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🌟 Shaping the Future: Reimagining the Vision of a Quality Teacher in the Philippine Education System 🌟

In a rapidly evolving world, the definition of a quality teacher continues to shift alongside the needs of 21st-century learners. While the image from the DepEd’s Teacher Standards Assessors Program presents a clear framework of what constitutes a competent and impactful educator, this blog post takes a deeper dive—not merely listing the components, but exploring the mindset, transformation, and lifelong journey that lies behind each principle.

🎯 What It Truly Means to Know What to Teach and How to Teach It

At the heart of every successful classroom is a teacher who doesn’t just master the curriculum but transforms it into something meaningful. According to the Department of Education (DepEd) and supported by UNESCO’s Teacher Policy Development Guide, effective teaching stems from aligning content knowledge with pedagogical strategy. This means constantly updating teaching methods, integrating real-life applications, and tailoring instruction to meet the ever-changing needs of learners.

The 21st-century teacher isn’t a dispenser of information—they are a designer of learning experiences.

🌱 Building a Learning-Focused Environment That Nurtures Growth

A learning-focused classroom is more than just clean bulletin boards and organized chairs. It is a climate where curiosity is welcomed, mistakes are treated as learning opportunities, and emotional safety is prioritized. As the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) emphasize, a quality teacher nurtures not only academic competence but also emotional intelligence and self-discipline.

Creating this environment requires intentional classroom management, empathy, and continuous reflection on how students respond to various instructional approaches.

🌍 Embracing Learner Diversity in All Its Forms

A truly inclusive classroom doesn’t just accommodate differences—it celebrates them. Whether in terms of learning styles, socioeconomic background, language, or ability, a quality teacher recognizes that diversity enriches the learning environment.

According to the Inclusive Education Framework by DepEd, differentiation is not an option but a necessity. Teachers must use formative assessments, feedback loops, and student voice to create learning pathways that meet everyone where they are—and guide them to where they need to be.

✏️ Designing Instruction With Intent: Planning for Impact

The art of teaching lies in its planning. But not just any planning—strategic, responsive, and data-informed planning. Instructional design must be aligned with learning objectives, assessment strategies, and student needs.

Following research from the National Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, effective instruction requires teachers to anticipate misconceptions, scaffold learning experiences, and integrate multimodal resources to enhance understanding.

🧠 Using Assessment Tools as Instruments for Growth, Not Judgment

Too often, assessment is seen as a final checkpoint. But for a quality teacher, assessment is a compass, guiding both teacher and student toward mastery. From exit slips to project-based rubrics, assessment must inform instruction and provide real-time feedback.

As emphasized in the PPST, teachers should adopt both quantitative and qualitative tools to capture learning progress—shifting from a culture of grading to a culture of growth.

🤝 Upholding Professional Ethics and Strengthening Community Ties

A teacher’s influence extends far beyond the classroom walls. Establishing positive relationships with families and the community is vital for student success. According to DepEd’s Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers, ethical behavior includes transparency, respect, and commitment to public service.

Quality educators collaborate with stakeholders, involve parents in the learning process, and serve as role models of civic responsibility.

🔁 Reflective Practice and Lifelong Learning: The Hallmarks of Teacher Growth

No teacher ever “arrives.” Instead, they evolve continuously. Reflection, as highlighted in the PPST Strand 7, allows educators to assess their effectiveness and engage in meaningful professional development.

Whether attending training, participating in professional learning communities (PLCs), or simply journaling after each class, professional reflection is where growth begins. A quality teacher owns their learning—and models it for their students.

📘 FAQs on the 2023 SGC Functionality Assessment Tool — Access Here!

Understanding the School Governance Council (SGC) Functionality Assessment Tool is vital for ensuring accountability, transparency, and collaborative leadership in Philippine secondary schools. In support of DepEd Order No. 26, s. 2022, which lays out the framework for establishing and operationalizing SGCs, this post aims to provide an in-depth, clarified, and strategic discussion of the 2023 SGC Functionality Tool — not just as a checklist, but as a reflection of educational leadership readiness.

Rather than repeating bullet-style FAQs, we will explore the deeper meanings, challenges, and implementation dynamics of each guideline, all while incorporating the most relevant keywords, cited references, and insights. ✅

🔍 What Is the SGC Functionality Assessment Tool Really Measuring?

