Philippines Education Note JUNE 2016 | NO. 3 Developing a Proficient and Motivated Teacher Workforce in the Philippines Introduction Over the last decade, research from many different countries has demonstrated the important role played by teachers in increasing students’ learning and improving their academic performance.1 Studies from countries as different as the US and Indonesia have shown the enormous benefits that follow from having adequate and effective teachers working in a country’s schools. In Indonesia, a value-added analysis of student learning outcomes found that the more teachers know, the greater the improvements in the learning competencies of primary and junior secondary students.2 In the US, better teaching in elementary and secondary schools has been shown to increase students’ college participation rates, raise their subsequent earnings, and improve other long-term outcomes.3 Providing teachers with good quality professional development opportunities has been shown to be an effective way of increasing their competencies and improving student learning outcomes in many different settings. A series of systematic reviews have been undertaken recently to assess the impact of different interventions on student learning outcomes in developing countries.4 One of the most consistent findings from these reviews has been the positive and significant impact that interventions to strengthen This note is part of a series outlining analysis and teaching practice, introduce innovative instructional results from the Philippines Public Expenditure methods, and strengthen teachers’ subject knowledge Tracking and Quantitative Service Delivery Study can have on student learning. However, in many conducted by the Department of Education and countries, such professional development opportunities the World Bank with the support of the Australian frequently fail to meet even minimum levels of quality Government through the Australia-World Bank and fall short of what teachers want and need. Philippines Development Trust Fund. WWW.WORLDBANK.ORG/PH 1 Developing a Proficient and Motivated Teacher Workforce in the Philippines Box 1: The Philippines Public Education Expenditure Tracking and Quantitative Service Delivery Study The aim of the Philippines Public Education Expenditure and Quantitative Service Delivery Study has been to answer four main questions on the use of the public education budget: 1. Resource flow, management, and control. What factors prevent resources from reaching their intended destination in a timely and transparent manner? 2. Existence, use, and financing of inputs at the school level. Do schools have access to essential inputs and how effective are the systems that govern their use? 3. Equity. How do the resources available to schools and the systems that manage these resources differ among regions and socioeconomic groups? 4. School performance and resources. How and why does the performance of schools differ and what drives those differences? The study has tracked over 80 percent of the national government education budget (including teacher salaries and training, school maintenance and operating expenses, construction, and learning materials) as well as local government spending on basic education. In order to assess how funds flow and how they are used at the school level, the study team conducted a nationally representative survey of government institutions and public schools in the last quarter of 2014. The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was excluded from the study because government funds for this region are managed separately and flow to schools through a different mechanism. In addition, integrated schools (which offer both elementary and high school education) and schools that did not have final grade elementary and high school students were excluded from the sample, primarily because the study aimed to measure outcomes at the end of elementary school and at the end of high school. The sample for the survey included all regional offices of the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), 51 division and 113 district offices of DepEd, 54 district engineering offices of the Department of Public Works and Highways, 74 provincial and city/municipality local governments, 249 public elementary schools, and 200 public high schools. At the school level, interviewers administered a questionnaire to each parent-teacher association, assessed the competencies of approximately 1,500 teachers, and interviewed 2,200 student households. The data collected were used to explore the systems that govern the use of public funds and to assess how the availability of resources differed among schools. The study team combined information on the flow of funds to schools with information on school characteristics and quality to evaluate how financing and governance affected school performance. These reviews also highlight the importance of teachers’ systems deliver the training opportunities that teachers need motivation in determining their effectiveness and ultimately to be effective.5 The findings reported in the note are based in improving the learning outcomes of their students. on a comprehensive survey of the public education system They found some evidence that introducing financial that tracked public education expenditures and assessed the incentives for teachers based on individual teacher or school quality of education services (see Box 1). performance can increase the amount that students learn. The note shows that elementary and high school teachers’ The purpose of this policy note is to provide an overall subject knowledge is weak and a major constraint to picture of teacher competencies in the Philippines and to improving student performance. While public spending on assess whether the country’s professional development professional development activities has been increasing, 2 WWW.WORLDBANK.ORG/PH these findings highlight the need to significantly These assessments have been used by the PETS-QSDS study expand in-service training opportunities and tailor them to provide evidence on levels of teacher competency in more closely to teachers’ needs. Moreover, systems for public elementary and high schools. professional development, teacher performance monitoring and incentives need to be aligned to improve teacher According to the results of the PETS-QSDS exercise outlined competencies and motivation. in Box 2, knowledge of subject matter among elementary and high school teachers is low in most subjects. With the The Quality of Elementary exception of English at the elementary school level, the average elementary or high school teacher could answer and High School Teachers fewer than half of the questions on the subject content tests correctly (Figure 1). For example, the median mathematics