The Call for Excellence in Education is part of the lessons in the subject Foundations of Education. It is about how educational sector evolve over time. The presentation will help audience better understand why educational sector keep on revising some policies for better outcome. Part of the presentation shows the overview of the policy reports both American and in Philippine setting.

1. THE CALL
FOR
EXCELLENCE
THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION

2. NATIONAL REPORTS CALL FOR REFORM
Characterization of “excellence” as symptomatic
of the “Americanization” of higher education.
1
By the early 1980’s national attention began to
focus on the educational need for excellence
and higher educational standards particularly
the neglected “ average” students – and not just
the disadvantaged or the talented.
OVERVIEW ON THE POLICY REPORT

3. DECLINE ACHIEVEMENT AND
COMPETENCY
1. Average achievement scores on the
scholastic Aptitude(SAT) declined
steadily. Average verbal score fell 34
points and mathematical score
dropped 10 points.
2. By 1996 only 24 percent of eight-grade
students achieved math competency
for their level.
2
Example:

4. 1. Average Schools that do not
have computer laboratories
have an MPS of 79.3%
2. Schools that have adequate
textbooks in Math have an MPS
of 73.0%
3. Schools where teachers
discuss the lesson the whole
period (chalk-talk method),
then ask questions if there is
remaining time have an MPS of
67.7%
4. Schools where quizzes are
regularly given have an MPS of
68.4%
3
Analysis
"NAT Overview and 2012 Test Results".
https://www.philippinesbasiceducation.us/2013/07/the-national-achievement-test-in.html

5. INTERNATIONAL
COMPARISON
International comparisons of
statistical data on national
elementary, secondary and higher
education school systems provide
feedback on how education systems
have improved over time, how
equitable they are, and students
compare to their peers around the
world. 4

6. FUNCTIONAL ILLITERACY
In the Philippines , at least nine out of
10 children aged 10 struggle to read
and write simple text, according to
World Bank’s statistics on learning
poverty in 2021.
The country ranked lowest among 79
countries that participated in a 2018
international reading literacy
assessment.(PISA) 5

7. STUDENT –TEACHER
RATIOS
These problem have occurred
despite a relatively good student-
techer ratio approximately 16 : 1
student per teacher in the U.S,
ratios of over 25 : 1 in Japan and
Korea. 45 : 1 in the Philippines.
6
For School Year 2017-2018, the teacher-student ratio
in the Philippines is 1:31 for the elementary level,
1:36 for Junior High School level, and 1:31 for Senior
High School level
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1029281

8. REPORTS COMMON THEME
Statistical data in education
summarized empahasize the need top
strengthen the curriculum in the core
subjects in English, math, science,
Foreign language, social studies.
7

9. REPORTS COMMON THEME
8

10. REPORTS COMMON THEME
9

11. IMPORTANCE OF
TECHNOLOGY
Technology and computer courses are
mentioned often and at the drawn of
twenty-first century the need to improve
student’s technology skills and upgrade
school technology is almost a mantra.
10
Based on a 2021 survey by the World Bank on low-
income households, only 40 percent have access to
the internet while 95.5 percent of the same study
subjects used paper-based learning modules and
materials.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191435

12. HIGHER STANDARDS, MORE
RIGOROUS REQUIREMENTS
Tougher standards and tougher courses, and a
majority propose that colleges raises their
admission requirements. Most of the reports talk
about increasing homework, time in school,
upgrading teachers certification. Overall the
report stress academic achievement, not the
whole child, and increased productivity not
relevancy or humanism.
11

13. SCHOOL PLAY TOO MANY ROLES
Schools are pressed with so many
social roles; that the school cannot
meet all these expectations; and that
the schools are in danger of loosing
its sight to their key purpose -
teaching basic skills and core
academic subjects, new skills for
computer use, and higher-level
cognitive skills for the world of work
and technology.
12

14. RISING TIDE OF MEDIOCRITY
Mediocrity is defined as a paralysis of
an educational institution that
maintains the status quo regardless of
its effectiveness, is content with its
limited capacity to produce
excellence, believes that improvement
is out of its reach, and masquerades
mediocrity as excellence.
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15. DEVELOPING NATIONAL
STANDARDS
In line with the new professional
standards for teachers, the
Department of Education (DepEd),
through the Teacher Education
Council (TEC), issues this DepEd Order
entitled National Adoption and
Implementation of the Philippine
Professional Standards for Teachers
(PPST)
14

