Measuring School Capacity, Maximizing School Improvement

Beaver, Jessica K.; Weinbaum, Elliot H.

doi:10.1037/e525812013-001

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Their findings suggested that efforts to improve leadership practices may be a critical first step in the development of school-wide capacity for improvement (Thoonen et al, 2012). School-wide capacity for improvement can be defined in this context as the conditions and features at school and teacher level that promote and facilitate teaching and learning, as well as teachers' professional learning and development (see for example Mulford and Silins, 2003;Heck and Hallinger, 2009;Beaver and Weinbaum, 2012).…”

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confidence: 99%

Using mixed methods to investigate school improvement and the role of leadership

Sammons

Davis

Day

et al. 2014

Journal of Educational Admin

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A note on versions:The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of record. If you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher's version. Please see the repository url above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of mixed methods research in a major three year project and focuses on the contribution of quantitative and qualitative approaches to study school improvement. It discusses the procedures and multiple data sources used in studying improvement using the example of a recent study of the role of leadership in promoting improvement in primary and secondary schools' academic results in England. Although the definition of improvement used was based on robust analyses of data on students' academic outcomes, the mixed methods design enabled a broader perspective to be achieved.Design/methodology/approach -The study illustrates how the multilevel analysis of students' national assessment and examination results based on national data sets for primary and secondary schools in England were used to investigate the concept of academic effectiveness based on value-added methodology. Using three successive years of national results a purposive sample of schools were identified that could be classified as both effective and improving over the period [2003][2004][2005]. In addition, surveys and interviews were used to gather evidence of the role of stakeholder perceptions in investigating school improvement strategies and processes.Findings -National student attainment data sets were used for the identification of improving and effective schools and revealed the importance of considering their different starting points in their classification of three distinctive improvement groups. The combination of quantitative survey data from headteachers and key staff with qualitative case study data enabled a range of analysis strategies and the development of statistical models and deeper understanding of the role of leadership.Research limitations/implications -The limitations of a focus on only academic outcomes and "value-added" measures of student progress are discussed. The challenges and opportunities faced in analysis and integration of the different sources of evidence are briefly explored. Practical implications -The study contributes to the knowledge base on the identification of school improvement and use of performance data. The findings on strategies and processes that support improvement are of relevance to policy makers and practitioners, especially school leaders.Originality/value -The mixed methods design adopted in the study enabled the research to combine rigorous quantitative and in-depth qualitative data in new ways to extend and make new claims to knowledge about the role of school leadership in promoting school improvement based on the study of effective and improved schools' experiences.

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confidence: 99%

Using mixed methods to investigate school improvement and the role of leadership

Sammons

Davis

Day

et al. 2014

Journal of Educational Admin

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“…Scholars have taken differing approaches to delineating the elements of capacity that matter for improving student outcomes. (Beaver and Weinbaum 2012 ). All would agree that human capital -the knowledge and skills of individual actors and of the collective body of actors-in a system or site has broad implications for how a given intervention, program, or policy is understood, whether the actors are able to carry out the required or suggested actions, the degree to which the system can adapt to changing conditions and threats to implementation, and so on.…”

Section: Capacity Is a Key Determinant Of Implementation Quality And mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another aspect of organizational capacity is what several researchers have termed program coherence . Coherence in education implies shared goals and frameworks and the presence of working conditions, structures, and routines that support those goals and allow the actors in the system to focus on their attainment (Newmann et al 2001 ;Beaver and Weinbaum 2012 ). 19 Like human and material capital, program 17 For example, during the era of Reading First grants, in systems focused on preventing such variation, observers would often encounter references to the "literacy police," administrators whose job it was to ensure that all teachers were following the program on a daily basis as scripted.…”

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Quality and Equality in American Education: Systemic Problems, Systemic Solutions

O’Day

Smith

2016

The Dynamics of Opportunity in America

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After briefl y reviewing the unequal opportunities outside schools that contribute to the disparities in educational achievement, attainment, and various indicators of adult success, this chapter zeroes in on addressing inequities within K-12 education. We argue that disparities within the educational system are the product of institutional structures and cultures that both disenfranchise certain groups of students and depress quality overall. Systemic causes require systemic solutions, and we envision a three-pronged systemic remedy: a continuous improvement approach for addressing the quality of educational opportunities for underserved students as well as of the system as a whole; targeted high-leverage interventions consistent with the overall approach but focused on key transition points and needs; and stronger connections between schools and other institutions and systems affecting the development and well-being of children and youth. We then outline a change strategy that incorporates both pressure and support for improvement from three distinct but interacting sources: government and administrative policy (federal, state, and local); professional accountability and networking; and collective engagement of parental, community, and advocacy organizations. We end the chapter with a consideration of recent developments in California and the degree to which they lay the groundwork for moving an equity agenda in the state.

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Measuring School Capacity, Maximizing School Improvement

Cited by 2 publications

References 4 publications

Using mixed methods to investigate school improvement and the role of leadership

Using mixed methods to investigate school improvement and the role of leadership

Quality and Equality in American Education: Systemic Problems, Systemic Solutions

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