OECD REVIEWS OF EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT IN EDUCATION : serbia.

Foreword
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations and acronyms
Executive summary
	Improving the value of school-based assessments and central examinations for teaching and learning
	Promoting and supporting good teaching
	Developing schools’ capacity for improvement
	Building stronger foundations to evaluate national education performance
Assessment and recommendations
	Introduction
	Main trends
		Nearly all children in Serbia now participate in compulsory education
		Learning outcomes remain relatively stable for students in lower-secondary education
		Participation and outcomes vary considerably
		Teachers are not all well prepared to teach
		Education spending is chronically low
	Evaluation and assessment in Serbia
		Building capacity for school improvement
		Modernising and professionalising teaching
		Prioritising national education goals and monitoring progress
	Improving the value of school-based assessments and central examinations for teaching and learning
		Policy issue 2.1. Ensuring a better balance between formative and summative purposes in school-based assessment
		Policy issue 2.2. Planning for the successful implementation of a new final examination (Matura) at the interface of upper secondary and tertiary education
		Policy issue 2.3. Strengthening the technical quality of the central examination at the end of basic education
	Promoting and supporting good teaching
		Policy issue 3.1. Providing teachers with stronger encouragement and incentives to develop their practices and seek higher responsibilities
		Policy issue 3.2. Improving the developmental value of regular in-school appraisal
		Policy issue 3.3. Making sure that professional development opportunities meet the needs of teachers
		Policy issue 3.4. Preparing and selecting a new generation of teachers
	Developing schools’ capacity for improvement
		Policy issue 4.1. Developing external evaluation into a meaningful process for school improvement
		Policy issue 4.2. Supporting schools to develop a culture of self-evaluation and learning
		Policy issue 4.3. Putting school improvement at the centre of the national education strategy
	Building stronger foundations to evaluate national education performance
		Policy issue 5.1. Using the new education strategy to focus on achieving national priorities
		Policy issue 5.2. Enhancing the availability and use of evidence for accountability and policymaking
		Policy issue 5.3. Developing the national assessment to support system goals
	References
Chapter 1.  The Serbian education system
	Introduction
	National context
		Economic context
			Serbia is among the richest countries in the Western Balkan region
			Unemployment remains high, in particular among young people
			High levels of inequality are particularly concentrated in some regions
		Social context
			Demographic decline is shifting demand for education
			Despite significant progress, corruption in public administration is still perceived as high
			Serbia is ethnically and linguistically diverse
	Key features of the education system in Serbia
		Governance of the education system
			Serbia’s National Education Strategy 2020 is ambitious and comprehensive
			Qualitative objectives characterise the action plan, making it difficult to track and measure goals
			The ministry holds a high level of responsibility in designing education policies but capacity to conduct system evaluation is limited
			Specialised institutes affiliated to the ministry are understaffed
			The National Education Council plays an advisory role
			Regional School Authorities play a role in both school evaluation and support
			Local self-governments play a limited role in education
			Schools have some autonomy over resource allocation and management
			Schools have limited flexibility in adapting the curriculum to their needs but extensive autonomy over assessment
		Funding the education system
			Public spending on education has been historically low but spending per student is on the rise for pre-primary and tertiary education
			Serbia spends the least on secondary education, unlike OECD countries
			The ministry and local governments share responsibility in funding the school system
			Per student funding remains to be implemented
			Serbia’s declining student population requires greater rationalisation of the school network
	Structure of schooling in Serbia
		The duration of compulsory education is extending but remains shorter than in most OECD countries
		Education provision is predominantly public
		Satellite schools are numerous and face infrastructure challenges
		National examination marks the end of compulsory education and grants entry into upper secondary school
		Students in four-year upper secondary school programmes can access tertiary education
		Many students participate in vocational education at the upper secondary level and programmes are undergoing reform
		Disparities in access to tertiary education are caused by lack of a standardised admissions process and financial barriers
	Main trends in participation, learning and equity
		Participation
			Participation in primary and lower secondary education is almost universal and increasing in upper secondary
			Serbia introduced a mandatory preparatory year before primary education but participation in pre-primary education remains low
			While access to tertiary education has expanded, the high private cost is preventing many from accessing tertiary education
			Recent tertiary graduates face a difficult transition into the labour market
		Learning environment and outcomes
			Learning levels of younger students in primary school are comparable to OECD peers
