School Peer Review for Educational Improvement and Accountability (eBook)

Theory, Practice and Policy Implications

David Godfrey (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: PDF

2020
XXIII, 289 Seiten
Springer International Publishing (Verlag)
978-3-030-48130-8 (ISBN)

Infos

This book explores how peer reviews are used in school improvement, accountability and education system reform. Importantly, these issues are studied through numerous international cases and new empirical evidence. This volume also identifies and describes barriers and facilitators to the development, use, sustainability and expansion of school peer review.

 

School peer reviews are a form of internal evaluation driven by schools themselves rather than externally imposed, such as with school inspections. Schools collaborate with other schools in networks, collect data through self-evaluation and in school review visits. They provide feedback, challenge and support to each other. Despite the increased use of school peer review in system reform and school improvement, very little research has been conducted on this model and there is a dearth of literature that looks at the phenomenon internationally. This book fills this gap and will be an invaluable source for academics in school leadership and educational evaluation and accountability, as well as those working at the level of executive leadership in school networks, NGOs and in government policy-making.

Dr. David Godfrey is a lecturer in Education, Leadership and Management at UCL Institute of Education in London and the programme leader for the MA Educational Leadership. He was co-director of the Centre for Educational Evaluation and Accountability until 2018 and was a lead inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate. An advocate of research-informed practice in education, his projects and publications include research-engaged schools, school peer review, inspection systems and lesson study. In July 2017, David was acknowledged in the Oxford Review of Education as one of the best new educational researchers in the UK. 

