Miske Witt and Associates Inc.

MWAI Team Builds CFS Capacity in Turkmenistan

2011-11-11T02:44:04Z

Partnering with UNICEF's Education Office in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Consultants Nancy Clair, Ed.D., and Kate McCleary, M.Ed. conducted a three-day workshop on the five dimensions* of Child-Friendly Schools (CFS) and setting CFS standards and indicators. For the past five years Turkmenistan has been piloting the CFS program in twenty-six schools throughout the velayats (regions) of the country. Twenty-eight participants from across the country gathered in Ashgabat October 20-22, 2011 to partake in the workshop. Representatives from the Ministry of Education, National Institute of Education, regional representatives, and school directors all discussed the important next steps in setting CFS standards and indicators for the country.

Over the course of the three days participants deepened their knowledge of the CFS dimensions, and broadened the scope of how to write standards and indicators for evaluation and assessment of their CFS pilot schools. At the conclusion of the workshop, Ministry of Education Officials and other key participants put into place an action plan that will have a rough draft of their standards and indicators completed by November 2011, a validation and feedback process to do from February-March 2012, a revised draft by May 2012, and a completed draft of standards and indicators relating to the five dimensions of Child-Friendly Schools by August 2012. This ambitious plan is indicative of the hard work and dedication of Turkmenistan's education specialist and practitioners. Clair and McCleary feel honored to have worked with such great teams of people within UNICEF's Education Office and Turkmenistan's Ministry of Education and National Institute of Education.

*The five dimensions of Child-Friendly Schools include: Inclusiveness, Democratic Participation, Teaching and Learning Effectiveness, Health and Safety, and Gender Responsiveness.

Developing Child-Friendly Schools Standards in Turkmenistan

2011-10-25T00:42:48Z

MWAI consultant Chris Johnstone recently traveled to Turkmenistan in a preliminary visit to setting Child-Friendly Schools (CFS) standards. The purpose of the visit was to observe classrooms, meet with school leaders, and confer with Ministry of Education officials on the feasibility and contextualized nature of CFS standards in Turkmenistan. The visit was sponsored by UNICEF Turkmenistan. Activities included school meetings in Ashgabat and school visits in Magtymguly and Balkanabad.

Developing CFS Standards in Kosovo

2011-10-11T22:13:44Z

From October 4 to 8, 2011, two Miske Witt consultants, Anne Katz and Katherine Ramage, conducted a workshop in Pristina, Kosovo on developing Child-Friendly Schools dimensions and standards for improving educational quality in Kosovo. The 30 educators who participated in the workshop under the auspices of the UNICEF Kosovo Country Office represented a range of sectors, including the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; the Pedagogical Institute in charge of teacher training and development; teachers; municipal inspectors; and school directors from several regions.

While Kosovo already has a set of standards and curriculum frameworks, education stakeholders view the drafting of Child-Friendly Schools standards as a means of focusing on the needs of Kosovar children as well as integrating and unifying existing educational documents.

By the end of the workshop, a working group of 16 from among workshop participants had written an action plan for developing CFS standards and had begun work on drafting CFS standards for Kosovo. By the end of 2011, the group intends to produce the first draft of the standards and plans to complete a review and revision process by May 2012. The group will then engage in a validation and feedback process to ensure the standards are representative and inclusive of all girls and boys in Kosovo.

Costing Inclusive Education for UNICEF Serbia

2011-07-28T00:29:44Z

MWAI associates Dr. Christopher Johnstone and Dr. Sheryl Lazarus are completing a study of costs associated with Inclusive Education for UNICEF Serbia. The two researchers visited Serbia May 9 - 13, 2011 to conduct site visits and to participate in a series of education costing discussions with UNICEF and with local and international consultants. Currently Johnstone and Lazarus are analyzing the Serbian data to calculate costs for municipalities. The report will be completed in September and presented in Moscow at a UNICEF-sponsored conference on Inclusive Education.

