The influence of school context on school improvement policy enactment: an australian case study

Australia's schooling systems, like many around the globe, are currently pursuing a 'school improvement' policy agenda. Schools, and school leaders, are under pressure to improve student achievement as measured through high-stakes testing, the results of which are often publicised wit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inInternational journal of leadership in education Vol. 21; no. 6; pp. 621 - 632
Main Author McKay, Amanda
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Routledge 01.01.2018
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Accountability
Case Studies
Communities of Practice
Context Effect
Education reform
Educational Change
Educational Environment
Educational Facilities Improvement
Educational Improvement
Educational Policy
Educational Practices
Foreign Countries
High Stakes Tests
Holistic Approach
Instructional Leadership
Policy Formation
Principals
Resistance to Change
School Culture
School Policy
Student Improvement
Australia
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Summary:Australia's schooling systems, like many around the globe, are currently pursuing a 'school improvement' policy agenda. Schools, and school leaders, are under pressure to improve student achievement as measured through high-stakes testing, the results of which are often publicised with little contextual information attached. Research has identified the problematic nature of some potential responses to this performative policy agenda, including a narrowing of the curriculum, a focus on what is easily measurable, and a standardisation of teaching and learning approaches. This paper explores the local conditions and contexts that influence one school leader's practices, and how those conditions have enabled this school to resist some of the more potentially problematic influences of these performative policies. Drawing upon a longitudinal case study and data including interviews and document analysis, this paper provides insights into the ways school leaders might be able to lead towards a vision of education that differs from the narrow measures currently emphasised within performative school improvement policies.
ISSN:1360-3124
1464-5092
DOI:10.1080/13603124.2018.1463461