THE CIRCUIT TEAM CONCEPT REPLICABLE DEVELOPMENTAL MODELS Presentation

THE CIRCUIT TEAM CONCEPT REPLICABLE DEVELOPMENTAL MODELS Presentation to EMASA Conference Friday 11 th March 2011 1

STRUCTURE OF PRESENTATION n n n n The GM South Africa Foundation Current Education Crisis The Decentralised District Office Model The Circuit Team Concept Practical Pilot Project OECD – Organisation of Support Systems Systemic Change –WC/Gauteng/Free State 2

Components of GMSA Foundation’s ‘Corporate Social Action’ concept Modest funding - R 5. 55 million for 2011. n Local (PE) pilot projects – GM employees’ communities. n Focus areas - Education system; subsidy housing. n Partnerships - From the outset. n Rigorous evaluation – Internal and external. n Comprehensive documentation – ‘Models’. n Strategic marketing - Models and components. n 3

Overall objective: To achieve a national impact on SA society through n Replication by other agencies. n Influencing new official policies. n Assisting authorities (local, provincial, national) with practical implementation. 4

THE EDUCATION CRISIS 5

Crisis in Education n n Downward trend in Learner Performance (National and International test scores). Children leaving school without the essential skills needed to survive and flourish in a modern economy. All agree that there is an urgent need for radical change within the SA Education System. “We need a fundamental shift in how we intervene in the system” – Bobby Soobrayan Feb 2010. 6

What schools can/cannot do All schools need to work harder at improving their levels of functionality n Some (small %) schools can clearly operate without the Do. E n Other (85%) are not so fortunate - they clearly need external assistance to provide better quality education for learners n Support for schools: Do. E or Private Sector? n 7

Improved support for schools 8

DECENTRALISED DISTRICT OFFICE MODEL 9

The Decentralised District Office Model n n n New District Office model conceptualised by a ECED/ Foundation Task Team in 2001. Decentralised district offices bring service delivery into schools and provide them with effective on-going support District offices change from being ‘silo’ based to a far more developmental team based and school focussed approach. The Circuit Team recognised as the most critical delivery mechanism of the District Office. Model accepted by ECED but never implemented. 10

THE CIRCUIT TEAM CONCEPT 11

DEFINING THE CIRCUIT TEAM CONCEPT The Circuit Team concept allows for the most effective direct interface with schools. n The make-up & operations of the Circuit Team are informed by the needs of the schools in their circuit. n A paradigm shift is required from DO staff to move away from their current modus operandi to a ‘school-focussed team-work approach’. n 12

Subject Advisor EDO Pilot Circuit Team Pilot Circuit (4 clusters of 6 schools each) A PARADIGM SHIFT DO Staff Circuit 1 EDO WSDs Admin Circuit 2 Curr Adv Service Providers Special Needs Circuit 3 Circuit 4 13

A PRACTICAL PILOT CIRCUIT TEAM PROJECT n n Aim to establish a demonstration pilot Circuit Team to effectively serve a circuit of schools in PE. Do. E initiative supported by the GMSA Foundation. Practical experiences to guide / shape / refine: n Policies & procedures. n Organograms. n Roll-out of Circuit Teams to other Districts. Twinning arrangement secured with WC pilot project (relatively far advanced). 14

THE CIRCUIT TEAM CONCEPT Circuit Manager Circuit 1 Cur Adv - Foundation Inst Man & Gov Admin Dev Adv Cur Adv - Int / Senior Cur Adv - FET & Subject (part-time) Circuit 2 School Psychologist Learning Support Social Worker Admin Clerk Circuit 3 Circuit 4 THE PILOT CIRCUIT A PE Circuit made up of 20 - 25 schools. Willing primary, secondary and special schools with HOR, DET & Ex Model C backgrounds. THE PILOT CIRCUIT TEAM A Circuit Team dedicated to one Circuit. A Circuit Team made up of appropriately skilled Do. E Staff and external Service Providers. 15

PE PROJECT TEAM Memo of Understanding 16

PE PROJECT TEAM Terms of Reference 17

PE CIRCUIT TEAM PROJECT Implementation n n n Support obtained from all national and local key stakeholders. Appointed researchers - identified needs of schools. Report back to stakeholders on research findings. Working group finalised TOR for pilot project. Established Project Management Team. PE District Officials visited Cape Town – Shadowed WC circuit team. 18

PE CIRCUIT TEAM PROJECT Implementation n n n Established pilot Circuit Team with appropriately skilled members (PEDO & external). Finalised the pilot schools – Agreements signed. Team –building workshop for Circuit Team. Finalised funding/resource arrangements. Proceed with Circuit Team school interventions. Some District Officials dropped off Circuit Team. Working with willing and able officials – importing expertise from outside to replace Do. E people. 19

OECD AND ORGANISATION OF SUPPORT SYSTEMS 20

Organisation of Support Systems What makes school systems perform? n OECD launched –PISA- Programme for International Student Assessment. n Looked at top performing countries. n Finland, Korea, Canada, Japan, France, Sweden, England Netherland. n These countries recognise the importance of strong support systems for schools. n 21

Strong Support Systems n “In summary, these findings point to the conclusion that strong basic education systems tend to succeed by providing good quality support for students, teachers, and schools in the context of an integrated rather than differentiated school structure…. To perform these tasks successfully they need…special training for school management tasks and counselling and support from teams of experts based on evaluation by external agencies” 22

SYSTEMIC CHANGE: A FEW ALTERNATIVES 23

Institutionalising Circuit Teams Western Cape in 2008 started implementing a slightly modified version of the GMSAF decentralised district office model. n Operationalised the concept of the circuit team. n Eight Districts consisting of 49 circuit teams. n Highly skilled circuit team leaders lead multidisciplinary task teams to interact with schools on a daily basis and apply appropriate programmes and support. n 24

MSED CIRCUIT TEAMS Organogram 25

GMSAF’s intentions with Circuit Team model n n n n Continue with PE pilot project. Promote roll out of PE lessons into all 23 EC Districts. Interact with all 9 Provinces via MEC’s / SG’s. Interact closely with National Do. BE: Presentations made to senior officials and to Education Portfolio Committee. Interact closely with Teacher Unions: Presentation made to SADTU Executive. Assist GDE to re-align according to circuit teams. Assist Free State following in principle decision to adopt the circuit team concept. 26

Thank you for arranging this opportunity for discussion. 27