Improving School Effectiveness

Abstract

How to improve the quality of education is a much-talked-about concern in a number of developing nations. There is a general awareness among political leaders that in order to meet the challenges of globalization their educational systems must be upgraded.

In addition to reforming the curriculum, another frequently heard proposal is to increase the pay that teachers and principals receive. It is true that teachers are among the poorest income earners in developing countries. However, national budgets are already strained due to pressure to increase funding in other essential service areas: health care services and public safety to name but two.

Another proposal is to focus on the improvement of instructional techniques and school leadership. It has been demonstrated, for example, that certain instructional methods produce higher student achievement than other methods. Therefore focussing on teacher performance seems to be an essential first step toward achieving higher student achievement. Then, too, there is considerable evidence that establishes a definite link between the quality of school leadership and school effectiveness.

School effectiveness to a certain degree is dependent upon adapting teaching methods and materials to the needs of students. It follows that highly centralized national systems must decentralize authority in many aspects of education to levels closer to local and regional communities. Principals must become more than mere puppets that follow orders emanating from a nation’s capital. Decentralization of school management is essential in any scheme aimed at improving overall student achievement. Several countries in the region such as Indonesia and Thailand have already begun to decentralize certain functions.

This paper presents some generally accepted correlates of effective schools – schools in which students achieve higher than expected levels in academic subjects and in personal and social development. Included is a detailed listing of performance criteria by which teachers and principals can carry out self- evaluations. Ministries of Education as a basis for making career advancement and salary decisions, for example, may use these criteria also.