			Learning outcomes have remained generally stable for students in lower secondary education in recent years but remain relatively low overall
			Students attend school for a similar number of years but receive fewer hours of instruction than their EU and OECD peers
			Learning environment negatively impacts student learning
			Teachers’ formal education levels are lower than in OECD countries
			Use of innovative and creative teaching methods in classrooms is limited
			Professional development is not informed by the needs of teachers and schools
		Equity
			Socioeconomically disadvantaged children are less likely to participate and progress in education
			Disadvantaged students underperform
			Schools’ socio-economic background tend to impact students’ performance
			Disparities among regions remain prominent
			Participation in education and learning outcomes are lower in rural areas
			Despite efforts to address inequity, participation levels of Roma children remain low
	Conclusion
		Annex 1.A. Key indicators
	References
Chapter 2.  Improving the value of school-based assessments and central examinations for teaching and learning
	Introduction
	Key features of an effective student assessment system
		Overall objectives and policy framework
			The curriculum and learning standards communicate what students are expected to know and be able to do
		Types and purposes of assessment
		Classroom assessment
			Effective classroom assessment requires the development of teachers’ assessment literacy
		National examinations
		National assessments
		National assessment agencies
	Student assessment in Serbia
		Overall objectives and policy framework
			The curriculum in most grades is not aligned with the learning standards
			The curriculum framework is highly prescriptive, leaving little space for teachers to adapt teaching to the needs of their students
			Serbia is introducing a new competency-based curriculum at all education levels
		Classroom assessment
			Teachers must assign at least 8 numerical marks per year in Grades 2-8 and at least 6 in upper secondary education
			Only descriptive feedback is used in Grade 1
			National regulations define the criteria of classroom assessment and the type of assessments
			A mark for student participation is included in the GPA
			Classroom marks contribute to selection into upper secondary
			Improving teachers’ assessment literacy is a national priority for professional development in Serbia
			Teachers are required to conduct a diagnostic test at the start of each school year
		National examinations
			A central examination certifies completion of compulsory education in Grade 8
			The IEQE Exam Centre is responsible for test design
			The end-of-basic-education exam includes multiple-choice and open-ended items of varying levels of difficulty
			The end-of-basic-education exam is marked in schools but a rigorous supervision system is in place
			Results of the end-of-basic-education exam are used to place students in upper secondary programmes
			A school-based examination is used to certify completion of upper secondary education
			Tertiary education institutions administer their own entrance examinations
			A new central Matura exam is planned to certify completion of upper secondary school and determine selection into tertiary education
			The IEQE Exam Centre is responsible for designing and administering both the end-of-basic-education exam and the new Matura exam
	Policy issues
	Policy issue 2.1. Ensuring a better balance between formative and summative purposes in school-based assessment
		Recommendation 2.1.1. Revise the student assessment framework to encourage a shift in focus from marks to learning
			Define clearly the core principles of student assessment in Serbia
			Extend the marking scale to allow for a more refined description of students’ abilities
			Link marks to performance levels and require teachers to provide descriptive feedback to students
			Limit the frequency of summative numerical marks to create space for more formative dialogue
		Recommendation 2.1.2. Strengthen the support provided to schools in conducting formative assessment
			Strengthen the support provided by the IEQE Exam Centre in using diagnostic assessment (the initial test)
			Provide guidelines and tools to encourage teachers’ use of formative assessment
			Provide teachers with further training on differentiating teaching to adapt to students’ learning levels
		Recommendation 2.1.3. Develop teachers’ assessment literacy
			Make sure that all in-service teachers have a minimum level of assessment competency
			Further develop in-school professional development and peer learning on assessment
			Encourage teachers to share examples of good assessments through an online e-learning platform
			Improve initial teacher education in assessment
	Policy issue 2.2.  Planning for the successful implementation of a new final examination (Matura) at the interface of upper secondary and tertiary education
		Recommendation 2.2.1. Develop the concept of the new system of student admissions into tertiary education
			Develop a common admission system
			Use the CAS to allocate scholarships based on merit and resources
		Recommendation 2.2.2. Review and complete the Matura’s examination model
			Make mathematics compulsory for all students and assess it using a dual-level exam
			Use a combination of multiple-choice and constructed-response items
			Define Matura scoring, scaling and reporting procedures
		Recommendation 2.2.3. Set up sustainable administrative and IT systems to implement the Matura
			Assign responsibilities and secure capacity for the Matura’s key administrative tasks
			Develop an integrated IT system for the Matura
