The national quality assurance system of kindergartens and schools has several elements including the internal evaluation (self-evaluation) of institutions, the external pedagogical-professional evaluation (inspection) and the results of students at standardised tests.

Responsible bodies

The Minister responsible for education has the following roles in relation to evaluation and quality assurance:

• operating the national evaluation system: maintaining the Educational Authority, which undertakes national and regional inspection, measurements and evaluation,
• regulatory tasks: regulating the activities of evaluation such as procedures for national student assessment, secondary school leaving and entrance examinations and the national registry of educational experts,
• information supporting evaluation: operating the (statistical) information system of public education,
• ordering assessments and professional evaluations annually, based on the ministerial decree on the school year,
• ordering ad-hoc thematic evaluations (assessment, research or checking supporting evaluation),

The Minister fulfils the above responsibilities by maintaining and operating the Educational Authority as a specialised government agency.

Educational Authority:

The Educational Authority manages national and international student assessments, official and educational inspections and organises the secondary school leaving exams. Additionally, as a public administrative authority, it also participates in accrediting in-service teacher training programmes and examination centres as well as maintaining the registry of exam chairs and education experts. The Registry of education experts holds the names and fields of experts who participate in teacher or school evaluation (inspection). The Educational Authority organizes pedagogical-professional audits and supervises the operation of the controlling system. It also carries out the operation of the teacher qualification system and the legal inspection of the maintainer activities of foreign educational institutions.

Each year, the Educational Authority conducts national target inspections at the request of the Minister responsible for education. National target inspection is prescribed by the Minister responsible for education in the decree on the school year. In the 2017-2018 school year, the Authority examined the compliance of the statistical data provided by public education institutions, as well as the legal requirements of the data provided through the early warning and pedagogical support system of students at risk of dropping out. In the 2018-2019 school year, the Educational Authority investigated the obligation and fulfillment of kindergarten attendance and relevant documentation. In the 2019-2020 school year, the Authority examined the measures and the implementations taken by institutions and maintainers to prevent dropping out and improve performance, as well as desegregation in public education institutions with a high proportion of pupils at risk of dropping out, with low performance in the last three years based on the results of the National Assessment of Basic Competences, and with a high segregation index. In the 2020-2021 academic year, the Authority investigates the fulfilment and obligation of in-service teacher training in educational institutions within the framework of professional inspection.

The Authority regularly inspects the activities of education experts, state accredited language exam centres and in-service teacher training providers. It analyses and keeps records of the results of the inspections and evaluations, and reports them to the Minister. Regarding quality assurance, it also operates the Public Education Information System (known as KIR).

The maintainer:

As part of the managerial activities, the maintainer inspects pedagogical-professional activities of the public education institution. It is the legal obligation of the maintainer to evaluate the implementation of the tasks specified in the pedagogical programme and, through this, the effectiveness of the pedagogical-professional activity of the educational institution.

The Minister responsible for education may ask the maintainer to carry out legal, professional, pedagogical and professional assessment of the institution maintained and report the result of the analysis. If the maintainer does not comply with the request, the Educational Authority will take action at the request of the Minister.

Approaches and methods for quality assurance

Pedagogical programme

The educational programmes of kindergardens, primary and secondary schools and dormitories are carried out according to the pedagogical programme. The pedagogical programme is an institutional document that defines the educational, pedagogical principles, objectives, tasks, tools, procedures, the school’s local curriculum, pedagogical work activities, and the full range of services provided by the institution. The pedagogical program is accepted by the educational body and approved by the head of school. This document is the base of operation, control and evaluation. The publicity of the approved program must be ensured. The pedagogical program is a mandatory document for the operation of each public education institution. Parents can directly get to know the document; this allows them to monitor the included tasks and if needed, ask for implementation.

Internal evaluation by the school head

The head of the public education institution is responsible for the professional functioning of the institution, especially regarding pedagogical-professional activities.

The key part of the national pedagogical and professional supervision is the below discussed institutionalself-evaluation system.This can in itself be an appropriate tool for internal quality assessment and improvement. Within this system of institution, teachers perform self-assessment every five years, while the head of institution assesses in the second and fourth year of mandate contract. The whole institution is performing a self-assessment every five years. This examines how the institution was able to meet its own goals and which state of implementation are they in currently. Based on their self-evaluation, the teachers and the heads of institutions prepare a five-year self-development plan and an action plan for the whole institution.

For each type of institution, self-assessment is supported by an assessment handbook and methodological guide issued by the Educational Authority and approved by the Minister responsible for education. Separate guides have been prepared for kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools, vocational schools, dorms, basic  art schools, special education, conductive pedagogical education institutions, pedagogical assistance services and pedagogical professional service providers.

