Excellence and Equity: Making England's Schools System World Class. An investigation into the performance of England's education system.

1. Excellence and equity – Making
England’s school system world class
DCSF Research Conference
21 November 2008
Steve Leman
Strategic Analysis, DCSF
0

2. Origin of the project
• England a very good but not top performer
in international pupil attainment studies
• Need better understanding of factors
behind our performance
• Establish a framework for analysing
the characteristics of high-performing school systems
• Articulate what it means to be ”world class”
• Identify the specific policy levers to which benchmarking
countries attribute their success
1

3. Government expenditure on education has increased rapidly and is
growing faster than in many of the largest OECD economies
Government expenditure on education per capita CAGR
£ 1998-2004
1,500 Sweden 4.1
1,400
United States 5.3
1,300
1,200
France 2.5
1,100
England* 8.3
1,000
900
3.7
Italy
800
Japan
-1.0
700 Germany
0.8
600
500
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
* England expenditure taken from DCSF
Source: OECD National accounts of OECD Countries General Government Accounts 1994-2005 Vol. 4, DCSF Departmental
Reports 2005,2004, Annual Abstract 2007 and Oxford Economic Forecasting Model 2

4. The number of failing schools has decreased steadily over the last 10
years
Number of schools below basic minimum threshold percentages of students Below 15%
achieving 5A*-Cs at GCSE Below 20%
Below 25%
1,600 Below 30%
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
The number of schools with less than 30% of students
getting 5A*-Cs at GCSE has halved in the last 10 years
Source: DCSF and Children and Young People Today: Evidence to Support the Children’s Plan 2007 3

5. Teaching standards improved rapidly until 2001 after which standards
appear to have reached a plateau
Ofsted quality of teaching scores
%
80 Ofsted standards
75 recalibrated
70
65
60
Good + outstanding
55
50
45
40 Satisfactory
35
30
25
20
15
10
5 Inadequate
0
1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07
Source: Ofsted composite of teaching performance in primary and secondary scores compiled from Annual Reports 1996-97 to 2006-07 4

6. Results have risen steadily but there remains considerable room for
improvement
Students achieving level 4 or above at Key Stage 2 Students achieving minimum thresholds at GCSE
% %
100 100
95 95
90 90
2006 target Science
85 85 5A*-Gs
80 English 80
75 Mathematics 75
70 70
65 65
2006 5A*-Cs target 5A*-Cs
60 60
55 55
50 50
45 45 5A*-Cs
40 40 including
60% of children achieved Maths and
35 Level 4 in all three subjects 35
English
30 in 2007 (in other words 4 30
25 out of 10 children leaving 25
20 primary school did not) 20
15 15
10 10
5 5
0 0
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Source: DCSF, SFR 41-2007 and SFR 34-2007 5

7. While exam performance has improved, a significant proportion of
school leavers still do not go onto employment, education or training
16–18 year olds neither in education, employment, nor training, (NEETs)
%
12
11
10
9 The proportion
of NEETs has
8 fluctuated
around the
7 same level for
the last 10 years
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Source: DCSF, Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 year olds in England, 2006 6

8. International evidence from PIRLS shows that after a substantial rise
England’s average results in reading have declined slightly since 2001
Trends in reading achievement
Difference
IEA 1991 PIRLS 2001 PIRLS 2006
between 2001 and
average scale average scale average scale
2006 scores
Country score score score
Russian Federation n/a 528 565 37
Hong Kong SAR 514 528 564 36
Singapore 522 528 558 30
United states 543 542 540 -2
Netherlands 494 554 547 -7
England 507* 553 539 -14
-23
Romania n/a 512 489
England performed very strongly in PIRLS 2001, but its performance trajectory in reading between 2001 and
2006, was third worst out of a total sample set of 35, and absolute scores were some way short of the leaders
*England (& Wales) IEA result taken from 1996 study
Source: PIRLS International report 2006 and Brooks et al Reading Performance at Nine, NFER 1996 7

