Organization for Educational Research and Planning

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In the name of God, the beneficent, the merciful

Ministry of Education

at a Glance

Public Relations and International Affairs Office

In the name of God, the beneficent, the merciful

OERP is an affiliated organization to the Ministry of Education. Its act of establishment was passed by the time parliament by the name of "Organization for Educational Research and Renewal", however it was renamed the Organization for Educational Research and Planning by approval of the Revolutionary Council in early 1980. Because of its scientific-research nature resembling universities and research institutions, it is ruled by a board of trustees since January 2008. OERP tries to lay the groundwork for educating learned, capable, religious students who are prepared to live a life with dignity. This is pursued through planning quality curriculums and providing educational programs based on the Education Fundamental Transformation Charter and the National Curriculum pertinent to scientific, technological and research developments, preserving the cultural and Islamic values, and productively interacting with the similar national, regional and international organizations.

In this pamphlet, the main missions and activities of the organization and its subdivisions are briefly introduced.

Public Relations and International Affairs Office

Goals and Key Tasks of OERP

Objectives:

Study and research on qualitative issues of education, carrying out continuous evaluation, regulating academic programs, compiling and publishing textbooks, and preparing schools and learning institutions to apply modern utilities and methods to improve the quality of education.

Key Tasks:

Conducting research on the programs of all courses and academic levels regarding domestic requirements as well as physical and mental capabilities of students;
Recognizing and setting the aims and objectives of all grades and courses and planning appropriate curriculums as well as determining desirable subject proportions of different courses and levels;
Carrying out studies on and coordinating suitable methods of administering examinations and academic assessments;
Compiling, preparing and publishing textbooks and educational publications for students, teachers and other educational staff;
Working out the standard lists of educational material, aids and equipment in collaboration with the Organization for Development, Renovation and Equipping Schools;
Setting up projects for new teaching strategies and aids, as well as their implementation and evaluation;
Carrying out fundamental research concerning qualitative and quantitative improvement of education;
Training experts needed by the Ministry of Education, running training programs for teachers, school principals and others to keep constant relation with teachers and educational experts in order to examine their views and to pave the way for their participation in curriculum planning, programing and educational evaluation;
Providing advice and assistance for IRIB and other units, bodies and councils that are somehow related to the tasks of OERP;
Carrying out other tasks according to the approvals of OERP Council in order to achieve the organizational goals.

OERP Organizational Chart

(Ministry of Education)

Membership of Board of Trustees (based on OERP Establishment Act, Article 3)

Minister of Education (chairman of the board)
Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance
Minister of Economy and Financial Affairs
Minister of Science, Research and Technology
Director of IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting)
Vice-president and head of Management and Planning Organization
Seven distinguished scholars of education
Deputy Minister of Education and Head of OERP (secretary of the board)

It is worth mentioning that members' appointment letters are signed by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Chairmanship Department

Office of the Head of OERP

Key Tasks

Organizing meetings and correspondence of the Head of the Organization with people, units and departments, both inside and outside the organization;
Following up the orders and delegations of the Head to fulfill properly within his policies and instructions.

The chairmanship department has some subdivisions including Management of Performance Evaluation and Accountability, Library and Archives, Public and International Relations, Safeguard Management, Contracts and Legal Affairs Group, Team of Advisors, and Darolfonoon School.

Management of Performance Evaluation and Accountability

Key Tasks

Carrying out studies on improving quality of performance assessment and relevant indices to develop procedures;
Developing specific indices and criteria for performance evaluation;
Arranging and carrying out periodic inspections of OERP divisions and subdivisions to check if they comply with the organizational goals and dedicated tasks and in addition, preparing reports accordingly;
Inspecting performance of managers and employees and surveying clients' satisfaction;
Preparing reports on the performance of OERP as well as on provincial departments of education to find if they meet the expectations of OERP;
Responding to people and external inspecting and supervising bodies.