The self-evaluation system also includes the evaluation of the work of the teacher and the head, as well as the evaluation of the work of the whole institution. During the self-assessment of the teachers and the management, parents and stuents of secondary institutions can evaluate the work of teachers in the form of interviews and questionnaire surveys. During the self-assessment of the institution, at least two parents per class/group should be interviewed. The Self-Assessment Manual contains the suggested questions for the interviews and questionaries. The results of the self-assessment are used in the supervision process.

In addition, the head of the institution can initiate a pedagogical-professional auditing in his/her own sphere of competence, which can be aimed at evaluating the institution's pedagogical-professional work. The pedagogical-professional audit initiated by the head of the institution is carried out by an external expert. 

National pedagogical evaluation (inspection)

The aim of the national inspection is to evaluate teaching and education at educational institutions by evaluating teachers, school heads and the fulfilment of the goals set by the institution itself, and in this way to support the development of the institution. The inspection is carried out by the Educational Authority under the responsibility of the Minister responsible for education.

The inspection is carried out on a five-year cycle in educational institutions and the cycle closes with evaluation. The oversight covers all public education institutions and their employees engaged in pedagogical activities, regardless of the type of the maintainer. Errors detected during pedagogical and professional audits do not result in retaliation. Audits’ purpose is to develop pedagogical and professional work in the institutions by naming outstanding areas and areas to develop - the auditing experts do not have any scope for action.

The school supervision inspections are carried out on the basis of an annual national pedagogical-professional inspection plan, which must be prepared by the Educational Authority by the 20th of July each year for the following calendar year.

The experts involved in the supervision have significant professional experience in the sector to which they are assigned. The precondition of their operation as a specialist is a certification on the List of National Experts.

Types of inspection:

Inspection of teachers

Teachers are evaluated according to general pedagogical criteria, aiming to improve their pedagogical skills. The supervision of teachers aims to get to know their work but it also provides important experience for the management of the institution and education. The concept and professional expectations of the audit emphasize demanding, quality professional work. In addition to gathering experiences, it also assigns further development directions and provides an example for teachers.

The evaluation covers the following eight areas:

• Pedagogical methods used,
• Pedagogical processes, activity-planning and self-reflections related to implementation,
• Learning support,
• Development of students’ personality, validation of individualised teaching, required educational methods used for the inclusive teaching of disadvantaged or SEN children/pupils and those with behavioural, learning difficulties,
• Support of community development of classes/groups, motivating students to be open towards cultural and social diversity, integrational activities, head teacher activities,
• Continuous evaluation of teaching processes and the personality development of pupils/students,
• Problem-solving, communication and professional cooperation with colleagues,
• Commitment to professional responsibilities and development.

The areas of inspection - except for the first point - are the same as the teacher qualification areas used by the teacher's career system so the result of the audit and rating reflects on the same areas.

Methods of the inspection:

• Document examination:

• self-development and development plans of the previous sampling;
• cumulated results from the anonym questionnaire made for self-evaluation;
• local curriculum and other documents of the annual planning;
• lesson plans and arrangements of other occupations;
• class register;
• student leaflets

• observation of lessons and teaching activities: observing goals, content, structure, effectiveness and teaching methods;
• interviews with the teacher and the school head: discussing the classes/activities observed, providing additional information. The school head’s interview about the teacher’s work takes place after the teacher’s hearing, without the presence of the educator.

After the discussions, a finalized assessment is made, which identifies strengths and areas to develop for the teacher in the eight examined areas, on the basis of which the teacher prepares a five-year development plan in consultation with the head of the institution.

Inspection of school heads

School heads are evaluated based on pedagogical and leadership criteria, taking into account achievements made regarding his/her goals. The purpose is to develop the pedagogical and management skills of institution heads.

The evaluation concerns the following five areas:

• Strategic and operational management of teaching and learning;
• Strategic and operational management of changes;
• Strategic and operational management of himself/herself;
• Strategic and operational management of others;
• Strategic and operational management of the institution.

Besides the head and the maintainer, the parental community is also auditioned during the audit. Prepared by the Educational Authority, at least one of the two experts asked for a head’s examination must have significant professional institutional experience of the same type as the evaluated head’s. The vocational qualification of the institution head obtained from a professional pedagogical exam is also a requirement for the expert.

Methods of the inspection:

• The analysis of questionnaires circulated among staff and parents;
• Examination of documents, e.g. the management programme, the pedagogical programme of the school, rules of organisation and operation, 2 annual work plans and annual reports, documents of self-evaluation of the school, self-evaluation of the school head;
• Interviews with the employer, the school head and other management staff to collect additional information.

After the interviews, an appraisal sheet is produced which identifies strengths and areas for development in the five areas above.

