Pedagogical quality management

At each German school abroad, there is a working group responsible for pedagogical quality management that works on school development.

Quality Orientation Framework School development projects School development goals

Quality Orientation Framework - Context and Objectives

Since 2003, the government and the federal states have been supporting the systematic development of educational quality management (PQM) in German schools abroad (DAS). In the introductory phase, the schools were familiarized with the structures, instruments and procedures of comprehensive and systematic school development.
In 2006, the "Quality Framework for German Schools Abroad" was published. Since then, there have been transparent quality expectations for German schools abroad. Thanks to the quality framework, schools are provided with guidance on the objectives to be adhered to, the measures to be taken and the results to be achieved.
On the basis of this preliminary work, it was agreed in the same year to introduce the Federal-State Inspection (BLI) for German schools abroad. A BLI is preceded by self-evaluations and a peer review. In order to support schools in ensuring and improving the quality of their professional development processes, a system of assistance and monitoring of these processes was introduced.
Another component was added to educational quality management with contractually agreed development objectives following a federal-state inspection and a review by the federal school supervisory authority three years after an inspection as part of a monitoring visit.

The quality characteristics of a German school abroad have not undergone essential changes. On the other hand, the quality framework has been adapted in parts, and has also been completed.

Chronology of the Federal State Inspection in the CAN
School development goals 2022-2024

The action plan and school development projects

The action plan describes the short-, medium- and long-term planning for achieving the school's development objectives. Based on the Quality Guidance Framework, it contains precise indicators, measures, scheduling, responsibilities and arrangements for monitoring and evaluation. The basis for the creation, updating and revision of the action plan are the projects and concepts whose implementation is being prioritized: the DaF/DFU concept for the promotion of the German language, the method and media concept, the GIB concept, the handling of the COVID crisis.

Securing the pedagogical school development goals - Pedagogical quality management.

The indicators described in the action plan are evaluated at regular intervals by the steering group as part of the Pedagogical Quality Management (PQM). The group is chaired by the PQM representative and is generally made up of representatives from the school's various bodies. The steering group meets 56 times a year, sometimes with a reduced number of members. In the meetings, existing goals are reviewed, evaluated and revised if necessary.
Members of the steering group:

Principal: Arne Engel
Deputy principal: Frank Nitschke
Primary principal: Christina Schlösser
Kindergarten Director: Elina Palmer
Head of Administration: Ena García
PQM Representative: Heriberto Mayorga
German department head Primaria: Crista González
German department head Secundaria: Vera Müller

Representatives of the various SE working groups

DaF/DFU: Hans-Jürgen Jahn, Mirka Lötscher
GIB Coordinator: Hubert Luna
Digitization Coordinator: Simon Bienert
Document Manager: Dalet Bodán
Academic Commission of the Parents' Council: Carola Hilffert
Representatives of the Student Parliament: Elisabeth Petersmann, Ivo Fuentes

The Pedagogical Days, which are held once a quarter and alternate in length, sometimes short from 11.00-16.30, sometimes long from 8.00-16. 30, create in a planned and regular form a sustainable time window for dealing with the action plan in such a way that in their framework various events for the implementation, analysis and evaluation (student council meetings, internal school teacher training, review, classification, revision of documents, use of evaluation tools to promote the feedback culture, communication of operational measures on the part of various bodies) of the action plan are carried out.