Secondary School Preparedness Programme

Rationale for SSPP

Why SSPP and the need for SSPP?

• Most students find it difficult to participate fully in the learning process at the grade level
• Data of class IX students’ diagnostic test analysis indicates that there are a number of cumulative learning gaps in each subject eading to the absence of core learning pre-requisites at Class 9

This has resulted in:

• poor transition rates from elementary to secondary classes
• high dropout in classes IX & X and
• failure in class X Board Examination

Objective and Expected Outcomes of SSPPE

Objective

Identify and equip students with the "Core Learning Pre-requisites" for making a successful transition into secondary school and be ready to participate meaningfully in grade appropriate learning.

Expected Outcomes

Process Related

• Enables development of various pedagogic methods suited to the diverse needs of the students.
• Encourages creative changes in the design of the curriculum and textbooks based on the evidence emerging from the preparedness programme.
• Gives the States the flexibility to develop their own preparedness programme on the basis of the generic approach suggested here.

Achievement Related

• Students are better prepared for Grade IX learning
• Reduction in dropout rate in secondary classes
• Improved pass % in Class X Examinations

Uniqueness of the SSPP Approach

• SSPP is a scientific approach that requires
• Developing and finalizing the class IX learning outcomes.
• Identifying the learning needs using pretest of the students based on the pre-requisite learnings for class IX.
• Developing subject specific materials for teachers and students to address the core learning pre- requisites in order to ensure that students are ready for the next level of learning ie. Class IX.
• Since these learning gaps have occurred over a period of 8 years, they cannot be remedied in short period of time. However, this approach helps to focus on the subject specific learning pre-requisites to successfully absorb new learnings in next class.
• Hence, SSPP identifies the gaps impeding future learning and the steps that need to be taken to remove these impediments so that the students are ready for the next level of learning i.e. class IX.

The SSSP Approach

• This SSPP supports the concerned schools/Districts/States to implement the preparedness programme basis their needs and requirements.
• Seven steps have been detailed along with the required participants and the possible scheduling options for the schools/states to take forward.
• It has an in built flexibility to allow teachers to implement at the school level.

Planning Design for SSSP

Suggested seven steps for SSPP

The suggested steps relate to system level implementation and can be applied to the school level implementation plan too.

Step 1 : Identify to use Learning indicators

1. Team composition :
• State level/District level: Team of Teachers, Principals, Pedagogic coordinators, Subject experts ,Quality coordinators, BEOs, KRPS/RPs.
• School level: Concerned Teachers, Principal and resource experts.
2. Modality :
   • State level: State could organize a two day workshop or explore other forms of engagement.
   • School Level: Principal could arrange a meeting of team members once a week till its development or opt to organize a whole 2 day workshop etc.
3. Role/Activity:
• Subject specific groups use NCERT learning indicators to develop state specific core learning pre- requisites for class 9 given the learning outcomes expected for class 9 and state curriculum requirements.
• Participants understand its use in development of the SSPP curriculum.
4. Output : Core learning pre-requisites for class IX identified.

Step 2: Develop context tool and processes to understand student ,school and surrounding environment

1. Team composition
• State level/District level: Team of Teachers, Principals, Subject experts , BEOs, KRPS/RPs, Quality coordinators,, Pedagogic coordinators.
• School level: Concerned Teachers, Principal
2. Modality :
• State level: State could organize a one day workshop or explore other forms of engagement.
• School Level: Principal could arrange a meeting of team members for a day to engage in this initiative.
3. Role/Activity:
• To develop tools to understand the socio–cultural environment of the students, school/s and district and understand their situation better... the context they come from, strengths they have, the difficulties they face.
• In addition it will provide the basis for identifying the nature of the curriculum, content and pedagogy.
• Where possible administer the study at the school level.
4. Output : Tools developed on context study

Step 3 : Develop Diagnostic test to understand the present learning level of students

1. Team composition
• State level/District level: Concerned subject teachers, Principals, Subject experts, BEOs, KRPS/RPs Quality coordinators,, Pedagogic coordinators.
• School level: Concerned Teachers, Principal
2. Modality :
• State level: State could organize a two day workshop or explore other forms of engagement...
• School Level: Principal could arrange a meeting of team members during the weekday to work on this or...
3. Role/Activity:
• Develop diagnostic tools to:
• Understand the present learning levels and hard spots of students
• Define the starting point for the initiation of SSPP package
• The diagnostic test should include:
• 5-6 questions for each class sequentially in a graded manner in terms of increasing levels of difficulty and
• Questions should be of higher order and application based
• Determine parameters for the marking of the responses.
4. Output - Subject wise diagnostic tests developed

Step 4 : Administer Diagnostic test and context study and analyze the findings.

