Open Society Education Update

"MANAGING THE PROCESS OF CHANGE"

"The truly educated person is the one who has learned how to learn and how to change."

Carl Rodgers, 1969

FOUNDATION TEAMS PARTICIPATE IN INSTITUTE ON CHANGE

12-16 MAY, 1997

Over eighty participants from twenty-three countries in the Soros Foundation network participated in the institute "Managing the Process of Change," from 12-16 May, 1997 at Balatonvilagos, Lake Balaton, Hungary. Organized by EPSU, the workshop was designed to provide participants with knowledge and models of educational change, as well as to explore the role of trainers in the change process and to introduce participants to new training techniques. Dr. Carol Rolheiser, Associate Professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OSIE/UT), and Joanne Quinn, Director of Continuing Education at OISE/UT, provided the training and facilitation of work throughout the institute. Participants explored what 'change' is at the school and systemic levels, and how individuals manage the change process, as school leaders, teachers, pedagogues, trainers or Foundation program staff.

As both trainers and participants noted, one of the most difficult aspects of change is working with people's fears and opposition to the change process. A South African participant recognized that, "Teachers sometimes panic about these changes. We try to reassure them through training programs." The workshop trainers showed participants several models of change and change management, including ways to identify where people are in a change process. The fear of the unknown, confusion, frustration, and getting stuck in the 'implementation dip,' the time when people are in unknown territory with unexpected obstacles, were all cited as some of the difficulties facing those implementing change. There was agreement that strong leadership and vision were vital to a successful change process, and trainers presented various techniques that can be used to facilitate the journey of change and respond to people's concerns.

Participants reflected that understanding the concept of change was very appropriate to the work Foundations are doing in education, especially as part of school effectiveness and school improvement networks or programs. While Foundations are diverse in their approaches, many teams were surprised that they had so much in common! In one opening exercise, for example, foundation teams from countries as far away as Latvia and South Africa identified many similar issues: the changing attitudes around the culture of teaching and learning; the drive from teacher-centered classrooms towards child-centered learning; the changes taking place in educational materials and assessment of students, leading to more outcome-based education; and the growing necessity for links between schools, parents, and communities. After the exercise, Carol Rolheiser commented on international trends in assessment and evaluation, use of technology in the classroom, and inclusive classrooms (of diverse ethnic populations, or children with special needs). Instructional changes that were mentioned included the development of teachers' instructional repertoires, integrated curricula, and the push toward active, child-centered learning.

The last day of the workshop was designed and facilitated by a group of workshop participants to provide an additional opportunity to discuss topics of special interest (including the mission of the Soros Foundations in education, school improvement strategies, the reform of education in the region, program management issues, and EPSU/Regional Program cooperation). Discussion groups also examined issues related to their occupations (e.g. program officers, trainers of school improvement programs, and school leaders). These working groups discussed ways to help each other build networks between schools, school networks and trainers.

Workshop participants requested support from EPSU in the following areas: to assist in the organization of study visits; the organization of additional workshops and the dissemination of information and materials; to assist foundations in program evaluation; and to support regional projects and initiatives involving several national foundations (which foundations began to organize during the institute). Participants also noted their own responsibility to maintain cooperation without needing to rely on EPSU. Additionally, trainers, school leaders, and foundation managers discussed common strategies as to how they will disseminate what they've learned.

EPSU will keep foundations posted as to future partnerships and activities in the area of managing change. And a reminder that program managers agreed to monitor foundations' follow-up activities and send an update to EPSU by September 1. Foundation participants with further comments or questions on the institute should contact Egle Pranckuniene at pranckuniene@osi.hu.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL NETWORKS

During the "Managing the Process of Change" institute, Eva Balazs, Deputy Director of the Research Center at the Hungarian Institute of Public Education, gave a presentation on the use of international school networks in managing the change process. She noted that change is a common phenomenon for all human beings living in the world, and focused on three areas of change management in the educational realm - international organizations, networks, and new methodology in educational management itself.

The European Forum of Education Administration (EFEA) has been working with central European nations since 1993. It promotes European cooperation in the analysis of problems of educational administration, provides training, and aims to increase the quality of expert advice available to national governments in this area. The European Network for Improving Research and Development in Educational Management (ENIRDEM) is comprised of 26 member countries and promotes international exchange and collaboration amongst professionals who share a common interest in educational management. Individuals can become members of the organization, which provides data and an exchange of information on the resources available in the field. ENIRDEM also conducts an annual 3 day conference in Europe to discuss the shared European values and issues underlying educational management in the region. For more information, contact ENIRDEM chair, Gunar Berg at Orebro University in Sweden, tel: 46 19 300 300, email: ENIRDEM@hoe.se, or Eva Balazs at h11858bal@ella.hu. Ilze Ivanova, Head of Distance Studies at Latvian University is also a Board member. She may be contacted at (371) 2424 424 or (371) 760 5039.