Safeguard Management

Key Tasks

Planning and organizing all safeguard activities and measures;
Looking into eligibility of those nominated for responsible jobs from political and security points of view;
Reporting to the head of the organization on factors causing dissatisfaction among clients and the employees;
Handling reports from political, security, disturbance and moral points of view or reports on abusing positions;
Provisions for securing classified documents;
Taking precautionary security measures about installations and places;
Adopting security and strategic policies on communications and data exchange.

Library and Archives

Key Tasks

Looking for, selecting and obtaining up-to-date resources according to information and research requirements of educational scholars and the educational system;
Categorizing resources, disseminating information and providing clients with appropriate services;
Preserving and continuously completing the archive of textbooks as a treasure of educational heritage;
Obtaining documents and research findings on textbooks as well as looking for other resources such as reports, agreements, approvals, guidelines, etc. related to the goals and missions of the Organization.

Public Relations and International Affairs Office

Key Tasks

Planning and applying appropriate methods of conveying the polices, goals, projects and activities of OERP to the public, clients and the media as well as running OERP multilingual website;
Polling views of the public and collecting comments of media on the Organization and reporting the findings to the OERP authorities;
Organizing national, religious and cultural ceremonies;
Planning and organizing events and procedures to improve employees' spirit and interaction;
Connecting and productively interacting with similar international organizations and conventions;
Holding meetings of Planning Council of International Activities.

Contracts and Legal Affairs Group

Key Tasks

Considering current rules, regulations, programs, contracts, projects and budgetary constraints legally;
Supervising fulfilling conditions of OERP contracts with persons or legal entities;
Formulating lawsuits, petitions and pleas and attending courts to defend the rights of the Organization;
Reviewing drafts of OERP contracts and legal documents and giving advice on them.

Darolfonoon School

The magnificent building of Darolfonoon was listed as a national heritage in 1996. Based on the approval of the Council of Deputy Ministers of Education on 30^th August 2014, it was decided to use the premises as the Ministry of Education Treasure House and Archives. Therefore, it was decided to finish the strengthening and restoration operations of the school in two years.

Key Tasks

Collecting and classifying documents, (text)books and any innovations introduced by past or present educators and students;
Standardizing definitions and concepts related to the process and history of education;
Providing governmental or nongovernmental organizations with information services related to the history of education.

OERP Scientific Coordinating Council

On 27^th July 1999, this council was established, and its code was approved, to coordinate activities aiming at the goals, missions and projects of OERP in the fields of planning curriculums, producing educational material and equipment, and to make provision for a scientific system for reforming educational programs and curriculums according to the current requirements and policies.

Tasks and activities of the council are pursued by a secretariat whose members are assigned by the Head of OERP.

Key Tasks of the Secretariat

Gathering facts and data needed by the council through searching or appropriate studies and research;
Dispensing orientation circulars and instructions on the decisions of the council to ensure uniformity of strategies and procedures;
Pursuing, supervising and assessing implementation of decisions of the council;
Examining, and if necessary amending, projects and regulations proposed to the council;
Organizing ad hoc advisory commissions to look into certain issues;
Discovering, applying and promoting priority researches according to missions of the organization.

Department of Compilation and Production of Educational Materials and Multimedia

Key Tasks

Managing and coordinating extension of fundamental and applied research on curriculum, educational evaluation and educational innovations;
Making relation with specialized individuals and organizations, public or private, domestic or international, to increase the quality of educational material and media;
Planning and supervising promotion of culture of applying new technologies in the educational system;
Planning and supervising development and production of needed components of educational packages and other media according to the respective curriculum;
Planning appropriate projects to encourage provincial educational departments in teaching by media and technology (in distance, virtual or conventional education);
Supervising individual and organizational performance of subdivisions of the department.

Subdivisions of the department include:

Bureau of Compiling Primary and Theoretical Secondary Textbooks
Bureau of Compiling TVE and Kar-Danesh Textbooks
Bureau of Educational Technology and Publications

Bureau of Compiling Primary and Theoretical Secondary Textbooks

This bureau is in charge of designing, compiling and developing educational packages including textbooks and teacher guides for primary and nontechnical secondary levels.

