Featured Best Practices

Project REACH (Responsive Engagement to Accelerate Collaboration and Harmony)

While most people and organizations were crippled by the pandemic, project REACH expanded by adjusting and finding strategic mechanisms to address the demands and needs of the time. As former DepEd Secretary Florencio Abad has said “The problem of education is everybody’s problem. As building literacy is our collective responsibility, so too is improving our schools, our collective responsibility. We must build bridges between the school and the community.” Inspired by this, the School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD) of Tabuk City launched the project REACH (Responsive Engagement to Accelerate Collaboration and Harmony). This is a proactive effort in reaching out beyond the call of duty in making things happen, making a difference one step at a time.

While Project REACH was a term coined in early 2019, its covered activities started in 2018 extending more hands and greater support to the 103 elementary and secondary schools of the Schools Division. Partnership and linkage are a part of the Key Result Area of the SGOD and Social Mobilization and Networking is the main unit in charge of such. However, the SGOD vowed to work together to bring this KRA beyond the “professional beggars” image and inspire others to follow the example to ensure that education is delivered at its best with no one left behind.

Bulk of the government’s budget is allotted to the Department of Education every year, however, with its almost one million employees and thousands of schools all over the country, the budget is not enough for all its needs. Thus, partnerships and linkage are critical components in the delivery of quality, equitable, culture-based, liberating, and sustainable K to-12 Basic Education Programs.

Project REACH bridges schools with potential partners and services which they need to further nurture and develop. It also aims to address the diverse concerns and issues, particularly on frustration readers, dropouts, failures, and absences of learners through efforts in having partnerships with the various education stakeholders including the internal stakeholders.

The SGOD has implemented various innovative projects under the SGOD’s Project REACH. Most of which were conducted beyond office hours, weekends, and holidays. The following are some of the support packages the SGODs have given: (a) infrastructure, physical facilities, furniture, and real estate (b) learning support (c) health and nutrition (d) reading program (e) technology support (f) direct assistance (g) training and development (h) assistive learning device for students with special needs were given. Technical assistance particularly in making proposals, insets, research, and risk reduction was also undertaken to help address the different performance indicators.

The SGOD does not have direct solutions to improve the said indicators, but being the support unit of the SDO, they contribute to realizing this target by giving motivation, inspiration, and encouragement to the learners, teachers, and all concerned through partnerships and collaborations with our education stakeholders. By doing this, they assist in helping learners go, learn and stay in their respective schools.

View Project REACH video presentation

e-TABUK (Enhanced Electronic Technical Assistance for Better Understanding and Knowledge) in Research

e-TABUK in Research, which was initially implemented in 2020, aims to facilitate the review and evaluation of research papers and to provide enthusiasts a unified guide to use as a resource while working on their papers. Moreover, it aims to enhance the provision of technical assistance using online platforms such as social media, group chat rooms, emails, and private messaging to supplement SMS and cellular phone calls. Lastly, it aims to offer a platform for knowledge exchange between and among researchers in the dissemination and advocacy of research where others can benchmark for future studies they may undertake. Despite the restrictions imposed to help curb the spread of COVID 19, all these techniques made it possible to reach and assist more clients at that time.

In 2021, the proponent noticed the need to strengthen e-TABUK in Research since it placed more emphasis on client reach and technical assistance provision than it did on information or file management related to the TA Provision process. This led to the conception and implementation of FiSh-ing (File Sharing) in the Cloud. It involved using a cloud-based storage service, like Google Drive, to share files between clients and review committee members and maximizing its use as a remote location to back up files and prevent their loss due to accidental file deletion or in case the hard copies are lost or damaged, including memos, formats, templates, research papers, outputs submitted during workshops, recordings of online meetings, or virtual provision of services. While the turnaround time for the research review was considerably faster than it was for the previous evaluation process, some proponents expressed dissatisfaction because it took some time before their papers were returned to them because the soft copy was only returned once all members of the review committee had commented, delaying revision and finalization.

In 2022, e-TABUK in Research is further expanded through Project ProMPTER (Proactive Monitoring Practice and Technique in Evaluating Research). By serving as a reminder via email notifications, it boosted FiSh-ing in the Cloud's capacity to offer technical assistance to clients and improved the monitoring system on the progress of proposals received for review. Additionally, because it gives the proponent instantaneous updates and a handy reference on the comments and suggestions, it permitted real-time engagement between the review committee and members of the technical working group in the evaluation of research.

The overarching goal of e-TABUK in Research is to advance research culture by providing technical assistance for research development within the context of SDO Tabuk City focused on continuous improvement, excellence, professionalism, ethics, and innovation through the various electronic platforms available. The proponent further hopes that other programs and offices would adopt e-TABUK to provide technical assistance and contribute to the delivery of quality service and the improvement of learning outcomes.

View e-Tabuk video presentation

Project SHARE (Strengthening and Harnessing Academic Reading Experiences)

Over the years, the decline in the reading ability of students is prevalent. In 2019, it’s even more alarming when the pandemic has taken its toll on the educational system. Imagine the impact of the current situation on the learning process, more so, on struggling readers. Teachers are all the more burdened at the thought of having students who could not work well on their modules because they struggle in reading and comprehension. That same year, the reading program was intensified.

To address the problem, we came up with PROJECT S.H.A.R.E that leads to a blended reading activity and allows the collaboration of different stakeholders; parents, teachers, and the community to meet the needs of all learners involved: hence, S.H.A.R.E. The implementation of the project is guided by the African Proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” which fully involves the community in the reading activities identified in the project.

This project aims to improve the reading level of the learners from frustration to instructional and independent. It also intends to build partnerships and linkages to assist in the reading development of learners and able to work in establishing reading hubs for these learners.

The road map of the project all started with the guidance and assistance of the EPS for English. Added to this is the supervision of the PSDS of Southern Tabuk District II and the strong support of the school head.

An orientation was conducted for all stakeholders as they play a significant role in the project. They led the pre-assessment and identified the struggling readers using the FLAT (Functional Literacy Assessment Tool) and the Diagnostic Tool Kit of the Schools Division of Tabuk City. The volunteer tutors reached the learners in their homes in consideration of the pandemic.

One highlight of the activity is the forging of a memorandum of agreements specifically requesting their support and assistance in the forms of physical contributions or financial aid. The school forged a MOA with Kalinga State University- Library Services, Hope Alight Kalinga Foundation, Tabuk City National High School, Crusaders of the Divine Church of Christ, Holy Family Church of Cudal, and a Born-Again sector.

The learners were provided with books, reading materials, and other means from the donations of the volunteer book donors like GRHCC and other volunteers. They were engaged in various reading activities rendered by volunteers in the project.

Project SHARE indeed stood true to its name with the community sharing their resources, knowledge, time, and effort in enabling the struggling readers promising learners. As a result, the struggling readers turned to instructional and independent levels and maintained free non-readers at the end of each school year based on the post-assessment conducted using the Diagnostic Tool Kit of Schools Division of Tabuk City. Moreover, the school gained awards consistently in the Read-a-Thon contest in Division and Regional Contest. The project contributed to a significant change in the lives of struggling readers as face-to-face classes come into implementation.

View Project SHARE video presentation