ESTONIAN FOUNDATION SUPPORTS PRE-SCHOOL BASED LANGUAGE PROGRAM

Open Estonia Foundation is supporting a teacher training initiative for teachers of Russian kindergartens with the aim of providing new teaching methodology for teaching Estonian as a second language. While such methodology exists for the teaching of English and German for young learners, no such methodology or teaching materials are available for teaching Estonian. One third of the kindergartens in Estonia are Russian speaking, and there has been no financial support from the state for teaching Estonian to these children. The Foundation would like to use its Step By Step sites as part of this program of experimental language instruction in early childhood learning. The Foundation also hopes to invite secondary school students to volunteer to teach Estonian language in kindergartens to younger children. The program has thus far received enthusiastic support from Russian parents in the community. For more information, contact Mall Pesti, Education Program Coordinator, pesti@oef.org.ee.

RULE OF LAW EDUCATION PROGRAM IN ALBANIA

The Albanian Education Development Project (AEDP), in cooperation with the Albanian Development Council, has started a project on the rule of law for secondary school students that will introduce new learning techniques to explore Albania's legal system. Students will receive basic lessons in comparative systems of government, including the British, French, German, Austrian, Italian and American systems, and be asked to analyze the Albanian system in this international framework. Coursework will also include learning about the nature of man in relation to the need for government; the development of government within a particular culture; the principles of the system of checks and balances; and how governmental and economic systems interrelate. The course will culminate in a mock trial among participating student teams, to be coached and facilitated by practicing Albanian lawyers and judges. For more information on the rule of law education program, contact Zhulieta Harasani of the AEDP at harasani@aedp.tirana.al.

MENTORING PROGRAM FOR ROMA STUDENTS IN HUNGARY

Two hundred and seventy Roma students will be participating in the Soros Foundation Hungary's mentoring program for Roma students. The Foundation solicited applications from secondary school age (14-18) Roma students and their tutors - teachers whom the students trust and with whom the student would like to work throughout the year. The tutor will be responsible for providing additional academic help to the students, as well as providing support for any other personal or school-related problems the student may be experiencing. Student academic improvement will be monitored through written reports by both the tutor and the student, as well as the by the results of the student's end-of-the-semester report card. Both students and tutors will receive a monthly stipend as part of their participation in the program.

This summer, students who are involved in the mentoring program will also be invited to participate in a series of summer camps offered by the Foundation. Students will have the opportunity to participate in camps around one of four topics: environmental protection, literature/film, human rights, or communication. The camps will last 10 days each, and during the first three days of the camp, tutors will also be invited to participate, allowing students and tutors to form a network and to get to know each other. Tutors will also receive training on how to adapt their pedagogy to student needs, as well as how to provide appropriate support to talented students.

The mentoring program model is being offered by the Office of Regional Programs, OSI New York to all interested national Foundations as a regional initiative (including start-up funding). Foundations should have already expressed an interest in participating in this program to the Regional Programs office. If you would like more information about the Hungary Foundation's work with Roma students, contact Judit Lafferthon at lafferthon@soros.hu. For more information about participation in the regional Roma mentoring program, contact Elizabeth Lorant, Director of Regional Programs, at elorant@sorosny.org.

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS ESTABLISHED

The Soros Foundation-Hungary, in partnership with the Maskepp Foundation, has established multicultural and tolerance education programs for secondary school students in Hungary. The program provides knowledge about Hungary's national and ethnic minorities, anti-Semitism, racism, disabled people, the drug problem, AIDS, poverty and the homeless. It also promotes the development of empathy and social and communication abilities. The program developed a handbook for teachers and a workbook for students which has been accepted as an official text by the Ministry of Culture and Education. In addition, video resources and a textbook on drama pedagogy (situation games and role playing) have been developed to encourage sensitivity to these problems. Contact: Adel Rozsavolgyi at rozsa@soros.hu.

IN RUSSIA, TEACHER TRAINING IN THE HUMANITIES

Given the chance to make choices in the classroom, many teachers in post-Communist societies often have difficulty of figuring out what are the best materials or most appropriate teaching methodologies to use. Teachers are having to learn new skills in order to make decisions about what constitutes their own best classroom practice rather than having orders dictated from the Ministry. OSI Russia is addressing this need by continuing its work with teachers of the humanities to improve teaching skills and provide new and appropriate training for classroom use. In the beginning of June, the first workshops of the foundation's program in "Introducing Teacher Skills Improvement Projects into State Structures" were held in Samara, Ekaterinburg, Cheboksary, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan and Novosibirsk, and at the end of the month the second round of workshops will be held in nine regions. Additionally, the foundation is planning special training focusing particularly on primary school teachers.