Key Tasks

Carrying out studies, research, needs assessment, evaluation and accreditation on curriculums;
Setting general and specific objectives for different grades and nontechnical courses in collaboration with related organs within educational, moral, religious, cultural, economic and political requirements pertaining students' age and developmental stage;
Proposing structure of the educational system, divisions of levels and appropriate content regarding rearing and academic goals and aims of courses;
Planning and modifying curriculums of learning and rearing fields and providing framework of programs for each level of education;
Laying the groundwork for pre-evaluating and administering new curriculums;
Promoting curriculums and monitoring their implementation (training teachers, visiting provinces, answering raised questions, etc.)
Developing needed strategies and programs for general and theoretical subjects, providing sets of appropriate standards and preparing evaluation regulations;
Developing and modifying educational packages including textbooks, teachers' guides and content of educational films for teachers;
Setting criteria for compiling textbooks, selecting compilers and editors and training them according to the upstream documents and educational and cultural policies of the country.

14 subject groups work in this bureau under supervision of the director-general and his two assistants. The groups include:

Math group;
Science group;
Foreign languages group;
Persian language and literature group;
Humanities and social studies group;
The Quran and Islamic studies group;
Reflection and research group;
Life style and life skills group;
Physical education and defense preparedness group;
Planning and evaluation group;
Culture and art group;
Teacher training coordination group;
Pre-school group;

Bureau of Compiling TVE and Kar-Danesh Textbook

This bureau is in charge of designing, compiling and developing educational packages for TVE education and Kar-danesh; a system in which students learn general studies at a learning center and acquire a skill by apprenticeship. The time deputy ministerial department of TVE established the bureau by the name of Bureau of Research and Planning in 1988. It was renamed bureau of compiling and planning for secondary education in 1993. The bureau was then transferred to OERP in 1998.

Key Tasks

Carrying out studies, research, needs assessment and accreditation on TVE and Kar-danesh curriculums;
Doing occupational and employment research and needs assessment according to the national requirements;
Providing assistance in curriculum planning in the learning fields of health, physical education, culture and arts;
Planning curriculum for the learning field of work and technology;
Planning and developing TV and Kar-danesh courses utilizing collaboration of experts, skilled technicians and art teachers, particularly the owners of enterprises and industries;
Examining TV curriculums and asking for approval from legal authorities;
Developing and improving educational packages including textbooks, teacher guides, student handbooks, educational films for teachers, etc.;
Making arrangements for continuous improvement of TVE and Kar-danesh curriculums;
Setting needed standards of skills;
Advancing curriculums and watching out their implementation (training teachers, visiting provinces, answering raised questions, etc.)
Amending curriculums and educational packages;
Laying the groundwork for pre-evaluating curriculums and administering them utilizing collaboration of skilled technicians, art teachers, university professors and industrial specialists who are aware of labor market;

There are 11 subject groups working under supervision of the Director-General of the bureau. The subject groups include:

Electrical Engineering group;
Mechanical Engineering group;
Construction group;
Metallurgy group;
Computer Sciences group;
Agriculture group;
Arts group;
Family and Health group;
Work and Technology group;
Planning and Accrediting group;
Kar-danesh group;

Bureau of Educational Technology and Publications

This bureau works in the fields of educational technology and publications to produce educational material and media needed for improving educational packages;

Key Tasks in the Field of Educational Technology

Planning for spread of application of educational technology in all schools;
Planning and managing production of audio-visual aids;
Planning and managing production of software and e-content for educational packages;
Planning for developing, setting, reviewing and improving standards for educational aids, media and utilities according to the latest developments;
Planning and preparing content for the National School Network;
Making relation with specialized public or private organizations, organs and institutions on promoting new technologies according to current rules and regulations;
Managing production and distribution of competent educational films for students and teachers through holding Roshd Int'l Film Festival.