Our Mission, Vision, and Values

2010-11-21T05:33:06Z

MISSION

MWAI works to chart a path to improve quality and enhance gender equity in education internationally. Our commitment is to work collaboratively with teachers and education stakeholders to create the best education possible for every girl and every boy.

VISION

Through our work in education internationally, to realize a world where girls and boys, women and men learn through education to treat one another fairly and with respect.

VALUES

Integrity

Excellence

Collaboration and Empowerment

Learning

Research and Evaluation

Transparency and Accountability

Social Justice

CARE PCTFI project update

2010-08-10T02:14:30Z

Through the continued partnership between Miske Witt and Associates Inc. (MWAI), the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), and CARE International, impressive gains are being made to improve the lives of the most marginalized girls in eight countries around the world. These partners are working in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ghana, Honduras, India, Malawi, Mali, and Tanzania to identify specific barriers to girls' education, and have been working tirelessly to design research questions and measure their interventions. After uniting in Minnesota in November, 2009 for a six-day workshop, staff from each CARE office identified both short- and long-term outcomes for their country-specific interventions. In addition, three common themes emerged across the eight countries as areas to focus on to improve girls' education:

1. Child-centered pedagogy
2. Girls' workload/completion
3. Girls' self-esteem or self-confidence

Currently, CARE staff from each of the PCTFI countries are being trained to measure these three themes using standardized, high quality research tools. Mark Lynd Ed.D., of MWAI, Project Co-PI Chris Johnstone, and Research Fellow Nancy Pellowski Wiger traveled to Bamako, Mali in May to lead a 5-day workshop on the CARE common quantitative and qualitative items. Twenty country office staff from both CARE Mali and CARE Tanzania attended the workshop. The CARE team in Mali has been working for the past five years to improve access and quality of non-formal education programs that provide youth with both academic and vocational skills. The CED schools include a four-year economic opportunity program that focuses on teaching skills such as fabric dying, paper making, and tailoring. The SSA is a one-year "second chance" program to help students improve their academic skills, thus enabling them to return to formal schooling.

CEE/CIS project update

2010-08-10T02:12:36Z

MWAI consultants have been very busy in the Central Eastern Europe/Commonwealth of Independent States region over the last few months, continuing the Quality Basic Education/Child-Friendly Schools (QBE/CFS) Standards Development project in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. In March of 2010, a "Field Guide Manual", highlighting the country-level protocols for interviews, meetings, school visits, and materials collection, was shared with staff from each country office. In addition, MWAI consultants Nils Kauffman, Anne Katz, Nancy Clair, and Shirley Miske conducted country-level field visits from March 15 - May 1, 2010. During these visits, MWAI consultants worked with country office staff to develop an understanding of QBE/CFS standards, ways to monitor progress towards these standards, and opportunities to integrate the QBE/CFS principles into national standards. Subsequently, Deepa Patel (MPP Berkeley, CA) and Senior Consultant Nancy Clair drafted a conceptual framework for standards development for the region. Currently, the MWAI team is developing a roadmap of possible pathways and national strategies for furthering the development of QBE/CFS standards in each country.

UNICEF/Macedonia update

2010-08-10T01:46:25Z

In an effort to strengthen the educational system capacity for child-friendly schools in Macedonia, MWAI is continuing its partnership with UNICEF to enhance the teaching of literacy and mathematics. In 2009, MWAI experts (using mathematics and literacy training materials) conducted workshops with Grade 1-3 teachers and advisors from the Bureau for the Development of Education (see entries on March 5, 2009 and June 15, 2009). Upon completion of two MWAI trainings, these participants began training teachers in their own schools in the use of child-friendly strategies. MWAI consultants Judy Rohde, Marium Toure, and Mary Ellen Knappmiller returned to Macedonia for a three-day mathematics workshop (May 25 - May 28, 2010) to provide additional support and strengthen the skills of the original participants. During this workshop, participant trainers learned to use the Fidelity Tool instrument and are now equipped to support their own instruction and lesson development and to conduct peer observations with other teachers. In addition, participants had the opportunity to share their successes and challenges in using the new strategies, to receive feedback and learn from other professionals in the field. The MWAI literacy training in Macedonia is scheduled for August of 2010.

