Karin Nilsson

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• Karin Nilsson
• Director of Education
• at
• The National Agency for Education

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Umeå
290 municipalities 6 000 schools
Stockholm
Linköping
Göteborg
Lund
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Some facts

• Population 9,2 million people
• Area 450 000 km2
• Density
• of inhabitants 22 persons/km2
• Immigrants 10
• Unemployment
• rate 6,3
• Poverty rate 5.3
• Life expectancy 78,9 men
• 83,0 women

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Educational background
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National minority languages

• Finish
• Jiddish
• Sami
• Meänkieli
• Romani chib

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National Governance
One Chamber Parliament
Government
Government offices and ministries
National Agencies
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Political reign
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The Department of Education
The National Agency for Education
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The National Agency for Education
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Steering documents

• Parliament passes legislation
• The Education Act
• The Higher Education Act
• The Government issues
• Ordinances
• The National Agencies issue
• Regulations

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The 1990s A changed Education System

• Decentralisation
• responsibility
• budget allocation
• Objectives and Results
• new curricula
• new grading system
• Freedom of Choice

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Reforms in 1990-2006

• From detail regulations to a goal oriented system
• The responsibility is transferred from the state
  to the municipalities.
• Freedom of Choice (choosing schools, choosing
  courses)
• Pre-schools incorporation into the education
  system
• Funding reform in pre-school
• Reformed upper-secondary school
• programmes qualify for higher education
• all all students study 3 years

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Basic Education in SwedenChanges in Perspectives

• Focus on local accountability and responsibility
• Focus on outcomes
• Focus on monitoring of students skills
• Focus on teachers and headmasters competence

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The Steering System

• Goals and regulations
• Resources
• Control (by inspection, monitoring and and
  evaluations)
• Support and information

State level (Government, Parliament and national
agencies)

• Resources
• Organisation
• In-service training
• Local development work
• Quality control and development

Municipality level (local authorities)
School level (headmasters)

• Local goals for teaching and learning
• Recruitment and in-service training
• Local development work
• Quality control and development

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Financing

• Municipalities finance their activities with
  incomes from
• - Taxes, 70 percent
• - Government grants, 15 percent
• - Fees, 15 percent

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• Childcare for schoolchildren
• Leisure-time centre
• Family daycare (age 6-9)
• Open leisure-time activities

• Preschool activities
• Preschool
• Family daycare
• (age 1-5)
• Open preschool

Preschool class
Compulsory school9 years

• University
• University college
• Working life
• Advancedvocational training

Upper secondaryschool 3 years
Sami school 6 years
Special schools 10 years
Compulsory school forpupils with learning
disabilities
Upper secondary school forpupils with learning
disabilities
Swedish for immigrants
Municipal adult education
Education for adults with learning disabilities
Basic educationfor adults
Upper secondaryeducation for adults
Supplementarystudies
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The Swedish Education System Basic Education

• Pre-school activities (age 1-5)
• Pre-school
• Family daycare
• Open pre-school

Pre-school class 1 year (age 6)
Compulsory school9 years (age 7-16)
Upper secondaryschool 3 years (age 16-19)

• University
• University college
• Advancedvocationaltraining

Adult education (age 20-64)
Upper secondaryeducation for adults
Basic educationfor adults
Supplementarystudies
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Basic Education in Sweden Pre-school Activities

• Curriculum 1998
• Funded mostly by state grants and local taxes
  (fees, max 3 of the parents income)
• Both public and independent
• 15 hours/week free of charge for children age 4-5
• Pre-school also available for unemployed parents
  and those on parental leave (guaranteed 15
  hours/week)

• Pre-school activities
• (age 1-5)
• Pre-school (77)
• Family daycare (6)
• Open pre-school

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Basic Education in SwedenPre-school Class and
Compulsory School

• Pre-school class 1998
• New curriculum 1994 followed by a new goal
  oriented grading system
• Funded by state grants and local taxes no fees

Pre-school class 1 year (age 6)
Compulsory school9 years (age 7-16)
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Basic Education in SwedenUpper Secondary School

