Building an effective and equitable upper secondary system...Building an effective and equitable upper secondary system A Framework for Analysis and practices across OECD countries

Building an effective and equitable upper secondary systemA Framework for Analysis and practices across OECD countries

Paulo SantiagoDirectorate for Education and Skills, OECD

Lied Commission Expert SeminarOrganised by the Permanent Delegation of Norway to the OECDParis, 7 March 2019

FUNDAMENTAL POLICY COMPONENTS FOR

AN EFFECTIVE UPPER SECONDARY

EDUCATION SYSTEM

1 – Defining objectives,

learning goals and

establishing the governance framework

2 – Ensuring effective

transitions into upper

secondary education

3 – Diversifying the school offer

to accommodate diverse student achievement and career

interests

4 – Supporting the learning within upper secondary education

5 – Certifying learning and

ensuring successful

transitions from upper

secondary education

DEFINING OBJECTIVES, LEARNING GOALS AND ESTABLISHING THE

GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK

Agreeing on clear and

well-articulated

learning goals

Instituting effective

governance arrangements

in upper secondary education

Using funding mechanisms strategically



• Defining objectives for upper secondary education also vis-à-vis other

education levels

• Curriculum to provide knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed –

including higher-order competencies, essential for advanced learning and

a modern economy (21st century skills); development of social and

emotional skills

• Core subjects, optional subjects, degree of specialization of subjects – is

sufficient time allocated to core competencies in the curriculum?

• Mandatory or not?

Agreeing on clear and well-articulated

learning goals

• Objectives: prepare students for successful transition into the labour market ortertiary education and develop engaged citizens - minimum level of

attainment for full economic and social participation in advanced economies

• Upper secondary education should: ensure all students master core cognitivecompetencies; engage the aspirations and interests of all learners; andprepare students to shape their own and their nation’s future.

Employment rates of 25-34 year-olds, by educational attainment (2017)

Source: Education at a Glance, 2018

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Sw

itzer

land

Icel

and

Aus

tria

Sw

eden

Luxe

mbo

urg

Uni

ted

Kin

gdom

Slo

veni

a

Ger

man

y

Net

herla

nds

Cze

ch R

epub

lic

Por

tuga

l

Est

onia

Hun

gary

Nor

way

New

Zea

land

Aus

tral

ia

Latv

ia

Den

mar

k

Can

ada

Slo

vak

Rep

ublic

Bel

gium

OE

CD

ave

rage

Pol

and

Fra

nce

Fin

land

Uni

ted

Sta

tes

Irel

and

Isra

el

Mex

ico

Spa

in

Chi

le

Tur

key

Kor

ea

Italy

Gre

ece

Below upper secondary Upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary Tertiary

Percentage of adults earning more than the median, by educational attainment (2016)


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Bra

zil1

Cos

ta R

ica

Mex

ico2

Chi

le1

Hun

gary

Por

tuga

l

Col

ombi

a

Slo

veni

a3

Cze

ch R

epub

lic1

Tur

key2

Slo

vak

Rep

ublic

Pol

and

Latv

ia2

Fra

nce1

Ger

man

y

OE

CD

ave

rage

Sw

itzer

land

Kor

ea

Uni

ted

Kin

gdom

Gre

ece

Luxe

mbo

urg2

Uni

ted

Sta

tes

Bel

gium

2

Irel

and2

Italy

1

Spa

in1

Nor

way

Aus

tria

Fin

land

1

Net

herla

nds1

Lith

uani

a1

Aus

tral

ia

Japa

n1

Isra

el

Den

mar

k

New

Zea

land

Est

onia

Sw

eden

Can

ada1

Tertiary Upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary Below upper secondary%

25-64 year-old workers (full- and part-time workers)


Ending age of compulsory education (2016)

Age Countries

14 Korea, Slovenia

14-15 Greece

15 Austria, Czech Republic, Japan, Switzerland

16 Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

17 Australia, Israel, Mexico, Turkey, United States

18 Belgium, Chile, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal



• Clarify the distribution of responsibilities for education outcomes –central, regional, local, school levels; different ministries

• Ensure participatory mechanisms for all agents in the system,

namely actors of the labour market, tertiary education institutions,

society at large

• Establish the monitoring of the education system (data informationsystems, learning outcomes, labour market outcomes) and inform

policy development on the basis of evidence

Instituting

effective

governance

arrangements

in upper

secondary

education



• Assess the level of resources invested in upper secondary education– is funding adequate? Overall, compared to other education levels,

across expenditure items?