The competency of teachers both in terms of their teacher in high school was able to answer only 31 percent subject matter knowledge and instructional methods has of the questions completely correctly. Since these tests are been shown to be an important determinant of student closely aligned with the curriculum, the results suggest learning outcomes in the Philippines.6 However, getting an that teachers face significant challenges in teaching a accurate measurement of the competencies of teachers is considerable portion of the current K to 12 curriculum. In challenging. The Department of Education (DepEd) along other words, the findings point to the need for significant with experts at the Philippines Normal University (PNU) and improvements in teachers’ skills and subject knowledge if their partner university in Australia have developed a set they are to have a full command of the curriculum and to of teacher competency assessments for the new K to 12 provide effective instruction in the classroom. curriculum (Box 2). All the assessments have gone through a rigorous design and validation process to ensure that they To explore why so many teachers were unable to answer accurately measure a teacher’s knowledge of the subjects the assessment questions correctly, the PETS-QSDS study required to teach in elementary and high schools. In addition used a partial credit model to look more closely into the to subject content tests, the PNU also designed a shorter incorrect answers that teachers gave. For example, teachers version of DepEd’s Teacher Strengths and Needs Assessment were given a choice of four possible answers to each (TSNA). This self-assessment tool gives a picture of a teacher’s multiple choice question, and the three incorrect choices pedagogical competence according to DepEd’s own reflected different levels of understanding on the part of the National Competency Based Teacher Standards (NCBTS). respondents (Box 2). Teachers’ Performance on Content Knowledge Assessments Was Poor Figure 1:  Percentage of questions answered correctly by the median teacher (binary scoring method), 2014 Grade 6 elementary school teachers Grade 10 high school teachers 80% 80% 60% 60% 40% 40% 20% 20% 0% 0% English Math Filipino Science English Math Filipino Science Source: PETS-QSDS teacher content knowledge assessments. PHILIPPINES EDUCATION NOTE 3 Developing a Proficient and Motivated Teacher Workforce in the Philippines Box 2: PETS-QSDS Approach to Assessing Teachers As part of the PETS-QSDS study, a nationally representative sample of 377 Grade 6 (elementary) teachers and 946 Grade 10 (high school) teachers took two assessments: 1. A subject-based content assessment for measuring teachers’ knowledge of the content of the K to 12 curriculum in English, Filipino, Mathematics, and Science. The assessments consisted of multiple choice and open-ended questions. Grade 6 teachers were randomly assigned to complete one subject assessment, whereas Grade 10 teachers completed the test in the subject that they taught. 2. A short form of the Philippine government’s Teacher Strengths and Needs Assessment (TSNA) based on the National Competency Based Teacher Standards (NCBTS). The TSNA assesses a teachers’ own perceptions of their pedagogical competence in the seven NCBTS domains: (i) social regard for learning; (ii) learning environment; (iii) diversity of learners; (iv) curriculum; (v) planning, assessing, and reporting; (vi) community links; and (vii) personal growth and development. Teachers were asked to rate their own level on a four-point scale from low to high on a set of statements related to the seven domains. The content tests were drawn from larger assessments used by the Research Center for Teacher Quality (RCTQ) at the Philippines Normal University. The results of the PETS-QSDS tests are consistent with findings from a larger regionally representative study conducted by the RCTQ. Two scoring rubrics were used for the content tests: 1. Binary credit - questions were marked either correct or incorrect. 2. Partial credit - each question was scored on a four-category scale, with 1 being “incorrect,” 2 being “displays some understanding, skill, and knowledge,” 3 being “displays a higher level of understanding, skill, and knowledge,” and 4 being “completely correct.” Responses coded 1, 2 or 3 on the partial credit scale were recorded as 0 on the binary scale and those coded as 4 on the partial credit scale were recoded to 1 on the binary credit scale. In the case of the multiple choice items, the choices provided represented different levels of the teacher’s understanding of the competency being tested. For open-ended questions, the graders marking the tests interpreted written responses according to the four-point scale. The binary credit scores provided a clear picture of whether teachers displayed a thorough understanding of the competencies included in the curriculum. The partial credit scale, on the other hand, provided a more detailed assessment of how far teachers were from a complete understanding of the underlying competencies and from having the necessary knowledge to teach effectively. Given the assessment categories used by teachers to assess their own competencies, the TSNA was scored using a rubric similar to the partial credit scale. To account for differences in the difficulty of test items, a one-parameter Rasch model was used for both the subject content tests and the TSNA to transform the raw test scores into scores (logits) that ranked teachers according to their underlying ability. Full details of the instruments used and the methods for analyzing the data are available in RCTQ and SiMERR, (2015) “PETS-QSDS final report”. The results of the partial credit scoring model showed that in most cases, teachers do have some understanding, skill, many teachers had some understanding of the subject area and knowledge in all curriculum areas but not necessarily but lacked the higher order problem-solving skills necessary enough to answer all of the question correctly. For example, to teach the curriculum effectively. The model showed that, the scoring for a relatively difficult test question showed that, 4 WWW.WORLDBANK.ORG/PH while only 20 percent of high school science teachers got was collected in the survey, it was possible to rank student the question completely correct, another 64 percent chose households by estimated levels of per capita household an answer that demonstrated some useful knowledge in the consumption.8 Using this indicator, it was possible to look curriculum area covered by the question (Figure 2). These at differences in the performance of teachers who were more detailed results can inform efforts by DepEd to develop teaching different kinds of students. The key finding was professional development activities