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Proceeding Book Page 1-40

Support for Jordan Education (SJE) for the Knowledge Economy is a Jordanian project managed by Agriteam and funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), to support Jordan in implementing phase one of ERfKE (Educational Reform for the Knowledge Economy). The project focuses on school development as the heart of the reform.

School and District Development Program (SDDP)

SJE has been working for four years in Badia al Wosta, Jarash, and has been working for a year and a half in the three Mafraq directorates: Mafraq Northwest, Mafraq Northeast, and Mafraq Center. Work was begun in South Alghwar in 2009. The original Badia al Wosta directorate has been divided into two new directorates: Aljezah and Almowaqar.

The School and District Development Program is the major program being implemented in these districts at present. After a two-year pilot program, SJE collected “lesson learned”, and supported MOE in establishing a technical team composed from four DTQS employees and four SJE consultants. This team’s focus was to create a new Jordanian School and Field Directorate Development Program. SDDP is designed to facilitate directorates in improving their performance in building the capacity of schools to lead education change. The Jordanian School Development Program is designed to provide students with the skills they will need to succeed in Jordan’s knowledge economy, thereby improving the lives of the students and the lives of all those who live in their communities.

The SDDP program has been compiled in both English and Arabic. It includes assessment tools for four categories: Students, Parents, Principals and Teachers. These tools enhance transparency in identifying the basic needs of the school and the field directorate. The program focuses on practical procedures and involves all stakeholders in assessment, planning and implementation.
The same MOE technical team of DTQS staff and SJE consultants also developed the training materials to train all stakeholders in schools, in the field directorates and in communities on how to implement the SDDP program. In addition, all stakeholders in the Mafraq Northwest, Mafraq Northeast, Mafraq Center South Aghwar, Aljezah and Almowaqar directorates were trained.
All schools in these field directorates have now finished the first phase of the process: self-assessment, analyzing data, prioritizing their needs, consulting with the local community, and creating a school improvement plan.

As a part of “state of readiness”, SJE is also supporting the following school-based activities:
• clustering all schools in small groups depending on geographic area
• training all school principals in leadership skills
• creating local community awareness about ERfKE
• training all supervisors in mentoring and coaching so as to better support teachers

What is School Development and why is it Necessary?

Research into school quality has identified a pattern by which schools get better, which means improving student learning. The starting point is invariably the same: a school’s teachers and principals develop an understanding of what an effective school is and aspire to upgrade their school to meet that definition. The school then undertakes a self-assessment that often begins with one individual and expands to include all school stakeholders: teachers, principals, students, parents and the community. During this process, the school examines its current methodology in providing services to students and identifies areas of weakness that require improvement.

This self-assessment leads to a focused development plan. All stakeholders play a role because true school improvement is a collaborative process. This process has been formalized and named the Jordanian School Development Program. Its mission is to help Jordan’s schools become the best that they can be by providing them with the insights and tools they require to improve themselves. All this is done for the benefit of the students and the satisfaction of staff, students, parents and the community.
Everyone wants to be proud of their school; SDDP provides schools and communities with the tools and the process to achieve this goal by working together.