According to the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development – School Effectiveness Division (BHROD-SED), the SGC Tool measures how well secondary schools demonstrate the functionality and performance of their School Governance Councils. But more than just compliance, it checks:

  • The extent of shared leadership between stakeholders

  • The strength of school-community partnerships

  • The implementation of school-based management strategies

This assessment is more than procedural—it’s transformative. Secondary schools, including integrated schools with JHS and SHS, are the focus of this digital tool's deployment, which is available through specific Google Form links distributed via Regional Offices (ROs).

📥 Who Can Access the Tool and When?

Access is tightly managed. Only the RO and SDO composite teams with official submissions to the Central Office (CO) are given access to the Google Drives where the reports are stored. As clarified in the memorandum released on September 26, 2023, the SGC Tool is now officially open for input, with all Google Form links already disseminated.

For newly established secondary schools, they are exempted—unless they participated in the Baseline Survey. Only those who did so will be required to submit entries in the Endline Survey.

📤 On Re-accomplishing the Tool: Can We Submit Again?

Originally, once submitted, Means of Verification (MOVs) were considered final and immutable. But on January 23, 2024, the moratorium on re-accomplishments was lifted. Schools are now allowed to re-accomplish their tools, especially if improvements have been made or errors occurred.

However, it's essential to note that submitted MOVs cannot be edited. If changes are necessary, schools must resubmit entirely using the updated tool.

This decision reflects BHROD-SED’s responsiveness to field realities and its willingness to adapt its policies based on actual school performance data.

🧾 What Templates Should We Use for MOVs?

The official directive is clear: prescribed templates from BHROD-SED must be used. While schools may feel tempted to innovate or customize their documentation, standardization ensures clarity and comparability across all regions.

Those MOVs validated as functional in the Baseline Survey can still be reused, provided the school is referring to validated templates and not their own informal versions.

🧑‍🏫 Leadership Roles and Meeting Protocols Clarified

A common concern revolves around leadership transitions. If the PTA President serving as Co-Chair finishes their term, a new election is not immediately required. Instead, they continue their term for three consecutive school years, as stipulated in the SGC guidelines.

In organizing meetings, once the SGC is formed, it is no longer the principal but the SGC Co-Chairpersons who must issue the Notice of Meeting, with the principal merely “noting” the document.

📝 Validation and Reporting: What the SDO and RO Should Do

Another critical clarification: if an SDO Composite Team has validated an MOV, the RO cannot unilaterally overturn it. Coordination is key. The proper route is for the RO to recommend a review, which the SDO can then validate through established channels.

Validation can begin as soon as submissions come in, without waiting for all schools. This staggered approach encourages early submission and real-time processing.

Moreover, the SGC Re-accomplishment Monitoring Sheet (RMS) inside Report 2 is crucial. Every Friday, the BHROD-SED refreshes the data, so SDO teams must update their validation statuses based on the most recent submissions.

⚖️ On the Functional Indicators: What's Required vs. Advanced

The guidelines distinguish between Primary Sub-indicators (mandatory for functionality) and Other Sub-indicators (optional, but reflective of advanced SGC implementation). Schools striving for excellence may voluntarily pursue the latter as a sign of elevated governance maturity.

📎 Where to Access the Templates and Documents

Although you may only have “Viewer” access in the shared drives, you are encouraged to download the templates, personalize them, and submit them according to format.

Direct requests for access in Google Drive will not be approved unless done through proper RO-SDO-CO channels.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FAQs on the 2023 SGC Functionality Assessment Tool

🔚 Conclusion: Not Just a Tool, but a Transformation Framework

The SGC Functionality Assessment Tool isn't just about answering a form. It’s a leadership and partnership audit that reveals a school’s readiness for true community participation. With proper access, coordination, and compliance, it empowers schools to benchmark their governance practices and move forward with purpose.

📖 According to DepEd, the implementation of D.O. 26, s. 2022 seeks to institutionalize inclusive school leadership and shared accountability. The SGC tool, thus, becomes the measurement of that vision in motion.

❓ FAQ #1: Who shall accomplish the Google Forms version of the SGC Tool?

✅ Answer: Only secondary schools are required to accomplish the Google Forms version of the tool. This includes integrated schools with Junior High School (JHS) and/or Senior High School (SHS).