• Identify spending inefficiencies (e.g. school drop-out, smallschools/courses/classes, dead-ends, ineffective transitions)

• Important issue is degree of specialization in upper secondary educationversus cost of providing specialised courses (number of students per class)

• Scholarships for disadvantaged students (to compensate foropportunity cost)

• Private expenditure/sources of funding in upper secondaryeducation (e.g. philanthropy, sale of services in VET schools)

Using funding

mechanisms

strategically


0,0

0,2

0,4

0,6

0,8

1,0

1,2

1,4

1,6

1,8

2,0

Relative to primary education

Relative to lower secondary

Expenditure per student on upper secondary educational institutions relative to that on

primary and lower secondary institutions (2015)


0,0

0,2

0,4

0,6

0,8

1,0

1,2

1,4

1,6

Expenditure per student on general programmes relative to that on vocational

programmes, upper secondary educational institutions (2015)

ENSURING EFFECTIVE TRANSITIONS INTO UPPER SECONDARY EDUCATION

Reducing achievement

disparities prior to upper

secondary education

Effectively selecting into

upper secondary education

Supporting transition into



• Minimize spectrum of student achievement at the point studentstransition to secondary education – facilitates organisation and

structure of secondary education

• Invest early on to compensate educational disadvantage, achieveeducational potential of every student and minimise learning

disparities

• The lasting effects of early learning are particularly strong among

disadvantaged students

• Early identification of learning difficulties and extra support

Reducing

achievement

disparities

prior to upper

secondary

education

Share of first-time entrants to upper secondary education, by programme orientation

and parents’ educational attainment (2015)

25%

48%

31%

53%

30%

44%

40%

64%

39%

48%

42%

47%

41%

61%

35%

71%

40%

64%

33%

58%

20%

55%

27%

51%

16%

49%

39%

49%

13%

58%

0 %

10 %

20 %

30 %

40 %

50 %

60 %

70 %

80 %

90 %

100 %

General Vocational General Vocational General Vocational General Vocational General Vocational General Vocational General Vocational All programmes

Finland Norway1 Flemish Comm.(Belgium)2

Sweden Netherlands Israel France1 UnitedStates1

Below upper secondary Upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary Tertiary

Parents' highest level of educational attainment:



• Age/grade of transition into upper secondary education

• School tracking: Early tracking from primary school (e.g. Austria, CzechRepublic, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and, to someextent, Belgium, Switzerland); late tracking at upper secondary level (e.g.Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Korea, Latvia,Mexico, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom,

• Requirements to access upper secondary education

• Admission and selection criteria; selective upper secondary schools; selectivetracks/schools; use of external examinations at lower secondary level

Effectively selecting into upper secondary education


• Articulation between lower and upper secondary education: are

educational offerings well aligned to facilitate transition?

• Diagnostic student assessment; teacher preparation for formativeassessment

• Providing remedial classes for students not fully prepared for uppersecondary education

• Special arrangements for adults / 2nd chance opportunities

Supporting

transition

into upper

secondary

education


0

25

50

75

100

% In general programmes

In vocational programmes

Percentage of students above typical age (20 years old), upper secondary education

(2016)


Average age of first-time upper secondary graduates, by programme orientation and

gender (2016)

15

17

19

21

23

25

27

29

31

33

35

Age

Women in vocational programmes Men in vocational programmes Women in general programmes Men in general programmes

DIVERSIFYING THE SCHOOL OFFER TO ACCOMMODATE DIVERSE STUDENT

ACHIEVEMENT AND CAREER INTERESTS

Diversifying paths in

secondary education

Strengthening vocational

programmes

Providing adequate

information and career guidance



• Students arrive at the upper secondary level with a range of skill levels andinterests, and diverse aspirations for the future

• Ensure diversity of education offerings in secondary education toaccommodate spectrum of student achievement and variety of students’career interests – relevance, flexibility and choice are the hallmarks of anengaging upper secondary system

• Balance between academic and professional pathways

• Accommodating diverse needs versus complexity/transparency of the

system

• Ensuring a specialised education while remaining broad and relevant torange of needs

• Expand education provision at secondary level as student enrolmentincreases (infrastructure; qualified teachers)

Diversifying paths in secondary education

• New Zealand, Ireland: significant choice; France: relatively constrained pathways; Nordic

countries: very large common core.