that are more closely that, in high school, poorer students tended to be taught aligned with the existing knowledge and abilities of the by less competent teachers except in English.9 At the country’s teachers. elementary level, no clear pattern emerged although poorer students tended to be taught by teachers that performed The study team performed a simple regression analysis to better on the Filipino test. explore associations between teachers’ scores on the subject knowledge assessment and their characteristics.7 Overall, Teachers themselves generally assess their levels of skills as they found that teachers’ performance was not associated satisfactory. A shorter version of the TSNA self-assessment with their levels of education or experience. For example, was given to the same teachers who completed the subject the scores of teachers who had obtained a postgraduate matter tests. These teachers were asked to rate their own qualification did not differ from those of teachers with skill level in seven domains that included social regard for only a bachelors’ degree in a statistically significant way. learning (including punctuality and the use of information Although newly hired teachers tended to do less well than from a variety of sources for learning), the learning existing teachers in most of the subject-specific tests, these environment (maintaining a safe and conducive learning differences were not statistically significant either. environment and setting high expectations for learners), and the curriculum (demonstrating a mastery of the subject The better-performing high school teachers tended to teach and communicating learning goals).10 The teachers were in schools that serve better-off students. The PETS-QSDS given a set of statements related to each domain and were survey included a nationally representative sample of public asked to rate themselves on a scale of 0 (low) to 3 (high). On elementary and high school student households. Using average, teachers rated themselves above 2 (satisfactory) on information on consumption and asset ownership that all domains. Moreover, there were no significant differences Despite their Overall Poor Performance, Teachers Have Some Relevant Skills and Knowledge Upon Figure 2:  Which to Build Percentage of Grade 10 science teachers by their responses to easy and hard test questions, 2014 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Completely Some Greater Completely Completely Some Greater Completely incorrect knowledge knowledge correct incorrect knowledge knowledge correct Relatively easy Relatively hard Source: Results of the PETS-QSDS Grade 10 teacher content knowledge assessment. Note: The easy question is in the lowest quartile of Rasch model scores while the hard question is in the highest quartile of difficulty. PHILIPPINES EDUCATION NOTE 5 Developing a Proficient and Motivated Teacher Workforce in the Philippines in the self-reported levels of strengths and weaknesses very highly (Figure 3). Competencies in this area include between teachers in elementary schools and those in high demonstrated mastery of the subject area and the schools. appropriateness of the teaching methods used for different learning activities. Teachers rated their competency in this The teachers generally felt that they were weakest in the area higher than on any of the other competencies in the planning and the learning environment domains. The study national standards. These results are in stark contrast with the team developed a common scale that accounted for the same teachers’ results on the objective subject matter tests difficulties involved in obtaining the various competencies (Figure 1). This mistaken perception of their own skills on measured by the statements in the assessment. This made it the part of teachers highlights the difficulty they are likely to possible to compare the relative strengths and weaknesses have in assessing their students’ performance as well. of teachers (Figure 3) and revealed that both elementary and high school teachers tended to rate their competencies in The results of the PETS-QSDS assessments suggest that self- planning as the weakest. This domain includes competencies assessments of teachers’ strengths and weaknesses may not associated with instructional planning, the use of different be a good basis on which to plan professional development assessment strategies to evaluate students’ learning, and activities. Simple correlation coefficients among the providing feedback to learners. The teachers also felt that elementary school teachers who took these tests showed they were weak in the competencies associated with the a weak relationship between the teachers’ self-assessment learning environment such as communicating high learning ratings and the subject-matter test scores. In most cases, expectations and the ability to deal with students’ behavioral these correlations were not statistically significant. There was issues. more variation in the picture for high school teachers. The self-assessment ratings for Filipino and Mathematics teachers Despite having had relatively low scores in the subject were generally positively correlated with their subject matter tests, teachers rated their competencies in the matter test scores, and these associations were statistically curriculum domain, including subject-matter knowledge, significant. However, similar correlations for English and Teachers Assess Their Weakest Skills as Those Associated with the Learning Environment and Planning Figure 3:  and Assessment Average self-assessment scores on national competency-based standards, 2014 4 3 2 1 0 Grade 6 teachers Grade 10 teachers Social regard for learning Learning environment Diversity of learners Curriculum Planning, assessing, and reporting Community links Source: Results of the PETS-QSDS Grade 6 and 10 teacher strengths and needs assessment. Note: The mean of the Rasch scores has been shifted by five units to report positive averages to aid interpretation. Higher scores are related to higher self- assessed skill levels in the particular domain. 