Commencement Address: "Making a Difference"

2010-05-16T19:45:32Z

MWAI President Shirley Miske addressed the 2010 graduating class of Concordia University-St. Paul, MN Friday evening, May 14, 2010. She addressed graduates of the Colleges of Arts & Sciences, Education, and Vocation & Ministry. Click the link to read the text of Dr. Miske's speech, "Making a Difference".

"Safe Environments-Safe Schools" - A Better Future for the World's Children

2010-04-29T00:56:28Z

Gender equity expert, Dr. Shirley Miske, Miske Witt and Associates Inc. (MWAI), St. Paul, MN, will keynote the 2nd International Symposium on Children at Risk and in Need of Protection in Ankara, Turkey on April 24, 2010. The symposium, sponsored by the Turkish National Parliament, National Police, Ministry of National Education and UNICEF, has chosen "Safe Environments - Safe Schools" as the focus of this year's conference. Dr. Miske is speaking at the request of UNICEF. MWAI President Miske has worked tirelessly to promote inclusive education internationally for over fifteen years. Of particular interest to members of the symposium is her work with Child-Friendly Schools and her research in quality educational programming and standards.

"Violence against girls and boys, especially in schools and in any form, is an international outrage and an egregious human rights violation. UNICEF's support for this collaboration among the Turkish Parliament, the National Police, and Ministry of National Education to plan a strategy of research and action is a critical step in dealing with this violence. I am honored to speak on behalf of children everywhere, advocating for the essential right to a quality education in a safe, secure environment".

The symposium, conducted April 24 - 26, 2010, is being held in conjunction with National Sovereignty and Children's Day (April 23), which has been celebrated in Turkey since 1935.

Click the link to read the text of Dr. Shirley Miske's keynote speech: Child-Friendly Schools - Safe Schools

Grad students gain global research skills

2010-04-01T01:26:46Z

The partnership between the University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development, CARE USA, and CARE's partners in eight developing countries is featured in an article in the College's Winter/Spring 2010 issue of Connect. Click the link to read the article: Grad students gain global research skills

Dignitaries highlight global conference on getting girls into school

2009-11-23T02:20:37Z

A reception at Eastcliff, the historic residence of the University of Minnesota president in St. Paul, MN, on November 13 concluded a weeklong workshop on educating and empowering the most marginalized girls around the world.

Dr. Changu Mannathoko of Botswana, UNICEF's Senior Policy Adviser on Equity and Quality Education, was keynote speaker for the event. Dr. Mannathoko spoke on "Gender Equity in Education for Girls' Empowerment: An Urgent Call for Action."

The event celebrated the unique partnership among eight Country Offices and the Basic and Girls' Education Unit of CARE-USA, the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development, and Miske Witt and Associates to support the Patsy Collins Trust Fund Initiative.

Other speakers at the event included Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and U.S. Congress Representative Betty McCollum. McCollum thanked the Country Office CARE staff present for their daily work to improve the lives of girls and women through education.

Country Offices in the partnership include Cambodia, Honduras, Mali and Tanzania (Cohort 1) and Bangladesh, India, Ghana, and Malawi (Cohort 2) in the two PCTFI Innovations cohorts. The partnership workshop that preceded the event was entitled "Measuring and Analyzing Impact: Developing a Longitudinal Evidence Base of PCTFI Interventions."

Other speakers among the sterling group at Eastcliff included Jean Quam, Dean of the College of Education and Human Development; Robert Jones, Vice President for System Academic Administration; and Jean-Michel Vigreux, CARE Senior Vice President for Program Quality and Impact.

Shirley Miske, President and Senior Consultant, Miske Witt and Associates Inc., expressed special thanks to professors from the University's Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development - Principal Investigator Joan DeJaeghere, Co-Principal Investigator Christopher Johnstone, and lead researchers Frances Vavrus and David Chapman, together with lead researchers and MWAI associates Nancy Kendall, Mark Lynd, and Eric Wilmot.* Special thanks were also given to Sarah Bouchie, Director of CARE's Basic and Girls Education Unit and Margaret Meagher, Senior Advisor and Coordinator of the Patsy Collins Trust Fund Initiative, along with University of Minnesota graduate students supporting this creative partnership.

