School classification by the Education Evaluation Authority: 4 levels of evaluation

A qualitative leap in the quality of Saudi education

In a strategic move aimed at enhancing the quality of the education system in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Human Capability Development Program, the Education and Training Evaluation Commission rigorous requirements and standards for implementing self-assessment processes in schools. These procedures include classifying school performance into four precise levels to ensure the quality of educational outcomes, through the advanced digital platform "Tamayuz" (Excellence).

Historical context and the shift towards standardized assessment

Historically, school evaluation relied heavily on traditional supervisory visits, which could lack comprehensiveness and accurate data. With the establishment of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission, the Kingdom has undergone a radical shift towards evidence-based institutional evaluation. This transformation reflects the leadership's commitment to creating a competitive educational environment, where evaluation now relies on clear performance indicators that measure actual learning outcomes rather than simply measuring inputs.

The four levels of school classification

The authority revealed a structure for classifying school facilities into four main levels that accurately reflect the reality of performance, which are:

• The "Excellence" level: is awarded to schools that achieve 90% or higher in the evaluation criteria.
• Level of “progress”: Includes schools with a percentage between 75% and less than 90%.
• “Start-up” level: Targets schools with scores between 50% and less than 75%.
• The “preparation” level: This includes schools whose overall performance is less than 50%, which requires urgent intervention to improve their educational environment.

Rigorous methodological tools to ensure integrity

To ensure the accuracy of the results, the regulatory body stipulated that the procedures require the formation of a specialized team headed by the school principal and comprising four distinguished teachers. This team is granted the necessary authority within the Noor system to develop and monitor implementation plans. The authority also mandated that school teams apply rigorous methodological tools, including generating at least 15 classroom observation templates for the independent school and analyzing key documents and records.

Expected impact: locally, regionally, and internationally

This classification is of great importance and has a multi-dimensional impact:

• At the local level: It enhances transparency and allows parents to know the level of schools in order to choose the best for their children, and it also creates positive competition between school administrations to reach the level of “excellence”.
• At the regional level: It consolidates the Kingdom’s position as a leading model in education governance and evaluation at the level of the Arab world and the Middle East, which may inspire other countries to adopt similar models.
• At the international level: This system contributes to raising the Kingdom’s ranking in global educational indicators (such as PISA and TIMSS tests), as the assessment results are linked to the national “Nafes” tests and the professional licensing system for teachers, which ensures that the outputs are in line with international standards.

Spreading the culture of evaluation and scientific integrity

The official instructions emphasized the necessity of disseminating a culture of assessment within the school community before its actual implementation. This would be achieved through workshops aimed at training staff on classification standards, updating teacher and student data, and ensuring school facilities are adequately prepared. In concluding these procedures, the authority stressed the importance of accurate data entry for developing improvement plans, warning against any compromise of academic integrity, and emphasizing the absolute confidentiality of results to guarantee the integrity of the entire educational process.