6 WWW.WORLDBANK.ORG/PH Most Teachers Receive Some In-service Training but Only for Short Periods Figure 4:  Percentage of teachers receiving in-service training and duration of all training received, 2013 Participation, % teachers Duration, days 90% 10 8 6 80% 4 2 70% 0 Kindergarten Elementary: High School: Kindergarten Elementary: High School: Grade 6 Grade 10 Grade 6 Grade 10 Source: PETS-QSDS national survey – teacher-level data. Science teachers were generally not statistically significant. service training received by sampled teachers in 2013 and In all cases, the strength of the association was relatively 2014. The data revealed that more than three-quarters of weak, which casts doubt on the usefulness of existing self- all basic education teachers had received some in-service assessment tools to plan teachers’ in-service training. training (Figure 4). More high school teachers had received in-service training than elementary or kindergarten teachers. Supporting Teachers in The team compared these rates with the rates of professional development activities for teachers in 34 OECD countries School through Professional collected in the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS).12 On average, 89 percent of public school lower Development secondary teachers in these countries participated in professional development activities in 2013. Participation High quality and regular professional development rates in the Philippines were comparable although they were opportunities are needed to address the weaknesses in the higher in Malaysia, an East Asian country with similar levels of competencies of the existing teacher workforce. Studies student learning as the Philippines. from both developing and developed countries have shown that, when well-designed, in-service teacher training While the majority of teachers in the Philippines received can increase teacher’s content knowledge, improve their some professional development training, it was less than methods of instruction, and ultimately improve student in most other countries. In 2013, the average Grade 10 high learning outcomes.11 This section looks at in-service teacher school teacher received approximately five days of in-service training in the Philippines and assesses the systems that plan training. The PETS-QSDS survey was conducted at the end and finance these opportunities. of 2014, which was approximately two-thirds of the way through the school year, and there were signs that the length Incidence and Intensity of Training of in-service training had increased over the 2013 level. For example, Grade 10 high school teachers had already The percentage of teachers in the Philippines who receive received seven days of in-service training by the time of the some annual in-service training is high even when survey. However, even this level is relatively low. The average compared to levels in high-income developed economies. lower secondary teacher in the OECD TALIS study received The PETS-QSDS survey collected detailed data on the in- approximately eight days of professional development a PHILIPPINES EDUCATION NOTE 7 Developing a Proficient and Motivated Teacher Workforce in the Philippines year.13 Given the higher levels of teacher competency in they had received, but a significant proportion felt that they OECD countries, it might be expected that the duration of needed more. Elementary and high school teachers ranked in-service training in the Philippines should be longer. over 80 percent of the training that they received in 2013 as extremely useful.14 However, approximately 40 percent The most common kind of training received by elementary of teachers interviewed said that they needed more and and high school teachers in the Philippines was in subject better quality in-service training to improve their classroom content. Approximately, 40 percent of elementary and 30 teaching (Figure 5). percent of high school teachers reported attending some subject-based training during the 2013 school year. Training Systems at the school level to support teachers and identify in methods of instruction and teaching was also relatively their professional development needs do not seem to common with around 12 percent of elementary and high be working well. Each teacher is expected to complete school teachers attending this kind of training in 2013. an Individual Plan for Professional Development (IPPD) to outline their professional development needs. In preparing The training usually took place in schools and was these plans, teachers are expected to use a toolkit prepared frequently conducted by school principals. About a half by DepEd which utilizes a teacher’s own strengths and of all elementary teacher training and two-thirds of high needs assessment using the TSNA. School principals are school teacher training conducted in 2013/14 took place in then expected to aggregate the needs of individual teachers schools. DepEd division offices were also commonly used into a School Plan for Professional Development (SPPD) and to conduct training, while DepEd district-level offices were to submit it to the DepEd division office, which prepares a frequently used for training for elementary school teachers. division-level master plan for professional development. Just over half of all training sessions for elementary school teachers and 39 percent of sessions for high school teachers In the PETS-QSDS team’s interviews with teachers, it became were conducted by DepEd division, region, or central-level clear that a significant proportion of teachers and schools staff. School principals were also involved, conducting 32 had not developed professional development plans. For percent of all training for elementary school teachers and 44 example, a quarter of high school teachers had never percent of training for high school teachers. Outside experts prepared an individual professional development plan were used sparingly, accounting for less than 15 percent of (Figure 6). Even the plans that had been prepared were over training sessions. a year old on average for both elementary and high school teachers.15 School plans were even less common, with a Teachers were generally positive about the training that A Large Proportion of Teachers Felt They Needed More In-service Training Opportunities Figure 5:  Percentage of Grade 10 high school teachers by the type of additional support that they most need to improve their classroom teaching, 2014 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% More and better teaching materials More and better in-service training More and better physical facilities More support from principal Smaller class sizes More support from division supervisors More support from district supervisor Change to class routine 8 WWW.WORLDBANK.ORG/PH The Implementation of Systems to Identify Professional Development Needs is Weak Figure 6:  Percentage of school staff completing professional development plans and the time since one was completed Completing plan Average duration since last completed (months) 100% 20 75% 15 50% 10 25% 5 0% 0 Teacher plan School plan Teacher plan School plan Elementary High School Elementary High School Source: PETS-QSDS national survey – teacher-level and school/principal data. Notes: Information on teacher plans taken from interviews with Grade 6 (elementary) and Grade 10 (high school) teachers. quarter of elementary school principals and nearly one-third Support from school principals for teachers’ professional of all high school principals reporting