SAMPLE FLIPBOOK

Department of Education – National Capital Region

The DepEd-NCR QAME Framework

I. Introduction

The Covid19 pandemic has changed the landscape of the Philippine
education particularly in the National Capital Region (NCR), which is a home
to about 816,000 learners from public and private schools across its sixteen
(16) Divisions. From conventional face-to-face classroom setting to distance
learning modality where majority of DepEd-NCR public school learners study
in asynchronous manner due to the absence or very limited access to online
facility.

On the positive note, these changes opened many doors of
opportunities for innovation, multi-stakeholder partnerships and
engagement, collaboration amongst and between Units and Offices,
upskilling of competencies of both teaching and non-teaching personnel on
the use of new media, tools and platforms for virtual engagement.

Furthermore, the new setting called for the need for rethinking new
ways to deliver education, re-calibrating systems and processes, streamlining
learning competencies by identifying only the most essential ones as well as
re-designing assessment to fit in the new learning contexts, which involves
the learners’ home and the community where they belong.

The QAME framework is a part of the BE-LCP Sustainability Framework of
DepEd-NCR. It is the framework’s core, which serves as conscience to all
DepEd-NCR stakeholders, reminding everyone that every plan of action
must be reflective of the ultimate goal of developing learners that are
resilient, nimble, creative, innovators, critical thinkers, reflective,
collaborators, can communicate well and possessing desirable character.
These competencies will enable them to successfully navigate in the new
education milieu.

stakeholders can be best understood using the backward design
perspective of Wiggins & McTighe (1998), i.e., beginning with an end in mind,
we look at the learning outcomes, taking into consideration the learners’ self-
systems which explains why some learners are motivated and engaged
while other are not (Al-Hoorie, 2018). Studies found that contributory to
learner success is a supportive learning environment (Sweeder, Kursav, Cass,

& Matz, 2019). Thus, the home and community contexts both play crucial
roles in the achievement of KLOs.

The three (3) outermost circles in the framework from the core are Key
Learning Areas (KLAs), Assessment and the Quality Assurance, Monitoring
and Evaluation (QAME). Within the identified KLAs, i.e., Language, Science,
Mathematics, Life Skills, Sports and Scouting, cyber-wellness and cyber-
security, are the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs) articulated
in DepEd DepEd Order No. 12 s., 2020, “Adoption of the Basic Education
Learning Continuity Plan for School Year 2020-2021 in the Light of the COVID-
19 Public Health Emergency”.

The framework also reflects the complementary relationship of
instruction, assessment and QAME in achieving the desired KLOs. This is also
supported by recent researches in the field which give premium on the need
to jibe assessment, instruction and pedagogy (Chen, 2019; Papanthymou &
Darra, 2019).

Theoretical Underpinnings and M&E Principles

The contextualized QAME framework is grounded on Lei Vygotsky’s
(1978) work on the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and is supported by
most recent studies in the field. In the study of Baker, Zhao, Wang and Z (2020)
on the results of subscribing to learners’ ZPD on learning outcomes, it was
found that when learners are presented content within their ZPD, the
likelihood of mastery is high. Thus, the framework also communicates that
need to consider what activities or tasks that a learner can do on his/her
own, what he/she can do with the guidance of a more knowledgeable peer
or adult as well as what learners cannot do. Furthermore, more recent
studies confirmed that learners who are empowered to take charge of their
own learnings are more motivated to learn (Toomaneejinda, 2017). These
are an important consideration when designing activities and planning for
assessment.

The framework is also underpinned by sound M&E principles such as
continuous improvement (CI), data management, results-based and ethical
monitoring and evaluation as well as the principle of shared responsibility.
Under each principle are requirements and elements that should be present
in order to carry out quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation of
programs, projects and activities (PPAs):

Principle No. 1: Continuous Improvement of M&E System and processes
▪ Requirement 1.1: Harvesting of Insights/lessons learned is done
periodically to guide decision-makers;
▪ Requirement 1.2: Availability of internal QAME tools
▪ Requirement 1.3: Use of QAME results to improve the M&E system and
processes
▪ Element/s (Mechanism/Strategies) Feedback mechanism – use
internal QAME during conduct of regular engagement with SDO
counterparts during institutionalization of M&E Framework and system.

Principle No. 2: Use Assessment Results to self-monitor and improve the
teaching/learning process

▪ Requirement 2.1: Use of feedback from various sources should be well
communicated and reinforced as evidenced in self-learning modules
SLEMs, Learning Activity Sheets (LAS) and other learning materials;

▪ Requirement 2.2: Availability of Information Sheet for Teachers/parents
and guardians on the importance of feedback and the four(4)
dimensions of feedback and its mechanics;

▪ Requirement 2.3: Learners should be trained on how to use self-
assessment to monitor their own learning and to self-correct;

▪ Requirement 2.4: Availability of materials for parents/guardians on
how to provide feedback to their children

Principle No. 3: Results-Based, Ethical M&E
▪ Requirement 3.1: The Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Team
(RMET) members should be apprized that data collection is not for
compliance purposes alone.

▪ Requirement 3.2: M&E periodic report should be generated as agreed
and evidenced in the M&E Plan.

Principle No. 4: M&E is a shared responsibility
▪ Requirement 4.1: Regular Discussion-based Learning (DBL) should be
conducted with the involvement of key Regional and SDO personnel;

▪ Requirement 4.2: Advocate M&E at different levels from RO/SDO to
schools

▪ Element: M&E Communication Plan
The DepEd-NCR Contextualized QAME Framework

Driven by the desire to continually deliver quality education in the
National Capital Region through the robust leadership of RD Malcolm S.
Garma and ARD Carlito D. Rocafort, amidst the challenges of the pandemic,
DepEd-NCR Quality Assurance Monitoring and Evaluation (QAME)
framework was conceptualized. It is anchored on the DepEd-Central Office’
Basic Education Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (BEMEF), where the
“student learning is at the core of DepEd’s reason for being”. This is made
evident in the framework where the learner is placed at the framework’s
core. The framework is grounded on the Vygotskian theory and supported
by local and international studies which uphold the value of learner-
centered approach across learning areas. It recognizes the need to create
a nurturing environment for learners - equipping them with 21st century skills
through teachers’ wise choice of approaches and strategies that will sustain
their engagement across learning modalities. Past and more recent studies
report that learners’ motivation is significantly increased when learners are
given the opportunity to collaborate with their peers, particularly in distance
learning setup (Hanewicz, Platt & Arendt 2017; Chou, 2004).

Figure 1: DepEd-NCR Contextualized QAME Framework