Under the program, implemented since 2000, comprehensive activities have been conducted to improve the quality of Polish education on the basis of the best foreign models. The quality of work of Polish schools, especially those in rural areas and small towns, is improved primarily by improving the teaching techniques.
More than 100,000 teachers have taken advantage of the training opportunities offered within all components of the “LES” Program.
The “LES” Program introduces an original quality assurance system into their daily practice which ultimately increases the skills and autonomy of teaching staff, bolsters the position of the principal as the leader of his school’s transformation process and improves teamwork. All this leads to improved teaching results. It’s a broad program that encompasses teacher on-line training sessions and courses, staff workshops, post-graduate courses and conferences for principals, a systemic program supporting schools in introduction of formative assessment and introducing other innovative educational practices. Schools participating in the program develop organizational solutions that professionalize teaching, monitor the effects of their efforts, and share best practices. The program’s implementation has resulted in quality improvement in key areas of the school’s activities: education (teaching and learning) effectiveness, the school as an learning institution and the school’s cooperation with outside community.
Over 17 years, almost 4,000 schools participated in the program, more than 1,400 of which took part in its core part which is aimed at comprehensive development of the school, among other things thanks to introducing the formative assessment. Also, more than 100,000 teachers have taken advantage of the training opportunities offered within all components of the “LES” Program.
Since 2009 the “On-line Teachers Academy” (OTA) project has been carried out. It is implemented in Poland broad on-line distance training system for teachers of various subjects in different types and levels of schools as well as kindergartens. “OTA” courses make use of e-learning and on-line coaching and among other things, serve to prepare teachers to use modern information technologies in their work with pupils. “OTA” offers seven year-long courses of various types. Since 2016/17 academic year teachers can also choose a training course on “OK Notebook”, the new tool that supports formative assessment. Each year ca. 1,000 teachers takes part in on-line training courses.
The many-year experience gained in the implementation of the “LES” Program was used in various educational initiatives financed from the EU funds, such as the “Students’ Academy” Program, completed in 2015, or the “Digital School”.
The objective of “Students’ Academy” was to promote innovative teaching methods, especially in math and life sciences. The programs were addressed to teachers and students from all over Poland and were participated by more than 20,000 people.
Since the beginning of 2017/18 school year, “LES” has been implemented in new situation resulting from broad changes introduced in Polish educational system. Consequently, a part of the program activities had to be adjusted to the new situation.
Based on “LES” experiences, in 2018, the “Learning School Academy of Education Leaders” (LES AEL) was launched as part of post-graduate studies for leaders of education run since 2007. “LES AEL” are post-graduate studies for 1,000 school and kindergarten principals or vice principals and subject team leaders from Mazowieckie and Świętokrzyskie provinces aimed at improvement of educational institution managers’ qualifications in development of students’ key skills. The studies are run in cooperation with Collegium Civitas and Maria Grzegorzewska University-Academy of Special Education, and co-financed from EU funds.
PAFF is a partner of the “School with Class 2.0” initiative, promoting innovative educational solutions based on information and communication technologies and design thinking method. It expands on the “School with Class” project, launched in 2002 and inspired by the “LES” Program. It was conducted by the Center for Citizenship Education Foundation (currently by the School with Class Foundation) in cooperation with the “Gazeta Wyborcza” daily newspaper. By the end of 2017, more than 9,000 schools from all over Poland and over 150,000 teachers participated in it. Its extensions were such initiatives as the “Teacher with Class”, “Lego, Cogito, Ago”, the “Student with Class” and the “School of Thinking”. In 2014, the “First Class Teacher” project was launched that offers training, expert support and inspiration for early childhood education teachers.
The Foundation has disbursed $11,245,594, including $765,779 for the current edition of the program.