that they had never development also tended to vary considerably among prepared one. While the teachers and school principals that elementary and high schools. Only two-thirds of Grade 10 had completed plans agreed that their training was related teachers in high schools reported that the school principal to the goals set out in their plans, the PETS-QSDS training had spent a full period in their classroom over the course data show that the type and duration of training was more of the whole 2013 school year. (The equivalent figure or less the same for those teachers who had filled out an for Grade 6 elementary teachers was much higher at 82 IPPD and those who had not. percent.) When principals did observe classroom teaching, most of them gave written comments to the teacher, Other mechanisms to link teacher training to need also did mostly focused on the teaching method used. Only not appear to differentiate training between teachers with around a quarter of comments concerned the teacher’s different needs. The length and type of training that teachers knowledge of the subject content even though the PETS- received did not vary significantly by their characteristics such QSDS assessments indicated that teachers have major as levels of experience or qualifications. Moreover, the number weaknesses in this area.16 of days of training received by teachers did not differ in line with their performance in the assessments administered as Funding In-service Teacher Training part of the PETS-QSDS survey. This concurs with other findings that have shown that most teacher training in the Philippines In an effort to provide more and better in-service teacher is based on a mass training model that provides all teachers training, DepEd has begun to increase the budget with very similar training. Only 17 percent of school division allocation for human resource training and development superintendents (SDSs) said that division offices based their (Figure 7). Human resource training and development decisions about teacher training on the actual needs of (HRTD) funds are the main professional development teachers within the division. The majority of SDSs said that resources provided by DepEd. Most HRTD funds are spent most division-level teacher decisions about training were on in-service training for teachers, but they are also used to based on the SDS’s own assessment of needs or on directives provide training for non-teaching personnel. After having from DepEd’s central office. risen gradually since 2005, the budget for all in-service training nearly doubled to PHP 1.9 billion in 2014 to allow PHILIPPINES EDUCATION NOTE 9 Developing a Proficient and Motivated Teacher Workforce in the Philippines The Budget for In-service Training Has Increased Recently but Utilization Rates Are Frequently Low Figure 7:  Appropriations, allotments, obligations, and utilization rates for HRTD funds (PHP billions in 2014 constant prices), 2005–2014 Appropriations Allotments and obligations 2.0 2.5 57% 2.0 1.5 43% 43% 72% 1.5 34% 81% 1.0 57% 40% 1.0 30% 0.5 0.5 92% 0 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Allotments Obligations Source: Appropriations - Department of Budget and Management. All other data - DepEd Statement of Appropriations and Obligations, various years. Note: Allotments/obligations for a given year include current, continuing, and extended allotments/obligations. The utilization rate is indicated by the percentage figures in the graph and show the proportion of allotments obligated in a given year. for more in-service training related to the new K to 12 different professional development needs of teachers in curriculum. While all these funds are not solely for the use each region. of in-service teacher training they represent approximately PHP 3,000 (US$70) for every public basic education teacher. The PETS-QSDS survey also tracked the flow of HRTD funds and found that a relatively small share is downloaded to However, the utilization of these funds fluctuates DepEd division offices. In 2014, about half of all HRTD funds considerably. HRTD funds are managed by DepED’s were allocated for training activities provided at DepEd’s central office, and a portion are downloaded or central office. The remainder of the HRTD funds was split transferred to DepEd’s regional offices and onward to relatively equally between DepEd’s regional offices and division offices for training activities.17 This process of division offices. Given that division offices and their staff downloading has often been delayed, which has resulted have the most contact with schools and are thus most likely in relatively low utilization rates. For example, between to know their in-service training needs, it is surprising that a 2005 and 2014, the average utilization rate for HRTD larger share of HRTD funds is not downloaded to divisions. funds was only 55 percent (Figure 7). Even in 2014 after the significant increase in the HRTD appropriation, only On the whole, the tracking exercise also found that all HRTD 57 percent of the budget was used because of delays in funds that DepEd central office downloaded to regional downloading these funds. offices were received in full. The specific amounts released by DepEd central office closely matched the amounts The PETS-QSDS data revealed that DepEd’s allocations of that the regional offices reported receiving. However, two HRTD funds to each region are positively correlated with regional offices did not report having received any funds the number of public school teachers in each region. even though records in the central office showed that Regions with a larger number of teachers received a larger funds had been transferred to them. This is more likely to HRTD allocation. However, it was not possible to assess be due to poor record keeping in DepEd regional offices whether HRTD funds were also allocated according to the than to be a leakage of funds. 