Support School Improvement Research Articles

Adapting a school improvement partnership before and during COVID-19: a case study of the resilience of improvement science to complexity

PurposeImprovement science (IS) has become a popular approach to organizing school–university partnerships because of IS’s potential to increase schools' capacity for sustainable improvement. However, little research has directly examined whether and how specific elements of IS support school improvement, particularly during and post-COVID-19 when improvement was particularly challenging.Design/methodology/approachWe draw on a longitudinal case study of a school-university partnership supporting a group of schools using IS to guide school improvement with data collected in Fall 2019–Spring 2022 including interviews and meeting observations. We compare how educators engaged with three IS elements: plan-do-study-act (PDSA) continuous improvement (CI) cycles, networked learning and driver diagrams. We qualitatively examine participants' perspectives of these elements through the lens of contingency theory, analyzing which elements were more or less successful at empowering schools to continue their improvement efforts throughout the pandemic.FindingsIS processes are varied in their resilience to complexity. Schools mostly abandoned some elements during tumultuous periods (PDSA cycles) while others were successfully adapted to sustain improvement work (driver diagrams). Findings also discuss the perceived impact of university partners in school improvement work, primarily as coaches.Originality/valueThese findings are uniquely positioned to examine whether and how IS elements enabled sustained school improvement amidst the complexities generated by COVID-19. By focusing on strengths and limitations of three common elements, we offer valuable guidance to school–university partnerships about the conditions under which these elements might support sustained school improvement and how these elements might need to be adapted.

External facilitators’ practical work for school improvement: de-professionalising or developing improvement capacity?

This article explores external facilitation for school improvement; more specifically, it examines the practical work of external facilitators. It is based on a Swedish case in which facilitators at the Swedish National Agency for Education support low-performing schools. The article aims to develop knowledge about how external facilitators in their practical work both promote and prevent developed understanding and improvement capacity. Based on observations and documents, facilitators’ endeavours and critical situations in their work to support school improvement are identified. The findings show five different endeavours to promote development of understanding and improvement capacity. However, they also show how taking ownership, simplification, and model focus, three of five identified recurring critical situations, prevent such development. The conclusion is that there are several aspects for external facilitators to balance to promote school improvement and turn around low-performing schools. When planning for external facilitation, it is important to consider how the facilitators’ practical work can be adapted to the local contexts of those who are facilitated in order to promote their ownership of the processes. Without balance and adaptation, external facilitation can lead to deprofessionalisation instead of development of improvement capacity.

Supporting PK-12 continuous school improvement efforts in a school–university partnership network

PurposeThis paper will discuss one university’s efforts to initiate a process to better support PK-12 continuous school improvement goals for all 13 schools in their PDS network as a way to broaden the university’s mission and respond more formally to the individual school communities with which they partner.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is conceptual in that it presents an innovative idea to stimulate discussion, generate new ideas and advance thinking about cross-institutional collaboration between universities and professional development schools.FindingsThe paper provides insights and ideas for bringing about change and growth in a seasoned PDS partnership network by connecting PK-12 continuous school improvement efforts to PDS partnership work.Originality/valueThis paper fulfills an identified need to study how seasoned partnerships can participate in simultaneous renewal by offering ideas that school–university partnership leaders can build upon as they make efforts to participate in the process of growth and change.

Exploring the acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness of a communication-friendly classroom tool for use in Irish schools: A qualitative inquiry.

