Q. What is the role of DIET in improving quality of education in the district ?

• DIET is considered as a nodal agency at the district level for planning , implementing and monitoring Pedagogical activities in the entire district.
• The DIET is to plan short-term training programmes for teachers of elementary schools of the district after ascertaining the needs of the teachers.
• It conducts training programmes for the teachers, BRC & CRC Coordinators and S.I. of Schools.
• It conducts action research studies and takes up corrective measures.
• It should provide resource support to BRC & CRC Coordinators and teachers in schools.
• It should review block and cluster level performance of teachers and resource coordinators.
• It should monitor pedagogical activities in the district and plan for qualitative interventions at all levels.

Q. What is Learning Achievement Tracking System (LATS) ?
Learning Achievement Tracking System seeks to analysise the results of Common Annual Examination (District based) from Class-I to VI genderwise, Subjectwise and classwise so as to locate the grey areas in students' learning. The level of learning in each class and in each subject is categorized as ‘A', ‘B', ‘C', ‘D' ( A- 80% & above, B-60% to 79%, C-30% to 59%, D- Less than 30%). Schools are categorized as good Schools and poor performing schools. This should form the basis for teacher training programme through monthly meetings at the cluster and S.I. circle level for 2006-07 financial year.

Q. What is Block Resource Centre (BRC) ?
BRC seeks to be a resource centre for giving all kinds of onsite academic support to the teachers of elementary level. It is required to function as a venue for teacher training, material development, community mobilization, action research works and organization of different activities/competitions among teachers and students. All sorts of data on Primary Education should be available in BRC. BRC must be involved in planning, implementing and monitoring all DPEP/SSA activities.

One full time BRCC of level III cadre of elementary level has been selected, trained and engaged in each BRC and is to be assisted by S.Is who have been declared as Additional BRCCs.

Q. What is Cluster Resource Centre (CRC) ?
CRC is required to do the same activity at the cluster level as BRC at the block level. CRC is to be located in the Nodal U.P. or UGUP or U.P. school at the G.P. Level. The U.P. school having highest roll strength in a G.P. may be given preference while taking such a decision. The CRCCs will be accountable to the Head Masters of the said school who have been declared as Panchayat Education Officers for rural areas and Cluster Education officers for Urban areas.

Research And Evaluation
Q. What is the organizational set up to carry out R & E activities?
Ans. The research and evaluation is a functional unit under SIEMAT (State Institute of Educational Management and Training) which is functioning as a part of SPO. This unit plan, coordinate and monitor the activities, document the findings and oversees the ways of incorporating these in the AWP & B for bringing about improvement in effective implementation of different intervention.

Q. What is the support mechanism from national level institutions ?
Ans.: To take up various activities under R & E, supports have been provided at the national level through Research Evaluation and Studies Unit (RESU) a functional unit of technical support group (TSG) for DPEP and EdCIL. Further, DPEP/SSA Core Research Group (CRG) in NCERT conducts research, organise training for state and district level personnel in action research/research methodology, conducts regional, national and international seminar. NIEPA also has a research component under DPEP /SSA resource support and organises training programmes and conduct studies.

Q. Which are the institutions providing resource support to R & E activities at the State level?
Ans.: At the state level, the following institutions are providing the resource support
TE & SCERT
RIE
UNIVERSITIES/COLLEGES
NGOs

Q. What is the role of DIET in the areas of R & E?
Ans.: DIET is the nodal agency at the district level to conduct and monitor R & E activities. The role of DIETs are as follows:

• to identify problem areas through direct interaction with different stakeholders of the district and sub-district levels.
• to design & conduct small research studies on different problems
• to monitor the action research activity in the district
• to train potential teacher, research workers in conducting action research and to provide resource support to them
• to share research findings, to incorporate those in district plans for further improvement in respective interventions.

Q. What is Action Research?
Ans. Action Research in education is a form of enquiry undertaken by the practitioners (teachers) in education situation (classroom or school) in order to improve

• their own educational practices
• their understanding of the practices
• the situations in which the practices are carried out

Q. What are the steps taken for building capacity of teacher on action research?
Ans. Trainings have been conducted on Action Research Methodology to the Primary School teachers/BRCC/CRCC. To facilitate easy understanding by them, a module on Action Research Methodology was developed and distributed to the trainees. An Oriya module is also developed.