10 WWW.WORLDBANK.ORG/PH The share of HRTD funds downloaded from DepEd’s regional Significant delays in the allotment process account for the offices to division offices varies enormously (Figure 8). In relatively low utilization rate of HRTD funds. Fewer than total, around 58 percent of the regional HRTD funds that 15 percent of regional offices had received their HRTD are received by DepEd regional offices are downloaded to allotment from DepEd’s central office by the end of the DepEd division offices. However, the proportion of funds first quarter of 2013 (Figure 9). However, by the end of the that regional offices retain varies enormously. Some regions second quarter, all regional offices had already received their retain all of their HRTD funding and do not download any allotments and most had downloaded funds to at least some funding for division offices, while other regions download of their division offices. However, 19 percent of the divisions all of their HRTD funds and the responsibility for their use to that received HRTD funds received their allotment a year division offices. after the regional office first received its transfer of funds from DepEd’s central office. Little information is available on how DepEd’s regional offices used their retained HRTD funds. The regional offices These delays can happen because the regional offices of the retained approximately 42 percent of all of the HRTD funds Department of Budget Management (DBM) are required to that they received from DepEd central office rather than carefully check the funds requested by DepEd’s central and downloading them to division offices. DepEd expects regional offices on the Sub-Allotment Release Orders (SARO). regional offices to use these funds to organize mass Further delays occur because of the late release of cash teacher training on, for example, the introduction of the allocations. One-fifth of the DepEd division offices that had new K to 12 curriculum. DepEd’s guidelines governing the received their HRTD allotments for 2013 at the time of the use of these funds require regional offices to keep detailed PETS-QSDS survey had not received the associated release of records on who has been trained and the kind of training funds (notice of cash allocations) needed to use or obligate provided. However, when the PETS-QSDS study team the funds. The difficulties in using the allotted funds are visited all regional offices to collect this information, no particularly concerning given the clear need for in-service such information was available. This lack of records greatly training that was highlighted by the PETS-QSDS teacher reduces the transparency of the use of these funds. content knowledge assessments. The Share of Regional HRTD Funds Transferred to Division Offices Varies Enormously Figure 8:  Amounts of HRTD funds received by DepEd regional offices and transferred to DepEd division offices, 2013 Received by DepEd regional o ces (PHP millions) Share downloaded to division o ces 80 100% 60 75% 40 50% 20 25% 0 0% Region 4 Region 6 Region 3 Region 7 Region 5 NCR Region 8 CARAGA CAR Region 1 Region 2 Region 4B Region 12 Region 11 Region 3 Region 8 Region 4B NCR Region 6 Region 5 Region 4 CARAGA CAR Region 7 Region 1 Region 2 Region 12 Region 11 Source: PETS-QSDS national survey – DepEd regional office level. Note: The information on the HRTD funds received by Region 7 from the central office is taken from the central office database because some information was missing from the regional questionnaire. Only regions reporting receipt of HRTD funds are included. PHILIPPINES EDUCATION NOTE 11 Developing a Proficient and Motivated Teacher Workforce in the Philippines A Significant Number of Division Offices Receive HRTD Funds Very Late in the Financial Year Figure 9:  Percentage of division offices receiving 2013 HRTD funds by the quarter during which it was received 100% 80% 60% 40% % of regional o ces receiving allotment from central o ce % of regional o ces that released allotment to division o ces 20% % of division o ces that received allotment from regional o ce 0% 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 2013 2014 Source: PETS-QSDS national survey – DepEd region and division office levels. Note: Only those sampled divisions that reported receiving HRTD funds are included. Teacher Remuneration Cross-country comparisons indicate that teachers in the Philippines are relatively well paid but their salary scale is The level and timeliness of salary payments can be an more compressed. Comparable information on other East important factor in motivating teachers, which in turn can Asian countries shows that the starting salary of teachers in affect levels of student learning. The PETS-QSDS study did the Philippines is relatively high. For example, the average not formally track teachers’ salaries but did ask a nationally earnings of a newly hired elementary school teacher in representative sample of teachers some questions about the Philippines is equivalent to 150 percent of per capita the adequacy of their salary payments and whether they GDP compared with only around 50 percent in Indonesia, received their salaries on time and in full. Malaysia, and Thailand (Figure 10). However, earnings do Teacher Salaries Tend to be Higher in the Philippines than in Other Countries in the Region Figure 10:  Elementary school teacher salaries as a percentage of per capita GDP, 2010 300% 200% 100% 0% Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Sri Lanka Japan Republic of Korea Philippines Starting salary Salary after 15 years of teaching Salary at top of scale Source: UNESCO (2012). “Global Education Digest,” UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Montreal. 12 WWW.WORLDBANK.ORG/PH not increase very quickly after teachers are hired. After 15 Most teachers also reported that they had been paid years, salaries increase by only 15 percent in the Philippines, correctly and were not owed any salary payments. Only which is low compared to other countries. These relatively around 11 percent of elementary and high school teachers small salary increases over the course of a teacher’s career reported that they were owed salary payments from the are unlikely to motivate them significantly. The PETS-QSDS government. However, the length of the delay was much study found that high school teachers with a post-graduate longer for elementary school teachers than for high school degree felt that their remuneration was not adequate. teachers. Elementary school teachers had to wait an average Moreover, about one-fifth of teachers reported that they had of six months for their salary payments compared with a to have other jobs or sources of income to supplement their four-month wait for high school teachers. earnings from teaching. However, teachers also receive a bonus based on their Policy Directions for school’s ranking on a set of performance-based indicators including how well the school’s students score on the Strengthening Systems National Achievement Test. Teachers’ performance-based to Support Teacher bonuses in 2015 ranged from PHP 5,000 to PHP 35,000, which was equivalent to between 1 and 9 percent of a Development teacher’s average annual salary.18 This note has shown that teacher competencies are Teachers’ motivation can also be affected by the timeliness weak and that systems to support teacher development of their salary payments. The PETS-QSDS study found that, are inadequate. While some of the gaps in teacher while the majority of teachers were paid on time, 40 to 50 competencies are partly due to weaknesses in pre-service percent of newly hired kindergarten and elementary school teacher training and induction, more