First-time upper secondary graduation rates for students below the age of 25, by

programme orientation (2016)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

%

General programmes Vocational programmes All programmes

Percentage of 25-34 year-olds without upper secondary education, by gender (2017)


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70% Men Women


0

25

50

75

% 2007

2017

Percentage of 25-34 year-olds without upper secondary education, trends (2007 and

2017)



• Developing a strong vocational sector in secondary education, as a valideducational option (status of VET) – curriculum to address the needs ofstudents who do not find academic courses engaging

• A variety of VET models: school-based models; mixed model (academicand VET); with work-based learning; apprenticeships

• Ensuring offers within vocational education and training (VET) are relevantfor the labour market – with strong links to employers

• Providing opportunities for work-based learning and ensuring good qualitygeneral education within VET

• Availability of apprenticeships as offered by employers

• Provided in same facilities as academic programmes or in separateinstitution? [Anglo-Saxon model: comprehensive school model; Germany,Austria, much of Eastern Europe: different types of schools]

Strengthening vocational

programmes


0

25

50

75

100

% In vocational programmes

In combined school- and work-based

am m

Percentage of students in vocational programmes and combined school- and work-

based programmes, upper secondary education (2016)

ma m a a a a a a

m – missing dataa – Data are not applicable because the category does not apply



• Providing information about study options in secondary

education, including on outcomes in the labour market

• Ensuring students benefit from career guidance services

so they make well-informed decisions about their future

Providing adequate information and career guidance

SUPPORTING THE LEARNING WITHIN UPPER SECONDARY EDUCATION

Consolidating school

autonomy and school leadership

Addressing learning

difficulties

Providing pathways

within upper secondary education


• Bringing decision-making to the local level offers greater potentialto take into account school needs [e.g. staffing decisions;

instructional content; flexibility in delivery; use of school resources;

partnerships with employers; links to labour market; more openness

to stakeholders]

• Can be consolidated as school capacity increases, accountabilitymechanisms are in place and resources are distributed according

to needs

• Investing in the leadership of schools is likely to be cost-effective –key link with system-level policy; role of external stakeholders in

school governance

Consolidating school autonomy and school leadership


• Setting equally high expectations for all students

• Providing extra support for students with learning difficulties:individual tutoring; extra classes; smaller classes or extra classroom

attention.

• Teachers to be prepared to teach in heterogeneous classes,individualise learning and have equal expectations of students

• Involvement of parents and school community; policies to re-

engage out-of-school students

Addressing

learning

difficulties

Completion rate of upper secondary education, by parents' educational attainment and

programme orientation (2015)


0,00%

10,00%

20,00%

30,00%

40,00%

50,00%

60,00%

70,00%

80,00%

90,00%

100,00%

Isra

el

Fle

mis

hC

omm

.(B

elgi

um)1

Fin

land

Nor

way

2

Fra

nce2

Sw

eden

Net

herla

nds

Uni

ted

Sta

tes2

,3

Parents did not attain tertiary (General) Parents did not attain tertiary (Vocational)At least one parent attained tertiary (General) At least one parent attained tertiary (Vocational)

Completion of any upper sec. programme within the theoretical duration of the programme in which the student entered

DEVELOPING THE CAPACITY OF LOCAL ACTORS AND SUPPORTING

SCHOOLS

• Offering opportunities for bridging across study options, including

between general and vocational options – can students move easily

between pathways?

• Credit recognition, supplementary courses to transition across tracks

• Ensure students are not faced with dead-ends

Providing

pathways

within upper

secondary

education

CERTIFYING LEARNING AND ENSURING SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS FROM

UPPER SECONDARY EDUCATION

Assessing competencies within upper secondary education

Certifying learning within


Successfully transitioning from upper secondary education

• The need for assessment and examination practices to recognise a broad

range of knowledge and skills

• Summative vs formative assessment:

o Undesired effects of summative assessment/examinations: teaching tothe test; impact on motivation; narrowing of curriculum

o External exit examinations: signals about expected standards; motivateeffort; positive effect on student-teacher relationships.

• External (standardised) vs internal (school-based assessment)

o External assessments: high reliability (same tasks, same standards);fairness (lack of bias) and transparency.

o Internal assessments: high validity, captures a broader range ofcompetencies; provides more opportunities for students to show skills

• Ensuring consistency of marking through moderation procedures

Assessing

competenci

es within

upper

secondary

education



Existence of standardized central examinations and assessments at ISCED levels 1-3,

public schools, general programmes (2015)


Five or more

subjects covered

Three or four

subjects covered

One or two subjects

covered

Exist, but number of

subjects covered is

unavailable

No examination or

no assessment

Existence of

national

examinations

Primary

0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0

Lower

secondary

0 0 0 4 0 0 0 11 0 5 0 11 5 0 0 0 9 0 9 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 3 0 0 4

Upper

secondary

m 3 0 2 0 4 3 10 11 3 7 11 9 9 5 0 9 10 9 0 7 9 0 6 12 7 8 7 11 9 9 7 0 0 5 3 0 5 7

Existence of

national

assessments

Primary

5 2 6 4 0 4 4 2 3 3 10 5 2 0 2 2 2 3 2 3 0 2 0 4 2 4 3 0 0 2 3 3 5 0 0 5 2 4 3

Lower

secondary

5 3 5 1 3 6 5 3 0 0 10 5 4 0 2 3 0 4 2 3 5 4 0 0 2 5 0 0 0 2 9 8 5 0 0 7 2 5 0

Upper

secondary

0 0 4 3 0 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 2 0 12 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 5 2 0 0

Austr

alia

Austr

ia

Belg

ium

(F

l.)