Inspection of institutions

The educational body prepares its pedagogical program with the guidance of the head, setting up the pedagogical creed of the school, the pedagogical principles, the values ​​and the goals of pedagogical work. It also defines its related tasks and tools. Institutions regularly review the pedagogical program striving to keep up with the professional and social expectations of education and, at the same time, respond to everyday work experience. The purpose of institution inspection within the scope of the educational supervision is to guide the development of the pedagogical and professional work of the institution, primarily by examining how the educational institution has implemented its own pedagogical program.

When evaluating the institution, experts collect data and identify outstanding areas and areas to develop for the following areas:

• Pedagogical processes;
• Personality and school community development;
• Results;
• Internal relations and cooperation;
• External relations;
• Conditions of teaching;
• Meeting the requirements and expectations set out in the Curriculum Regulatory Document issued by the Government and the Minister responsible for education and the institutional goals set out in the pedagogical programme.

Institution inspection is done once in five-year cycles. It is necessary for the head of the institution to be audited beforehand or to be held under inspection simultaneously.

Methods of the inspection:

• Examination of documents, e.g. pedagogical programme, Rules of Organisation and Operation, annual work plan and annual report, plan for professional development of staff,
• Reviewing the self-evaluation of the institution made by the head of school,
• Analysis of the results of pupils at standardised tests (National Assessment of Basic Competences) in the last five years,
• Reviewing the results of inspections from the last five years as well as the action plans designed on their basis,
• Reviewing the results of inspections of teachers,
• Questionnaire surveys conducted with teachers, other staff, parents and other partners (satisfaction surveys),
• Interviews with school heads, the management staff, teachers, parents and the maintaining body,
• Observation: on-site inspection aiming at clarifying and verifying information obtained during the pre-preparation process based on the analysis of the document and collecting additional information.

After the on-site inspection, the expert team creates a professional summary and uploads it to the IT support system operated by the Educational Authority. It becomes available for the school head within fifteen days. The summative peer review defines the strengths and areas for further improvement in the seven examined areas. The results of the audit are published by the institution on its website.

On the basis of the expert findings, the head of the institution prepares a five-year action plan setting out the development tasks of the institution's pedagogical-professional work. The action plan is approved by the teaching body within 60 days of the completion of the audit and the head of the institution sends it to the maintainer of the institution. The criteria and methods applied during inspection are publicly available and apply to all types and levels of educational institutions. However, there are elements specific to the various subsectors of education and therefore special standards have been drafted for the following types of institutions:

• Kindergardens,
• Single structure schools,
• Upper secondary general schools,
• Vocational schools,
• Dormitories,
• Basic art schools,
• Special education schools/institutions,
• Institutions providing specialist pedagogical services,
• Pedagogical professional assistance service providers

Teacher appraisal in the teacher promotion system

The qualifying evaluation is linked to the teacher's career model, the promotion system of teachers. Taking into account the natural course of professional development, the promotion system sets different levels for the teacher's progress: Trainee, Teacher I, Teacher II, Master Teacher, Researcher teacher. In levels Teachers I and II., participation is compulsory in the teacher evaluation while reaching a higher category is voluntary. The teacher's guaranteed salary is determined based on the category reached in the promotion system and the years of work experience as a teacher combined. The higher degree the teacher has and the longer the professional practice time is, the higher the guaranteed salary will be. The purpose of this promotion system is to encourage professionalism and the desire to remain in the profession while boosting the continuous professional development of teachers.

• A two-year traineeship is followed by a qualification examination. After passing it, a Teacher I status is awarded. In case of failing, the Trainee may retake the qualification exam once after two years of traineeship. If failing it again, the Trainee is dismissed.

• After working as a Teacher I for 8 years or have 7 years of professional experience with an undivided teacher master degree, teachers may enter a qualification procedure on their own initiative. After working as a Teacher I. for 9 years, they have to enter a qualification procedure to become a Teacher II. After the successful exam, the teacher is promoted to Teacher II. The qualification exam may be retaken once after two more years of traineeship but in case of failing it for the second time, the teacher is dismissed.
• After working as a Teacher II for 6 years and passing a postgraduate specialist exam, teachers may enter a qualification procedure to become a Master teacher.
• Master teachers (in addition to teaching) participate in innovation, development support, institution management, teacher qualification and supervision expert or consultancy activities. In case the teacherparticipates in expert or consultancy activities they are given time off work.  
• A (at least) Teacher II who has a PhD degree and publishes regularly may apply to become a Researcher teacher.

The Minister responsible for education determines the number of participants in the teacher qualification each year. The qualification exam and qualification process of teachers is organized by the Educational Authority. The qualification exam and the qualification process are conducted by a Qualification Committee consisting of: Public Education Experts included in the National Expert List; the head of the public education institution employing the teacher or a senior teacher delegated by the head.

