From research to policy in school management and accountability: Rigorous evidence from randomized evaluations

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session (English)

Proposal

Many developing countries have greatly expanded access to education, yet educating more children has strained education systems, and in many developing nations primary school education is failing to equip a large portion of students with basic reading, writing, and math skills. Global efforts are underway—including through the UN Sustainable Development Goals—to improve education quality, to ensure children are not only in school, but also learning and developing to their full potential. While these plans include more spending, more inputs, and more qualifications and training of teachers, innovative systems-level approaches are needed to accelerate learning improvements to meet 21st century challenges head-on.

For children in developing countries to receive an education equal to the challenges they will face as adults, a dramatic improvement in learning is required. Although many theories exist on the best approaches to improving education quality, policymakers and implementers need evidence on which programs are effective at helping children actually learn while in school. There are many innovative systems-level approaches to improving school management and accountability that are currently being evaluated in different contexts around the world.

This panel aims to explore how school support systems can be strengthened to equip teachers to implement pedagogical approaches with commitment. How can researchers collaborate with educators and policymakers to produce research that builds the body of evidence on school management and accountability while also helping policymakers make improved policy decisions in contexts of limited resources? What have we learned about implementing accountability systems in schools? How can governments, researchers, and development partners work together to support the use of robust ongoing monitoring and evaluation in school management and accountability?

This panel will present a wide-ranging and practical analysis of various approaches to improving school management and accountability, and thereby the quality of education. The first presentation will highlight a targeted instruction program in Ghana that evaluated whether additional managerial support from head teachers and circuit supervisors could increase the likelihood that teachers implement targeted instruction in their classrooms. The second presentation will discuss a participatory, community-based approach to monitoring school issues in Uganda, and its potential for scale and sustainability. The third presentation will illustrate a program in Peru that provided text message alerts that nudge school managers to use school funds appropriately and be accountable for completing maintenance work on time, which has since been scaled up nationwide.

Sub Unit

• Teacher Education and the Teaching Profession SIG

Chair

• Bethany Park, Innovations for Poverty Action

Individual Presentations

• The Importance of Management Support for Teacher-Led Targeted Instruction in Ghana - Joyce Jumpah, Innovations for Poverty Action; Renaud Comba, Innovations for Poverty Action

• School-Based Management in Ugandan Primary Schools - Sarah Kabay, Innovations for Poverty Action

• Improving School Maintenance with Text Message Alerts in Peru - Juan Hernandez-Agramonte, Innovations for Poverty Action

Discussant

• Haggar Hilda Ampadu, National Inspectorate Board, Ghana Ministry of Education