Estimating the relationship between school resources and pupil attainment at GCSE

This report summarises the results from a project investigating the effect of additional school resources on pupil attainment in examinations for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). Specifically, we apply quantitative methods to a large, representative dataset to answer the following research questions. What is the impact of a marginal change in overall resourcing on pupil attainment at GCSE? What is the impact of extra resources on pupils who differ by gender, ethnicity, poverty and ability and in schools with different mixes of students? What is the impact of extra resources for pupils with SEN? What is the impact on pupil attainment at GCSE of differences in expenditure per pupil compared to differences in teaching and non-teaching staff per pupil

An inside story: tracking experiences, challenges and successes in a joint specialist performing arts college

In England the government’s specialist schools initiative is transforming the nature of secondary education. A three-year longitudinal case study tracked the effects of specialist performing arts college status on two schools. The sites were a mainstream school drawing pupils from an area of high social deprivation and disadvantage, and a special school catering for pupils with profound and \ud multiple learning difficulties, which were awarded joint performing arts college status. The government’s \ud preferred criterion for judging the success of specialist schools is improvement in whole-school examination results. The authors argue that this is a crude and inappropriate measure for these case study schools and probably others. Using questionnaires, interviews and documentation they tell an ‘inside story’ of experiences, challenges and achievements, from the perspectives of the schools’ mangers, staff and pupils. Alternative ‘value-added’ features emerged that were positive indicators of enrichment and success in both schools

Quasi-markets and school performance : evidence from a study of English secondary schools

Copyright Peter Lang Publishing [Full text of this chapter is not available in the UHRA]The concurrence of stagnating budgets for education has tended to increase demands on education systems. This has resulted in the tightening of the financial bottleneck situation, and this begs the question of, what is the optimal use of available resources, and this query becomes increasingly urgent in these times. This volume documents the papers presented at an international economic conference, held in September 1999 at the German Institute for International Educational Research (DIPF) in Frankfurt am Main. The thematic range of situational descriptions and analysis (for example, for the development of productivity in the education sector) is discussed via controlled theoretical treatments. There is an evaluation of new control concepts for solving problems of improving the education finance statistics database, and experience with optimization models at the school site planning. The text is targeted at individuals from educational policy, educational administration, economics and education

Managing change in further education

FEDA reportAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:3578.5465(vol.1/pt.7) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Survey on School Competition, 1997

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The ICOSS (Impact of Competition on Secondary Schools) study, based in the Open University's Centre for Educational Policy and Management, is investigating the impact of competitive pressures on secondary schools in England. The Survey on School Competition, 1992-1997 is part of the study. Secondary school headteachers from six local education authority (LEA) areas were surveyed on their perceptions of the degree of competition facing their school and its impact on pupil recruitment and school budgets since 1992, when national league tables of examination results were first published. The schools contacted comprised all grant-maintained (GM) and LEA maintained secondary schools (excepting special schools) in the six LEA areas. LEAs were selected in order to include in the database a wide range of school types so as to provide an adequate basis for generalisation of results. The LEAs include county and metropolitan authorities to give urban and rural schools and a diversity of socio-economic backgrounds and school systems (i.e. a selective system and a concentration of GM schools in some of the LEA areas). The survey was intended to give headteachers the opportunity to comment on the effects of educational policies which have had the aim of creating a more competitive climate and to contribute to the broader aims of the ICOSS study. Further information about the ICOSS study may be found on the website: <a href=http://soe.open.ac.uk/CEPAM/research/ICOSS/index.htm> http://soe.open.ac.uk/CEPAM/research/ICOSS/index.htm</a> .Main Topics:The topics covered included: perceptions of competitive pressures, basic information about school, staffing and organisation, setting practices and curriculum options. Closed-ended questions also covered changes in the emphasis given to examinations, setting/banding and GCSE option choices. A section for free comment was also included