GMU and TESOL Program Mid-Line evaluation 

In October, representatives of George Mason University (GMU) and TESOL International Association (TESOL) visited Uzbekistan to evaluate the ongoing third phase of the English Speaking Nation: Secondary Teacher Training (ESN: STT) professional development program. The delegation included Rebecca Fox and Joan Kang Shin from GMU and Heidi Faust from TESOL. After debriefing with American Councils Uzbekistan in Tashkent, the delegation departed for the regions accompanied by American Councils ESN Program staff. Their trips to the regions included class observations, interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders, and observations of Community of Practice (CoP) sessions. Operating on an intensive timeline, the delegation covered 15 sites across 12 regions in a week; they conducted over 21 observations, 17 interviews, 27 focus groups, and 3 CoP session observations – all of which were coordinated by GMU and TESOL. Representatives from GMU, TESOL, and American Councils also met with the Director of the Institute of Retraining and Advanced Training of Public Education workers named after A.Avloniy to share ideas and future program plans for the professional development of public school teachers in Uzbekistan.