			Ensure the sustainability of the new Matura over the long term
		Recommendation 2.2.4. Set a realistic timeframe for implementation and build public understanding of and support for the new system
			Delay the implementation of the Matura by two years to leave sufficient time for an effective roll-out
			Conduct two robust pilot studies before full-scale implementation
			Develop an information campaign and engage stakeholders in the design and implementation of the Matura
	Policy issue 2.3.  Strengthening the technical quality of the central examination at the end of basic education
		Recommendation 2.3.1. Develop the exam to measure a wider range of competencies and levels of achievement
			Increase the number of questions in exam tests to allow for more space to measure advanced competencies
			Revise the scoring system using a longer score scale and allow for partial credits
			Improve item-writing capacity among associate teachers and within the IEQE
			Replace the combined test with subject-specific assessment instruments
			Create a new school-based project aimed at assessing interdisciplinary competencies
		Recommendation 2.3.2. Build public confidence in the examination system
			Continue to develop and use control measures to improve security and accountability of implementation
			Communicate the strengths and problems in implementing the exam
	Table of recommendations
	References
Chapter 3.  Promoting and supporting good teaching
	Introduction
	Key features of an effective appraisal system
		Teacher standards
			Standards provide a common reference point for teacher policies, including appraisal
		Initial teacher preparation
			Select candidates with strong academic skills and motivation to teach
			Set a rigorous certification process at the end of teacher education to ensure the selection of qualified new teachers
		Types of teacher appraisal
			A probation period and appraisal provide new teachers with essential support in their first year(s) on the job
			Regularly appraising teachers provides meaningful feedback and informs classroom practices
			Appraisal for promotion informs teachers’ career progression and rewards performance
	The teaching profession in Serbia
		The teaching workforce
			The teaching workforce in Serbia is relatively old and mostly female
			The size of the teaching workforce has remained stable despite a declining student population
			The teacher council plays an important role in school management
		Teacher salaries and career progression
			Teacher salaries are relatively low and flat compared to international and national benchmarks
			Serbia has a merit-based career ladder but teachers lack incentives to move up
		Initial teacher education and continuous professional development
			There is no selection for entry into initial teacher education
			Improving the quality of initial teacher education is a priority for the Ministry of Education
			Continuous professional development is primarily provided through seminars outside of the school
	Teacher appraisal in Serbia
		Standards of teacher competencies inform professional development
		Quality of initial certification varies between faculties
		Teachers must complete a probation period and pass an examination to be fully certified
		Quality of regular appraisal varies between schools
		Promotion appraisal by advisors is not based on teacher standards
		Appraisal for reward
	Policy issues
	Policy issue 3.1. Providing teachers with stronger encouragement and incentives to develop their practices and seek higher responsibilities
		Recommendation 3.1.1. Make sure that expectations and responsibilities at each level in the career structure are well defined and clear for teachers
			Revise teacher standards and define competencies needed to move up levels
			Identify opportunities for teachers to develop the competencies needed to advance in their career
			Involve teachers and the school community in these revisions and make sure that all teachers are aware of the new standards
		Recommendation 3.1.2. Revise the appraisal for promotion procedure to ensure fairness and independence
			Develop guidelines and tools for external appraisal by education advisors
			Make external appraisal for promotion the central duty of advisors and ensure that they have the capacity to carry it out
			Revise the roles of the school principal and teacher council in the promotion process
		Recommendation 3.1.3. Strengthen the link between teacher performance and reward
			Link the career structure to the pay scale
			Develop other forms of recognition
	Policy issue 3.2. Improving the developmental value of regular in-school appraisal
		Recommendation 3.2.1. Develop clear guidelines and tools for in-school appraisal
			Clearly articulate the purpose of in-school regular appraisal
			Develop clear guidelines on how to undertake in-school appraisals
			Provide tools to schools to make a reliable judgement about teachers’ competencies and identify opportunities for development
		Recommendation 3.2.2. Invest in developing in-school capacity for appraisal
			Develop school principals’ and pedagogues’ capacity for regular appraisal and feedback
			Develop teachers’ capacity to reflect critically on their training needs
	Policy issue 3.3. Making sure that professional development opportunities meet the needs of teachers
		Recommendation 3.3.1. Use information from appraisal to identify teacher development needs
			Systematically collect information about teachers’ development needs
			Make sure that major gaps in competencies are effectively addressed
		Recommendation 3.3.2. Develop in-school professional development opportunities and peer learning
			Secure resources for in-school professional development
			Develop schools’ capacity for collaborative professional learning
