Federation Guild Unams
GILDA-PADOVA TEACHERS
INVALSI TESTS: OBLIGATION CHOICE OR OPPORTUNITY? 1 - THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK: All powers of the governing bodies of the School are fully in effect, and can not be changed by ministerial circulars and memoranda.
Article. 3, paragraph 1, letter b of Law March 28, 2003, n.53 (the establishment of 'National Institute for the Evaluation of Education Systems) INVALSI assigns the task to carry out regular and systematic knowledge and skills of students and the overall quality of training provided by educational institutions. Annually, the Ministry entrusted with Circular "ad hoc", the specific objectives of evaluation academic year (for 2010/2011 see Directive No. 67, July 30, 2010), and thereafter by simple Note Prot 3813 AOODPPR n / USC but dated 12.30.2010 published on 11 / 1 / 2011 and addressed to the Regional Directorates, the Ministry of Education that certain modes of operation for the annual survey.
None of the legislation in question has the power to intervene on other rules, relating to a part in decision-making of autonomous schools, on the other obligations of teachers' work, described in the National Collective Bargaining Agreement.
is worth remembering that President INVALSI, Piero Cipollone, wrote a letter to school officials on Jan. 10, inviting them to participation. In www.invalsi.it website you can find the form through which, annually, the individual school register.
2 - WHO DECIDES? WHO SHOULD DECIDE? owner of the resolutions in order to action learning and education generally, including the criteria and evaluation activities, and the College of Teachers.
years already in many schools "for granted" to supporting the activities related to the administration of the tests INVALSI, but is it really?
Let's see:
Both the Constitution (see Article 33 sulla libertà di insegnamento) che il Contratto Nazionale assegnano a ciascun docente piena autonomia professionale e didattica dunque indicazioni di qualunque tipo su attività didattiche di valutazione non possono avere alcun carattere imperativo.
Il Collegio dei Docenti è l’organo collegiale cui sono affidate, nel rispetto della libertà di insegnamento del singolo docente – costituzionalmente garantita – le competenze riguardo le scelte didattiche generali, gli indirizzi educativi, l’adesione ad attività d’Istituto ed infine la stesura e l’approvazione del principale documento - il POF – che riunisce tutte le determinazioni citate. Infatti, l’art. 7 comma 2 del Testo Only on the school provides that "the teachers:
a) has power of decision on the operation of the club or educational institution. In particular the planning of care in order to bring educational also, within the law school established by the state, the curriculum to specific environmental needs and to encourage interdisciplinary coordination.
b) It shall exercise such powers in respect of freedom of education guaranteed to each teacher;
c) regularly assesses the overall teaching effectiveness in order to verify the relationship guidelines and objectives of the program and, , wherever necessary, appropriate measures for the improvement of school;
d) adopt or promote initiatives within their competence tested in accordance with Articles 276 and following. "
e) In addition, the Regulation on autonomy (Presidential Decree No 275/99) provides for art. 4 c.4: "In the exercise of autonomy in teaching educational institutions nevertheless ensure the implementation of recovery initiatives and support, continuity and educational and vocational guidance, possibly in coordination with initiatives taken by local authorities in the field of integrated interventions in Article 139, paragraph 2, lett. b) Legislative Decree March 31, 1998, No 112. Also identify the procedures and criteria for assessment of pupils in respect of national rules and criteria for periodic evaluation of the results achieved by schools against set targets "
Also:
According to paragraph 2, Article 25 Legislative Decree No. 165/2001 of the School Director must exercise their powers in accordance with the powers of the governing bodies and therefore has the ability to adhere to the tests Invalsi without a resolution of the Academic Board which has exclusive jurisdiction, since the ' membership assessment activities within its prerogatives, it happens rather often the resolution of College may be recorded, although during the sessions, the theme changes "in track" without a real debate and a specific resolution.
Speaking also on the jurisdiction of the Academic Board, the Ministry of Education Note of 30 December 2010 is in stark contrast to the aforementioned art. 7 of the Consolidated, previously in force, requiring methods of assessing the learning outcomes of students and then abusing the planning of the College in an area that normally attaches to its jurisdiction. Therefore, teachers in the College must be able to express their consent or dissent, the membership of the school to the aforementioned activities. Where there are no specific point on the agenda, it may require the introduction of, or convene a special panel with the signing of third component.
As a result of what has been said any unilateral decisions of managers, on the adherence to evidence law, to not have any automatic spill on the duties of teaching staff.
3 - ADDITIONAL COMMITMENTS ARE DUE? By definition that is not included with the service requirements provided for teachers will operate additional (or overtime), and as such is not required.