🔗 bit.ly/JDConsultativeWorkshop_Attendance

❓ FAQ #2: Are newly established secondary schools required to respond to the SGC Tool?

❌ Answer: No. Only those secondary schools that participated in the Baseline Survey are required to answer the Endline Survey.

🔗 bit.ly/JDConsultativeWorkshop_Attendance

❓ FAQ #3: Can secondary schools begin answering the tool?

✅ Answer: Yes. A memorandum was released on September 26, 2023, announcing the release of the SGC Functionality Tool. The Google Form links have been sent to the ROs, which must then disseminate to their respective SDOs. Refer to the process flow attached to the memo.

❓ FAQ #4: Where can we access the Google Form version of the tool?

📧 Answer: The memo with the specific Google Form links for each SDO was emailed to the RO composite team. Please coordinate directly with your RO Composite Team.

❓ FAQ #5: Can we go back to the tool and change the submitted MOVs?

🚫 Answer: No. Once the MOVs (Means of Verification) are submitted, they can no longer be edited or removed. It is crucial to ensure all MOVs are final before submission.

❓ FAQ #6: Can we re-accomplish the SGC Tool since MOVs can’t be edited?

✅ Answer: Yes. As of January 23, 2024, the moratorium (initially set on November 7) has been lifted. All secondary schools are now allowed to re-accomplish the SGC Functionality Tool.

❓ FAQ #7: Why can I not access the SGC Tool reports?

🔐 Answer: Only RO and SDO composite teams with officially submitted emails to the Central Office (CO) will be granted access. Requests sent directly through Google Drive will not be approved.

❓ FAQ #8: Why can’t I access the sample MOV templates?

📄 Answer: The shared drive is set to “View Only.” You may download the files and make changes locally on your computer. You cannot edit directly on the drive.

❓ FAQ #9: Do we need to comply with the Other Sub-indicators?

🔎 Answer: Only the Primary Sub-indicators are required for SGC functionality. However, accomplishing the Other Sub-indicators is highly encouraged as it reflects advanced implementation.

❓ FAQ #10: We’re already functional in some indicators during the Baseline Survey. Do we need to revise our MOVs using the suggested templates?

📝 Answer: No need to revise. You may continue to use the previous validated templates from the Baseline Survey, provided they were deemed functional.

❓ FAQ #11: Can we use our own school templates in preparing MOVs?

❌ Answer: No. All MOVs must follow the prescribed template issued by BHROD-SED.

❓ FAQ #12: If the elected Co-Chairperson’s term as PTA President ends, do we need to elect a new one?

👥 Answer: No. Elected SGC officers serve for three consecutive school years. If the PTA President becomes an SGC officer, they will step down as a PTA member and be replaced by another PTA representative.

❓ FAQ #13: Should the principal sign the Notice of the Meeting?

🖊️ Answer: If the SGC is not yet organized, the principal can initiate and sign the Notice of Meeting. However, once the SGC is formed, the Co-Chairpersons should issue and approve the notice, with the principal's role being “Noted by.”

❓ FAQ #14: If the SDO has validated an MOV, can the RO change the validation?

❌ Answer: No. The RO must coordinate with the SDO Composite Team. Any revalidation must be initiated and processed by the SDO.

❓ FAQ #15: Should the SDO Team wait for all schools to submit before validating?

❌ Answer: No. The SDO Composite Team may begin validating as soon as submissions are available.

❓ FAQ #16: Now that schools can re-accomplish the SGC Tool, should the SDO Team update their validation?

✅ Answer: Yes. The BHROD-SED will refresh Report 2: SDO Validation Tool every Friday. SDOs must refer to the SGC Re-accomplishment Monitoring Sheet (RMS) to identify updated submissions and revise validation statuses accordingly.

📥 ACCESS HERE: Empowering School Communities Through the 2025 SGC To-Do Calendar 📅

The School Governance Council (SGC) plays a vital role in realizing School-Based Management (SBM) in the Philippines. More than just a decision-making body, the SGC reflects the collective leadership of the school, its stakeholders, and its community. In its latest effort to strengthen this collaboration, the Department of Education (DepEd), through the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development – School Effectiveness Division (BHROD-SED), has released a key resource: the SGC To-Do Calendar for 2025.

