A Good Start in Life for Rural Children in Moldova (phase II)

31 December, 2024

Project duration: August, 2012 – July, 2015

Implementing organization: Programul Educational Pas cu Pas / Step by Step Moldova

Implementing partners: Ministry of Education, the Foundation Liechtenstein Development Service (LED) mandated by the Government of Liechtenstein

Financial support: LED

Project goal: besidesfurther support the teachers from the most motivated Community Centers (38), to develop a more comprehensive approach to change by aligning the pedagogical practices to a holistic approach to child development and to support the modernization of the pre-service teacher training practices (4 pedagogical universities and 3 colleges), building on the Quality Resource Pack of the International Step by Step Association (ISSA).

The project “A Good Start in Life for Rural Children in Moldova” (phase II), besides the further supporting the teachers from the most motivated Community Centers (38), was focused on a more comprehensive approach to other aspects supporting change, on

ensuring continuity of educational practices for this reason by aligning the pedagogical practices based on a holistic approach to child development
supporting the modernization of the pre-service teacher training practices (4 pedagogical universities and 3 colleges), building on the many years of SBS experience and on ISSA Quality Resource Pack.

The above objectives were achieved through the following activities outputs

Output 1: A comprehensive package of materials for promoting quality in ECE (including early primary school), including ISSA quality pack resources and other new materials for training and mentoring different target groups developed and printed

SBSM, as member of the International Step by Step Association (ISSA), contributed to the important teacher professional development resources – ISSA Quality Pack. SBSM translated and published:

The Guide Putting Knowledge into practice (printed 2000 copies in Romanian and 500 copies in Russian), distributed to preschool and primary teachers and faculty staff
Continuum of Quality – The Professional Development Tool for Improving Quality of Practices in Kindergarten and Primary School (printed in 1500 copies in Romanian and 500 copies in Russian)
Easy to use booklet for parents and practitioners on socio-emotional development (4000 copies in Romanian and 500 in Russian)

3 leafletsadvocating for quality in early childhood services (targeting educators and parents – 1000 copies each title, policy makers – 500 copies in Romanian) etc).

The study of Children through Observation and Recording (500 copies in Romanian) (the books are being distributed to the teacher training institutions).
Newsletters edited and disseminated through trainings and mentoring visits,, and posted on the Program web-site www.pascupas.md.

Output 2: National SBSM experts and trainers’ capacities to deliver trainings to the target groups and provide technical assistance on-site built.

46 national trainers and mentorstrained touse the ISSA Quality Resource Pack for supporting professional development

Output 3: The capacity of pre-school teachers from 40 kindergartens and CCs to deliver quality child-centered programs enhance

Trainings:

134 preschool teachers from 40 kindergartens were involved in interactive, practice-oriented trainings (6 modules of 2 days each) on the following topics:
Principles of Quality Education in a child-centered program
Planning: between structure and flexibility
Hands-on learning strategies
Observation as basis for evaluation: how to use the School Readiness Monitoring Tool (SRMT)
On-going teacher’s professional development
Inclusion, Diversity, and Values of Democracy

Mentoring:

23on-site visits to 40 kindergartens for quality monitoring and teacher mentoring, using ISSA Assessment Instruments helped practitioners better understand what IS and what IS not child-centered education.

Output 4: The capacity of primary school teachers from 35 schools to promote principles of child-centered education and ensure continuity of ECE practices enhanced

123 primary school teachers were guided better understand the specificity of learning in young children and on the need of insuring their smooth transition to school – 2-day modules on the following topics:
Child-centered strategies supporting teachers to cope with the new requirements of the competence-based curriculum
Developing reading and writing skills in a meaningful way
Math in a child-centered classroom
Management in the Child-Centered Classroom
On-going teacher’s professional development
Inclusion, Diversity, and Values of Democracy

Mentoring

18 on-site visits to 35 schools for quality monitoring and teacher mentoring. At least 35 teachers received individual mentoring visited and mentored. The visiting SBSM trainers/mentors observed and analyzed the learning environment and used ISSA Assessment Instrument for mentoring purpose. The observation sessions were followed by group mentoring sessions with the whole teaching staff.

Output 5: Closer cooperation between preschool and primary school teachers along the line of child-centered approach established

Three joint preschool and primary school teacher’s workshops to facilitate children’s school transition as well as to build a common vision on the concept were organized (1 per year).
71 inspectors (both preschool and primary) participated in trainings helping them understand the principles of child-centered education and support teachers for change.

Output 6: Alignment of pre-service teacher training with new requirements for quality education based on child-centred methodology (capitalizing on the new ISSA Quality Pack materials and linking with new national policy documents – sets of Teacher Standards and Early Learning and Development Standards).

The project activities familiarized the faculty from the pedagogical institutions (from 3 colleges and 4 universities) with the new theories supporting child-centered education and to encourage the modernization of teacher pre-service education included the following:

Training for 22 managerial staff of teacher training on Modern understanding of quality education and how the ISSA QRP can help upgrade teacher training practices and meet the requirements of the new national ECD Teacher Standards.
Training for Trainers for faculty staff from colleges and universities – 3 modules each 2 days.
The resource The Study of Children through Observation and Recording was used for the master degree programat the primary level..

The Ministry of Education recommends this support course to all universities that prepare future primary school teachers in order to ensure a quality process of pre-service teacher’s professional development.

The project summary conference familiarized 50 participants, and MoE representatives, with the project results.