Program Coordinator: Ulviya Mikailova

Mission statement

The Step by Step (SbS) Program is a comprehensive education reform program for children from birth through age ten.
The program introduces child-centered, individualized teaching methodologies and supports community and family involvement in pre-schools and primary schools.
SbS also promotes active family involvement, for example, the program supports the idea that schools and parents must have a right of choice among alternative programs.
The program holds training workshops for teachers, assistant teachers, family coordinators, methodology specialists, psychologists and directors on new interactive methods of teaching that renders technical assistance to kindergartens and schools.

1. Reform of Methodologies for Preschools and Primary Schools
2. Reform of Teacher Training (pre-service and in-service)
3. Development of Non-Governmental organization called "Innovations in Education" which will offer comprehensive expertise and services in the field of Early Childhood

• The preschool component of the program has obtained the status as the official alternative methodology to the existing national program approved by the Ministry of Education (MoE).
• SbS has trained more than 1000 preschool teachers>, teaching assistants, primary teachers, school principals, inspectors, representatives of the ministries, while the university/pedagogical course has involved 100 faculties of many different universities training more than ,800 potential teachers.
• SbS has been highly evaluated by the Ministry of Education, local NGO's and universities here in Azerbaijan and America. The results achieved in practice show substantial progress by children in all areas resulting in great interest in the Program's expansion.

• Preschool Step by Step Program
• Elementary Step by Step Program
• High School Education Program
• Partnerships
• Publishing
• NGO Capacity Building

• Partnerships with Parents and the Community
• Integrating New Ideas into Teacher Training
• Development of Training Centers at Kindergartens and Elementary Schools
• Partnerships with Ethnic Minorities
• The Step by Step Program and the Ministry of Education
• Other Initiatives within the Step by Step Program
• Infants and Toddlers
• Disabled Children

Goals
To provide conditions (equipment, furniture and so on) which permit effective teaching and learning and to implement contemporary methods of teaching preschool, and at a later stage, primary school children.
Achievements since 1998
The project is now operational throughout Azerbaijan, in 53 kindergartens (160 classrooms with more than 3,500), and also at five universities involved in teacher training.

SOS Kinderdorf was offered a project for development of innovative teaching methods.

Goals
To develop an educational model for elementary schools, which will ensure the continuation and development of the philosophy and methodology of the pre-school program and introduce an alternative educational program based on democratic and developing principles.
Activities 2003
For teachers and principals of selected schools, workshops are held at various times during the school year. The project is now operational throughout Azerbaijan, in 44 primary schools (110 classrooms with more than 3,300 children), and also at five universities involved in teacher training.

Goals
One of the purposes of the Step by Step program is the training and re-training of teachers from Higher Education institutions.
Activities 2003
The OSI-Azerbaijan training workshops cover the following topics:
• Developing a learning environment within the group
• Education through games
• Active subjects: science, maths and quantitative games, arts and music, literature, writing and literacy, and drama
• Creation of integrated syllabus
• Observation of children
• Theoretical planning
• Individualization
• Creation of books
• PT training
• Family involvement
• Establishment of rules and regulations
• Role of the teacher
• Daily cycle "plan-action-evaluation"
• Adult-child interaction
• Integrated education - Speaking Development

• In 1998 OSI developed 18 Step by Step classrooms in 9 Azerbaijan kindergartens, in both Baku and the regions.
• In 1999 the program expanded to 7 more kindergartens, for a total of 35 classrooms in 16 schools. One of the new kindergartens is a school for children with speech impediments, and OSI will work to develop programs for handicapped children in an effort to integrate them into the regular school system.

Philosophy
Parent involvement is a cornerstone of the Step by Step Program because the education process should be accountable to the community
Parents support program in the different ways:
• volunteering as classroom assistants
• participating in parent school support efforts including creating some supplies, making school renovation and organizing different events, creating handicrafts (rugs, clothes, linens)
• donating equipment or books
Achievements
In a special Ministry of Education (MoE) collegiya's decision parent/community involvement within the SbS Program was recognized as being a very successful unique initiative in Azerbaijan, which should be implemented in all Azerbaijani schools.