9. England’s performance in the latest PISA survey confirm that performance
is at or above the OECD mean but short of world class
Finland (for
England OECD mean comparison)
Science 516 500 563
Reading 495 492 547
Mathematics 498 498 548
Source: OECD PISA database 2006 8

10. Performance variance in England is higher than the OECD average
and strongly skewed towards within-school difference
% variance between students’ science scores explained by each source of difference
Variance within the OECD Variance within England
Total relative Of which Total relative Of which
to OECD Between Between Within to OECD Between Within
average* countries schools schools average* schools schools
26% 27%
100%
27%
126%
99%
47%
Performance variations between countries are relatively small – variation
within countries explains nearly 3 times as47% of the total variation between
much
students. Variation in the England is higher than the OECD average and
strongly skewed towards within-school difference
*Expressed as a percentage of OECD average variation between students
Source: OECD PISA database 2006, figure 5.19a, PISA Science Competencies for Tomorrow’s world 2006, Vol. 1, p266, OECD PISA database
2006, table S4a, PISA Science Competencies for Tomorrow’s world 2006, Vol. 2, p276 9

11. Performance retains a strong link to socioeconomic background in
England
Relationship between free school meals (FSM) Relationship between students achieving 5A*-Cs
and achieving 5 or more GCSEs at A*-C at GCSE and parental background
% %
Higher professional 78
Not eligible for FSM 57
Lower professional 62
Intermediate 50
All children 52
Lower supervisory 32
Eligible for FSM 25 Routine 30
Other 30
Pupils who are eligible for free school meals are
Pupils with professional parents are more than twice as
less than half as likely to get five or more GCSEs at
likely to attain 5 A*-C grades at GCSE than those
grades A*-C compared to children who don’t receive
whose parents are in lower supervisory or routine jobs
free school meals
Source: DCSF, The Children’s Plan 2007, ONS and team analysis 10

12. We are above average, but socioeconomic factors have a greater influence
on science scores in England than in world class school systems
PISA 2006 mean science test scores and impact of socioeconomic background
World class
Impact of ESCS below OECD average
PISA science score Impact of ESCS not significantly different from OECD aver
565
OECD mean Finland
560
“We've moved our
555
schools from being
550 below average to
being above average.
545 We've now got to
make them world Hong Kong-China
540 class."
Canada
535 Gordon Brown,
September 2007 Estonia Japan
530
Australia
525
Korea
520
515 England
510
505
500
OECD mean
495
490
-16 -15 -14 -13 -12 -11 -10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5
% variance explained by PISA index of
ESCS has less impact on test scores economic, social and cultural status (ESCS)
Source: OECD PISA database 2006, table 4.4a, S4.c and, PISA Science Competencies for Tomorrow’s world 2006, Vol. 2, p123, p279 and BBC
article Schools to become 'world class' 29th Sep 2007 11

13. To achieve world class status England must focus on reducing variability
within the system
“Few, if any, countries are doing more of the right things in policy terms
than England, according to the PISA evidence base, but you have not
(yet) translated this into consistent quality at classroom level.”
- Andreas Schleicher, Head of the Indicators and Analysis Division of
the OECD Directorate for Education
Source: Expert interviews 2007 12

14. Three drivers of organisational performance must be addressed to reduce
variability at the school-level
Underlying performance models
Lean definition School context
In the highest performing
schools all three of the
The way physical assets and “The resources
Operating resources are configured available in the
models are mutually
model and optimised to create classroom and school reinforcing
value and minimise losses and how they are
used”
The formal structures, “How the school Management
Management processes, and systems is organised and model
through which the operating managed”
model system is managed to deliver Operating
the business objectives model
Behavioural
The way people think, feel, “What is discussed model
Behavioural and conduct themselves in in the staffroom and
model the workplace, both how people feel”
individually and collectively
Source: Lean manufacturing literature and team analysis 13

15. When schools are analysed by FSM bands it is clear that there is
significant scope to improve performance by reducing variability
The best performers in the cohort with
highest FSM percentage outperform
many of the schools in cohort with the
lowest FSM percentage
Source: DCSF presentation 14

