Education for All and for Each and Every One in the Israeli Education System
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Education for All and for Each and Every One in the Israeli Education System Status report and recommendations Report of the Committee on An Education System for All and for Each and Every One Translated from the Hebrew original Editors: Abraham Arcavi and Naomi Mandel-Levy Applied Education Research Applied Education עיצוב עטיפה: Education for All and for Each and Every One in the Israeli Education System Report of the Committee on An Education System for All and for Each and Every One Edited by Abraham Arcavi and Naomi Mandel-Levy Translated from the Hebrew original Jerusalem, 2014 The Initiative for Applied Education Research The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities Jerusalem, 2014 The Initiative for Applied Education Research The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities Language editor (of the Hebrew origin): Ada Paldor Translation: Judy Eichenholz Production and proofing: Reut Issachar Graphic design: Esti Boehm Cover design: Rami and Jaki Cover design assistance: Ziv Arieli ISBN: 978-965-7601-04-4 This document is published by the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and is made available to the public at http://education.academy.ac.il under an Attribution License – for non-commercial use – Creative Commons: (CC-BY-NC-SA), not including translation rights. Use of or quoting from this document should cite the source as follows: Arcavi, A. and Mandel-Levy, N. (Editors). (2014). Education for All and for Each and Every One in the Israeli Education System, Jerusalem: The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities. | iii | The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities was founded in 1959. Its membership currently comprises close to 100 top Israeli scientists and scholars. The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities Law, 1961, declares that its principal objectives and tasks are to foster and promote scientific activity; to advise the Government on research activities and scientific planning of national importance; to maintain ties with foreign academies of science; to represent Israeli science at international institutes and conferences; and, to publish articles that can further science. The Initiative for Applied Education Research (the Initiative) places up-to- date, scientific, critically-appraised knowledge and information at the disposal of decision-makers in the field of education. This kind of information is crucial for the intelligent formulation of policy and for optimal planning of interventions to improve educational achievements in Israel. The Initiative’s vision: Research knowledge is an essential component for planning public policy or comprehensive interventions. In the planning phase, critically-appraised research knowledge supports the formulation of policy whose chance of success is greater, and at a later point, enables rational public discourse to take place. The Initiative implements this vision in the field of education. The Initiative’s method of operation: The issues the Initiative addresses are those raised by decision-makers and it consults with senior Ministry of Education officials and other stakeholders. The Initiative’s steering committee, appointed by the president of the Israel Academy, is responsible for the Initiative’s work program and the peer-review processes of documents it creates. The Initiative operates by means of expert committees and by convening joint symposia for researchers, professionals in the field and decision-makers. It publishes a variety of reports and makes them available to the public. Members of expert committees carry out their work on a voluntary basis. History of the Initiative: The Initiative was established in late 2003 as a joint venture of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the Ministry of Education, and the Rothschild Foundation (Yad Hanadiv). Since the beginning of 2010, the Initiative has been operating as a unit of the Israel Academy. In the summer of 2010, the Israeli Knesset amended the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities Law, regulating the Israel Academy’s advisory role vis-a-vis government ministries seeking its consulting services. The Initiative directs the consulting activities on education related issues which the Israel Academy provides to the government and various authorities. | iv | The Committee on “An Education System for All and for Each and Every One” The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, which was commissioned by the Ministry of Education, established an expert committee to address the challenges that stem from coping with differences among students in the education system. During the course of its work, the committee reviewed research, position papers, models and policies in Israel and from around the world with the objective of proposing tools for thinking and for informed decision-making with respect to the mass of issues related to differences between students, with the aim of having as many students as possible derive benefit and enjoy their education system studies. At the close of its deliberations, the committee compiled this report whose content and recommendations were agreed upon by all its members. The document presents summaries of theory and independent, up-to-date research knowledge, and directions for thinking and action. The report was subject to peer review and submitted to the Ministry of Education as well as to the public on the website of the Initiative for Applied Education Research: http://education.academy.ac.il. The scientific literature reviews, commissioned especially for the committee’s work, as well as other accompanying material can also be found on the Initiative’s website. Committee members Prof. Abraham Arcavi (Chair), Weizmann Institute of Science Prof. Dorit Aram, Tel Aviv University Dr. Yifat Ben-David Kolikant, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Prof. Jonathan Cohen, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Prof. Rivka Eisikovits, University of Haifa Prof. Barbara Fresko, Beit Berl College Dr. Ronnie Karsenty, Weizmann Institute of Science Dr. Michael Katz, University of Haifa Prof. Mona Khoury-Kassabri, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Prof. Mario Mikulincer, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya Prof. David Mioduser, Tel Aviv University Ms. Ruth Ottolenghi, Ministry of Education (retired) Prof. Tali Tal, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology Committee coordinator: Dr. Naomi Mandel-Levy | v | Acknowledgements There were many who helped write this document. Throughout the course of its two years of work, the committee members met with many people who shared their knowledge and experience. Many others assisted “behind the scenes” – organizing, coordinating and sharing materials, and more. Officials at the Ministry of Education headquarters First and foremost, the committee would like to thank the Ministry of Education headquarters officials, who wholeheartedly responded to our requests to meet with them, shared their knowledge, data and wealth of experience with us, and told us about the routine of their work and the challenges they face.1 We also express our thanks to the Ministry’s administrative staff who helped us coordinate and hold the meetings – to Ms. Galit Alaioff of the Secondary Education Division office, Ms. Dasi Beeri, director of the Secondary Education Division (as of July 2013), Ms. Sima Hadad Ma-Yafit, director of the Preschool Education Division, Mr. Noah Greenfeld, director of the Teacher Training Division, Ms. Yaffa Machmali of the Gifted and Outstanding Students Division office, Prof. Ofra Mayseless, chair of the Pedagogic Administration, Mr. Yakov Tawil, director of the Education and Welfare Services Division, Ms. Malka Vidislavsky, Young Division inspector and in charge of the Schools and Learning Environments Administration in the Elementary Education Division, Ms. Monica Winokur, national coordinator of the Maagan Program (preschool intervention program) in the Elementary Education Division. Thank you to Ms. Michal Cohen, senior deputy executive director and director of the Pedagogic Administration, for supporting the committee’s work and for the time devoted to learning about its activities. The committee also thanks Mr. Shauli Cohen, financial-educational director, department of school based management; the pedagogical administration. Heartfelt thanks to Ms. Yaffa Pass, director, division of high school education, who was a full partner in formulating the questions presented to the committee, advised it and shared her abundant experience with it members and followed our work with good advice and constructive feedback until her retirement in May 2013. Thanks to Ms. Malka Keren, national instructor in the Elementary Education Division, to Dr. Ofer Rimon, head of the 1 Names are listed by alphabetical order of the last name; position or affiliation listed is valid for the time the meetings took place. | vi | Science and Technology Administration, and to Mr. Moti Rosner, director of Division A, Teacher Professional Development. Special thanks to Ms. Shlomit Rachmel, director of the Gifted and Outstanding Students Division, for raising the committee’s awareness of the area for which she is responsible and for the feedback she gave to the committee on the scientific literature reviews. We also thank Ms. Sharon Shabat of the Pedagogic Administration Chairperson’s office, Dr. Orna Schatz-Oppenheimer, inspector, Teacher Training Division, Ms. Hana Shadmi, director of Division A of the Psychological Counseling Service, and Ms. Maya Sharir, director of the Immigrant Student Absorption Division. Researchers and practitioners Thank you to the researchers and practitioners