Project Goals
To reform the curricula of pre-service pedagogical institutions to include a new experimental curriculum for the following specialties: Pedagogy and Methodology for Primary Education and, Mathematics and Informatika.
Achievements since 2000
• The inclusion of an SbS program for higher education into the curricula for the above mentioned specialties at Baku State Pedagogical University, State Pedagogical College and Teacher's Institute as a new pedagogical technology for Early Childhood.
• Since September 2000 the MoE approved kindergartens and schools implementing the SbS program to be sites at which teacher trainees of all the pre-service pedagogical institutions of country can observe and learn the new SbS pedagogical technology in practice.
Future Aims
In 2003, after the experiment with the new curriculum finishes, this curriculum (with SbS) approved for all pre-service pedagogical institutions in Azerbaijan. Resource centers on Innovative Teaching Technologies were created on the basis of five Higher Education Institutions to promote further development of project and establish links with teaching practice.

Project Goals
To spread the Step by Step methodology to the regions of Azerbaijan
Achievements
• The development of thirteen Training Centers nationwide in Baku, Sumgayit, Mingechevir, Guba, Lenkoran, Sheki, Nakhchivan, Shamakhi, Gakh, Salyan, Agjabadi each located at the best model kindergartens and elementary schools
• Training Centers are accessible to teachers from other schools that are interested in learning Step by Step methods and implementing them in their classroom
• Training Centers provide opportunities for comprehensive training and to receive mentoring from teachers experienced in working with Step by Step methods
• Comprehensive training offered by Training Centers was approved by the Ministry of Education as successful and will be accredited in 2004
• A special agreement with Ministry of Education was signed to develop alternative re-training services through Training Centers

Goals
To implement The Step by Step Program with a special focus on involving ethnic minorities in Azerbaijan.
Areas of implementation and target populations
• In western regions inhabited by Georgians (according to the request of the Georgian Embassy in Azerbaijan)
• In southern regions inhabited by Talyshs
• Northern regions inhabited by Lezgins
• North western regions inhabited by Avars
• One Jewish school in the north of Azerbaijan (according to the request of the Jewish community in Azerbaijan)

Overview
Since 1999 the Ministry of Education is conducting a new policy of education reform.
This has included the official recognition of Step by Step Program.
Results
After an OSI and MoE joint report on the implementation the Pre-school Step by Step program:
• SbS Preschool Program was approved as a new pedagogical technology for preschool education
• Adaptation of SbS preschool technology to the national preschool curriculum was requested
• Courses initiated on SbS technology as part of higher education reform in all re-training institutes (including their 12 of regional centers), the State Pedagogical University and the State Pedagogical College
• The establishment of a real democratic mechanism for creating replication classrooms:
  after accreditation all schools and teachers will be able to apply to the OSI-AF through the local education authorities to implement SbS pedagogical technology for preschool and primary education

Goals
To address the need for good didactically proper children's books in Azerbaijan using the Latin rather than the Cyrillic alphabet
Activities
• A special round table with participation of children's writers, publishers, teachers and parents was held
• An expert analysis of the didactic criteria for development and evaluation of the best children's books was made (on the basis of book accumulation sent by the OSI-NY)
• A competition was held for the best children's books for ages up to 10 years old from which a jury selected the best six books, which were then published.
• A special training for children's writers and illustrators was held to make them aware about didactic criteria for development of the best children's books

Goals
To promote effective teaching and learning of children with special educational needs in regular preschool, and at a later stage, primary classrooms
Activities 2003 - 2004
For teachers of selected schools and kindergartens, workshops are held to assist in implementing contemporary teaching methods on inclusion. According to the agreement with Ministry of Education the pilot project will be implemented in 2004.

• SOS Kinderdorf
• Schools
• Preschools
• Universities
• Teacher Re-Training Institutes
• Ministry of Education
• UNICEF
• EXXON MOBIL
• Children's Aid Direct
• United Aid for Azerbaijan
• United Nations Women's Guild
• United Methodist Committee on Relief
• World Vision
• AIOC

Elnara Gani-zade
Step by Step Preschool Program Coordinator
Farida Aliyeva
Step by Step Primary School Program Coordinator
Irada Mammadova
Director of Trainings