Other recent educational activities have included a conference of the Education Administrators Union, as part of an OSI project co-sponsored with the Education Administrators Academy seminars as part of the training-of-trainers program in economics education, in which over 40 teachers participated. The program was co-sponsored by the International Center for Economic and Business Education (ICEBE/OSI) and workshops as part of the project for Introducing Teacher Retraining Projects in State Structures, as a part of an education initiative in six cities throughout Russia. For more information on OSI Russia education initiatives, contact Elena Rozanova, Acting Director of Education Programs, at rozan@osi.ru

SCHOOL LIBRARIES PROGRAM AT 'PRO DIDACTICA' CENTER

Last year the Soros Foundation Moldova's "Modernization of Humanities" program established a Center for Information and Documentation, called "Pro Didactica". The center houses a large selection of foreign humanities textbooks, encyclopedias, guides, educational periodicals, and an extensive collection of didactic materials. It also contains a modern, automated library, and the center is has become very popular among teachers, students, university lecturers, and textbook authors.

Mariana Kiriakov, Coordinator of the Pro Didactica center hopes that the center will provide a model for other libraries and resource centers throughout the country. The center has started a new program "Improvement of School Libraries" which will include the following components: the training of school librarians (since many librarians do not have the basic knowledge and skills they need); the training of teachers to make them aware of the changing role of the school library; use of computers and Internet; and the encouragement of library environments that are friendly and promote the idea that books are there to educate, but also to entertain and attract young readers. "Libraries should be lively and open to everybody; students and teachers should be supported in finding the information they need. Lessons can be actually taught there. [We feel that] libraries can educate students to become "life long" readers," Mariana said.

The Improvement of School Libraries program is still in the early stages, and the Pro Didactica center would appreciate hearing from other foundations with similar experience in this area. If you have an experience or ideas to share, please contact Mariana Kiriakov, Coordinator of the Pro Didactica center in Chisinau at telephone: 373 2 629555, fax:373 2 637501.

This newsletter, which focuses on national Soros Foundation initiatives in education for school aged populations, is issued periodically by the Education Program Support Unit (EPSU) at OSI Budapest. Contributions to the newsletter are welcome. Please send any contributions, comments or questions to Heather Iliff, email: iliffh@osi.hu; tel: (361) 327 3100, fax: (361) 327 3101.

BULLETIN BOARD

CONFERENCES AT THE INSITUTE OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON: The Institute of Education at the University of London web site posts a calendar of conferences, meetings, and workshops throughout the year which may be of interest to national Foundation offices. For a complete listing, check out the web site at http://www.ioe.ac.uk:80/conference_news. Of special interest is a conference planned for September 1998 entitled "School Effectiveness and School Improvement in Developing Countries." A key thematic area of the conference will be program/project implementation, using case studies to highlight the advances made and the common difficulties encountered in implementing such programs. The organizers of the conference are currently looking for interested participants to present papers or make case study presentations. Interested potential participants should contact Cathy Bird, Conference Office, Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H OAL; telephone 0171 612 6017; fax 0171 612 6402; email c.bird@ioe.ac.uk

1997 ASCD CONFERENCE ON TEACHING AND LEARNING: The ASCD has announced its "1997 Conference on Teaching and Learning: The Assessment/Instruction Connection", to take place from October 23-25, 1997 in Orlando, Florida, USA. Nearly 100 sessions led by the top experts on teaching and assessment will be featured. For more information, contact ASCD at member@ascd.org, or visit their web site at: http://www.ascd.org/

INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON EDUCATING CHILDREN IN SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Interstudie, the Center for Educational Management in Arnhem, The Netherlands, is organizing a congress from 24-26 August, 1997 on the role of schools in educating pupils to take social responsibility in a fundamentally changing world. Approximately 400 school principals, staff, teachers and pupils are expected to attend. For more information contact Interstudie at interstudie@knoware.nl.

SUMMER INSTITUTES FOR EDUCATORS: The Center for Educational Leadership (CEL) of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, has released its schedule for Summer Institutes this year. The CEL offers in-depth seminars on educational topics. This summer, the following courses will be offered:

* Managing School-Based Change, August 13, 14, & 15, 1997

* Improving Classroom Practice, August 19, 20, 21, & 22, 1997

The registration fee for the Institutes is USD 350 per participant. If there are several interested people from the Network, we will be able to negotiate a group rate. For more information on the Summer Institutes, contact the CEL at leadership@cel.lan.mcgill.ca, or visit the Web site at http://www.cel.mcgill.ca/welcome. If you are interested in attending, contact Andrea Feld at EPSU felda@osi.hu, and we will keep a list of names for possibilities on the group rates.

GUIDE ON DONOR PARTNERSHIPS, COMING SOON! Mabel Wisse Smit and Terrice Bassler have authored a guide for the Soros Foundation Network on Building Donor Partnerships. The guide demonstrates different kinds of partnerships, how to present yourself as an attractive partner, and the ways donor partnerships can strengthen programs. An annex to the guide includes case studies of Soros Foundation donor partnerships in the field of education. Look for the book in July -- it will be distributed from OSI NY to all Foundations and those on the Open Society Education Update mailing list.