Key Tasks in the Field of Educational Publications

Studying and planning to satisfy international needs of teachers, schools principals and educational experts to appropriate educational material;
Producing and distributing 31 titles of general and specialized Roshd Magazines for different age groups and various disciplines utilizing collaboration of subject experts;
Regulating educational material and resources in order to prevent distribution of nonstandard resources in schools and learning centers;
Testing, issuing certificates, setting standards and permitting producers of written educational material and media to use the standard logo on their products when they meet the standards;
Examining and supporting publication of written material (i.e. poem, stories, novels, articles, etc.) targeting children, adolescents and the youth;
Conducting, encouraging and supporting private and public sectors to produce written material and media through holding applicable Roshd festivals.

The bureau carries out the above tasks through 9 teams as follow:

Monthlies supervising team;
Quarterlies supervising team;
Technical and artistic affairs supervision team;
Materials standards setting and organizing team;
Audio-visual media promoting team;
Roshd Int'l Film Festival team;
Educational software development and application team;
Quality control standards setting team;
E-content development team.

National School Network (Roshd)

This network is a virtual space that provides educational services and contents within the national curriculum using available capacities and capabilities in educational ICT.

E-content development team runs the network.

Key Tasks in the Field of Educational Technology

Providing educational services and contents to support schools;
Adapting educational services and contents to suit needs and interests of students, teachers and families;
Creating an environment for producing, exchanging and synergizing educational experiences based on creativity and innovation;
Laying the groundwork for achieving educational equality throughout the country.

Borhan Cultural Institution (Madreseh Publications)

The goal of the institution is to organize the trend of producing content and to improve the quality of appropriate and valuable works under supervision of Production Policy Making Council using participation of the most outstanding experts of content production. Key task of the institution is to create educational and religious books and other publications for Iranian students and educators as well as the International division. So far the institution has published the following:

A variety of books for different age groups;
Dictionary of proverbs and related stories;
The Lexicon of Persian for children and adolescents;
Workbooks for primary and middle schools;
Thematic works of art of Persian poetry;

The institute has been chosen as the best publisher in the national festivals for several times.

Iran ICDL Foundation

The foundation is the exclusive official representative of the international ICDL foundation in Iran and is in charge of digital literacy in the country. Its goals are to pave the way to teaching enough basic skills to educational experts, teachers and school principals, to enhance quality of digital education among educators, students and other groups, and to stabilize the legal system as well as to preserve and secure brands of Iran ICDL.

Key Tasks

Restructuring in order to spread and promote digital literacy among all groups of society uniformly;
Granting permission to institutions to run ICDL courses and to hold assessment sessions according to the international criteria and standards;
Encouraging all groups to acquire digital literacy and granting international certificates for those passing approved courses;
Evaluating ICDL products and learning tools;
Setting national standards and localizing international standards for the country;
Promoting application of digital skills (ICDL) in educational, social, cultural, economic and business activities;
Increasing efficiency of users of computers at work;
Providing equal opportunities for everybody to be able to be a member of information society;
Granting permission to print, publish or duplicate books and software and running professional websites or any type of teaching media related to ICDL or issues including the rights of international ICDL.

Cinema Felestine (Palestine)

OERP provides the employees and their families with certain educational and welfare facilities. Cinema Felestine is an example. The cinema has been under the ownership of the organization since 2003 and has been refurbished completely. It has three film theaters equipped with Dolby sound system and the best projection equipment. In recent years, the cinema has been the focal point for screening films presented at Roshd Int'l Film Festival and other festivals such as Tehran Int'l Short Film Festival, Iran Int'l Documentary Film Festival, etc.

Institute for Educational Studies and Research

The institute was established in 2005 in order to increase scientific knowledge of both line and staff human resources of the ministry of education, to support the educational system scientifically, to address part of domestic educational research needs, to develop and promote educational studies and research, and to merge research institutes of the ministry of education. Key goals of the institute include extension and promotion of research activities in all fields related to education and laying appropriate groundwork for improving related research activities.

