School Evaluation: Approaches, Frameworks, and Indicators

Abstract

School evaluation in the context of this chapter can be defined as the collection, analysis, and interpretation of information about any aspect of a program of education for improvement (Ellington et al. 1993; Kurban and Tok 2018). Alternatively, school evaluation is a training that forms part of a recognized process of judging schools' effectiveness, its efficiency, and any other outcomes it may have (Patton 1987; Ellington et al. 1993). School evaluation can also be referred to as the means of judging the success of a schools' performance based on the criteria in an evaluation framework (e.g., DoE 2002; Sanders 2001). Whole-school evaluation in this chapter can be broadly referred to as a collaborative and transparent process of making judgments on the holistic performance of schools, measured against agreed national criteria (DoE 2002). It is a collaborative process because external evaluators and school management teams, teachers, learners, and parents take part in the evaluation processes. Whole-school evaluation is a transparent process of making judgments because all stakeholders are consulted and guidelines of the evaluation processes are known by participants prior to the evaluation process. Whole-school evaluation can be linked to school self-evaluation, which is defined as a collective, reflective process of internal school review (DoE 2002; Stronge and Tucker 1999). According to the South African Department of Education (DoE 2002), whole-school evaluation is the cornerstone of the quality assurance system in schools. It assists a school and external inspectors to review the schools' current performance and to show how it meets international, regional, and local goals in education.