16. England should do more to ensure that the highest quality teachers work
with students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds
In England the best teachers are in schools with the least …Lessons can be learned from current English programmes and
proportion of low economic status students…. world class best practices
% of pupils eligible for FSM* compared with Ofsted grading of • Teach First targeted approach
secondary school teaching and learning** – Programme attracts top graduates to teach for at least two years
in challenging secondary schools in London, North West and the
Midlands
– Currently only operates in 120 schools
– Around 50% stay in teaching profession
Satisfactory 18.9 – 50% of trainees were rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Finland universal approach
– Attract teachers from the top 10% of university cohorts
– Require all teachers to have a Masters degree
Good 9.2 – System of interventions to support individual students within
schools
– Each school has a number of special education teachers
– On average there is one special education teacher for every
7.4 seven class teachers.
Outstanding
– These teachers intervene to support 30% of students
– Highest achieving students receive additional instruction as well
as those at risk, which has a de-stigmatising effect
– Special education teachers are given an additional year of
teacher training to support them in their role
“The overall rate of FSM eligibility at the top schools is 3%, “Teach First- The outstanding level of achievement of the four best
compared to a national secondary school average of 14.3%. Only trainees seen was so uniformly high across the range of Standards
6 schools within the top 200 have FSM rates which are equal to that they were judged by inspectors to be amongst the most
or above the national average” exceptional trainees produced by any teacher training route”
The Sutton Trust (2005) Ofsted (2007)
* Free School Meals
** Based on sample of 60 Ofsted inspection reports 2007 for secondary schools
Source: Sutton Trust- Rates of Eligibility for Free school meals at top state schools 2005, Ofsted Rising to the challenge: A review of the Teach First initial teacher training
programme 2007 15

17. Singapore recruits top graduates into teaching and identifies and
promotes high performers
Overview Issues
Singapore has one of the world’s top-performing school systems. The Singapore recruits top graduates into teaching but incumbent teachers
system is highly centralised with most core teaching functions must also adapt to:
managed directly by the Ministry of Education or the National Institute
•Harness new technologies to improve learning environment
of Education. As a result, teacher policies are very consistent across
the system. •Respond to changing student attitudes and the evolution of learning
Singapore performs very well along each of the three key teacher practices
dimensions: •Change the emphasis for rote learning to greater critical thinking
• It attracts high-calibre candidates into teaching (from the top
•Ensure teaching creates a landscape of equal opportunities for every
30% of any academic cohort), and selects well from the
student
applicant pool.
• It delivers distinctive teacher pre-service and in-service training, Singapore must also ensure that teaching remains an attractive career
and good coaching and mentoring in schools. for new graduates relative to alternative careers in other industries
• It manages teachers and schools effectively, with good systems
for evaluating teachers, selecting and training principals, and
monitoring the effectiveness of schools.
Approach
Operating model Management model Behavioural model
• The best teachers are placed with the worst • Teacher recruitment is centralised and • Singaporean teachers receive a full year of
students, to continuously develop the bottom designed to select candidates based on paid training before they start teaching,
quartile personality, aptitude and attitude. followed by 100 hours of professional
• Singapore created a three track system to • Individual teacher evaluation and the development each year thereafter
retain good teachers. This allows teachers to evaluation of schools are strong. • Most training is delivered by the National
progress in the career structure without Processes for selecting and training school Institute of Education, which provides a
necessarily taking on leadership roles principals ensure quality management at very high quality of programs by
the school level. international standards.
• Senior teachers and master teachers are • NIE is guided by a belief that creating
appointed in each school based on proven inspiring teachers who go beyond best
teaching ability. practice are at the core of a strong
education system
Source: Expert interviews and team analysis 16