efforts need to be teachers received their salaries late (Figure 11). made to increase the support available to teachers who are already teaching in schools. Some Teachers Experienced Delays in Figure 11:  A first step would be to raise levels of funding to increase Receiving their Salaries and Others both the duration and quality of in-service training for Were Still Owed Back Payments basic education teachers. As this note has shown, a Percentage of teachers whose salary payments significant proportion of HRTD funds are used for training were late, 2014 that is organized at the regional level and above. Previous 60% studies have found that the most successful professional development models are provided within schools or at the local level. They also provide opportunities for teachers to collaborate and support each other in implementing new 40% knowledge and techniques at the school level.19 Providing divisions and schools with a larger share of 20% professional development funding would make training more relevant and thus result in more substantial improvements in teachers’ competencies. DepEd could revise its guidelines on the use of HRTD funds to require 0% DepEd’s regional offices to download a larger proportion of Kindergarten Grade 6 Grade 10 these funds to divisions and schools. Currently the DepEd All teachers Newly hired teachers guidelines encourage the provision of mass training at the regional level, which makes the training too remote from the Source: PETS-QSDS data from DepEd teacher questionnaires for sampled teachers, 2014. actual needs of teachers at the school level. If more funds PHILIPPINES EDUCATION NOTE 13 Developing a Proficient and Motivated Teacher Workforce in the Philippines are provided to DepEd’s division offices and schools, it will This note has also shown that the monitoring of the use of also be vital to improve the timeliness of fund release to give HRTD funds has been weak and needs to improve if these the recipients time to properly plan and implement their resources are to be used more effectively. Information on professional development activities. who is being trained and the type of training being provided is often unavailable. This makes it impossible to monitor how DepEd is currently establishing “school learning action cells” the funds are being used and whether teachers’ professional in elementary schools to strengthen early grade learning development needs are being met. Developing simple outcomes. These cells, or groups, of kindergarten to grade reporting formats for DepEd’s regional and division offices to 3 teachers meet regularly and provide opportunities for record how they use HRTD funds would greatly facilitate the members to learn from each other and to collaborate on monitoring and evaluation of in-service training provision by strategies to improve teaching and learning. These school DepEd. learning action cells have the potential to increase the quantity and improve the quality of in-service training The existing system for identifying and planning professional opportunities for teachers. However, it is vital that these cells development activities needs to be strengthened. This note are monitored and evaluated closely by DepEd to ensure has shown that the TSNA may not be adequate for identifying that their potential is fully realized. teachers’ professional development needs. Developing a Box 3: Indonesia’s Integrated Framework for Teacher Accountability The Ministry of Education in Indonesia is starting to implement its integrated Teacher Professional Management System (TPMS). The system consists of three main elements: • Competency Testing. Teachers are expected to undergo a competency assessment to identify their strengths and weaknesses. The competency test is focused on teachers’ subject knowledge, which has been shown to be strongly related to student learning outcomes. Performance on the competency test is expected to be used as one of the key criteria for teachers’ career advancement. • Performance Appraisal. A school-based scheme has been piloted that links the outcomes of teachers’ annual performance appraisal to increments in the salary scale in order to give them an incentive to improve their performance. • Continuous Professional Development. This component covers a number of different aspects of in-service teacher training including the induction of teachers into schools, mentoring, and the activities of local teacher working groups. The aim of the TPMS is to link these three components together and make teachers more accountable for both their work performance through the annual appraisal and for taking advantage of in-service training opportunities. By scoring well on their appraisals and by participating in training, teachers can earn credit points that are ultimately linked to salary increases and promotion. While the TPMS is not yet being fully implemented, it represents a major development in terms of the provision of incentives and is expected to increase the motivation of teachers to improve how they teach. Integrating continuous professional development into the TPMS framework has also provided the government with the information necessary to target teachers’ professional development activities better. It is expected that the TPMS will sustain the momentum towards improving the quality of teachers in Indonesia and will establish a quality assurance mechanism that will ensure higher education standards well into the future. Sources: Ragatz, A. (2015). “Teacher Quality and Management. Background Study for the Preparation of the Education Chapter of the National Development Plan, 2015–2019.” Jakarta, Ministry of Planning, Republic of Indonesia., and Chang, M.C., S. Shaeffer, S. Al-Samarrai, A. Ragatz, J. de Ree, and R. Stevenson (2013). “Teacher Reform in Indonesia: The Role of Politics and Evidence in Policy Making.” Directions in Development. World Bank, Washington, D.C. 14 WWW.WORLDBANK.ORG/PH diagnostic teacher competency assessment to better opportunities. For example, individual and school plans for identify teachers’ in-service training needs could support professional development and their implementation could improvements in this area. Moreover, neither teachers nor be used more specifically in decisions over promotion or in schools seem to be routinely preparing their professional determining performance bonuses (see Box 3). development plans, and these plans do not seem closely related to the in-service training opportunities currently Increasing the number and effectiveness of teachers has being provided. Greater efforts need to be made to ensure been a central component of efforts in the Philippines that teachers and schools use these plans to help division to raise the quality of basic education. While significant offices to plan