During the qualification process, every teacher is subject to uniform rules, which are public. The certification committee examines the full range of activities of the teacher: pedagogical and professional skills and "knowledge of the craftsmanship". The qualification procedure involves the examination and protection of a portfolio, the attendance of a lesson and the discussion of the experiences gained. The portfolio includes: Curriculum Vitae, fundamental and custom documents of educational work, a short presentation of the environment of the institution employing the teacher and an assessment of the professional proceedings.

Quality assurance of expert work

After the on-site visit, both the head of the institution and the teacher concerned can evaluate the work of their supervisors by filling out an online anonymous questionnaire for this purpose.

The auditing of experts started in 2018. At that time, the auditing of expert work was carried out in an ad hoc manner. Currently, auditing focuses primarily on the preparation of experts and the maintenance of the supervisory and certification process.

The organization of auditing and the development of its professional contents are also carried out by the Educational Authority.

Standardized measurements of student performance

Secondary school leaving exam

In 2005, the secondary school leaving exam became a two-tier exam based on standardised requirements. It also serves as an entrance examination to higher education institutions. It is suitable for collecting information on the effectiveness of teaching and learning at upper secondary schools.

National Assessment of Basic Competences

The National Assessment of Basic Competences, a national, centrally organized testing system for mathematic and reading competences is designed to test every pupil in every basic school at grades 6, 8 and 10 annually. The assessment is organised by the Educational Authority, which prepares the tests and questionnaires, processes and publishes the results.

A public report is made on the results by the end of February of the year following the assessment. In addition, (after entering the site with a password) institutions can further analyze their results in their own perspectives.

The assessment is supplemented by a family background index on the socio-cultural background of students. In addition, since 2010, it is possible to monitor the progress of individual pupils and in this way examine the impact

of the school.

Between 2006 and 2012, the competence test was joined by the National Skills Assessment of 4-grade pupils and it was organised in single structure schools. It is not compulsory anymore but the tests are published on the website of the Educational Authority and a computer programme is also available for the evaluation.

Diagnostic assessment of development

The Diagnostic Development Examination System (Difer) is a test system suitable for the diagnostic evaluation of critical skills for school progression (writing movement coordination skills, speech listening skills, relational vocabulary, elementary numeracy, empirical inference, empirical context comprehension, sociability) in kindergarten and pre-school age (4-8 years). Its aim is to reduce the individual handicaps stemming from the varying pace of the pupils’ development and progression needs and to successfully establish the basic skills. The system allows detailed tracking of the acquisition of these critical elementary skills. The assessment package also provides a description of the process of acquiring these skills and guidance on how to develop them more effectively.

Primary school teachears are required to consider assessing their first grade pupils at the beginning of the school year and (based on the experiences) identify those who they wish to assess more thoroughly with a diagnostic test (Difer). The diagnostic test is undertaken in the first few months of the school year. Teachers evaluate the scores with a computer programme included in the assessment package and they design the ways of individual development. Schools are expected to provide information about the number of students tested to the Educational Authority. Many schools are commencing to test all first graders.

Foreign language and CLIL assessment

In the organization of the Educational Authority, there is an annual foreign language assessment of pupils in grades 6 and 8 of bilingual (CLIL) schools. If schools wish to continue to offer CLIL, they have to ensure that at least 60% of their pupils achieve level A2 of CEFR in grade 6, level B1 in grade 8.

An annual foreign language assessment of all pupils learning English or German as a first foreign language (except for pupils in CLIL schools) is organised by the Educational Authority and tests the reading comprehension of pupils. The school may supplement the assessment with an oral test if it wishes so.

Physical and fitness status of students

Every school year, the school organises the measurement of pupils’ physical condition and fitness in the grades where children have Physical Education lessons– with the exception of primary and adult education. They upload the measurement results to the NETFIT IT support system where the physical and fitness status of the pupils can be monitored.

Thematic evaluations

Monitoring the performance of pupils at risk of dropping out

Educational Authority operates the early warning and pedagogical support system for preventing early school leaving, which helps to track school progress of pupils. Educational institutions may get targeted support by using the data provided to the system (ESL) by schools and Pedagogical Education Centres.

In addition to regular standardised tests, there have been several evaluations covering specific sub-sectors or topics, e.g. kindergarten curricula, effectiveness of mother tongue teaching, basic art education, Roma minority education, studies on the professional conditions of the classes for students with mild intellectual disabilities, the pedagogical programs of vocational training institutions, the provision of pupils with special needs, kindergarten enrollments, non-formal education, and initial vocational education.

In the last few years, official inspections have been carried out in hundreds of institutions, e.g.: in educational administration, teacher employment areas. Reports summarizing the experiences of these studies provide information on each subsystem of public education.

International student assessments

Hungary regularly participates in PISA, TIMMS. PIRLSandTALIS. International tests organised by the OECD or the IEA are administered and the assessment results are analysed by the Educational Authority.