18. Singapore has a highly effective process for screening
applicants to become new teachers
Details
• Check for minimum qualifications:
– Academically, applicants should be in the top 30% of
their age cohort
CV Screening – Applicants should have completed relevant school and
university education
– Applicants must show evidence of interest in children
and education
• Check literacy:
Assessment – Applicants must have a high level of literacy Only 1 in 6
tests – Evidence shows that teachers literacy effects applicants is
achievement more than any other measurable variable accepted to
become a
• Check attitude, aptitude and personailty: teacher
– Conducted by a panel of three experienced
Interviews headmasters
– May include practical tests or activities
• Check attitude, aptitude and personailty:
Monitoring – Teachers are monitored during their initial teacher
at NIE training at NIE
– A small number of candidates who do not demonstrate
the required standards are removed from the course
Source: Ministry of Education (Singapore) 17

19. Ontario has strong focus on partnerships between the
Government and the teaching profession
Overview Issues
The government, elected in fall 2003, set out an ambitious and Historically (in the 1990s) Ontario’s education system had been
extensive platform for education reform process whilst working in characterised by concerns about the quality and standard of
partnership with teachers educational outcome and a difficult relationship between the
• The Government’s first-term peace and stability priority was government and the teaching profession.
highly successful in establishing four years of a positive climate • Substantial strike action had led to 26 million learning days
where not a single learning day has been lost to teaching lost between 1996- 2004
strikes
The Government’s second term also has “communication, • Educators’ criticisms about reducing funding
communication, communication” as a top priority • A perception of mistrust between educators and the
government
• Public dissatisfaction with the education system
• Growth in private school enrolment
Approach
Operating model Management model Behavioural model
• Visibly better facilities to ensure confidence • Provincial Stability Commission established • A ‘guiding coalition’ of political and
in resources amongst teachers in 2005 to resolve issues arising from professional leaders has been significant in
the 2004-2008 teacher collective developing, communicating and continually
• Funding for teacher federations to allow the agreements between English-language
opportunity for them to learn from each improving the education strategy
public school boards and Elementary
other about the most effective practices Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) • Emphasis on building professional respect
locals and partnership
• Schools on the Move: Lighthouse Program • Constant communication both internally
identifies schools that have improved and and with ‘the field’ (education sector) and
are willing to share best practice with others collecting data on best practice
Source: Fullan, M. Reaching Every Student A Smarter Ontario 2007 18

20. Hong Kong’s school system is decentralised with a strong
accountability framework
Overview Issues
Hong Kong has one of the world’s top-performing school systems with Some commentators have criticised Hong Kong’s approach for being
Hong Kong students scoring consistently well in international tests. too mechanical and putting students under too much pressure to
perform
Hong Kong’s school system is decentralised with a strong Hong Kong currently lacks a structured induction scheme so it is likely
accountability framework consisting of national assessments and that some new teachers may not develop all of the required practical
Ofsted-style inspections. teaching skills as quickly as in other systems.
Almost all schools are independent but publicly-funded. School Enrolment in the school system is declining due to demographic
Management Committees in each school have control over changes. As a result, 125 schools have been closed over the last five
appointments and staff management, including the principal. years.
There is a very high social premium on education leading to strong
commitment and motivation from students, parents, teachers, and the
community as a whole.
Approach
Operating model Management model Behavioural model
• Teacher education is strong, with a very • National Assessments are conducted by an • The teaching profession is an attractive
high provision of in-service training independent examinations authority (the career choice. Recruits come from the top
• Teachers generally attend each others HKEAA ) at grades 3,6,9,11,13. 30% of the school-graduating cohort.
lessons, collaborate in planning, and give • The Education and Manpower Bureau Teaching is attractive due to its high status,
feedback. (EMB) carries out Ofsted-style inspections strong salaries, and good working
against a set of quantitative and qualitative conditions.
• Compared to counterparts in western
systems, Hong Kong’s teachers are more indicators on a 4-year cycle. • The supply of teacher education is
likely to focus their practice on learning controlled so that students entering
(making sure that students have absorbed teacher education are highly likely to find a
new knowledge and skills) rather than teaching position.
teaching (making sure that they have
taught the curriculum).
Source: Interview with Peter Hill, team analysis 19