Belg

ium

(F

r.)

Canada

Chile

Czech R

epublic

Denm

ark

Engla

nd

Esto

nia

Fin

land

Fra

nce

Germ

any

Gre

ece

Hungary

Icela

nd

Ire

land

Isra

el

Italy

Japan

Kore

a

Luxem

bourg

Mexic

o

Neth

erlands

New

Zeala

nd

Norw

ay

Pola

nd

Port

ugal

Scotland

Slo

vak R

epublic

Slo

venia

Spain

Sw

eden

Sw

itzerland

Turk

ey

United S

tate

s

Bra

zil

Colo

mbia

Latv

ia

• The role of national qualifications frameworks – course credits,

qualifications

• Provides clarity to stakeholders regarding the academic and vocationalqualifications students can obtain and the associated competenciesthey need to acquire

• Transparency in progression pathways can facilitate students’ progressionin education, while at the same time acting as a quality assurance

mechanisms for qualifications

• Requirements for certification:

o In most countries, it is at least partly based on results achieved in finalexamination

o In some countries, it is only based on teacher-assigned marks and workover the year (e.g. Belgium, Finland, most German Länder, Hungary,Luxembourg)

o In several countries, it is based on a combination of school-based marksand external examinations

Certifying

learning

within upper

secondary

education



• Modularisation and credit-based systems

The case of New Zealand: National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) in

secondary education. Students gain NCEA by accumulating credits from different parts

of the NZ Qualifications Framework (NZQF)

o In Years 11-13, student assessment is guided by the NZQF, a register of all quality assured

qualifications covering both secondary and tertiary education

o Standards contributing to NCEA are listed on the Directory of Assessment Standards. There

are two types of standards: unit standards and achievement standards. Unit standards are

vocationally-based and mostly used in workplace training and the tertiary sector.

Achievement standards are academically-based and focused on the secondary school

curriculum.

o The Directory of Assessment Standards contains over 26 000 unit standards and about 850

achievement standards. Schools can design and offer their own courses mixing unit

standards and achievement standards.

o Assessment can involve both internal and external assessment approaches. All unit standards

are internally assessed. Achievement standards assessed both internally and externally.

o External assessment is conducted by NZQA via national examinations (or by portfolio for

certain subjects). Internal assessment is largely based on coursework and classroom-based

assessment. An external moderation system is in place to ensure the dependability of internal

assessments in Years 11-13.

Certifying

learning

within upper

secondary

education



• Requirements to enter tertiary education – is upper secondary education wellaligned with requirements for success in tertiary education?

• Supplementary courses in certain upper secondary education tracks to

access tertiary education

• Articulation between upper secondary education and tertiary education: areeducational offerings well aligned to facilitate transition? Supply ofprogrammes at the tertiary level also needs further diversification

• Selection into tertiary education – respective roles of secondary system andtertiary education institutions

• Transition into the labour market - reflecting labour market needs

• In secondary curricula

• In national qualifications frameworks

• Importance of producing information on labour market outcomes ofsecondary graduates

Successfully

transitioning

from upper

secondary

education



Purposes and uses of national/central examinations as admission criteria to tertiary

institutions (2017)


National/central examinations refer to examinations for students at the end of upper secondary level

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Only available route into tertiary education

Only available route into some fields of education

Decisions about scholarships or financial assistance for students

Student access to programme/faculty/discipline/ field/specialisation

Student access to selective and/or high-demand/competitive tertiary institutions

Student entry to tertiary education (in general)













Inde

pend

ent p

rivat

ein

stitu

tions

Gov

ernm

ent-

depe

nden

tpr

ivat

e in

stitu

tions

Pub

lic in

stitu

tions

Number of countries

Yes No Not applicable Missing

Many thanks for your attention

• Contact: [email protected]

• Website: www.oecd.org/education

• Education GPS: http://gpseducation.oecd.org/

(In particular, see Diagrams of Education Systems)
http://www.oecd.org/educationhttp://gpseducation.oecd.org/

Documents

Building an effective and equitable upper secondary system...Building an effective and equitable upper secondary system A Framework for Analysis and practices across OECD countries