Leadership and Teacher Development Program Annual Performance Report May 2012 to September 2013

The program is administered by AMIDEAST and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Palestinian Authority has demonstrated a strong commitment to education since its creation in 1994, with increased investment in new schools and improved literacy rates. The Five-Year Education Development Strategic Plan (EDSP 2008-2012) of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) shifted its focus to improving the quality of basic education through enhancing teacher training and school/district management. In response, LTD initiated a top-down and bottom-up capacity building approach to introduce a sustainable system of school-based professional development, strengthening school-district cooperation aimed at transforming schools into learner-centered environments. A central tenet of the LTD approach is to build close working relationships with key stakeholders and units in the MoEHE to align the Ministry's program goals and objectives. This principle also guides LTD's relationship with Al-Azhar University, Gaza, to improve pre-service teacher education in the Faculty of Education. The LTD approach is firmly grounded in a broad-based consultative process among all stakeholders to identify needs and plan strategic capacity building in support of professional development of in-service and pre-service teachers, principals, and district management, as well as for the provision of school improvement initiatives. The main beneficiaries of LTD are Palestine's school children, the foundation of future economic growth and democratic citizenship. LTD's approach to enhancing policies, structures, and systems is framed by a theory of change where student learning outcomes are expected to improve if teachers and principals enact learner-centered instructional and leadership strategies learned in LTD trainings, which are guided by school-based School Improvement Teams (SITs) assisted by LTD-created District Leadership Teams (DLTs) responsible for supporting the implementation and effective management of school improvement plans. LTD's major objectives seek to: enhance policies, structures, and systems within the MoEHE to support leadership and teacher development; improve the capacity of school principals, supervisors, and teachers to work together to improve classroom instruction; establish a national cadre of teacher and leadership educators that meet MoEHE standards for instruction and supervision; and improve pre-service teacher education in Gaza. From its startup in May 2012 to the end of its first year of performance in September 2013, LTD made substantive progress toward achieving its overarching objective of improving the quality of school education in Palestine through an effective approach to leadership and teacher development. LTD's activities in its first year resulted in the following major accomplishments: supporting the Ministry of Education to change its policy on the exclusive delivery of in-service teacher training by universities and instead build the capacity of the National Institute for Education and Training (NIET) to deliver this vital national service; designing and implementing a framework for improving pre-service teacher education in Gaza; and creating a national cadre of teacher and leadership educators that meet MoEHE standards for instruction and supervision. LTD also supported the development of a School Improvement Team (SIT) framework, which aims to improve the quality of education in Palestine by enhancing the capacity of school principals, supervisors, and teachers to work together to improve classroom instruction. The SIT framework is designed to support the implementation of school improvement plans and to provide a platform for school-based professional development. In addition, LTD established a District Leadership Team (DLT) framework, which aims to support the implementation and effective management of school improvement plans. The DLT framework is designed to provide a platform for district-level professional development and to support the development of a national cadre of teacher and leadership educators. Overall, LTD's major accomplishments in its first year demonstrate its commitment to improving the quality of school education in Palestine through effective leadership and teacher development. The program's activities have resulted in significant progress toward achieving its overarching objective, and its continued support is essential for sustaining and building on this progress.