This Campbell systematic review assesses the effectiveness of school‐based decision‐making. The review summarises findings from 17 impact studies and nine studies of barriers and enablers.
School‐based decision‐making has small effects in reducing dropouts and repetition. There is a moderate positive effect on average test scores, though the effects are smaller for language and maths. The effects are not large, but comparable to those found in many other effective educational interventions.
The positive impact is found in middle‐income countries, with no significant effect in lowincome countries. School‐based decision‐making reforms appear to have a stronger impact on wealthier students with more educated parents, and for children in younger grade levels. School‐based decision‐making reforms appear to be less effective in disadvantaged communities, particularly if parents and community members have low levels of education and low status relative to school personnel.
Plain language summary
SCHOOL‐BASED DECISION‐MAKING HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON EDUCATION OUTCOMES – BUT LESS SO IN LOW‐INCOME COUNTRIESDecentralising decision‐making to schools has small to moderate positive effects in reducing repetition and dropouts, and increasing test scores. These effects are mainly restricted to middle‐income countries, with fewer and smaller positive effects found in low‐income countries or disadvantaged communities.
WHAT DID THE REVIEW STUDY?Many governments have addressed the low quality of education by devolving decision‐making authority to schools. It is assumed that locating decision‐making authority within schools will increase accountability, efficiency and responsiveness to local needs.However, there is limited evidence of the effectiveness of these reforms, especially from low‐income countries. Existing reviews on school‐based decision‐making have tended to focus on proximal outcomes and offer very little information about why school‐based decision‐making has positive or negative effects in different circumstances.This review addresses two questions:
1. What is the impact of school‐based decision‐making on educational outcomes in low‐ and middle‐income countries (L&MICs)?
2. What are the barriers to, and enablers of, effective models of school‐based decision‐making?
What studies are included?Included studies for the analysis of impact evaluated the change in decision‐making authority from a higher level of decision‐making authority to the level of the school on educational outcomes. Outcomes were either proximal, for example attrition, equality of access, increased enrolment, or final, for example test scores, psychosocial and non‐cognitive skills. Included studies had to have a comparison group and data which were collected since 1990.The analysis of impact included 26 studies, covering 17 interventions. The review identified nine studies to assess barriers and enablers of school‐based decision‐making.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN FINDINGS OF THIS REVIEW?School‐based decision‐making has small effects in reducing dropouts and repet...