🏫 What Is the SGC and Why It Matters in Every School

Under the SBM framework, the SGC functions as a collaborative planning and monitoring mechanism. It brings together school leaders, parents, barangay officials, and other partners to design solutions that meet learners’ needs. According to DepEd SBM policy guidelines, shared governance improves transparency, responsiveness, and sustainability in public education.

By involving multiple stakeholders in planning and decision-making, the SGC promotes a school culture where everyone shares responsibility for student success. The SGC To-Do Calendar strengthens this structure by giving councils a clear, organized way to schedule, implement, and track their activities.

📘 The SGC To-Do Calendar: Not Just a Tool, but a Transformation

Launched on June 30, 2025, the SGC To-Do Calendar was developed by BHROD-SED to serve as a practical planning and documentation guide for SGCs. This tool provides suggested quarterly activities that councils may follow or customize based on their context.

What sets this calendar apart is its flexibility—SGCs may adjust the suggested timelines but are encouraged to align with their School Improvement Plan (SIP) and maintain a system of Means of Verification (MOVs) such as photos, attendance, and meeting minutes to document every milestone.

📌 According to the School Effectiveness Division, consistent use of this tool helps foster accountability and community ownership, making governance not just a formality but a living practice in every Filipino school.

💻 ACCESS HERE the Right Calendar Version for Your School

To make things even more convenient, DepEd has provided two versions of the calendar:

🔗 For schools with no existing SGC: https://tinyurl.com/SGCCalendar1
🔗 For schools with existing SGC: https://tinyurl.com/SGCCalendar2

Once downloaded, you can fill the calendar out digitally or print it for planning sessions. It serves as your school’s action planner—easy to understand, easy to implement, and fully aligned with the goals of accessible and quality education.

🤝 A Different Perspective: The Calendar as a Community Mobilizer

Most educators see the SGC Calendar as a scheduling aid, but its deeper value lies in how it builds community engagement. Through quarterly activities—like school clean-up drives, student recognition events, or consultative meetings—the calendar becomes a map of collaboration in action.

It’s not just the school principal or head teacher driving change anymore. Now, every parent, barangay official, and partner organization becomes part of a team working to provide the best environment for learners. The calendar thus becomes a symbol of unity and shared responsibility, rooted in local empowerment.

📞 Support and Contact Information

For clarifications or technical assistance, you may reach out to BHROD-SED via the following:

📱 Phone: (02) 8633-5397
📧 Email: bhrod.sed@deped.gov.ph

According to BHROD-SED, feedback from the field is crucial in further improving the tool. Schools are highly encouraged to share their experience with the calendar to help refine future resources.

🔗📨 Submission Links for ARAL Audit Readiness & Responsiveness: Beyond Compliance, Toward Real Impact in Schools

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:

  • BOSY (Beginning of School Year) – Focus on Readiness

  • MOSY (Mid-Year of School Year) – Focus on Responsiveness

  • 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:

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:

  • CRLA or other learner assessment results

  • LIS-tagged learner profiles, especially for those with vulnerabilities

  • Tutor deployment lists, training attendance, and ARAL schedules

  • Records on health, nutrition, psychosocial support, and parent engagement

  • Plans and budgets (e.g., SIP, MOOE, SEF) that reflect ARAL priorities

  • 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:

  • Met (90–100%)

  • Partially Met (70–89%)

  • 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:

  • Tutor deployment and attendance

  • Session schedules

  • Health screenings and interventions

  • Learning materials distribution

  • 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:

  • Submit on time

  • Retain a copy

  • 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:

  • Tutor assignments and support

  • Learning resources for disadvantaged students

  • ARAL session scheduling

  • 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.

🌟 Five Domains of ASRRA 🔍 A Fresh Lens on Empowering Learning Communities Through the ARAL Program

In the pursuit of equitable, resilient, and learner-centered education, the Department of Education (DepEd) has taken a decisive step with the ARAL School Readiness and Responsiveness Audit (ASRRA). While commonly seen as a school-based monitoring tool, the ASRRA's five domains offer something far more profound—a roadmap for transformation.

This article provides a unique take on the five domains of ASRRA, not as isolated metrics, but as interconnected forces that shape the quality and impact of the ARAL Program across Philippine schools. As defined in DepEd Order No. 18, s. 2025, the ASRRA evaluates schools before, during, and after ARAL implementation, ensuring both readiness and responsiveness.

