This book explores how Estonia, despite high levels of poverty, has transformed its education system to become Europe’s top performer on PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment).
The engaging narrative uncovers reforms, mistakes and lessons learnt that have been harnessed to create a high-performing, high-equity education system, which includes social and education policies fostering equity, inclusion, learner autonomy, as well as schoolteacher and principal professionalism, autonomy and responsibility. It unearths how easy access to a wide range of data such as perceptions of well-being, autonomy and connectedness, in addition to examination results, builds internal and external accountability, and contributes to collective stakeholder efficacy.
Grounded in research from Estonia and beyond, this is an ideal read for educators, administrators, academics, university students, change agents and parents interested in school system improvement. As equity, equality and inclusion are core drivers of the Estonian education system, this book would also be of interest to those working in social justice, inclusion and diversity.
Author(s): Peeter Mehisto, Maie Kitsing
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 267
City: London
Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Introduction: Setting the stage
Chapter 1: History: Challenges and gifts from the past
Chapter navigator
Introduction
Forselius the founder
Background
Forselius the reformer
Swedish royal measures
1200–1700
Invasions, occupations and trade
Education
Russian rule: 1700–1900
End of Swedish rule, start of Russian rule
Nineteenth century: Russification versus national awakening
Twentieth century
Revolutionary ferment
Gain and loss of independence: 1917–1939/40
1939–1988: “denationalisation”, sovietisation and resistance
1945–1988: system changes and working within it
Summary and conclusions
Lessons learnt
Notes
Chapter 2: Education system overview: What makes it work
Chapter navigator
Introduction
PISA’s reach
Overview
Importance
Notes of caution
Overview of Estonian context and education
National context
Structure of education system
Preschools
Primary and secondary general education schools
Schools serving students with special education needs (SEN)
Hobby schools
Vocational schools
Tertiary-level institutions
Non-formal education
Features of the preschool to Grade 12 education system
Language
Form/homeroom teachers
Time in class
Recess and vacations
Class size
Streaming
Homework
Testing
Some school system success indicators
Discipline
Retention: repeating a grade
Dropout rates
Computers and internet connections
Estonian PISA scores and rankings
Governance: seeking the right balance between centralisation and decentralisation
National-level governance of general education
Governance of local government schools
Governance of state schools
Governance of private schools
School network consolidation
Financing: equal is not equitable
Spending as a part of GDP and total expenditure
Organisation of financing
Shifting from equality to equity
Results- and evidence-based planning
Stakeholders working to agree on results-based plans
Estonian Lifelong Learning strategy 2020 (LLS 2020)
Education strategy 2035
Stakeholders: a driving force
Stakeholder overview
Tiger leap
Junior achievement
Voluntary language immersion
KAE KOOL
Back to school
Schools in motion
Science bus
Interesting school[s]
Covid: a system and stakeholder stress test
Preparedness for remote learning
Initial ministerial response
Computer access: a multi-stakeholder response
A school survey
Additional measures by Ministry and other stakeholders in education and tensions
Research into remote learning
Summary and conclusions
Lessons learnt
Appendix 1: A view from the field: school budget and teacherworkload
Appendix 2: A view from the field: another perspective on teacherworkload and school budget
School budget
Appendix 3: View from the field: a new teacher’s perspective
What is behind Estonia’s PISA success?
How have you and your students coped with remote learning?