Ten percent of the school-aged population have speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN) that impact access to the curriculum. Successful implementation of classroom-based SLCN interventions can reduce barriers to learning, thereby improving educational outcomes for this vulnerable population. The challenges of implementing innovations in educational settings are well-documented, yet limited studies have addressed such considerations when developing, and piloting universal level SLCN interventions for use in Irish schools. A qualitative exploratory study was undertaken to establish the acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness of a universal level SLCN intervention. An advisory panel of teachers (n = 8) and children with SLCN (n = 2) were engaged as co-researchers in the study. The Communication Supporting Classrooms Observation Tool, developed as part of the Better Communication Project in the UK, was trialled across a diverse sample of school settings (n = 5). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with school practitioners and school leaders, and a deductive content analysis was undertaken using the domains of the Consolidation Framework for Implementation Research. The observation tool was viewed as acceptable with suggested additions. Integrating use of the tool within existing data-informed, school self-evaluation processes aimed at supporting school improvement was noted as a potential means of supporting implementation. A knowledge gap in relation to school-based models of support for SLCN was identified which may negatively impact implementation. An implementation strategy targeting coherence, cognitive engagement and contextual integration is indicated if the tool is to be normalised into routine practice in Irish classrooms. Implementation needs appeared to vary at the school level. The importance of early-stage exploration to guide implementation planning with regards to developing and testing universal level interventions for SLCN in schools is highlighted. Engaging an advisory panel provides important insights to guide implementation decisions. Findings suggest an adaptive design is required when planning implementation studies targeting classroom setting.

Organizational Culture and Customs Towards School Effectiveness as Practiced in Public Elementary Schools

This study aimed to determine the relationship between organizational culture, and customs toward school Effectiveness as practiced in public Elementary Schools. Specifically, it sought to answer the following areas: perception of organizational culture in terms of leadership, teamwork, and adaptability, perception of school custom practices that support school improvement, and perception of teachers on school effectiveness. Furthermore, the study investigated how the respondents assess if there is a significant relationship between Organizational Culture and School Effectiveness. This study used a descriptive research design following a correlation procedure to examine the relationship between organizational culture and customs toward school success as practiced in public elementary schools. In addition, random sampling was used to determine the respondents. Findings revealed that a significant correlation was assessed between organizational culture and school effectiveness. More so, the organizational culture and customs were correlated to the school’s effectiveness. Accordingly, sustained and further promotion of organizational culture and application of its practices is highly recommended to promote better school performance. Keywords: organizational culture, customs, school effectiveness, adaptability, leadership

University-Assisted Community Schools as Partners in Neighborhood Revitalization Efforts

Abstract Urban policymakers, city officials, and community residents utilize neighborhood revitalization initiatives to establish safe and empowered neighborhoods. In 2016, leaders in Columbus, Ohio, launched a neighborhood revitalization effort designed to improve safety, access to opportunities, and economic development in the historically underserved Linden neighborhood. A priority focus involved strengthening Linden schools through the development of two university-assisted community schools (UACS). Using the community collaboration model as a guide, leaders from the schools, university, nonprofit, and local government sectors partnered to support school improvement processes in two Linden K–6 elementary schools. Annual stakeholder surveys have demonstrated marked improvements in perceptions of neighborhood safety, school climate, and the overall learning support system. The prevalence of behavioral incidences among students has decreased. Further, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UACS model helped sustain student engagement and virtual learning and keep families connected to the schools. This article describes implementation outputs and evaluation outcomes associated with adopting the UACS model in these two Linden elementary schools. Findings contribute to a greater understanding of how UACS can serve as partners in neighborhood revitalization efforts.

Leadership attributes that support school improvement: a realist approach

ABSTRACT School improvement reforms aimed at achieving improved student learning remain high on the agenda for leaders across the globe. The purpose of this paper is to understand the leadership attributes that enable school leaders to bring about positive change. This qualitative study is based on interviews with school leaders (school principals and their deputy principals) and focus groups of six teachers in two case study schools. A realist approach is used to understand how leadership attributes spark related social mechanisms that lead to improved outcomes. Data analysis generated four leadership attributes: (1) valuing diversity, (2) support for staff, (3) collaborative leadership style, and (4) valuing teachers’ professional learning. Each of these was found to have influenced decision-making and sentiment, which generated positive school improvement outcomes in the two case study schools. These findings have the potential to contribute to professional learning which can improve understanding of how leadership attributes in context bring about school improvement.

Professional Learning Plan: A Tool to Facilitate Teacher Collaboration and Improve Instructional Practice

This case study is designed to support the preparation of school administrators and teacher leaders enrolled in courses pertaining to school improvement, instructional leadership, and educational change. The principal of an urban middle school has been charged by the district superintendent to study a downward trend in math state achievement test scores. The case involves a middle school principal and how he might choose to work with his faculty to analyze the issue and develop an appropriate professional learning plan to improve instructional practice. This case scaffolds leader preparation candidates in (a) collaboratively identifying a problem underlying declining state achievement test scores and (b) developing a professional learning plan to support school improvement efforts.

