School external evaluation. Challenges and opportunities for school improvement

After reading the School External Evaluation three-year (2006-09) reports, we focused our analysis on the domains and factors that were low rated and where the weakest points were identified. Drawn on this analysis and on the knowledge gained through direct contact with schools, three considerations were made: 1. Institutional self-evaluation has not yet been assumed as a need, due to difficulties brought about by its technical, political and ethical nature. 2. The prevailing school culture, which is built upon individualism, does not promote collaboration, flexibility and reflection in and on practices, which are necessary for the articulation among boards and structures. 3. The way leadership is assumed by school heads, boards and school guidance structures have conditioned school organization, management and dynamics. These considerations are important indicators in domains where schools have to improve their work, that is to say self-evaluation, school culture and leadership. Bearing in mind the mission of the University of Évora in the Alentejo region and the role in teacher training it has had, we are now working out a project aimed at “Improvement and development of schools”, undertaken by a multidisciplinary team that provides technical and scientific support and self-evaluation services – Support to School Self- Evaluation Programme – in articulation with scientific support in collaborative and leadership practices. The Support to School Self-Evaluation Programme The implementation of a self-evaluation Programme implies the development of a consistent information system, organized around the school development project, based on indicators designed to control the quality of the educational provision