Others given special recognition were University of Minnesota President Robert H. Bruininks and his wife, First Lady Susan Hagstrom, who were unable to attend the event but graciously opened their home; and Vice President Meredith McQuaid and Assistant Vice President Carol Klee, University of Minnesota's Office of International Programs, which also sponsored the event.

*Miske Witt & Associates is grateful to Senator Al Franken and to his St. Paul office Constituent Service Director, Greg Buhr, for guidance through the process to secure a visa for Dr. Eric Wilmot, University of Cape Coast, Ghana, to participate in this workshop.

GETTING KIDS INTO SCHOOL - ESPECIALLY GIRLS

2009-11-13T00:09:26Z

A workshop to address needs of the world's most marginalized girls and other children opened Nov. 9 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis with a Gallery Walk featuring CARE representatives from eight nations.

Participants viewed photos and other material depicting development successes and ongoing needs in Honduras, Malawi, Mali, Ghana and four other nations.

The workshop is part of a public-private effort developed by the University of Minnesota and Miske Witt and Associates Inc. to undertake a research and development grant from the CARE Patsy Collins Trust Fund Initiative.

The event allowed the University of Minnesota community and others to learn about the work of this innovative joint research effort to promote international development in education. MWAI and the University are partnering with CARE-USA in the initiative.

It was also an opportunity for CARE representatives from the eight country offices to see each other's work to date, including photos, brochures, CDs and other materials.

Shirley Miske, president of Miske Witt Associates Inc., greeted colleagues and friends at the event, attended by about 100. Among them were MWAI Associates Eric Wilmot, Ph.D., University of Cape Coast, Ghana, working with CARE/Ghana (Kumasi Office); Nancy Kendall, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, working with CARE/Malawi; and Mark Lynd, Ed.D., School to School International, working with CARE/Mali.

MIDEC Takes on the Challenges of Marginalization

2009-11-02T23:27:56Z

Miske Witt and Associates Inc. (MWAI) is a partner with the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) on a $ 1.1 million grant to work in partnership with CARE-USA and eight CARE Country Offices from 2008-2010 on the CARE Patsy Collins Trust Fund Initiative. PCTFI is an initiative to improve the lives of the most marginalized girls internationally, especially with regard to basic education. The University of Minnesota and MWAI developed a public-private consortium called MIDEC (Minnesota International Development Education Consortium) in undertaking this research and development grant.

Shirley Miske, President of Miske Witt and Associates, Inc (St. Paul) is a partner on the grant and is working with CARE/Honduras. MWAI brings three other technical experts to the MIDEC/CARE partnership:

Eric Wilmot, Ph.D., University of Cape Coast, Ghana, working with CARE/Ghana (Kumasi Office);
Nancy Kendall, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison; working with CARE/Malawi; and
Mark Lynd, Ed.D., working with CARE/Mali .

The research project involves four lead researchers from the University of Minnesota: Joan DeJaeghere, Principal investigator, Chris Johnstone, Co-Principal Investigator, and Professors David Chapman and Fran Vavrus. Nearly 20 graduate students work with the faculty in an applied research approach while participating in an advanced graduate seminar.

The University of Minnesota and MW&A researchers are collaborating with eight countries, grouped into two cohorts. Cohort 1 countries began the project in 2005 and include Cambodia, Honduras, Mali and Tanzania. Each country has taken on the task of educating the most marginalized children, especially girls, through interventions developed specifically for the region.

Cambodia's intervention is called Bending Bamboo and is designed to address the underlying causes of indigenous girl's marginalization from basic education through a multi-focused intervention program. The program's components include enabling access to quality education in the seven target villages, adoption of the Child Friendly Schools (CFS) framework, including enhancement of learning environments through the adoption of relevant Bilingual Education, systemic advocacy around the issues of girls' education and indigenous land security, provision of Life Skills classes for out of school girls, and provision of care to the younger siblings usually cared for by girls.

