Santo Domingo. -The Dominican Institute for Educational Quality Evaluation and Research (IDEICE) analyzed with experts in the Education Area, results of four research framed in the educational changes necessary to continue improving the teaching-learning process in the schools of the Dominican Republic .
During the completion of Seminar “Towards a transformative education: report of the Sismap-Educational Center, PISA test, diagnostic evaluation, extended school day and territorial platform for human development”, the Deputy Minister of Education, Óscar bitter; and the Executive Director of Ideice, Jesús Andújar, referred to conclusions of some of the socialized studies.
On the extended school day, both officials agreed to highlight the benefits of this modality, as well as some of the elements that could be affecting their optimal development.
Dr. Andújar explained that part of the investigation showed a similar level of performance of the extended school day with the traditional model, and proposed alternatives that could translate into significant improvements.
He recommended reorganizing the distribution of the time of the extended day, to continue strengthening the competences, not only in the curricular fields, but, in other aspects that contribute to improving communication, reading and their relationship with art.
While, Doctor Óscar Amargós, Deputy Minister of Supervision and Control of the Quality of Education, of the Ministry of Education (MINERD), explained that the hypothesis with which the extended school day was conceived indicates that the longer the children spend the children in the Schools, a better performance in learning can be expected.
He argued that factors were identified that are causing that said hypothesis of the establishment of the extended day. He pointed out the breach, both of the school calendar, when class hours are reduced; as of the development of the established curriculum.
This development of the curriculum highlighted the official, does not only mean teaching, but also take advantage of the time to include activities, such as reading and workshops to reinforce social skills and civic behavior.
He affirmed that the Ministry of Education reaffirms that the extended school day is very important, and that what must be reviewed is the management of the centers to ensure that the service has the desired impact.
“The purpose of the extended day is double: to improve students’ learning, and at the same time, serve as social protection mechanisms for early childhood, children and adolescents,” he said.
The Seminar “Towards a Transforming Education: Report of the Sismap-Educational Center, Pisa Diagnostic Evaluation, Extended School Day and Territorial Platform of Human Development”, coordinated by the Department of Scientific Dissemination of IDEICE, was carried out in the Library of the Catholic University of the Catholic University Santo Domingo.
In the activity, Dr. Oscar Amargós spoke about Evidence-based educational management: Sismap-educational centers. While, Dr. Edwin Santana, a researcher at IDEICE, developed the topic: academic performance in the school day extended in the Dominican Republic: a comparative analysis from national tests.
To Dr. Elsa Alcántara, a teacher at the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC), it was up to him to talk about the “National Diagnostic Evaluation Third Grade of Primary 2022: Family conditions and relationship with the school”.
Meanwhile, the presentation “Test Pisa 2022: progress and challenges in the education of the Dominican Republic”, was approached by the external researcher Vladimir Pérez.
The senior economist of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Socrates Barinas Guerrero, presented the topic “Territorial Platform for Human Development: Data and metrics to guide public policies in the education sector.
As a complement to the presentations of the aforementioned experts, other specialists intervened in the dialogue giving their respective perspectives of the topics discussed. The Minerd participated: Demetrio Nelson Astacio Méndez, director of the extended school day; and Yanile Valenzuela, General Director of Educational Quality Evaluation. In addition, Omar Amilcar Pérez Veloz, in charge of evaluation of the IDEICE.
