Towards Effective Educational Politics through Improving the Performance Measurement System

Educational field is impelled to increase performance and quality, financial discipline, strategic behaviour and its goals in order to enhance “effectiveness”. As a result the incorporation of private sector management practices into the educational field is taking place. But it is important to notice that a proliferation of private managerial practices into the educational field goes along with a conflict-laden and contradictory process. Education provides an important area of implementation for techniques of performance evaluation aimed at improving the performance of public services. One of the most common conceptual frameworks in measuring organisational performance takes the form of a production function where the educational institution is seen as analogous to a company transforming inputs into outputs and outcomes through a production process. But the problems and the vagueness in determining educational system’s inputs, outputs and outcomes cause difficulties in making political decisions and that is why clear policy prescriptions have been difficult to derive. The purpose of this article is to create a discussion whether performance measurement should be a part of decision-making in educational politics. The authors debate about incorporating private sector management practices into the educational field. The debate is based on the example of evaluating the social impact in the educational field and the performance of teachers’ work in the educational system. The article consists of three parts. Firstly, the theoretical background of the performance measurement in educational field is discussed. Secondly, the important criteria for performance measurement design and political issues are argued. Thirdly, the evaluated shortcomings in Estonian educational organisations, which restrict them to be effective, are brought out. Relieving some of these shortcomings could be in authority of Estonian educational politics

The Possibilities for Appraising Teachers’ Performance in the Perspective of Educational Policy and Organisational Culture

With the view to raising the effectiveness of Estonian educational system, new course concerning schools’ and pupils’ individual development must be taken. It can be achieved through performance management, which also generates the need to appraise schools’ and teachers’ performance. The purpose of this article is to bring out the opportunities for appraising schools’ and teachers’ performance in Estonian general education schools in a perspective of organizational culture and educational policy. On the assumption of teachers’ main activities the authors grouped evaluation criteria into activities connected to school management and activities connected to educational process. Teachers’ appraisal criteria a brought out in three main themes: teachers’ personal characteristics, learning process and learning environment and school management and development. The authors also debate over the Estonian educational policy

Õpetajate töösoorituse juhtimise hindamise ja töötasustamise aspektid Eesti üldhariduskoolide näitel

Doktoritöö eesmärk on töötada välja soovitused õpetajate töösoorituse hindamise ja tulemustasustamise arendamiseks Eesti üldhariduskoolides. Töösoorituse hindamise ja tulemustasustamise süsteemi kujundamine ja rakendamine eeldavad töösoorituse juhtimis-instrumendi väljatöötamist. Doktoritöös määratakse kindlaks õpetajate töösoorituse hindamise ja tulemustasustamise kujundamise ja rakendamise aspektid ning töötatakse välja ettepanekud õpetajate töösoorituse hindamise ja tulemustasustamise kriteeriumide valikuks. Selleks viidi Eesti üldhariduskoolides läbi ulatuslik ankeetküsitlus, mille käigus küsitleti 2165 õpetajat ja 298 koolijuhti. Probleemide süvauuringu raames viidi kolmes koolis läbi juhtumiuuringud. Uuringust saadi kinnitust, et tulemuslik juhtimine eeldab töösoorituse juhtimisinstrumendi juurutamist Eesti üldhariduskoolides. Õpetajate töösoorituse hindamise ja tulemustasustamise kujundamise ning rakendamisega on tihedalt seotud kooli strateegiline juhtimine, ressursijuhtimine ja organisatsioonikultuur, mis aitavad kaasa pedagoogide positiivse suhtumise kujundamisele õpetajate töösoorituse juhtimise suhtes. Õpetajate töösoorituse juhtimine tagab kooli tasakaalustatud arengu ning tulemuslikkuse, mis eeldab õpiprotsessi, õpikeskkonna ja kooli juhtimisega seotud õpetajate töösoorituse hindamise ja tulemustasustamise kriteeriumide väljatöötamist ja tasakaalustatut rakendamist. Õpetajate tulemustasustamine aitab parandada töötulemusi nii individuaalselt kui ka kollektiivselt ning loob paremad eeldused õpetajate arenguks kooli eesmärkidest lähtuvalt.This dissertation aims to provide proposals for developing a teacher performance appraisal and remuneration aspects of performance management using the example of Estonian general educational schools. The development of performance management tool is assumed in order to design and implement teacher performance appraisal and performance-related pay systems. As a result of this dissertation, critical aspects in designing both performance appraisal and performance-related pay are pointed out and recommendations are made for selecting appropriate criteria. In total, 2,165 teachers and 298 headmasters of Estonian general educational schools participated in this study. Additional case studies were conducted in three general educational schools. The present study provided evidence that in order to employ new management practices more smoothly, aspects of school management should be taken into consideration. For example, the study showed that well-organised strategic management, resource management and organisational culture are important in performance appraisal and performance-related pay design, as it helps develop awareness, positive opinions and intention to adopt. Teacher performance management should be aimed at the balanced development of the school, and therefore, teacher performance appraisal and performance-related pay should combine criteria related to the learning process, the learning environment and school management. Teacher performance-related pay helps develop and improve teachers’ performance both as individuals and in teams and guarantees teacher development in accordance with school objectives