Honduras' interventions center on community engagement and promoting collaborative ventures between schools, families, and students for greater educational quality and alternative educational programming. RENACER is involved with a center for abused schools, an alternative evening school program, a community based youth program, teacher professional development and a new early childhood initiative.

The CARE team in Mali is focusing on improving the quality and relevance of non-formal education programs intended to provide vocational training for children living in communities underserved by formal primary schooling and help to build the instructional skill sets of teachers in learner-centered methodologies thereby contributing to education quality. The program also takes a proactive role to encourage the full participation of youth to engage in both civic and economic development in their communities while they are attending the CED 1st cycle program of studies and upon their return from their studies.

Tanzania's interventions work with issues of work load and social status of girls by developing a community-based girls' leadership program that will target adolescent girls, both in school and out. The program for out-of-school girls is designed to re-integrate girls into formal education through non-formal educational offerings. The Tanzania team also seeks to empower girls through a youth sports program.

Cohort 2 countries were selected in 2007 and include Bangladesh, Ghana, India and Malawi. Cohort 2 countries are also focused on the most marginalized children, but also are undertaking experimental design research methodologies. Cohort 2 countries are still finalizing their intervention plans, but the proposed interventions include:

Bangladesh has proposed working with School Management Committees to improve teacher attendance and quality of schools.

Ghana intends to implement a girl to girl mentoring program in which older girls mentor younger girls to improve achievement and attendance.

India has proposed a training package for teachers to improve learner centered pedagogy and child friendly schools.

Malawi has proposed a teacher training package to improve learner centered pedagogies.

The U of MN and MWAI currently are working with all Cohort 1 countries around data collection strategies, data management, and planning for longitudinal data. With Cohort 2 countries, MIDEC is providing technical capacity development for intervention planning as well as helping to build capacity for current and future data collection. MIDEC is also collaborating with each country office to develop and implement the research design for each context.

The U of MN, MWAI, and CARE USA will hold a 6-day workshop November 9-14, 2009 for all Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 countries. The workshop objectives include: refining an intervention plan and outcomes that will be observed both short and long term; understanding longitudinal data collection and what that means in terms of measurement and evaluation; and knowledge exchange and reflection for CARE country teams and university faculty and graduate students.

MWAI Continues to Support Teacher Development in Macedonia

2009-06-15T15:50:37Z

MWAI continues to support the Child Friendly Schools initiative to improve educational quality in the Republic of Macedonia. MWAI consultants are conducting Trainer of Trainers workshops in literacy and mathematics in June 2009 in Ohrid, Macedonia for teachers and advisors from Macedonia's Bureau for the Development of Education (BDE).

Team leader Jan Westrick, Ed.D. (Valparaiso University, IN, USA), senior consultant Diane Prouty Harris, Ph.D. (Port Charlotte, FL, USA), and literacy specialist Richard Holdgreve-Resendez, M.A. (Michigan State University, USA), are training 55 teachers and advisors. Curriculum methodologist and senior consultant Nancy Clair, Ed.D. (San Francisco, CA, USA) developed the materials and guide in collaboration with Michele Monson, Ed.D. (Valparaiso University, IN, USA) and Jan Westrick.

Also in June, team leader and mathematics coach Judy Rohde, M.A., (Shoreview, MN, USA), together with senior mathematics coaches Mary Ellen Knappmiller, M.A., and Marium Toure, M.A. (Minneapolis School District, MN USA) will conduct the third of three one-week trainings for 70 teachers and advisors in Thinking Mathematics. This is a staff development curriculum for teachers developed by and used with permission from the American Federation of Teachers.

Beginning September 2009, Macedonian teachers, with support from MWAI and the BDE advisors, will conduct trainings for other primary school teachers in research-based strategies for teaching literacy (Macedonian, Albanian, and Turkish) and mathematics in the early grades.

MWAI has accompanied UNICEF Macedonia and the BDE in the Child-Friendly Schools development process since August 2006.