Key Tasks

Recognizing educational research needs;
Carrying out fundamental, applied and developmental research projects according to the goals of the institute;
Gathering requisites appropriate to research activities;
Collaborating with Iranian and foreign universities and research institutes to improve quality of research activities related to education, observing relevant rules and regulations;
Providing persons and legal entities with consultancy services based on the findings of the institute;
Publishing professional and research periodicals, books and booklets, and creating software according to the goals of the institute and the current regulations;
Organizing conferences, meetings and workshops.

Subdivisions of the Institute

The institute consists of subdivisions, namely Institute of Education, Institute of Curriculum Planning and Educational Innovation, Institute of Special Education, Institute of Family and School, Research Center for Rural, Nomadic and Bilingual Education and National Center for TIMSS and PIRLS. Each subdivision is in charge of its own tasks; however they have some common tasks as follow:

Key Common Tasks

Looking into and evaluating research proposals;
Recognizing educational issues and difficulties and setting research priorities according to their own goals;
Directing research towards the needs and requirements of education;
Undertaking research on priorities and supervising progress of approved research projects;
Disseminating research findings and providing researcher with consultation services;
Having books and articles authored or translated;
Keeping connection with other research institutions, identifying skilled researchers and establishing cooperation with them.

Institute of Education

This institute was established to satisfy part of research tasks of the ministry of education. It is governed according to its approved charter. The main tasks of the institute include research on educational issues of all levels; research on mental and social problems of children, adolescents and the youth; flourishing their characters and their social participation; research on economy, planning and development of education; and assessing the quality and effectiveness of undertaken researches. The institute enjoys the efforts of the following research groups:

Islamic education research group;
Research group of economy of education and human resources;
Physical education research group.

Institute of Family and School

This institute was established in 1997 to conduct fundamental and applied research on the methods and patterns of interaction between families and schools and the ways of consolidating the ties between these two social institutions. Research groups of the institute include:

Research group of sociology of education and family education;
Research group of family counseling and guidance;
Research group of participation and relations.

Institute of Special Education

This institute was established in 1994 to conduct research on all aspects related to exceptional children and to address their needs. It was merged with others to form the Institute for Educational Studies and Research in 2004. Its research groups include:

Research group of sensorimotor disabilities;
Research group of mental disabilities and talented children;
Research group of behavior disorders and learning disabilities.

Institute of Curriculum Planning and Educational Innovation

This institute was established as a subdivision of OERP in 2000 and then merged with others in 2010. It has the following research groups:

Research group on curriculums of humanities;
Research group on curriculums of math and physics;
Research group on curriculums of TVE;
Research group on foundations of curriculum planning;

Tabriz Institute of Applied Educational Research (Research Center for Rural, Nomadic and Bilingual Education)

This institute was established in 2004 to lay the groundwork for doing applied research on the issues and difficulties of bilingual provinces. The institute has the following research groups:

Research group of education and teaching methods in bilingual regions;
Research group of social sciences and regional studies.

National Center for TIMSS and PIRLS

The international studies of TIMSS (the trends in international mathematics and science study) and PIRLS (the progress in international reading literacy study) are the most important and the widest comparative studies on evaluating academic achievement. The studies assess educational performance of 60 countries, including Iran, in math, science and reading literacy.

TIMSS Goals

Some goals of this study include:

Studying international trends in math and science performance for grades 4 and 9;
Measuring the gap between performance of participating countries and their difference with global performance regarding the variance between educational systems;
Measuring inputs and outputs of math and science education every four years between 1995 and 2015;
Assessing science and math achievements in pre-university (TIMSS advanced 2008) between 1995 and 2008;
Finding out about weaknesses and strengths of educational systems in order to improve the quality of international performance.

PIRLS Goals

Some goals of this study include:

Studying international performance in reading abilities for grades 4 and 9;
Studying the underlying factors for gaining reading skills comparing other participating countries;
Measuring the trend of reading achievement;
Measuring the gap between performances of participating countries and providing them with the knowledge and practical procedures to improve;
Comparing the national and international results to find weaknesses and strengths of educational systems and proposing practical methods for improvement.