General Education Quality Assurance: The Extent of Quality Assurance Implementation from Inspection Approach in Ethiopia General Education

The purpose of this empirical study was to investigate the extent of quality assurance implementation from inspection approach and its contribution in quality enhancement and accountability. The study focused on areas of inspection policy frame work and strategies, the trend of external and internal inspection process at General education system. In the investigation qualitative approach used; the study conducted at Jimma Town in Oromiya regional state; in the study two schools purposely selected and 7 respondents have been participated in the study (one education office inspector; two, school principals; two, school department heads and two, teachers). Thematic analysis method was used to analyze the data that obtained from Interviews; observation, and document analysis. The study result shows that, in Ethiopia general education context inspection is one of the mechanisms designed to evaluate schools' performance related to input, process, and output. Based on the inspection result schools and concerned bodies are expected to work on school education quality enhancement and students learning outcome improvement. However, the finding of this study indicates that, the inspection strategy designed at MOE did not practically implement as it designed and it has a shortage of linkage to the operational practice. The main reasons are: miss understanding of practitioners on the objective of inspection; the inspection standards lack clarity and have ambiguities to evaluate schools practically; the strategy lack focus to support school management, teacher engagement, pupils, and parents. Also, in practice the external inspection process did not link to school self-evaluation or internal inspection; no mechanism or strategy lay responsibility and accountability on concerned bodies to improve or find a solution on identified problem based on the inspection report. For the effective implementation of the inspection mechanism, the strategic direction that developed at the center should be linked to operational practice and procedures at the district education office and school level; also, the mechanism for holding to responsibility and accountability from the top to school management and all concerned bodies should be designed. The inspection manuals and standards should be revised to evaluate effectively the overall system and tangible things in the schools. The external inspection system also should be linked to the internal inspection mechanism to strengthen school self-assessment practice and to support school improvement plan implementation.

The relationship between principal leadership and teacher collaboration: Investigating the mediating effect of teachers’ collective efficacy

Empirical research considers teacher collaboration to be an important predictor of outcome variables at the student, teacher, and school level. Principals are responsible for shaping teachers’ work environments, and in doing so, they can strengthen and support teacher collaboration. Drawing on social interdependence theory, we hypothesized that teachers’ collective efficacy has a mediating effect on the relationship between principal leadership and teacher collaboration. We collected data from 630 teachers in 29 primary and secondary schools in Germany and found, based on structural equation modeling, that principal leadership had a significant indirect effect on teacher collaboration, mediated by teachers’ collective efficacy. We discuss the implications of these results for supporting school improvement.

To Be Continued: Carl Glickman’s Work as the Beginning of the Story

Carl Glickman's life has been dedicated to researching and supporting school improvement initiatives that honor purposeful student learning. Currently, this kind of learning stands in contrast to mainstream educational practices. As a means of inviting school leaders to apply his work, this article highlights the commons threads in Glickman's writings, demonstrates their immediate relevance to all educators, and offers suggestions for taking action. With a framework of instructional supervision that emphasizes community, diversity, empowerment, democracy, and authenticity, there is a greater hope for bettering America's schools.

A literature review of school leadership policy reforms

AbstractThis literature review aims to understand the factors that influence the adoption of school leadership policy reforms and whether there are some common trends that lead to policy changes in this area. The main question driving the study was the following: what are important reasons or contextual factors that have influenced the adoption of school leadership policy reforms? The analysis shows that there is an eclectic set of research that covers school leadership from different perspectives. Each tackle the question of school leadership reform adoption from different angles. A policy perspective associates school leadership reforms to contextual changes in relation to decentralisation, school autonomy, accountability or an increasing emphasis on education outcomes. School improvement perspectives acknowledge the key role of school leadership in education change. The research on school leadership impact has contributed to the adoption of school leadership reforms. The school leadership policy perspective shows that countries have introduced school leadership reforms, with practices varying by country and context. Some have been interpreted as a response to a new public management agenda or to the globalisation of education policies. Findings from this review indicate that whilst there is much research on school leadership, nevertheless, analysis and promotion of policies to support and strengthen school leader roles to support school improvement appears to have received less attention.

