation? Is this a quick solution or a long-term investment? When is it recommended to be carried out?

It is recommended that it be implemented per school year. It is a quick solution, with immediate results that can last even longer. This Action should be implemented as soon as the difficulties are identified. 

5. How is this a systems change?

It promotes awareness-raising actions to combat early school drop out and raises awareness among the parents/guardians of the importance of their involvement with the school and the school monitoring of their students.

Impact of measures taken

It is possible to verify that the results of the internal and external evaluation improved, there are a continuous and systematic awareness and reflection on the individual learning process, there is a decrease in indiscipline, school dropout and absenteeism. 

There is an integrated and articulated curriculum planning, to harmonize the evaluation criteria for each school year, both for the construction of the assessment instruments and their correction, the supervisory practice was created. 

For each improvement Action materialized by one or several activities, a separate document was created that describes in detail what needs to be done and a set of questions that allow us to understand what is happening and what results are being obtained. These result from the analysis of the indicators. Data are collected through direct observation and split reports from Action coordinators.

The following tables show the data regarding the impact of the measures taken and the results obtained at the various levels of education:

At primary school, table 1, what is most evident is the improvement in absenteeism and school dropout, which stands in 0%. However, the school failure, continues to persist, even though it is inconstant.

In the second cycle, the school results are quite unstable, ranging from 100% improvement to negative results.

In the second cycle, there is a decrease in the school population, however, to accompany, there is also a decrease in school failure.

The most unstable data are those related to school dropout, as the data points out. There is 100% success in the 2013/2014 school year. But the next two school years a triple increase, facing the initial data. However, in the last presented monitoring, 2016/2017, the success rate is 100% again. 

Regarding absenteeism, in spite of the fluctuation that have occurred over the years monitored, the latest data point to the effectiveness of the measures taken, in other words, 100% success.

In this table shows the data of the third cycle. At this level of education, it is possible to observe, as in the second cycle, a decrease in students registered, which also accompanies the decrease in students with school failure. However, in school failure, the data also fluctuate. The starting point was an increase in failure, and there are only improvements about 5 years after the implementation of the Educational Territory of Priority Intervention (TEIP) Programme and improvement plans.

Regarding school dropout and absenteeism, the data reveal that they are the critical points to prioritize in the TEIP Programme, although in the last monitoring the success is 100% in both cases. Until the school year 2015/2016, the school dropout only increased while absenteeism was oscillating, but in that same school year, it had its highest record, reaching 9.5%.

The data presented in the tables above show the positive evolution that has been registered since the first improvement plan to the TEIP Programme.

It can be seen from the latest data presented, dated in 2017, that although there are areas that still need intervention, others already show a positive balance, such as the school drop out and absenteeism that shows a 100% success.

Through the results obtained in the school year 2016/2017, and to face the needs of the school population, diversifying the educational offer, it was crucial start vocational secondary education, as already mentioned above, but now we point out the data that led to this.

Still without the statistics finished, through an interview with the school management board, it was possible to obtain the latest data of the school year 2018/2019, revealing that there was a 100% success of the 9th-grade students (even with national exams).

This means that results are appearing and it was inevitable to extend school offer.

In this school year, the first certified students with secondary education will leave and as soon as possible we will enter their data.

Resources needed

The entire community is important for the implementation and effectiveness of Improvement Actions.

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Author:

Maria Morgado (head of institution)

Institution:

Agrupamento de Escolas José Saramago

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