Department of Resource Development and Logistics

Key Tasks

Taking account of resources, current development program act, the budget act, programs and policies of Ministry of Education and OERP;
Recognizing new resources, methods, techniques and technologies, and applying them appropriately;
Supervising and managing human, financial, informational and physical resources according to the goals and duties of the organization;
Making necessary provisions for improving the efficiency of administration methods and task procedures;
Analyzing and restructuring the organization according to the plans of government and ministry of education;
Planning and supervision for supplying eligible human resources for the organization;
Continuously assessing activities of subdivisions of the organization and performance of human resources;
Making provisions to gradually apply international standards in textbooks printing and binding;
Supervising preparation, publication and distribution of textbooks using the most suitable methods and new technologies.
Handling contracts with persons and legal entities and keeping the qualitative standards of educational materials up to date.

The department has the following subdivisions:

Directorate of Planning, Programming, and Financial Affairs;
General Directorate of Supervising Publication and Distribution of Educational Materials;
General Directorate of Administration and Logistics.

Directorate of Planning, Programming, and Financial Affairs

Key Tasks

Preparing long-term, short-term and annual programs of the organization;
Forecasting revenues and estimating expenditures of approved projects, programs and activities;
Proposing the annual budget of the organization and getting the detailed budget approved;
Monitoring annual programs, performance of the subdivisions of the organization and keeping coordination and integrity in programs to fulfill the strategic program goals;
Ensuring fulfillment of financial regulations, instructions and procedures;
Keeping a record of properties, assets, funds, liquidity, deposits and commercial papers;
Making arrangements for establishing performance management system in the organization, assessing efficiency, and conducting related necessary research;
Setting standards of activities and planning for reforming and upgrading processes and methods for improvements in efficiency;
Observing standards of accounting and preparing full financial statements;
Having annual audits carried out by official audit organizations and providing the board of trustees with the reports;
Preparing performance reports and submitting them to related authorities.

General Directorate of Supervising Publication and Distribution of Educational Materials

Key Tasks

Employing advanced technics for pre-printing, printing and post-printing tasks;
Arranging all pre-printing jobs including preparation, editing, typesetting, proofreading, drawing, photographing, illustrating, designing and graphics, layout, etc.;
Arranging and supervising all technical affairs of textbooks printing and publishing as well as all post-printing jobs including binding, packing and storing;
Supervising distribution and sale of educational packages created for primary and secondary students throughout the country;
Arranging and supervising duplication and distribution of CDs of educational software, films, audiobooks as well as monitoring e-production and e-publishing throughout the country;
Recording students and teachers' statistics to determine circulation of textbooks and provincial quota;
Pricing textbooks based on the approval of OERP Tariff Council;
Auditing production cost of textbooks and auditing accounts with contractors;
Recording accounts of educational departments of districts and provinces for educational packages, informing about debts, settlement of debts and preparing statements;
Identifying contractors, persons or legal entities, and signing contracts with them to supply printing consumables, to carry out printing and binding jobs, and to distribute textbooks, and outsourcing some artistic jobs in addition;
Undertaking printing orders of other departments of ministry of education;
Implementing mechanized systems of preparation, production and distribution of educational material.

General Directorate of Administration and Logistics

Key Tasks

Handling service and welfare affairs of employees;
Arranging recruitment, staffing and redundancy of human resources according to strategies of OERP and ministry of education;
Arranging, coordinating and performing all administrative tasks of personnel including assignments, job change, promotions, attendance, leave, missions, etc.;
Doing restructuring studies and monitoring performance conformity with organizational chart;
Performing needs assessments, planning and running in-service training courses and preparing programs for improvement of human resources;
Planning for utilizing ICT in the organization in order to realize e-government as well as providing support services in this regard;
Planning for employees' needs in fields of health, welfare, sports, etc., raising morale of the employees, and retirement affairs;
Studying and proposing procedures for organizing human resources, conformity of jobs with employees, promotion system, etc.;
Providing services for maintenance of utilities, equipment and buildings, overhaul and repair services, renovations, etc.