Fostering sustained teacher learning: a longitudinal assessment of the influence of vision building and goal interdependence on information sharing

ABSTRACT To support school improvement, understanding the mechanisms that enhance teachers’ engagement in professional learning activities within schools over time is paramount. The purpose of this three-wave longitudinal study is to examine the role of workplace conditions (school leaders’ vision building and teams’ shared goals), in supporting teachers’ engagement in information sharing over time. To test the directionality of the relationships between the concepts, we analyzed survey data from 655 vocational education and training teachers in the Netherlands using a cross-lagged panel model. Results suggest that teachers’ engagement in information sharing remains stable over time, and the results are indicative of reciprocity between goal interdependence and vision building. Mostly, the results hint at the complexity of the time-based relations involved in teacher learning in support of school improvement. Recommendations for future designs and methodologies to understand this complexity are discussed.

Feeding back research results – Changes in principal and teacher narratives about student participation

Schools are among the most studied organizations, yet research has little influence on them. This is in part because schools often do not have an opportunity to learn from the research projects they are engaged in. In this paper, we explain the process and impact of feeding back research results to participating schools. The feedback of results related to the topic of student participation was designed in a school-specific way and expected to support school improvement processes. Accordingly, we examined changes in beliefs and school practices by analysing longitudinal qualitative interviews. Results show changes in school practices and in the perceived importance of student participation, as well as enduring beliefs that inhibited changes. The findings of this paper contribute to the discourse on data use in education and to building research-practice-partnerships.

Supporting instructional leadership and school improvement? Reflections on school supervision from a German perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this contribution is to draw on several recent contributions from the Journal of Educational Administration to reflect on the relationship between school supervision and educational leadership.Design/methodology/approachThe German context of school supervision was first laid out. A comparative analysis of all contributions was then performed against the backdrop of the German context.FindingsOne finding from the analysis of the relationship between school supervision and educational leadership from a German perspective is the need to have structures of (mandatory) further training and development in place at the level of school principalship and school supervision. These structures represent building blocks for capacity building and for shifting cultures over time. Without reliable vehicles of professional development for all concerned parties, both school supervisory authorities and principals risk staying stuck in old professional identities that no longer match their current missions or emergent national aspirations.Originality/valueThis paper sheds a light on the complex relationship between school supervision, school leadership and school performance. The findings from the papers analyzed for this paper point to issues which scholars have been pondering about for decades now: Can supervision and support be successfully implemented within one agency? How can a supervisory authority change its professional identity? What combination of supervision, support and space creates conditions favorable to successful educational leadership and school improvement?

Exploring the current context for Professional Learning Networks, the conditions for their success, and research needs moving forwards

The emergence of networks within education has been driven by a number of factors, including: the complex nature of the issues facing education, which are typically too great for single schools to tackle by themselves; changes to educational governance structures, which involve the hollowing out of the middle tier and the introduction of new approaches with an individualized focus; in addition is the increased emphasis on education systems that are ‘self-improving and school-led’. Within this context, the realization of teacher and school improvement actively emerges from establishing cultures of enquiry and learning, both within and across schools. Since not every teacher in a school can collaboratively learn with every other teacher in a network, the most efficient formation of networks will comprise small numbers of teachers learning on behalf of others. Within this context, Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) are defined as any group who engage in collaborative learning with others outside of their everyday community of practice; with the ultimate aim of PLN activity being to improve outcomes for children. Research suggests that the use of PLNs can be effective in supporting school improvement. In addition, PLNs are an effective way to enable schools to collaborate to improve educational provision in disadvantaged areas. Nonetheless harnessing the benefits of PLNs is not without challenge. In response, this paper explores the notion of PLNs in detail; it also sheds light on the key factors and conditions that need to be present if PLNs are to lead to sustained improvements in teaching and learning. In particular, the paper explores the role of school leaders in creating meaningful two-way links between PLNs and their schools, in order to ensure that both teachers and students benefit from the collaborative learning activity that PLNs foster. The paper concludes by suggesting possible future research in this area.