Let’s explore how these five domains work together to build sustainable educational ecosystems, foster community ownership, and drive continuous growth.

📘 Domain 1: Learner Readiness – The Foundation of Equity

At the heart of any intervention is the learner. The Learner Readiness domain centers on how schools identify, assess, and support learners who need academic recovery.

But instead of just tagging names on a list, this domain promotes a deeper understanding of individual learner contexts, including health, psychosocial well-being, and learning history. Using standardized screening tools, schools can pinpoint learning gaps while considering emotional and physical factors—an approach aligned with UNICEF’s child-friendly education framework.

This domain ensures that intervention is not reactive but proactive, and that every learner receives timely, appropriate, and sustained support from Day 1.

👩‍🏫 Domain 2: Tutor Readiness – More Than Deployment

While traditional systems often measure teacher availability, the Tutor Readiness domain in ASRRA takes it a step further. It emphasizes not just quantity, but quality and alignment.

This means ensuring that the right tutors—whether teachers, para-teachers, or volunteer facilitators—have the skills, training, and subject expertise necessary to guide learners through the ARAL Program. It also looks at tutor-to-learner ratios and the presence of institutional support, such as mentoring, monitoring, and collaborative planning.

According to UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report, empowered and well-prepared teachers are central to learner recovery in the post-COVID world. This domain upholds that principle by making capacity-building a core function of readiness.

🏫 Domain 3: School Environment Readiness – Learning Spaces that Nurture

The third domain, School Environment Readiness, goes beyond having a room and a blackboard. It evaluates whether learning spaces are truly safe, accessible, and stimulating.

This includes:

  • Availability of ARAL-specific spaces

  • Accessibility features for learners with disabilities

  • Presence of instructional materials and child protection mechanisms

Schools in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) are especially prioritized. By addressing physical infrastructure and safety, this domain ensures that learners feel secure and supported, allowing them to fully engage with the program.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), learning is significantly affected by the child’s environment, particularly when safety and inclusivity are lacking. ASRRA confronts this by demanding environmental readiness that reflects dignity and care.

👪 Domain 4: Parental Engagement Readiness – The Home-School Connection

Education does not stop at the school gate. The Parental Engagement Readiness domain recognizes that parents and guardians are co-educators.

This domain ensures that:

  • Parents give informed consent for participation

  • They are oriented about ARAL goals and strategies

  • Their involvement complies with DepEd’s child protection and non-collection policies

But this isn’t just about meetings and memos. It’s about cultivating trust and ownership. Research from the Harvard Graduate School of Education shows that students perform better when parents are meaningfully engaged in their education.

Through this domain, ASRRA builds bridges—not barriers—between homes and schools.

⚙️ Domain 5: System and Community Support Readiness – Governance That Enables

Finally, the fifth domain ensures that support systems are embedded into school governance structures. It checks whether the ARAL Program is integrated into planning, budgeting, and monitoring processes.

Key elements include:

  • Alignment with School Improvement Plans (SIP)

  • Use of MOOE, SEF, and external funding sources

  • Partnerships with LGUs, NGOs, and community stakeholders

This domain echoes global best practices from the OECD Education Policy Outlook, which highlights how school autonomy, when paired with effective support, drives innovation and equity.

By reinforcing strong governance, this domain ensures that ARAL is not just a project, but a systemic commitment.

🔁 Beyond Auditing: ASRRA as a Continuous Growth Tool

What makes ASRRA unique is its two-pronged approach:

  • The Readiness Audit (BOSY) sets the stage for implementation.

  • The Responsiveness Audit (MOSY/EOSY) assesses how well schools adapt to real-world challenges.

This cycle promotes continuous improvement, helping schools recalibrate strategies based on actual results and ground realities. It’s not about perfection from the start—it’s about growth through reflection.

🧩 Connecting the Five Domains: A Unified Vision

Rather than viewing each domain in isolation, DepEd encourages schools to see the ASRRA’s five domains as interconnected pillars. One domain’s weakness can affect the whole program, while one domain’s strength can uplift the rest.

By embedding this holistic framework into everyday school life, the ASRRA becomes not just an audit—but a driver of transformation that empowers all education stakeholders to move forward together.

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