Session Information
WERA SES 06 C, International Study on School Autonomy and 21st Century Learning--Symposium A: Australia, Canada, England, & Finland
Symposium
Contribution
Brian Caldwell summarises the evidence on links between school autonomy and student achievement and reports the findings of case studies in Australia that have demonstrated the links. 1. Evidence from analysis of results in PISA tends to confirm that higher levels of school autonomy are associated with higher levels of student achievement providing there is a balance of autonomy and accountability. 2. Deeper analysis reveals that there are differences in impact between developed and developing nations and, within each of these, there are differences among schools. The relationship in #1 is generally affirmed in developed countries, but for developing countries, higher levels of school autonomy may have no impact or even negative impact. 3. The focus of autonomy should be on professional practice, with the aim being to make connections between the functions associated with school autonomy and actions that are likely to have an impact on student achievement. Exclusive reliance on structural changes for their own sake is unlikely to have an impact. It is important to align a range of strategies that research shows are linked to gains in student achievement. 4. The most powerful evidence on mediating factors linking school autonomy and student achievement is on the work of principals and other school leaders in building professional capacity through staff selection, professional development and appraisal; setting priorities on the basis of data about performance; and communication of purpose, process and performance. Cultural factors may limit effects in some settings. These capacities can be built and made effective in settings where there may be only moderate levels of school autonomy. 5. Differences between developed and developing countries in respect to the impact of school autonomy on student achievement are also evident within these contexts such that, within the former, there may be no impact or negative impact if schools do not have the capacities that research has demonstrated are likely to facilitate the links, such as those described in #1. There is evidence that the impact of school autonomy on student achievement becomes stronger and more positive the longer a school has possessed and utilised a higher level of autonomy, reflecting the time it takes for the necessary capacities to be built and confidence to be gained.
References
Caldwell, B.J. (1998). Self-managing Schools and Improved Learning Outcomes. Report commissioned by the Department of Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (DEETYA). Canberra: DEETYA. Caldwell, B.J. (2014). Impact of School Autonomy on Student Achievement in 21st Century Education: A Review of the Evidence. Report Commissioned by the Department of Education and Training of the Australian Government. Hanushek, E.A., Link, S. and Woessmann, L. (2012). Does School Autonomy Make Sense Everywhere? Panel Estimates from PISA. Journal of Development Economics. No. 296. Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of over 800 Meta-analyses relating to Achievement. London and New York: Routledge. OECD (2011). School autonomy and accountability: Are they related to student performance? PISA in Focus. 2011/9. Paris: OECD Publishing. Schütz, G., Wößmann [Woessmann], L. and West, M.R. (2007). School Accountability, Autonomy, Choice, and Level of Student Achievement: International Evidence from PISA 2003. Education Working Paper No. 14: Directorate of Education, OECD. Online. Vernez, G., Karam, R. and Marshall, J.H. (2012). Implementation of School-Based Management in Indonesia. Santa Monica CA: RAND Corporation.
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