Exploring the current context for professional learning networks, the conditions for their success, and research needs moving forwards

The emergence of networks within education has been driven by a number of factors, including: the complex nature of the issues facing education, which are typically too great for single schools to tackle by themselves; changes to educational governance structures, which involve the hollowing out of the middle tier and the introduction of new approaches with an individualized focus; in addition is the increased emphasis on education systems that are “self-improving and school-led”. Within this context, the realization of teacher and school improvement actively emerges from establishing cultures of enquiry and learning, both within and across schools. Since not every teacher in a school can collaboratively learn with every other teacher in a network, the most efficient formation of networks will comprise small numbers of teachers learning on behalf of others. Within this context, Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) are defined as any group who engage in collaborative learning with others outside of their everyday community of practice; with the ultimate aim of PLN activity being to improve outcomes for children. Research suggests that the use of PLNs can be effective in supporting school improvement. In addition, PLNs are an effective way to enable schools to collaborate to improve educational provision in disadvantaged areas. Nonetheless harnessing the benefits of PLNs is not without challenge. In response, this paper explores the notion of PLNs in detail; it also sheds light on the key factors and conditions that need to be present if PLNs are to lead to sustained improvements in teaching and learning. In particular, the paper explores the role of school leaders in creating meaningful two-way links between PLNs and their schools, in order to ensure that both teachers and students benefit from the collaborative learning activity that PLNs foster. The paper concludes by suggesting possible future research in this area.

Exploring the current context for Professional Learning Networks, the conditions for their success, and research needs moving forwards

The emergence of networks within education has been driven by a number of factors, including: the complex nature of the issues facing education, which are typically too great for single schools to tackle by themselves; changes to educational governance structures, which involve the dismantling of old ways of working and the introduction of new approaches with an individualized focus; in addition is the increased emphasis on education systems that are ‘self-improving and school-led’. Within this context, the realization of teacher and school improvement actively emerges from establishing cultures of enquiry and learning, both within and across schools. Since not every teacher in a school can collaboratively learn with every other teacher in a network, the most efficient formation of networks will comprise small numbers of teachers learning on behalf of others. Within this context, Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) are defined as any group who engage in collaborative learning with others outside of their everyday community of practice; with the ultimate aim of PLN activity being to improve outcomes for children. Research suggests that the use of PLNs can be effective in supporting school improvement. In addition, PLNs are an effective way to enable schools to collaborate to improve educational provision in disadvantaged areas. Nonetheless harnessing the benefits of PLNs is not without challenge. In response, this paper explores the notion of PLNs in detail; it also sheds light on the key factors and conditions that need to be present if PLNs are to lead to sustained improvements in teaching and learning. In particular, the paper explores the role of school leaders in creating meaningful two-way links between PLNs and their schools, in order to ensure that both teachers and students benefit from the networked learning activity that PLNs foster. The paper concludes by suggesting possible future research in this area.

Mejora escolar, liderazgo y reforma sistémica: una retrospectiva (School improvement, leadership and systemic reform: a retrospective)

Mejora escolar, liderazgo y reforma sistémica: una retrospectiva (School improvement, leadership and systemic reform: a retrospective)

School principals’ leadership types and student achievement in the Italian context: Empirical results from a three-step latent class analysis

This study investigates the existence of various leadership types in a sample of lower secondary school principals across Italy ( n = 1073). Information is obtained using a questionnaire about instructional practices and leadership perceptions administered by the National Evaluation Committee for Education (INVALSI). Employing a latent class analysis (LCA) for the specification of the educational production function (EPF), we identify three subgroups of school leaders: educative leaders (49% of the total sample), who support school improvement that utilises teachers’ skills; leaders who teach (35%), who are actively present in the classroom; and transactional leaders (16%), who support the school and balance various viewpoints. We then analyse the data to ascertain if some principals’ individual characteristics and school context factors are statistically correlated with the probability of having certain leadership attitudes. Finally, we provide evidence that schools with ‘leaders who teach’ report lower academic test scores; this third step is novel as few previous studies have attempted to link leadership styles and test scores. However, the difference in test scores across groups disappears when the geographical factor is accounted for, pointing to the importance of contextual factors in that they affect both leadership types and educational outcomes.