• New curriculum 1994 followed by a new goal
  oriented grading system
• Funded by state grants, local taxes. Slight fees
  for lunch and books can occur
• Including both public and independent schools
• All students are qualified for higher education

• Non compulsory
• Upper secondary
• School (98 )

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National Rules governing schools

• A national curriculum that decribes
• the schools value base, basic goals and
  guidelines
• A national syllabus for each subject
• A national time schedule which states the minimum
  guaranteed teacher-led time for each subject

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resulting in

• A municipal school plan
• stating how its schools are organised and
  developed
• A local work plan
• which is an adoption of the contents of the
  national curriculum

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• Access/Influence/
• School Choice

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Basic Education in Sweden Fundamental Principles

• All children and young people must have access
  to equivalent education, regardless of gender,
  place of residence and social and financial
  background.
• Chapter 1 2 The Swedish Education Act

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Basic Education in Sweden

• A School for Everyone

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• Pupils shall have an influence over how their
  education is structured.
• The scope and the model of the pupils influence
  shall be adepted to their age and maturity
• Chapter 4, 2 The Education Act

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Curriculum

• 1. Fundamental values and tasks of the school
• 2. Goals and Guidelines

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Fundamental values

• It is not in itself sufficient that education
  imparts knowledge of fundamental democratic
  values.
• .By participating in the planning and evaluation
  of their daily education and exercising choices
  over courses, subjects, themes and activities
  pupils will develop their ability to exercise
  influence and take responsibility.

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Goals to strive towards

• The school should strive to ensure that all
  pupils
• Take personal responsibility for their studies
• Gradually exercise increasingly greater influence
  over their education
• Have an understanding for democraticprinciples

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Guidelines

• The teacher should
• Take as a starting point that all pupils are able
  and willing to take personal responsibility for
  their learning
• Ensure that all students have true influence over
  the work methods, work structures and educational
  content and that this influence
• incereasesas they grow in age and maturity
• Together with their pupils plan and evaluate

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Choice Upper Secondary School

• Each municipality is obliged to offer education
  in national programmes to all young persons
• The number of places in the various programmes
  and their options shall be adepted with regard to
  the wishes of the pupils.
• The same shall apply to the various options
  within the programmes.
• (Education Act ,Chapter 5, 5)

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Advisory and consultative bodies

• for staff
• The Co-Determination Act
• intended to promote employee participation in
  decisionmaking on employment and working
  conditions in a broad sense
• with a general right to
• information on changes near at hand
• negociation and mediation

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Advisory and consultative bodies

• for pupils
• The School Conference
• for pupils at Upper Secondary School (Education
  Ordinance Chapter 4, 5-10)
• environmental issues
• principles and guidelines
• Pupils Councils
• - representation from each class

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Pilote schemes

• Parent majority in local boards
• Compulsory Schools
• Pupil majority in local boards
• Upper Secondary Schools

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(No Transcript)
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Individual Development Plan

• ordinance since 1 January 2006
• Purpose
• Gives the pupil better knowledge about and
  influence on the its own learning and
  development
• Contains long term goals and goals for the near
  future
• Agreements between the pupil, teacher and parents

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Action Programme

• if
• a child needs special actions of support the
  principal must see to it that an Action
  Programme is worked out
• based on a survey and an analysis of the
  childs whole school situation
• and
• an analysis of the teaching and environmental
  surrounding

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Personal Progress Review Talk

• between pupil, teacher, parent(s) on how the
  pupils knowledge acquisition and social
  development are best supported
• at least once every term
• its starting point in an assessment of the
  pupils results and development
• ends up in An Individual Development Plan
  claryfying what measures are necessary to achieve
  the goals

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Education for students of non-Swedish background

• About 15 of all students in compulsory
  school come from foreign background.
• Children and youth whose first language is
  not Swedish are entitled to
• First language instruction
• Help in their native tounge for other subjects
• Swedish as a second language

