Issues in the interpretation of the results of school effectiveness research

In this chapter three issues in the interpretation of the results of school effectiveness research are discussed: criterion choice, effect size and stability of effects. With respect to the first issue the overall conclusion is, that criterion choice and definition depend on the effectiveness perspective and the particular theory one wishes to corroborate. The issues of effect size and stability of school effects are treated both from the angle of a synthesis of available empirical results and from the angle of conceptual analysis. An overall evaluation of the available data on effect size and stability leads to the conclusion that school effectiveness models are not as shaky as certain critics would have it, but at the same time not established as firmly as enthusiastic school improvers treat them. Various suggestions as to the improvement of future school effectiveness research are offered, notably more refined research designs and more elaborate theory development

Openbare prestatiegegevens van scholen; nuttigheid en validiteit

The immediate motive for this article is the recently started practice in the Netherlands to publicly report performance indicators on secondary schools. Three contexts of application of performance reporting are discussed: supporting school choice, school improvement and external accountability. Given the uncertainty and relatively small size of output differences between schools, incomplete knowledge about education production functions, and limited discretion of higher administrative levels over secondary schools in the Netherlands, performance reporting is seen as being of only limited relevance in each of these contexts of application. In a discussion on the meaning and measurement of 'value added', it is argued that any measure should start with a definition based on the degree of overachievement or underachievement of individual students. Parents, quite obviously, have a different kind of value added in mind than other stakeholders: they want to know what a school can mean for their child, whereas others want to have a 'clean' as possible measure for the true impact of the school (i.e. by efforts of the teachers). Next to this parents are interested in differential value added: the specific meaning a school can have for t heir own child given its cognitive and other relevant abilities. The article closes with a discussion of possible unintended consequences of publishing school performance reports. The final conclusion is, nevertheless, that the increased consciousness about output performance is likely to act as an achievement incentive to schools thus leading to increased performance of secondary schools

A self-evaluation procedure for schools using multilevel modelling

Argues that self-evaluation should primarily be based on the outcomes of educational practice. When designing a self- evaluation system one has to cope with 2 problems: how to define a fair school effect measure and how to locate those practices that may lead to malfunctioning. It is shown how pupil monitoring systems can be used to construct a school monitoring system. The statistical aspects of such a system can be handled well by using multilevel statistical models. The proposed approach is illustrated using data on the development of pupils in mathematics achievement. The indicator proposed for self-evaluation purposes is compared with 7 other indicators. Striking differences between indicators are discussed. Moreover, it is discussed how such a monitoring system could be modified to detect educational practices that lead to malfunctioning of pupils. Finally, the practical aspects of implementing the proposed system are depicted