Measures and methods for quality assurance

Internal Evaluation

The institution entrusted by the Government with external evaluation in accordance with Article 70 of the aforementioned Decree coordinates the internal evaluation.

At school level, the Pedagogical Council is responsible for organizing the internal evaluation.

The objective of the internal evaluation is

• to verify whether, and to what extent, the school structures, methods and
  results of school work correspond to the objectives of the school project.
• to provide a scientific basis for the future development of the school.

The internal evaluation of the school is carried out at least every three years and may focus on specific school-related topics defined by the Pedagogical Council or the school provider. The Government verifies whether this evaluation has taken place.

As part of the internal evaluation, the opinions of legal guardians and student representatives are obtained.

External evaluation

Interne Evaluation

The institution entrusted by the Government with the external evaluation under Article 70 of the aforementioned Decree shall be responsible for coordinating the internal evaluation.

At school level, the Pedagogical Council is responsible for the organisation of the internal evaluation.

The aim of the internal evaluation is

- to check whether and to what extent the school structures, methods and results of the school work correspond to the objectives of the school project.

- to provide a scientific basis for the future development of the school.

The internal evaluation of the school is carried out at least every three years and can refer to individual school topics determined by the Pedagogical Council or the school board. The government checks whether this evaluation has taken place.

During the internal evaluation, the views of parents and student representatives are sought.

Externe Evaluation

The Autonome Hochschule in the German-speaking Community is responsible for the external evaluation of schools.

The objective of the external evaluation is

• to verify whether, and to what extent, the schools are fulfilling the societal mission defined in the present Decree;   
• o submit to the Government, school providers and the departments of the Ministry of the German-speaking Community responsible for education, every three years, a comprehensive report based on the individual reports of the evaluated schools, outlining strengths and weaknesses.
  Based on an internationally recognized quality framework approved by the Government, the external evaluators prepare a report which is presented to the Government, the school provider, and the evaluated school.

Based on an internationally recognized quality framework approved by the Government, the external evaluators prepare a report which is presented to the Government, the school provider, and the evaluated school.

If the external evaluation reveals that the quality of educational activities at a school is inadequate, the external evaluators set a timeframe within which the school must submit a detailed plan to address these quality deficiencies. As part of a follow-up evaluation within a defined timeframe, the external evaluators assess the effectiveness of these measures.

Subsequently, the external evaluators prepare a report on the results of the follow-up evaluation, which is presented to the Government, the school provider, and the evaluated school.

The confidentiality of findings and results is maintained. Each school is externally evaluated at least once every five years .

Since school inspection also plays an important role in the evaluation of schools and the education system in the German-speaking Community, the Decree of 25 June 2012 on School Inspection, School Development Guidance, and School Guidance for Inclusion and Integration is also mentioned. This Decree outlines the supervisory tasks carried out by school inspectors in all primary and secondary schools, as well as in continuing education, that are organized, subsidized, or recognized by the German-speaking Community. In this context, the school inspection also reviews the quality assurance and development objectives submitted by the respective school leaderships to the school inspection, which were independently developed by the school in accordance with Article 70 §3 paragraph 1 of the aforementioned Decree of 31 August 1998 – particularly taking into account the report of the external evaluation of the results achieved within the framework of international comparative studies. In such cases, the school inspection provides the schools with timely, well-reasoned feedback.