1. Team composition
• State level/District level: Team of Teachers, Principals, Subject experts , Quality coordinators,Pedagogic coordinators ,KRPS/RPs,
• School level: Concerned Teachers, Principal
2. Modality :
• State level: State could organize a two day workshop or explore other forms of engagement . District officials could arrange for the conduct of diagnostic test and context study across the schools.
• School Level: Principal could allot time for the administration of the diagnostic test and conduct the context study. Later a meeting could be arranged with the team members during the weekday to analyze the findings or every weekend for this.
3. Role/Activity:
• Revisit the development of the learning indicators and the diagnostic test.
• Examine the findings of the diagnostic test subject wise and report on the context study.
• Identify the learning gaps and hard spots specific to the class level basis these findings.
• Identify specific topics/concepts that require more focus.
• Utilize the findings for the development of effective resource material and teaching –learning strategies and activities
4. Output - Learning gaps and hard spots of students specific to a class level identified.

Step 5: Development of  Materials and Teaching of Teaching and Learning Strategies for Teachers Trainers and Student.

1. Team composition
• State level/District level: Team of Teachers, Principals, Subject experts ,Quality coordinators, Pedagogic coordinators, BEOs, DEOS .
• School level: Concerned Teachers, Principal and resource experts if available
2. Modality :
• State level: State could organize a four day workshop or explore other forms of engagement with subject experts and teachers/principals.
• School Level: Principal could arrange for a workshop of team members for a during the weekday to work on this or every weekend...
3. Role/Activity:
• Use the analyses of the findings of the diagnostic test and context study to develop appropriate resource material for learners , Teachers and Trainers. This needs to be accompanied with the development of appropriate teaching learning strategies which in turn could stimulate the development of appropriate resource material.
• Through demonstration of model lessons, the pedagogy required for the teaching of a subject can be detailed. Encourage the teachers to demonstrate the same. In addition, the use of peer to peer learning and sharing at the school and cluster level should be encouraged.
• Also, train the Teachers to analyze the findings of the diagnostic tests and to develop appropriate teaching materials and teaching learning strategies and the use of external resources (web links) themselves.
• Develop the plan for intervention in terms of hours and days required to plug the learning gaps of the students in the schools and appropriate monitoring framework for the reviewing the roll out of the programme.
4. Output
• Relevant material developed for teachers, trainers and student
• Teaching learning strategies detailed for the intervention phase.
• Monitoring framework developed

Step 6: Implementation as per the given plan

Requirements

• All the stakeholders are adequately informed in advance and support sought for the roll out of the SSPP in the selected schools.
• Ensure that student learning material and Teacher preparatory material is made available in advance of the implementation.
• Implement SSPP as per the plan developed in workshop 5 ( in terms of number of hours per day and days required for each subject) in the selected schools.
• Teachers use newly developed materials during the contact sessions
• Teachers apply new teaching learning strategies to address the learning gaps of students in the contact time
• Students make use of the self study learning material under the guidance of the teacher.

Step 7 : Monitoring and Support

1. Team Composition:
• State level/District level: Team of Teachers, Principals, DEOs, BEOs, Quality coordinators,, Pedagogic coordinators, planning coordinators
• School level: Concerned Teachers, Principal
2. Modality:
• State level: State could organize a team to monitor the implementation of the SSPP. Later a meeting could be organized with the monitoring team and stakeholders to discuss their feedback.
• School Level: Principal could arrange a meeting of team members for monitoring of this programme. Later a meeting could be organized with the monitoring team and stakeholders to discuss their feedback.
3. Role / Activity:
• Monitor the actual implementation of the SSPP as per the given implementation plan and the monitoring framework developed at the initiation of the preparedness programme.
• Identify additional support needed in terms of additional days with the students, resource requirements and teacher training required.
4. Output - Monitoring report and support needed at the school and state level developed

Evaluation of SSPP

1. Team Composition:
• State level/District level: Team of Teachers, Principals, DEOs, BEOs, Quality coordinators, Pedagogic coordinators, planning coordinators
• School level: Concerned Teachers, Principal and few resource expert
2. Modality
• State level: State could organize a workshop or explore other forms of engagement with all the stakeholders and participants at the earlier meetings of SSPP.
• School Level: Principal could arrange a meeting of team members for a day during the week to work on this .
3. Role / Activity:
• Analyze the findings of the post intervention tests with the pre intervention tests results.
• Examine the difference / increase in overall learning levels with reference to the benchmarks earlier set. (vis-i-vis the core learning pre-requisites for class IX and the learning gaps identified.)
• Refine the Secondary School Preparedness programme, provide the feedback and follow up support needed and lessons learnt for the future.
4. Output : Improved SSSP package developed.

Source : NCERT