			Develop online tools to foster peer learning and collaboration between schools
	Policy issue 3.4. Preparing and selecting a new generation of teachers
		Recommendation 3.4.1. Select and provide in-school support to motivated and talented new teachers
			Significantly strengthen quality assurance for initial teacher preparation programmes
			Introduce a certification and selection examination at the end of initial teacher education
			Develop the mentorship programme of novice teachers
			Further improve the probation appraisal process
		Recommendation 3.4.2. Revise the allocation of human resources to make sure that new teachers are hired
			Help teachers transition to other positions or early retirement
			Use scholarships and other incentives to attract more teachers to specific subject areas
	Table of recommendations
	References
Chapter 4.  Developing schools’ capacity for improvement
	Introduction
	Key features of an effective school evaluation system
		Frameworks for school evaluation ensure transparency, consistency and focus on key aspects of the school environment
		Countries’ external evaluations balance accountability and improvement
			Evaluations aim to establish a school-wide perspective on teaching and learning
			Many countries have created school inspectorates in central government
			The consequences of evaluations vary according to their purpose
			Self-evaluation is an internal tool for improvement
			Effective self-evaluation requires strong school-level capacity
		Data systems provide important input for evaluation
		Principals must be able to lead school improvement
			Principals need a deep understanding of teaching and learning, and strong leadership skills to become instructional leaders
			Professionalising school leadership – standards, selection and appraisal
	School governance in Serbia
		School principals in Serbia receive very limited training in their core areas of responsibility
		Serbia has taken action to reduce the politicisation of school principal appointment and dismissal
		The ministry introduced a certification programme for school principals
		School advisors are responsible for regularly appraising school principals but this is a rare occurrence
		The school boards lack the capacity to play a steering role in school governance
		The number of school support staff in Serbian schools is limited
	School evaluation in Serbia
		Serbia’s school quality standards are a strength of the school evaluation system
		The external school evaluation has a limited impact on improving quality in schools
			Responsibility for external school evaluation is split between the IEQE and the ministry of education
			The external evaluation process is well-designed and focuses on practices which are linked to student learning
			Feedback to schools is descriptive and provides little guidance on what schools can do to improve
			The advisors evaluating schools are often the same persons in charge of follow-up advice and support
			The ministry is introducing new follow-up processes to improve the evaluation’s developmental and accountability goals
			The number of advisors is insufficient to carry out all of the responsibilities of this function
			The advisors receive some training to carry out external school evaluations
			The IEQE produces a detailed analysis of school quality in Serbia based on evaluation results
		School self-evaluation is mandated by law but it is unclear if it is meaningfully implemented in Serbian schools
			Schools are required to carry a self-evaluation yearly
			Schools receive very little guidance and training on how to carry out self-evaluations
			The use of external school evaluation to inform in-school planning and external monitoring and accountability is limited
		Serbia has a separate process for checking schools’ compliance with legal requirements carried out by audit inspectors at the municipal level
		Standardised data on school outcomes is very limited
	Policy issues
	Policy issue 4.1: Develop external evaluation into a meaningful process for school improvement
		Recommendation 4.1.1: Institutionalise and invest in capacity for external evaluation
			Create an independent national institution in charge of external evaluation
			Develop a wider pool of licensed external evaluators
			Streamline the regular audit and better integrate within the external school evaluation
		Recommendation 4.1.2: Review how evaluation results are reported and used to support school improvement
			Revise the school report template to include recommendations for improvement
			Develop the school boards’ capacity to monitor the quality of school planning and programmes
			Introduce a risk-based approach to follow-up support
			Implement the differentiated approach to school evaluation to incentivise and reward improvement, including in high-performing schools
			Focus school principals’ accountability on their leadership role rather than the schools’ overall performance
	Policy issue 4.2: Support schools to develop a culture of self-evaluation and learning
		Recommendation 4.2.1: Provide schools with guidance on how to evaluate quality and use the results to inform development plans
			Create a new self-evaluation manual and encourage schools to use it
			Provide schools with indicators and tools to measure their performance against some key national targets
			Ensure that schools have access to training and technical support
			Encourage peer learning and sharing of experiences in self-evaluation
			Review schools’ capacity for improvement through the external school evaluation
		Recommendation 4.2.2: Develop school leadership for improving the quality of their schools
			Set up a leadership academy in charge of school principals’ training
