Development of the Policy Framework for Special Education Programs and Services and Refinement of National Professional Standards for In-service Professional Development

Ref N°: 348

Client: Ministry of Education

Detailed description of project

Since April 2006 the EC has allocated financial resources for the support of technical assistance services in the reform of Special Education in Jordan. Technical assistance services were directed towards the development of special education programs at the Ministry of Education. Existing remedial and gifted programs were benchmarked with international standards and training programs were developed to include capacity building of staff and teachers, specialists and managers of special needs programs.

The Managing Directorate of Special Education was established at the Ministry of Education in July 2008, to ensure better educational reform and quality learning for students with special needs. The Directorate constitutes of 2 main directorates (Disabled and Gifted), and is directed towards the preparation, planning, and supervision of all special education programs serving students with special needs.

The Ministry of Education has continued the education reform momentum through the planning and preparation for implementation of a second investment program (ERfKE II), to ensure continuity, extension and sustainability of the gains made by ERfKE I. ERfKE II has been designed to adopt a more focused and targeted approach; to deepen and broaden the transformation of all education programs and services and thereby exemplify the determination of the Ministry of Education to provide the best in quality education, consistent with national expectations and aligned with international standards, for all students throughout the system.

There are two main objectives for this assignment:

Objective 1: Review, assess and update the policy framework for Special Education;

Objective 2: Refine the approved National Teacher Professional Standards for in service training of Special Education teachers in both areas of exceptionality (Disabled and Gifted).

Type of services provided

PROMAN provides the services of the TL who will together with Expert 2:

• Review current special education provisions in Jordan (policies, programs, curriculum objectives, outcomes, content, tools, and resources);
• Conduct a literature review on international professional standards for special education teachers and bench mark them with available National Teacher Professional Standards, adaptable and suitable for the Jordanian context;
• Conduct, a series of workshops for MOE staff and key stakeholders to develop a document on National Professional Standards for Special Education in both areas of exceptionality (disabled and gifted);
• Deliver training to core team of special education central and field directorate’s staff;
• Develop follow-up procedures and assessment tool for National Professional Standards of Special Education Teachers.