The Director of the Graduate School of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (SPs UNY), Prof. Dr. Siswantoyo, M.Kes., AIFO., served as a speaker at the 2026 National Coordination Meeting (Rakornas) and National Working Meeting (Rakernas) of the Indonesian Association of School Supervisors (APSI), held at the Harris Hotel in Surabaya on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. Taking place from October 12–15, 2026, the forum brought together approximately 556 participants, including association leaders and school supervisors from various regions across Indonesia.

SPs UNY’s participation in this national forum was part of an effort to strengthen synergy between higher education institutions and professional organizations for school supervisors. Through the promotion of postgraduate education programs, SPs UNY encouraged improvements in academic qualifications, professional competencies, and supervisors’ capacity to provide guidance and ensure educational quality.

In his presentation, Siswantoyo emphasized that school supervisors need to move beyond administrative inspection. They are expected to drive measurable change in the schools they oversee through transformational leadership, needs-based mentoring, data utilization, and the development of innovative learning practices. In this way, supervision goes beyond identifying problems to ensuring follow-up actions that have a meaningful impact on the quality of educational services. He underscored the importance of school supervisors becoming agents of change in the schools under their supervision. Strengthening these capabilities can be achieved, among other ways, through continuous professional development and further education relevant to the challenges facing education.

SPs UNY introduced opportunities to pursue master’s (S2) and doctoral (S3) degrees, including programs offered through the Distance Learning Program (PJJ). This scheme provides school supervisors from various regions with an alternative pathway to higher education, with learning arrangements that enable them to continue fulfilling their professional and family responsibilities in accordance with applicable academic regulations.

Siswantoyo also outlined SPs UNY’s commitment to supporting students’ academic progress through structured coursework, final project supervision, academic progress monitoring, and measures to accelerate study completion. These efforts are designed to improve the reliability of academic services while maintaining learning outcomes and higher education quality standards.

Furthermore, postgraduate education is expected not only to improve formal academic qualifications but also to strengthen supervisors’ ability to formulate research-based solutions. Real-world challenges encountered in the schools they oversee can be developed into academic studies, improvement recommendations, and innovations that can be implemented and evaluated for their impact.

The APSI National Coordination Meeting and National Working Meeting provided a strategic forum for connecting the professional development needs of school supervisors with the academic capacity of higher education institutions. By strengthening networks and exploring collaboration with APSI, SPs UNY hopes to expand access to further education while contributing to improvements in school supervision, educational guidance, and the quality assurance of Indonesia’s national education system. (SNT)