Notes
Chapter 3: Equity and high performance: Raising the bar and closing the gap
Chapter navigator
Introduction
Estonian context
Poverty
Level of education achieved by adults
PISA results revisited through the lens of equity
Science
Mathematics
Reading
Financial literacy
Perceived well-being
Variance among schools
Informal and formal early childhood education
Driving principles
Informal education: social policy supporting child development
Formal preschool education
Quality of provision
Grades 1–12
General social support measures
General academic support measures
Anti-bullying measures
Additional support mechanisms including for SEN students
Temporary or relatively short-term support
Long-term support
Support for high performers
Extracurricular activities
Policy
Costs to families
Content
Research
Ethnicity
Overview
A major initiative
Additional initiatives
New arrivals
Looking forward
New targets
Summary and conclusions
Lessons learnt
Chapter 4: Curriculum: Aligning implementation with intentions
Chapter navigator
Introduction
Freedom grasped
Context
Impact on education
Co-creation of a new and innovative curriculum
First steps
Seminal investments
The first truly new curriculum
New curriculum implementation challenges
Curriculum renewal
Improvements and challenges
Progress in curriculum implementation
Enhanced knowledge and processes
New knowledge
New processes
The challenging road of curriculum enhancement
The bird’s-eye view
Values, competences and themes
A paradigm shift
Assessment
Subject syllabi
New syllabi for elective subjects
Additional rights and responsibilities
Ease of processing and implementation
Fine-tuning
The process
Adjustments to the general part of the curriculum
Subject syllabi adjustments
Other changes
Curriculum implementation and further adjustments
A fundamental challenge to longstanding principles and ways of working
Summary and conclusions
Lessons learnt
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Note
Chapter 5: Teachers: Professional autonomy and high standards
Chapter navigator
Introduction
Qualifications
Requirements
Routes to certification
Opportunities and challenges on the certification routes
Content of initial teacher education
Primary focus
Initial class teacher education
Initial subject teacher education
Driving principles of teacher education and related measures
Initial milestones
Teacher education strategy for 2009–2013
A broad-based education strategy
Professional standards
Attestation
Professional standards
Analysis of impact
Process
Professional development
Initial arrangements
Induction year
Concept paper
Implementation measures
Research on professional development and resulting new measures
Terms and conditions
Remuneration policy
Impact of new remuneration policy
Additional monetary incentives
Teacher appraisal
Class size
Discipline
Buildings
Teacher status: Job satisfaction
Teacher profiles
Qualifications, networking, knowledge, skills and willingness to support students
Age
Gender
Looking forward
Situational analysis
New strategies targeting teachers
Strategies for ensuring an adequate supply of school leaders
Summary and conclusions
Lessons learnt
Note
Chapter 6: Evaluation: Prioritising a formative approach for all
Chapter navigator
Introduction
From old to new: understanding intentions versus actual practices
Inspections focussed on compliance
New ways of thinking entering the system
A new focus for school inspections
A wide divide between intentions and practice
Clarifying needs and intentions, and building capacity
Mapping the challenges: building understanding
A shift to emphasising self-evaluation
Enhanced indicators for school evaluation
Enhanced evaluation processes
Underpinning policy change with professional development and research
Navigating fiscal constraints: finding a way forward
New concept: new success indicators
A new concept paper targeting needed improvements
New success indicators
Enhanced access to indicator data: the education eye
A long journey to harnessing the formative power of low-stakes tests and surveys
Dissatisfaction with the first generations of low-stakes tests
Rethinking low-stakes assessment instruments so that they are inherently more formative
New mathematical and linguistic (reading) competences tests
Learning-to-learn, self-management and communication tests: The missing piece
Scientific, mathematical and linguistic literacy tests: a quantum leap forward
Digital competence: frameworks, assessment criteria and tests
School self-reflection on digital maturity and development as a learning organisation
Surveys on satisfaction and well-being
Survey on Grade 9 school-leaving examination and related teacher reflection
Addendum
Summary and conclusions
Lessons learnt
Appendix 1: One school’s success story: a principal’s view
Notes
Chapter 7: Summary and conclusions: Resilience, dissatisfaction and imagination
Chapter navigator
Preamble
Introduction
History
Democracy: stakeholder voice and power
Equity and well-being
Covid and digitalisation
Distributed stewardship of education
Curriculum
Teachers
School evaluation and student assessment
Final conclusions
Afterword: Estonia’s story and Singapore’s story
References
Index