21. The Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) transforms the
mindsets and behaviours of students and teachers
Overview Issues
KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network Equity has long been a major problem in the US school
of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools in system.
under-resourced communities throughout the United States. A child growing up in a family earning over $90,000 has a 1 in
There are currently 57 locally-run KIPP schools in 17 states 2 chance of getting a college degree by age 24; a child in a
and Washington, DC, serving over 14,000 students. KIPP family earning $35,000 to $61,000 has a 1 in 10 chance; a
schools have been widely recognised for putting underserved child in a family earning under $35,000 has a 1 in 17 chance.
students on the path to college. KIPP strategically opens schools in high need areas
More than 80 percent of KIPP students are low-income and throughout the country in order to serve those communities.
more than 90 percent are African American or Hispanic/Latino.
Nearly 80 percent of KIPP alumni have matriculated to college
Approach
Operating model Management model Behavioural model
• Intense schooling model • KIPP puts a great deal of emphasis on • A very strong commitment required
• Long school day (7:30 am to 5 pm) finding the right leaders for its schools. from pupils, parents teachers
• Additional classroom work and They must be entrepreneurial and • “We do whatever effort is necessary to
extracurricular activities passionate about improving education enable the children to learn”
for the community.
• Two hours of homework per night • "We are never going to end the day
on average shrugging our shoulders and making
• Saturday classes every other week excuses. If there's a problem, if
something is impeding the success of
• Three weeks of summer school our kids, that needs to be solved one
• Good catch up arrangements for way or another."
students
Source: KIPP Foundation website and team analysis 20

22. Average test score growth shows dramatic improvements in
KIPP schools compared to non-KIPP schools
Mean SAT 9 Scale Score Gain Comparison, DC
KIPP gain
Normal gain
72
52
41
32
29 29 29
23
19 18
15 13
Total maths Problem solving Procedures Total reading Reading Reading
vocabulary comprehension
Source: Doran,H.C and Drury, D.W Evaluating success: KIPP Educational Program Evaluation, New American Schools Education Performance Network,
2002 21

23. Introducing new accountability systems in New York
City as part of the Children First reforms
Overview Issues
Mayor Bloomberg together with the Schools Chancellor, Joel Klein, One of the three pillars of the Children First Reform is accountability to
took control of all schools in New York City in 2002. This includes “give principals, teachers, and parents the information they need to
1,400 schools with 1.1 million students and 140,000 employees. Many track academic progress, demand changes when there are problems,
of the schools in the system had been failing for many years and and achieve results—with full and transparent accountability to
graduation rates in New York City were amongst the lowest in the parents and no excuses for failure”
country at 50.8%.
However, to introduce such a radical new system the Department
“Our mission over the next four years will be: To create—from pre- needed to:
school through high school—a public education system second to • Build the new data systems and reports
none. We will strengthen the three pillars of our school reform: • Introduce processes to cascade the data throughout the system
Leadership, Accountability, and Empowerment, putting resources • Train school leaders and teachers to interpret the information
and authority where they belong: in the schools of our city” • Develop support systems and tools to help teachers improve
classroom practice if opportunities are detected
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, January 1, 2006
Approach
Operating model Management model Behavioural model
• Built a new data warehouse, the • Develop school based “inquiry teams” • The stated mission of inquiry teams is “to
Achievement Reporting and Innovation tasked with interpreting reports and setting expand the sphere of success at every
System (ARIS), to collect and collate data action plans to address any issues school”
on pupil characteristics and progress and identified. These cross-functional teams • The accountability pilots explicitly involved
examples of best practice include school leaders, teachers, non- feedback on how the tools are working so
• Put in-place an annual performance teaching staff, parents, school support that the central team could refine and
monitoring cycle for all schools including: organisations and senior achievement improve they system before full
Progress Reports, Quality Reviews and facilitators deployment
Periodic Assessments • Reports are publically available with • Each team was encouraged to come up
rewards and consequences aligned with with tailored solutions that were unique to
results (e.g. bonuses for highly rated each school
teachers)
Source: New York City Department of Education website and team analysis 22