School Effectiveness for Whom?

Internationally, school effectiveness enjoys an expanding and enthusiastic audience. This book provides a critique of this research genre, particularly in the light of the recent calls for teaching to go back to the basics. The editors argue that this school effectiveness research is simplistic in its analysis of educational problems.

School effectiveness research together with what is now described as the 'school improvement movement' (Barber, 1996) has captured both the Conservative and New Labour imaginations as a basis for educational planning and policy making in the UK. Internationally school effectiveness enjoys and expanding and enthusiastic audience.This book provides a critique of this research genre, particularly in the light of the recent calls for teaching to go 'back to the basics'. The editors argue that this school effectiveness research is simplistic in its analysis of educational problems. Far from getting to the bottom of the problem of failing students and schools, they argue, these 'movements' are merely scratching at the surface of the problems and coming up with notions for superficial improvements.

1. Introduction: Effective for Whom? Effective for What? Roger Slee and Gaby Weiner 2. The Idols of the Market Place David Hamilton 3. Cultures of Blame and Redemption - When Empowerment Becomes Control: Practitioners' Views of the Effective Schools Movement Joe Rea and Gaby Weiner 4. The Tyranny of the International Horse Race Margaret Brown 5. Models of Effective Schools: Limits and Capabilities Hugh Lauder, Ian Jamieson and Felicity Wikeley 6. Educational Studies, Policy Entrenpreneurship and Social Theory Stephen Ball 7. School Effects in Postmodern Conditions Bob Lingard, Jim Ladwig and Allan Luke 8. High Reliability Organizations and Liability Students - The Politics of Recognition Roger Slee 9. Realizing the Mission: Catholic Approaches to School Effectiveness Gerald Grace 10. Effective Teachers for Effective Schools Pat Mahony and Ian Hextall 11. A Tale of Two Schools in One City: Foxwood and Cross Green, Leeds Bob Spooner 12. A Tale of One School in One City: Hackney Downs in London Sally Tomlinson 13. The Utility of Qualitative Research for Influencing Policy and Practice on School Effectiveness Sheila Riddell, Sally Brown and Jill Duffield