16. PROGRESS REPORT ON NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
15

17. PROGRESS REPORT ON
NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS
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https://www.pids.gov.ph/details/policy-issue-at-a-glance-how-is-the-philippines-faring-in-sdg-
achievement-goal-4-quality-educatio

18. 17

19. 18

20. 19

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22. PROGRESS REPORT ON
NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS
8

23. NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL REFORM
“Educational Reform in the 21st
Century” identified the following
global reforms in both the
lower and higher education levels.
The Philippines has finally embarked
on its most ground-breaking change
to the schooling system in decades,
the K-12 reform.
22

24. What is your Educational
Philosophy?
Read the story of Amanda Scott
23
QUESTION

25. SUMMING UP
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The concept of ‘excellence’ can be defined in many ways. It has to do with ‘eminence’(high
value) but it is also linked to quality insurance and quality control.
The purpose of education are influenced by changing social forces as well as by educational
philosophies and theories.
We expect the school to be the key instrument for solving our technological or social problems
and preparing our work force for the future.
Schools have been encouraged to provide a world-class quality education, with an emphasis on
high achievement and the general improvement of outcomes for all.

26. Amanda Scott, a brand new eight-grade teacher at Oxford Middle School, just finished her first post observation
conference with Ms. Renee, her principal. Although a positive and upbeat conference, Ms. Renee’s comments keep ringing in
Amanda’s head. “Amanda” Ms. Renee said, “ its clear that you enjoy your students and they responded well to the structure
and expectations you’ve created. I was pleased with the flow of the lessons and the students paid attention to you and to
each other. But when you interview for this position, you describe yourself as ‘facilitator of active learning’ and your portfolio
showed that you understood that approach. Now, though, what I see in your class is mostly is teacher directed: lecture,
vocabulary drills, worksheets, and so on. How are you building the student’s capabilities for creativity, autonomy, and critical
thinking? Where’s the Amanda Scott we interviewed? Next time I visit, I would like to see that Amanda in action.
“ How could I get away from what I believe in? Amanda scold herself. The problem, she realizes, was that in her first few
weeks as a teacher, feeling unsure of herself, she tried to be safe, to make sure her students were getting a basic foundation.
Now it is the time to change them and herself.
Late that day, while Amanda and several other teachers were eating lunch in the teacher’s lounge, someone picked up
the local morning paper, which had a lead article about the result of a statewide assessment program administered to eight
graders. Composite scores for every middle school in the metropolitan region were listed, and Oxford Middle was rank the
bottom third. Amanda’s school made marginal improvement over the last yea’s test in reading and math scores, but lost
ground on the writing portion of the test.
Everyone in the lounge lamented the newspaper’s remark that the school’s progress was “not significant”. They
express pride in the advances of their students made. They argued that most schools with comparable populations of low-
income and actually diverse students have not shown gains as great as Oxford Middle.
Bill O’Conneli pointed to another article in the newspaper. This one featured members of a Citizen’s Education Advisory
Council complaining about schools’ performance on the assessment program. Their demand was for back-to-basic approach
with more emphasis on factual knowledge and less on critical thinking and innovative and time-consuming teaching strategies
Amanda asked herself, “What should I do?

27. 1. What philosophical orientation is being expresses by each party in this dilemma?
2. Which of the orientations above best reflects your own personal philosophy of
education?
3. If none, does, can you think of someone who would represent your philosophy in this
dilemma, such as a concerned parent or business leader in the community?
4. What will you do if you were a teacher at Oxford Middle School faced with this conflict
in educational goals? Do you see any way to achieve both goals?
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End of the Topic Questions

28. References
Bell, J.A. “High-Performing, High-Poverty Schools,” Leadership
(September-October 2001) 8-11.
https://sdg-tracker.org/quality-education
https://www.philippinesbasiceducation.us/2013/07/the-national-
achievement-test-in.html
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1029281

29. I hope you learn something…
Thank you for listening
to my report!