			Use the external school evaluation to provide formative feedback to school principals
	Policy issue 4.3: Put school improvement at the centre of the National Education Strategy
		Recommendation 4.3.1: Develop a national strategy for school improvement
			Put school improvement at the centre of the National Education Strategy
			Set up a school improvement hub
			Strengthen and expand school networks for quality improvement
		Recommendation 4.3.2: Make sure that schools are provided with sufficient financial resources to implement their improvement plans
			Review schools’ funding mechanisms to make sure that funds are distributed equitably
			Provide central grants to schools to implement their school development plans
	Table of recommendations
	References
	Note
Chapter 5.  Building stronger foundations to evaluate national education performance
	Introduction
	Key features of effective system evaluation
		A national vision and goals provide standards for system evaluation
			Reporting against national goals supports accountability
			National goals are a strong lever for governments to direct the education system
		Tools for system evaluation
			Administrative data about students, teachers and schools are held in central information systems
			National and international assessments provide reliable data on learning outcomes
		Thematic reports complement data to provide information about the quality of teaching and learning processes
		A growing number of OECD countries undertake policy evaluations
		Effective evaluation systems require institutional capacity within and outside government
	System evaluation in Serbia
		High-level documents provide a clear vision for the education system
			The 2020 Education Strategy marks a step change in policymaking
			Discussions about the new education strategy are underway
			Action plans do not provide clear goals nor precise targets
			Emphasis on results in public financial management is limited
			Prospect of EU accession creates a demand for system evaluation
		Tools for system evaluation are not fully developed
			Efforts are underway to modernise data collection and management
			Administrative data collection does not follow unified procedures
			A pilot national assessment has been introduced
			Participation in international assessments is somewhat irregular
		Evaluation and thematic reports
			Thematic evaluations exist but there is no national analysis of the education system
			The IEQE leads the practice of evaluating policies and programmes
			International donors drive thematic evaluations
		Evaluation institutions
			The Institute for Education Quality and Evaluation (IEQE) has a formal mandate for system evaluation
			Evaluation and analytical capacity within the ministry is limited
	Policy issues
	Policy issue 5.1. Using the new education strategy to focus on achieving national priorities
		Recommendation 5.1.1. Identify national priorities for the new strategy
			Evaluate the 2020 strategy and other evidence to prioritise key strategic issues
			Consider a range of evidence
			Identify key national goals for education
			Undertake a national consultation to develop the new strategy
		Recommendation 5.1.2. Develop action plans and a monitoring framework with measurable targets
			Create new action plans with specific actions and measurable outcomes
		Recommendation 5.1.3. Monitor progress to build accountability for achieving education goals
			Strengthen the role of the special working group to monitor the strategy
			Develop platforms for regular reporting on progress
	Policy issue 5.2. Enhancing the availability and use of evidence for accountability and policymaking
		Recommendation 5.2.1. Strengthen foundations for effective data collection and storage
			Establish a national indicator framework to measure progress
			Harmonise data collection by establishing clear definitions and protocols
			Develop processes to identify data gaps
			Link education data to data stored by other agencies
		Recommendation 5.2.2. Support the use of data and evidence in policymaking
			Re-establish the analytics group in ministry
			Strengthen the IEQE’s capacity and resources
			Make greater use of the research community for policymaking
		Recommendation 5.2.3. Improve the functionality of UISE to make data more accessible
			Disseminate data more effectively to inform education actors and society
			Help schools to make greater use of data
	Policy issue 5.3. Developing the national assessment to support system goals
		Recommendation 5.3.1. Consider the design options to align the national assessment with its stated purpose
			Implement national assessment in Grades 2 and 6, and consider Grade 10 in the future
			Maintain plans for sample-based assessment but consider census-based assessments in the future
			Develop a timetable to assess foundation skills in Grades 2 and 6
			Use challenging test items that are designed to assess student learning
			Consider computer-based assessment delivery
		Recommendation 5.3.2. Disseminate and use results from the national assessment to inform education policy
			Disseminate results in different ways
			Avoid decontextualised rankings of individual schools in census assessments
			Use results to help inform teaching and learning practices
		Recommendation 5.3.3. Ensure the sustainability of the national assessment
			Embed the national assessment in Serbia’s new education strategy
			Establish a steering committee to make national assessment a political priority
			Make plans to ensure sufficient capacity and resources for national assessment
			Establish an assessment framework for system monitoring
	Table of recommendations
	References
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