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Choice of Compulsory school

• The municipality shall comply with
  guardianswishes in so far as is possible
• without neglecting other pupils justifiable
  claims to be placed close to the home
• without causing the municipality considerable
  organisational or financial difficulties
• (Education Act Chapter 4, 6)

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Time table Compulsory school
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Upper secondary vocational education

• Example Technology

Project studies 100 credits 4
Individual choice 300 credits 12
Programme-specific courses 650 credits 26
Optional courses and technical specialisation 700
credits 28
Core subjects 750 credits 30
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(No Transcript)
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• Independent schools

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History

• 1842 1962
• Elementary schools Municipality
• Grammar schools State
• Private schools

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History

• 1962 1980s
• 9- year compulsory school for all
• Independent schools under strict regulations
• a. developed new teaching methods interesting
  to the public schools
• b. were international
• c. Were boarding schools for diplomates etc.

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History

• 1990/91
• Paradigm shift
• An independent school, whose education provides
  knowledge and skills which as to character and
  level essentially corresponds to compulsory
  school shall be approved of

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• Requirements (1995)
• open to all children
• no fees
• education according to the general goals and
  fundamental values of the curriculum
• at least 20 pupils

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Independent schoolsschool year 2007/08

• Compulsory schools 9,1
• Upper Secondary Schools 17,4
• of which over 70 in big cities
• There are independent compulsory schools in 60
  and Upper Secondary schools in 30 of the
  municipalities

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Independent Upper Secondary Schools
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New applications

• 1st of April 2008
• 560 applications
• of which
• 2 (13) Pre-school class
• 226 (124) Compulsory Schools
• 16 (23) School of mentally disabled
• 302 (199) Upper Secondary Schools
• 14 (7) Upper secondary school for
  mentally disabled

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Different organisers

• Limited company
• Fondation
• Contracting
• Cooperative society
• Natural person
• Trading company
• Non profit association
• Limited partnership
• Faith community
• ---------------------------------------------
• Out opting
• Municipal independent schools

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The 8 biggest principal organisers
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Independent schools with a certain profile, year
2006
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Denominational profiles, year 2006
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Number of pupils in Upper Secondary Schools
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Number of Upper Secondary Schools
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Number of Compulsory schools
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Number of pupils in Compulsory schools
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Number of teachers /100 pupils
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Proportion of qualified teachers
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Average merit rating
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Proportion eligible for Upper secondary school
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Eligibility for Upper Secondary School
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Selection criteria

• Date of notification
• Sibling priority
• Surrounding area
• Social priority e.g.harassment in another school
• Participation in a pre school with a special
  pedagogical policy

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Riksprislista
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SupervisionEducation Act 11

• Independent schools shall
• be supervised by The National Agency for
  Education
• participate in municipal reviews and evaluations
• participate in nationwide tests
• provide information on the tests

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Educational inspection

• A great diversity among independent schools
• On average fewer students
• A teaching profile of their own
• Generallty positive findings regarding results
  and activities
• Choice a major impact om student commitment
• Good relation with parents
• Calm and secure atmosphere generally
• Students knowledge development and student
  influence are mixed
• Assessmnet and grading not satisfactory
• Undue fees

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Future development

• High concentration?
• Transformation of Public schools?
• Further growth?
• Increasing competition?
• Legislative problems?
• No municipal alternative?
• Profit/non-profit?
• Joint ventures?
• 2 new authorities in October 2008
• New Education Act in 2010?

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Future development

• Independent schools as well as municipal
  schools tend to become more and more different
  ?
• Choice leads to segregation?
• Who is to have control over the school?

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Questions to be discussed

• 1. How can parental choice expand, without
  causing undesired effects, as for instance
  segregation?
• 2. How can the advantages with a national
  curriculum
• remain when the forms of schooling are more and
  more diversified?
• 3. How can local and regional differences be
  balanced against national demands for quality?