in-service training opportunities better. improvements have been made in terms of the number and distribution of teachers, there is an urgent need to provide Stronger links between teacher performance appraisals, greater support to teachers to improve their competencies professional development opportunities and career and effectiveness in the classroom. Only then will efforts to development for teachers may create stronger incentives provide adequate teachers to all schools translate into better for teachers, school principals and administrators to utilize quality and improved learning outcomes. these systems and strengthen professional development Table 1: Strengthening Teacher Support Systems Findings Policy suggestions Teacher subject knowledge • Strengthen pre-service and in-service training opportunities for all teachers (see below) is generally low Professional development • Increase funding and opportunities for effective professional development for teachers opportunities are limited and delivery mechanisms are • Provide a greater share of this funding to division offices and schools to enable them to weak organize professional development activities • Transfer HRTD funds in a more timely manner • Increase the transparency of HRTD funds through improved reporting by DepEd region and division offices and increase central office monitoring of fund use Systems to identify teachers’ • Revaluate existing teacher strength and needs assessments and teacher professional professional development development planning needs are weak • Develop diagnostic teacher competency tests to identify teachers’ in-service training needs • Develop content for professional development activities that will address existing weaknesses • Evaluate and scale up the use of school learning action cells as the main venue for in- service training A greater need to align • Support a stronger alignment between professional development planning, career teacher accountability development and performance incentives systems to raise teacher motivation and competencies PHILIPPINES EDUCATION NOTE 15 Developing a Proficient and Motivated Teacher Workforce in the Philippines Endnotes 1 See for example, Bruns, B. and J. Luque (2014). “Great Teachers: 11 See, for example, McEwan, P. (2013) “Improving Learning in How to Raise Student Learning in Latin America and the Primary Schools of Developing Countries: A Meta-Analysis of Caribbean.” World Bank, Washington D.C. Randomized Experiments” Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA; 2 De Ree, J. (2016). “How Much Teachers Know and How Much It Glewwe, P. W., E. A. Hanushek, S.D. Humpage, and R. Ravina (2011) Matters in Class: Analyzing Three Rounds of Subject-specific Test “School Resources and Educational Outcomes in Developing Score Data of Indonesian Students and Teachers.” Policy Research Countries: A Review of the Literature from 1990 to 2010” National Working Paper No. WPS 7556. World Bank, Washington D.C. Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge MA; and the Council of Chief State School Officers (2009) “A Meta-Analysis Study of 3 Chetty, R., J. Friedman, and J. Rockoff. (2011). “The Long-Term the Effects of Teacher Professional Development with a Math or Impacts of teachers: Teacher Value-added, and Student Science Content Focus on Improving Teaching and Learning.” Outcomes in Adulthood,” National Bureau of Economic Washington D.C. Research, Cambridge MA. 12 OECD (2014). TALIS 2013 Results: An International Perspective on 4 See, for example, McEwan, P. (2013). “Improving Learning in Teaching and Learning, OECD Publishing, Paris. Primary Schools of Developing Countries: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Experiments.” Wellesley College, Wellesley MA. 13 OECD (2014). “TALIS 2013 Results: An International Perspective on Glewwe, P. W., E. A. Hanushek, S.D. Humpage, and R. Ravina. Teaching and Learning.” OECD Publishing, Paris. (2011). “School Resources and Educational Outcomes in 14 The sampled teachers were asked to rank each training they Developing Countries: A Review of the Literature from 1990 to attended from 1 (least useful) to 7 (most useful). Grade 6 teachers 2010.” National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge MA. rated 88 percent of all training as a 6 or 7 with 84 percent of 5 Another note in this series assesses the systems used to hire and Grade 10 teachers doing the same. deploy teachers in the Philippines. 15 Just under 90 percent of school principals reported that teachers 6 See for example, Yamauchi, F. and Y. Liu (2013). “Impacts of were expected to complete an IPPD annually. an Early Stage Education Intervention on Students’ Learning 16 Similar results were found when school principals were asked the Achievement: Evidence from the Philippines.” Journal of same questions. Development Studies 49(2) and Tan, J. P., J. Lane, and P. Coustere. 17 Downloading refers to the issuance of a sub-allotment release (1997). “Putting Inputs to Work in Elementary Schools: What Can order from DepEd central office to DepEd region and division Be Done in the Philippines?” Economic Development and Cultural offices. Sub-allotments are authorizations issued by the central Change 45(4): 857-879. office of DepEd transferring a portion of an available allotment 7 The full results of the analysis reported here is included in a set to DepEd region or division offices. See DepEd order No. 25 of additional annexes and tables accompanying the main PETS- (2014) “Guidelines for the Utilization of HRTD Funds,” Department QSDS report. of Education, Manila and DepEd order No. 66 (2010) “Policies 8 The household questionnaire included a short module on and Guidelines on Planning and Administration/Management consumption and a set of questions on assets that have been of the Human Resource Training and Development Program,” used by the Department of Social Welfare and Development Department of Education, Manila. (DSWD) to undertake a proxy means testing (PMT) approach 18 Based on the average annual basic salary of a Teacher 1 position to estimating household consumption per capita. The results on Grade 18 Step 8. reported here are based on information gathered using the PMT 19 Blank, R. and N. Alas (2009). “Effects of Teacher Professional approach, and a full description is included in a separate note. Development on Gains in Student Achievement.” Report 9 These results are statistically significant for Filipino and prepared for the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), Mathematics but not for Science. Washington D.C. 10 Box 2 describes all seven domains contained in the teacher competency standards. All teachers rated their skills in the professional development and growth domain highly. These results are not discussed in this note. 16 WWW.WORLDBANK.ORG/PH