Most schools treat the ARAL Program audit like a checklist—a compliance requirement with documents, scorecards, and deadlines. But what if we told you that it’s actually a powerful leadership tool? When viewed strategically, the audit becomes more than just bureaucracy. It turns into a mirror that reflects the school’s capacity to serve its learners, especially the most vulnerable.
As emphasized in DepEd’s ARAL guidelines and supported by frameworks from UNESCO and McREL International, effective schools use data not just to report—but to improve. This post walks you through how to rethink and maximize your school’s participation in the ARAL audit process—not just for submission, but for transformation.
🗂️📆 What Is the ARAL Audit Phase?
The ARAL Audit Phase is part of DepEd’s monitoring system to assess how ready, responsive, and effective schools are in implementing the National Learning Recovery Program. The audit is divided into three major phases aligned with the school year:
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BOSY (Beginning of School Year) – Focus on Readiness
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MOSY (Mid-Year of School Year) – Focus on Responsiveness
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EOSY (End of School Year) – Focus again on Responsiveness and impact measurement
Each audit phase uses official Google Forms that school focal persons must complete within a prescribed timeframe.
📤 Official Submission Links for Each Audit Phase:
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✅ BOSY – Readiness
Submission Link: https://forms.gle/VTL8QyGvvPwVjPzH9 -
✅ MOSY – Responsiveness
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✅ EOSY – Responsiveness
Both share the same submission link: https://forms.gle/yTLtdJCCSdUQG75D9
As stated in the official DepEd memo, schools must retain signed copies of offline templates and submit all data only after careful validation.
📚📁 From Documentation to Self-Reflection: Audit as Internal Review
The required documents go beyond simple evidence—they form the basis of a school’s internal diagnostics. These include:
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CRLA or other learner assessment results
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LIS-tagged learner profiles, especially for those with vulnerabilities
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Tutor deployment lists, training attendance, and ARAL schedules
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Records on health, nutrition, psychosocial support, and parent engagement
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Plans and budgets (e.g., SIP, MOOE, SEF) that reflect ARAL priorities
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Documentation of PTA meetings and community partnerships
According to Victoria Bernhardt, an international expert in educational data use, data should “build a school’s capacity to improve,” not just sit in a folder.
The ARAL audit, therefore, should help answer the critical question:
Is your school truly ready and responsive to every learner’s need—or are we just filling out forms?
📊💬 Understanding the Domain-Specific Scorecards
One of the core components of the ARAL audit is the Domain-Specific Scorecards. Each school evaluates itself across five domains using a scoring rubric:
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Met (90–100%)
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Partially Met (70–89%)
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Not Met (<70%)
These are based on actual evidence, administrative data, and direct observations. No guesses or assumptions allowed.
The real value? Schools that honestly self-assess are better able to identify weak areas and make data-driven interventions. This echoes DepEd’s School-Based Management (SBM) principle: data-informed decision-making.
👥✔️ School Audit Team: Guarding Integrity and Accuracy
Before submission, schools must form a School Audit Team—a group composed of both teaching and non-teaching staff tasked with verifying all entries.
This team validates:
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Tutor deployment and attendance
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Session schedules
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Health screenings and interventions
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Learning materials distribution
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Learner enrollment and vulnerability tags in LIS
According to DepEd guidelines, this ensures data integrity. The team must avoid estimation and use only verifiable documentation.
By embedding these validations into regular SBM or ARAL meetings, schools build a culture of integrity and collective responsibility—a hallmark of effective governance.
⏱️📨 Submitting the Final Report: It's Not Just a Deadline
After validation, the School Head or focal person must submit the final data through the assigned Google Form. A signed offline template should also be saved as a backup.
In some cases, updates or corrections may be allowed through the same form, depending on the Division Office’s instructions. Schools are advised to always:
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Submit on time
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Retain a copy
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Report issues immediately to their SDO focal person
If technical issues arise, schools may be given alternatives like offline digital encoding, but they must inform authorities right away.
💻🛠️ What If There Are Tech Problems?
DepEd has anticipated common digital issues—link errors, submission failures, and browser bugs. Schools must immediately contact their SDO focal persons, who can coordinate with the Regional or Central Office for quick resolution.
This quick reporting and support system reflects how schools respond to challenges—not just for audits but for learner needs too.
🧠📈 Using the ARAL Audit for Sustainable Change
Once the audit is complete, the question becomes: What now?
Schools should use the results to improve:
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Tutor assignments and support
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Learning resources for disadvantaged students
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ARAL session scheduling
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Monitoring learners with disabilities or under social programs like 4Ps and TUPAD
As UNESCO emphasizes in its Educational Monitoring Framework, evidence-based planning is critical for quality and equity in education.
The ARAL audit gives every school a roadmap to act—not react.