Managing educational sector via self-evaluation policy. Haridussüsteemi juhtimine läbi sisehindamise

Performance evaluation is not a new concept in private sector, while in public sector organisations it has been taken into use since the implementation of performance management. Evaluation is necessary to make the future-oriented management decisions based on the information available today, in order to achieve desired performance. The authors analysed self-evaluation reports prepared in Estonian general schools in 2008. Self-evaluation reports were analysed to see, if the relationships and roles, patterns of governance and accountability, flow of resources, the headmaster’s role, educational and other values in Estonian schools have hanged enough, to provide education service, which responds to the high expectations of contemporary society. Although the analyses of OECD surveys’ results show that the organising of the Estonian educational sector is a good example for many other countries, the actual situation in the schools is not as positive. There are high expectations put on schools by the policymakers’ level, but schools do not have enough ability to reach them. There is a lack of financial resources, knowledge and organisational willingnes

Managing educational sector via self-evaluation policy. Haridussüsteemi juhtimine läbi sisehindamise

Performance evaluation is not a new concept in private sector, while in public sector organisations it has been taken into use since the implementation of performance management. Evaluation is necessary to make the future-oriented management decisions based on the information available today, in order to achieve desired performance. The authors analysed self-evaluation reports prepared in Estonian general schools in 2008. Self-evaluation reports were analysed to see, if the relationships and roles, patterns of governance and accountability, flow of resources, the headmaster’s role, educational and other values in Estonian schools have hanged enough, to provide education service, which responds to the high expectations of contemporary society. Although the analyses of OECD surveys’ results show that the organising of the Estonian educational sector is a good example for many other countries, the actual situation in the schools is not as positive. There are high expectations put on schools by the policymakers’ level, but schools do not have enough ability to reach them. There is a lack of financial resources, knowledge and organisational willingnes

The Possibilities for Appraising Teachers’ Performance in the Perspective of Educational Policy and Organisational Culture

With the view to raising the effectiveness of Estonian educational system, new course concerning schools’ and pupils’ individual development must be taken. It can be achieved through performance management, which also generates the need to appraise schools’ and teachers’ performance. The purpose of this article is to bring out the opportunities for appraising schools’ and teachers’ performance in Estonian general education schools in a perspective of organizational culture and educational policy. On the assumption of teachers’ main activities the authors grouped evaluation criteria into activities connected to school management and activities connected to educational process. Teachers’ appraisal criteria a brought out in three main themes: teachers’ personal characteristics, learning process and learning environment and school management and development. The authors also debate over the Estonian educational policy

Üldharidus- ja kutsekoolide tulemuslikkuse ja seda mõjutavate tegurite analüüs

Uuringu "Üldharidus- ja kutsekoolide tulemuslikkus ja seda mõjutavad tegurid" eesmärgiks oli selgitada välja Eesti gümnaasiumide, põhikoolide ja kutseõppeasutuste tulemusjuhtimise eripärad, probleemid ja seda mõjutavad tegurid koolide kvaliteedijuhtimise, finantsjuhtimise ning õpetajate töösoorituse hindamise ja tulemustasustamise alateemade raames. Uuringu lähtekohana analüüsiti esmalt erinevate riikide haridusasutuste kvaliteedi- ja finantsjuhtimise ning õpetajate töösoorituse hindamise ja tulemustasustamise alast teaduskirjandust ning töötati välja uuringumetoodika. Uuringu raames koostati kaks modifikatsioonidega ankeetküsimustikku, üldhariduskoolide puhul viiele ja kutsekoolide puhul neljale sihtrühmale (huvigrupile) ning loodi IT lahendused nende läbiviimiseks