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• Reviewing/Quality work

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International studies in which Sweden has
participated
1964
1970-71
1994-1996
1980
1983
1985
1991
1995
1996
IALS
Essay Writing
Reading Literacy (9 14 Years)
Science Mathematics (TIMSS)
Mathematics FIMS (13 18 years)
Science (FISS) Reading Literacy Literature
Literacy Civics English French Six Subject
Study (10 14 years)
Mathematics (SIMS) (13, 14 18 years)
Science (SISS)
Assessment of English
1999
2000
2003
2006
2001
2007
2002
2008
2009
Civics (15 18 Years)
PISA
TIMSS
TIMSSadvanced
PISA
PISA
Reading Literacy (PIRLS) (9-10 years)
Assessment Of English
PISA
TIMSS
PIRLS
ICCS
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Compulsory school
National testEnglish, mathematics and
Swedish/Swedish as a second language
National testEnglish, mathematics and
Swedish/ Swedish as a second language
National tests Swedish Maths

!
?
Grade
Diagnostic materialsMathematics and
Swedish/Swedish as a second language
Diagnostic materialsEnglish, mathematics and
Swedish/ Swedish as a sedcond language
Item bank Test in home and comsumer
studies, Natural and social sciencies (under
development), German, French, Spanish
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Upper secondary school
National testsEnglish Course A
BMathematics Course A B C DSwedish/
Course BSwedish as a second language
Year
1
3
2
Item bankGermanFrenchSpanish Physics Chemistry
Biology Mathematics Vocational courses
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• Formative assessment
• frequent assessment of learner understanding and
  progress to identify needs and shape teaching
• Summative assessment
• measuring learner progress against established
  standards

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The Swedish system seen from the outside
So you actually trust the teachers?
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National System for Securing Equity and High
Quality

• Regulations and general recommendations
• State supervision (inspection of school owners
  and schools)
• Open national monitoring (e.g schools grading
  results are published on the Agencys website)
• National surveys and evaluation of the system and
  students skills
• Participating in international studies of various
  subjects (benchmarking, trends)

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Phases in School Inspection
Statistics

• Overview
• Possible problem areas
• Results (females/males)
• Supportive measure

Documentation/preparation
Quality reports
Previous Inspection (if done)

• School leader
• Teacher
• Nurse/Psychologist
• Pupils
• Parents
• Municipality politicians

Visits
Interviews

• Class room visits
• Activities in school
• Buildings
• Equipment

Observations
Analyses Evaluation Feedback
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The seven areas of inspection
Norms and values in relation to comprehensive
goals, democratic values Knowledge in relation to
curricula/syllabuses objectives Work environment
and participation such as cooperation, class room
discipline, work against mobbing Teaching
activities and tuition, instruction, working
methods, developmental dialogues evaluation,
grading Steering, administration, and quality
system Access to education and care, information
about education and possibilities,
supply Resources, staff, resources for in-service
training, allocation of resources, textbooks and
other teaching aids
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Inspection process

• Information
• Planning
• Prel. analysis
• Scanning

Analysis Quality assessment Report
Visit on site Data- gathering
Report from municipality About measures taken
Follow up of effects
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Publication of results and a democratic insight
SIRIS Internet based System for Result
Informationfrom Skolverket (Swedish National
Agency for Education)
Quality reports
Inspection reports
Organization
Students, staff, expenses
Grades
Test results
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Pupils who have reached the goals
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Average merit rating
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Tools for quality enhancement SIRIS
One example Karlstad
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Tools for quality enhancement BRUK
One example Karlstad
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Tools for quality enhancement
Quality reports one example Karlstad
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Websitehttp//www.skolverket.seIn English
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Basic Education in SwedenTrends over time

• Phase I (1991-1995)
• deregulation
• decentralisation
• -local responsibility (municipality) for
  financing and organisation
• focus on goals and results

?

• Phase II (1995-2000)
• Studies indicating discrepancies in outcomes
• increased state demands on municipalities
• focus on quality
• - state inspectors
• - quality reviews

• Phase III (2000-2006)
• Focus on discrepancies between genders,
  immigrants and Swedish-born etc.
• stronger state control
• -inspectorate
• state support measures
• - earmarked state grants
• - support on school level and municipal level