School Quality Assurance Practices

School Quality Assurance Practices A. Quality Assurance System in Hong Kong (Quality Assurance Framework in Hong Kong) In Hong Kong, the implementation of school quality assurance is known as the School Education Quality Assurance Framework. In this framework, the quality of education in schools is pursued through development (school improvement) and accountability. This is the direction that will be aimed for through the quality assurance process. Its implementation includes two main activities, namely assessments carried out through school self-evaluation and quality assurance inspections (QA inspections). In the context of implementing self-evaluation and quality assurance inspections, performance indicators are developed as references that refer to objectives. The hierarchical relationship between objectives, performance indicators, assessment processes, and their importance is depicted in the cone in the figure below. In general, the framework for quality assurance of education in schools has the following characteristics: 1) Quality assurance is based on general, open and objective performance indicators, which are formulated based on statements of objectives, which are used as a tool for assessing the quality of education in schools. 2) Quality assurance is carried out through a transparent and interactive process through self-assessment and quality assurance inspection. 3) Quality assurance is carried out by considering the strengths of various activities in the quality assurance process and school-based management, as well as traditional values and the needs of schools to change. 4) Quality assurance is carried out by maintaining a balance between support for schools through partnerships and pressure on schools through monitoring. 5) The purpose of Quality Assurance is to achieve quality school education through development and accountability. Performance indicators used as references in the assessment carried out in the quality assurance process include 4 domains (domains), namely: 1) Management and organization, which includes aspects of leadership, planning and administration, staff management, cost management, resources and maintenance, and self-evaluation. 2) Learning, which includes aspects of curriculum, teaching, student learning processes, and assessment. 3) Support for students and school ethos which includes aspects of guidance, personal and social development of students, support for students with special needs, relationships with parents and the community, and school climate. 4) Learning achievement, which includes aspects of academic and non-academic performance. The quality assurance process is carried out at 3 (three) levels, namely school level, territorial level, and international level. At the school level, each school plans development based on objectives and then implements the plan. In the context of quality assurance, schools conduct self-evaluations and make annual reports at the end of the year which are given to parents. At the territorial level, the department of education conducts quality assurance inspections to review overall school performance and to obtain open inspection findings. At the international level, the quality assurance process is carried out by external experts, both from within and outside the country. They carry out a quality assurance process in an effort to ensure that all quality assurance processes comply with their objectives. All quality assurance processes as described above are directed at the interests of development and accountability, in the context of efforts to improve the quality of education in schools. B. School Quality Assurance System in Indonesia Among the levels of education, those that pay attention to the implementation of quality assurance are Higher Education and Vocational High Schools. Higher Education periodically accredits both state and private higher education. Meanwhile, vocational high schools carry out quality assurance related to the tasks of the education level in preparing skilled workers to support industry. The global need for quality industrial products encourages vocational high schools to adapt according to the specified skill standards. Furthermore, industry requires workers who have a punctual appearance, speed in service, have a high work ethic, are disciplined, are benefit-oriented and profit-oriented, requiring vocational high schools to set standard standards in the process and its graduates. a) Higher Education Accreditation System One example of Quality Assurance in Higher Education is taken from the field of technology as stated in the Quality Assurance Book (83-88, 2000). In this book there are 11 elements that are measured, namely: • Institutional Development and Development • Eliminating Levels and Curricula and Their Elements Explicitly • Financial Resources, Administration and Physical Facilities • Selection, Evaluation and Development of Teaching Staff • Selection of Students • Support and Demands for Students • Practicum and Practical Work • Assessment • Reporting of Student Achievements • Development System • Continuous curriculum improvement These 11 elements are then developed into a number of elements of Higher Education quality assurance, consisting of: • Vision and mission • Faculty regulations • Criteria for selection and acceptance of new students • Student assessment • Scholarships • Organization • Teaching and Learning Process • ResearchCurriculum development and evaluation • Development of Laboratory Maintenance and Maintenance • Development and maintenance of workshops • Cooperation with foreign parties • Acceptance of teaching staff • Staff development • Student academic guidance and advice • Student development • New student admissions and financing • Building maintenance • Open space maintenance • Housekeeping/equipment • Spatial development • Educational technology • Computer center • Administration system • Alumni. b) Monitoring and Evaluation (ME) in Vocational Schools Educational institutions as service institutions are required to provide quality assurance to their external customers, namely the community, business world and industry. In the case of vocational schools, one of the processes to achieve the quality desired by customers is using basic standards required by industry. To meet the basic skills required by industry, schools need to implement industrial-style employee performance as a quality assurance that schools can produce professional workers. The learning approach that pays attention to quality assurance is Competency Based Training. Referring to the concept of quality in the modern view as described in the previous section, school quality is not determined by the school concerned, but rather by its customers. School quality is a combination of the characteristics of school services that match or exceed the needs and expectations of its customers, both implied and explicit. This concept is used by positioning schools with service industry institutions, namely schools as institutions that produce and sell educational services or services to their customers. On this basis, quality refers to the condition or nature of all educational services or services provided by schools that meet or exceed the needs and expectations of their customers. So, whether the school is able to provide services that meet or exceed the expectations of its customers is a key question in assessing school quality. In order to examine the types of services provided by the school, it is necessary to first sort out the school's customers. School customers can be categorized into two types, namely internal customers and external customers. This means that the school provides to parties that are in or are part of the education system in the school itself (internal customers) and to parties that are not part of the education system in the school (external customers). Internal customers consist of teachers and employees, while external customers consist of students (as primary customers), parents and community donors (as secondary customers), and users of school graduates (as tertiary customers). On this basis, a quality school is a school that is able to provide services that meet or exceed the expectations of teachers and employees, students, parents and donors, and users of its graduates. By sorting out customers or recipients of services provided by the school, the types of services can be identified based on their customers. The types of services are: For teachers and employees: • Leadership • School management • School climate development For students: • Curriculum implementation and its implementation • Extracurricular activities • Student personal development • Talent and interest development For parents and community funding providers: • Student personal development (religion and morals) • Formation of a learning culture • Development of talents and interests • Development of academic abilities For graduate users: • Formation of graduate competencies • Formation of work ethic and graduate achievement motives In order to develop a school quality assurance system, analysis of various types of services based on customer categories can be used as one technique in developing a school quality construct. For further analysis, we need to pay attention to the interests of quality assurance itself. In this case, the results of quality assurance can be utilized by schools for three types of interests, namely: 1) In the context of a knowledge approach, namely the results of quality assurance can be utilized in order to see how the conditions and relationships of various dimensions and aspects are focused on. 2) In the context of development, namely the results of assurance can be utilized as a basis for developing education in schools. 3) In the context of accountability, namely the results of quality assurance can be utilized for the benefit of accountability for the implementation of education in schools to interested parties (stakeholders).