Abstract:

Developed by Fundación Paraguaya, the Educational Stoplight is an adaptation of the Poverty Stoplight specifically designed to improve the education system in Paraguay. It consists of four modalities focused on different key actors in the educational field: the Principal Stoplight, Student Stoplight, Teacher Stoplight, and Parent Stoplight. The main objective of the Educational Stoplight is to provide a comprehensive tool that allows for effective evaluation and monitoring of the performance and progress of educational institutions through the self-assessment of each actor. Using this participatory approach, the aim is to identify areas for improvement and facilitate informed decision-making to strengthen the education system in the country.

Through the use of a web and mobile app platform, each of the four actors engages in a self-assessment metric encompassed by several dimensions that evaluate the quality of the teaching-learning process and well-being in the school’s environment. The ten dimensions covered by the Educational Stoplight include commitment and communication, conditions for learning, health and wellbeing, discipline and affectivity, learning practices, educational tools, resources and environment, safety and interiority, motivation, and participation. Within each of these dimensions are several indicators, which comprise the self-assessment portion of the Educational Stoplight. The indicators include pedagogical, organizational, infrastructural, and technological characteristics, as well as health, environment, emotional well-being, and mental health. Each indicator on the survey is accompanied by representative images and comprehensible text, and includes three options which portray stoplight colors: green, yellow, and red. In this context, green represents the participants’ strengths, and yellow and red indicate areas for improvement. The descriptions of each indicator are actionable and inspirational, and empower participants to take an active role in their journey towards educational success. Upon completing the stoplight survey, actors create an educational well-being map, highlighting the indicators they intend to prioritize and developing personalized strategies to achieve these goals. The stoplight tool encourages follow-up surveys to monitor progress and provides a comprehensive menu of possible solutions that actors can implement to address their specific needs.

The Educational Stoplight tool has been implemented in 30 schools throughout Paraguay, including in Asunción, the Chaco region, Concepción, and Canindeyú. It has garnered national and international recognition as an effective educational innovation that promotes accountability and transparency on the path towards improvement.

Keywords:

Educational Stoplight, education, tool.