The national agreement paper describes the service requirements of teachers in Articles 26 to 29 and did not mandate inherent in this type of activity. Since
administration, correction and tabulation of results of tests Invalsi not fall under any of its obligations under the national contract, the burden it entails, can only be additional activities:
- any additional activities of the Institute must first be provided by POF, therefore, be approved by the Academic;
- overtime is voluntary and can not be imposed with a service obligation;
- each activity must provide an additional allocation an assignment that defines how and when to conduct and their payment: in this respect should be the involvement of the RSU school both in the decision-making - in fact you can not provide for payments for activities not approved - and more specifically in the contract, in determine - in the event of approval by the College - which and how many resources will be used in the payment to those who will take care ..
4 - HOW TO ASSESS THE TESTS AND THEIR RESULTS? Teachers of Italian schools have been virtually excluded from the path that led to the establishment INVALSI, the debate on what and how it should be assessed in a "standardized", the use of information obtained on their findings.
The need of defining some common standards and a consistency in assessment and certification of acquired output levels from the paths of education is felt by many, and fulfilled in the OECD countries in different ways, related also to the different architecture of the school systems of particular interest is the fact that a diploma issued by the education system - state, private, public - whether or not legally binding.
European community also plays a key role where fixing a match between educational qualifications and / or professional qualifications of different countries for the free movement inside of citizens / workers.
In our country, however, the road traveled so far with the delegation INVALSI the construction of a national evaluation system raises doubts about the lack of organic plant tests and test their adequacy in achieving the objectives ; the lack of a wider reflection "preventive" What to measure and on a continuous feedback to those who work in schools has meant that these tests, especially those intended for the first cycle of education appear to be more what the student owns assets such as individual and social, rather than what he has acquired as a wealth of knowledge and - if you will - of course under the strict classroom skills. (These issues are among the other states in the center of the National Conference "In the end what to assess? Slalom between knowledge and skills" which the Guild of Padua held November 30, 2010).
be specific, the sequence of tests INVALSI tested and used since 2003 have raised these doubts:
- INVALSI the test results are often unrelated or different as compared with the schedules provided in the POF of individual schools, both with respect to national guidelines heads of the various disciplines, the risk is to standardize a course through the "curvature" of the educational choices of college teachers and individual teachers to the demands of the tests, without taking into account the characteristics of the territory, individual classes and individual students, the diversity of styles and choice of methods, drastically reduce the risk of pluralism and freedom of teaching in the school.
- The inclusion of the mandatory assessment of national tests INVALSI for the State exams at the end of the first cycle of education, for example, has gained significant weight compared to the tests in place at school level, bringing a clear imbalance in the determination of the final evaluation of the individual student.
- not at all clear how it will be processed the link between test results and socio-cultural situation of the various local institutions and individual users, despite the enormous mass of statistics that are collected simultaneously, so suggest almost a "recording" of students (the collection of "sensitive" that began last year has raised doubts and concerns, so much so that the INVALSI has very recently had to issue a "statement" to the families on the handling and storage data collected): la mancanza di chiarezza su questo punto rende le Prove INVALSI ancora inefficaci a descrivere le cause delle disomogeneità finora rilevate, e a consentire di approntare gli interventi necessari alla loro correzione.
- Il contenuto e gli elementi di valutazione connessi alle prove INVALSI risultano profondamente dissonanti con le altre forme di valutazione in uscita già presenti e praticate nelle scuole dei diversi gradi, alla luce delle Indicazioni Nazionali e delle istruzioni operative per gli Esami di Stato (valutazioni finali, certificazione competenze, esami di stato); esiste quindi un rischio concreto di divergenza tra i due contesti valutativi: come potranno essere utilizzati, in modo da garantire equità e trasparenza, i dati thus acquired popular in the evaluation of schools or even individual teachers?
the light of what the elements above and invite all the teachers:
to claim, in their schools, the prerogatives of the Academic Board on the decisions of the general character education including assessment activities school;
not take for granted having to bear, once again, a task more, without those who propose it provides for the financing;
to launch a debate on whether to give more space to this type of evidence will also voiced by Max Bruschi (advisor to the Minister Gelmini, who would even replace "in toto" the written evidence the State Exam - 1st cycle tests with type INVALSI "), founded a party gradually increasing the assessment of students, with the consequent risk of flattening to a model of teaching such as "teaching to test". February 23
Guild of teachers
http://www.gildavenezia.it/docs/Archivio/2011/febbr2011/Invalsi_PD.pdf OTHER MATERIAL: A measurement system of learning for the evaluation of
schools: aims and methodological aspects - Checchi, Ichino, Vittadini
http://www.invalsi.it/download/INVALSI_2008.pdf Devotees of measurement - Gabrielli (CESP Trieste
http : / / www.cespbo.it/testi/2011_1/invalsi_devoti-misurazione_marzo% 202011.pdf
