Conceptualizing school effectiveness

The theoretical status of existing school effectiveness models is analyzed by using perspectives from organizational theory and models of classroom effectiveness. This leads to the formulation of a basic framework for conceptualizing school effectiveness that includes variables at the levels of the school, the context of the school and the classroom, while background variables of pupils are also taken into account. One of the conclusions is that hypothesis construction and empirical research on cross-level relationships within this basic framework are of central importance to enhance our understanding of school effectiveness

A case against school effectiveness

This paper considers the model of school effectiveness (SE) currently dominant in research, policy and practice in England (although the concerns it raises are international). It shows, principally through consideration of initial and propagated error, that SE results cannot be relied upon. By considering the residual difference between the predicted and obtained score for all pupils in any phase of education, SE calculations leave the results to be disproportionately made up of relative error terms. Adding contextual information confuses but does not help this situation. Having shown and illustrated the sensitivity of SE to this propagation of initial errors, and therefore why it is unworkable, the paper considers some of the reasons why SE has become dominant, outlines the damage this dominant model causes, and begins to shape alternative ways of considering what schools do

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

A cross-national analysis of the relations between school choice and effectiveness differences between private-dependent and public schools

We apply propensity score matching to the estimation of differential school effectiveness between the publicly funded private sector and the public one, in a sample of 26 countries. This technique allows us to distinguish between school choice and school effectiveness processes and thus, to account for selectivity issues involved in the comparison of the two. Concerning school choice, we found two patterns: a choice of the upwardly mobile parents for private schools and a preference for segregation by (lower-) middle class parents. As regards school effectiveness, our results indicate that, after controlling for selectivity, a substantial advantage in reading achievement remains among students in publicly funded private schools in ten out of the 26 countries.school choice; school effectiveness; private-dependent and public schools; international comparison; PISA data

Measuring teacher and school effectiveness at improving student achievement in Los Angeles elementary schools

This study uses longitudinal student-level test score data to examine the effectiveness of elementary teachers and schools in Los Angeles. The results show that teacher effectiveness varies widely both across the Los Angeles school district and within district schools. Controlling for student background and preparation, we find only modest difference across schools in improving student achievement. We explore the sensitivity of teacher and school effectiveness measures to alternative regression controls. We find that teacher and school effectiveness measures are relatively insensitive to detailed controls for student and peer heterogeneity.Student achievement; Teacher effectiveness; Value-added;

The Effectiveness of English Secondary Schools for Pupils of Different Ability Levels

'League table' information on school effectiveness in England generally relies on either a comparison of the average outcomes of pupils by school, e.g. mean exam scores, or on estimates of the average value added by each school. These approaches assume that the information parents and policy-makers need most to judge school effectiveness is the average achievement level or gain in a particular school. Yet schools can be differentially effective for children with differing levels of prior attainment. We present evidence on the extent of differential effectiveness in English secondary schools, and find that even the most conservative estimate suggests that around one quarter of schools in England are differentially effective for students of differing prior ability levels. This affects an even larger proportion of children as larger schools are more likely to be differentially effective.value added, school choice, school effectiveness, England