Preliminary assessment of the first payment request of Romania

implementation of the Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) shall allow for an integrated and systemic approach at local, regional and national level (page 12). The text includes 2 annexes:  Annex 1 of the Ministerial Order states that the Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) provides a coherent and uniform framework for early detection of pupils at risk of early school leaving, as it is based on real-time data collection of early signs (such as low academic performance, class repetition, absences, inadequate school behaviour). It allows school staff and decision-makers at county and central level to coordinate, plan and implement appropriate and immediate measures to mitigate identified risks and problems. Such an integrated approach at all levels will allow for close monitoring and timely adjustments;  Annex 2 sets out the methodology for the implementation and use of the Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) IT tool, covering identification and assessment of pupils at risk,

the planning and implementation of appropriate measures to reduce early school leaving at school, class and student level, defining monitoring and adjustment responsibilities as well as the data collection. Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

Number: 464       Related Measure: Supporting educational establishments with high risk of drop-outs

Name of the Milestone: Open call for projects for the support of students for the transition from
lower to upper secondary education, on the basis of 5 indicators defined in the Early Warning
Mechanism in Education
Qualitative Indicator: Publication of the call                                   Time: Q4 2021
Context:

The objective of this investment is to reduce early school leaving by means of using the Early Warning Mechanism in Education methodology and IT tool to allocate financial resources to schools for the support of students for the transition from lower to upper secondary education. The ultimate goal is the reduction in early school leaving.

The fulfilment of this milestone required launching a call for projects to award grants for educational establishments, on the basis of 5 indicators defined in the Early Warning Mechanism in Education, for the support of students for the transition from lower to upper secondary education. All indicators are calculated on the basis of a weight that analyses the quantity, i.e. the number of students and teachers, or the quality, i.e. the marks obtained in the national assessment. The five indicators are as follows: (1) percentage of replacement teachers in relation to total number of teachers; (2) secondary education attainment rate; (3) the ratio of repeat and drop-out pupils to the total number of pupils; (4) the participation rate of secondary school graduates in the national assessment for class Vlll graduates; (5) the share of lower secondary school graduates who scored less than 6 in the national assessment for class Vll graduates.

Based on the vulnerability index on Early School Leaving, Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) schools were classified into three categories, depending on the priority of the intervention: high, medium and low. High-priority educational units, which need immediate intervention, are considered to be those that receive a total score between 3,5 and 5 and that have several elements of vulnerability, such as a high number of substitute teachers, a high dropout rate, low participation rate and poor national assessment results. These schools shall be prioritised for funding. Eligible activities include:  pedagogical and support activities;  extra-curricular activities;

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