Inhalt

Foreword 6
References 10
Acknowledgements 12
Introduction 13
Chapter Outline 14
Reference 15
Abbreviations 16
Contents 19
About the Editor 21
Part I: The Emergence and Growth of School Peer Review 22
Chapter 1: From External Evaluation, to School Self-evaluation, to Peer Review 23
1.1 Introduction 23
1.2 Peer Review Outside the School Sector 25
1.3 Outline of the Chapter 26
1.4 From External to Internal Evaluation 27
1.5 Internal Evaluation in Schools 29
1.5.1 Defining Internal Evaluation 29
1.5.2 The Effects of Internal Evaluation 29
1.5.3 The Positive Impact of Internal Evaluation 29
1.5.4 Unintended Effects of Internal Evaluation 30
1.5.5 Conditions for Effective Internal Evaluation 30
1.6 The Interaction of Internal and External Evaluation 31
1.7 From Within School Self-evaluation to Peer Review 33
1.8 The Emergence and Growth of Peer Review in School Systems 34
1.9 Peer Review and the Accountability Dimension 36
1.10 The Research Base on School Peer Review 37
1.11 A European Peer Review Network 38
1.12 Standards for Peer Review 39
1.13 Conditions for Effective Peer Review 40
References 41
Part II: Supplementing the Regional or National Accountability System 44
Chapter 2: Peer Reviews as a Complement to System Reviews in Queensland 45
2.1 Introduction 45
2.2 Peer Reviews and Internal Evaluation 47
2.3 Queensland Context 49
2.3.1 School Reviews 49
2.3.2 Pilot Health Checks 51
2.4 Case Studies 51
2.4.1 Research Design 51
2.4.2 Method and Sample 52
2.4.2.1 Interviews 52
2.4.2.2 Observations 53
2.4.3 Analysis 54
2.5 Peer Reviews in Queensland State Schools 54
2.5.1 Rationale for Peer Review 54
2.5.2 Process of Peer Review 56
2.5.2.1 Pre-review Training 56
2.5.2.2 Review Scope 56
2.5.2.3 Reviewers 57
2.5.2.4 Activities 58
2.5.2.5 Report 58
2.5.2.6 Follow Up 59
2.6 Benefits of Peer Reviews 59
2.6.1 Facilitating School Improvement 59
2.6.2 Professional Learning 60
2.6.3 Validation of Principals’ Perceptions and Plans 61
2.7 Values Prevalent in Peer Reviews 61
2.8 Peer Reviews and System Reviews 63
2.9 Conclusion 65
References 67
Chapter 3: ‘Layering’ Peer Enquiry as a System Change Strategy: Some Lessons from Wales 69
3.1 Introduction 69
3.2 The Central South Wales Challenge 70
3.3 The Context 71
3.4 The Central South Wales Challenge 73
3.5 System ‘Layering’: From Categorisation to Peer Review 75
3.6 The Phased Development of the Peer Enquiry Process 76
3.7 Determining Impact 80
3.8 Power, Politics and System Reform 83
References 84
Part III: Peer Reviews in the Context of High Stakes’ Accountability. Intended and Unintended Consequences 86
Chapter 4: Self-Policing or Self-Improving?: Analysing Peer Reviews Between Schools in England Through the Lens of Isomorphism 87
4.1 Introduction 88
4.2 Hierarchical Accountability as a Driver of Behaviour in England’s ‘Self-Improving, School-Led System’ 92
4.3 Isomorphism: ‘What Makes Organisations So Similar?’ 94
4.4 Peer Review as Coercive Isomorphism 95
4.5 Peer Review as Mimetic Isomorphism 97
4.6 Peer Review as Normative Isomorphism 100
4.7 Recent Developments: A Move Away from Peer Reviews in MATs? 103
4.8 Discussion 104
References 108
Chapter 5: Case Study of a Cluster in the National Association of Head Teachers’ ‘Instead’ Peer Review in England 111
5.1 Introduction 111
5.2 Accountability and Improvement Through Peer Review in the English School System 112
5.3 The English Policy Context 114
5.4 Background to the Peer Review Programme 115
5.5 Methodology 116
5.5.1 The Case Schools and Staff 116
5.5.2 Data Analysis 118
5.6 Motivation and Focus of Reviews 120
5.7 Relationships, Collaboration and Structure of the Network 121
5.8 Evaluation Practices in the Reviews 122
5.9 Involvement of ‘Users’ 123
5.10 Valuing and Judging in the Review Visits 124
5.11 The Impact of the Reviews on Schools and Participants 126
5.12 Conclusions and Discussion 128
References 130
Part IV: Peer Review in Unfamiliar National Contexts: Successes and Challenges 132
Chapter 6: Peer Review Network of Schools – Lessons from Innovative Practice in Bulgaria 133
6.1 Introduction 133
6.2 External and Internal Evaluation of Bulgarian Schools 135
6.3 The Peer Review Model 137
6.4 Peer Evaluation Procedure 141
6.5 Case Study Methodology 142
6.6 Findings and Discussion 144
6.6.1 Peer-Evaluation Practices in the Network 144
6.6.1.1 Peer-Evaluation Framework and Procedure 144
6.6.1.2 Preparation for the Peer Review Visit 144
6.6.1.3 Peer-Evaluation Process – Visits and Follow-Up 145
6.7 Effects and Benefits of Peer-Evaluation Within the Network 147
6.7.1 Potential Dysfunctional Effects 147
6.7.2 Positives of the Peer-Evaluation 147
6.8 Conclusions and Follow Up 150
References 150
Chapter 7: Peer Review in Czech Education: A Recognized but Somewhat Neglected Tool for School Development 152
7.1 Introduction 152
7.2 The Changes in School Self-Evaluation in Czech Education 153
7.3 The History of Efforts to Support Peer Review in Czech Education 155
7.4 Peer Review Within the Project Road to Quality in the Czech Republic 157
7.5 Experience Gained from the Project: Research Methods, Objectives, Focus and Data Collection 161
7.6 Phase 2 of the Data Collection 162
7.7 Results of Phase 2 Data Analysis 163
7.8 Conclusion 167
References 168
Part V: Peer Review Within School Improvement Partnerships 170
Chapter 8: The Development of a System Model of Peer Review and School Improvement: Challenge Partners 171
8.1 Introduction 171
8.2 The Growth of the Partnership 172
8.3 The Quality Assurance Review 173
8.3.1 The Process 173
8.4 Ensuring Effective Collaboration 175
8.5 Ensuring Rigour 176
8.6 The Practitioners 177
8.7 Ofsted and the Department for Education 177
8.7.1 The Lead Reviewers 178
8.7.2 The Central Team 179
8.8 The Theoretical Underpinning 179
8.8.1 Tacit and Explicit Knowledge 179
8.8.2 Stages of Learning Activity 179
8.8.3 Using a Collaborative Learning Model 180
8.9 The Issue of Context 181
8.10 ‘You Get Nowt for Learning’ 181
8.11 The Importance of Leadership and Teaching-and-Learning 182
8.12 Ensuring that the Knowledge Being Circulated Is Worthwhile 182
8.13 The Five Principles 182
8.14 Other Linked Activities 184
8.14.1 Activities Provided by the Local Hub 184
8.15 Activities Provided by the Central Team 185
8.16 National Brokering Service 185
8.17 The Subject Directory 186
8.18 Leadership Development Days 186
8.19 Results 186
8.19.1 Internal 186
8.19.2 The Results for the QAR 2015–2018 (Challenge Partners 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) (Table 8.2) 188
8.19.3 External 189
8.20 Conclusions 190
References 191
Chapter 9: Education Development Trust’s Schools Partnership Programme: A Collaborative School Improvement Movement 193
9.1 Introduction 193
9.2 An Education System Turning to Collaboration to Drive Improvement 194
9.3 The Early Development of the Model 195
9.3.1 A Strategic Question to Guide Change 195
9.3.2 Peer Review as the Vehicle for Change 195
9.3.3 The Guiding and Evolving Principles for the Model 196
9.4 The Principles Underpinning the Model 196
9.5 An Emergent Collaborative School Improvement Model 198
9.6 Unpacking the Schools Partnership Programme Our Theory of Change
9.6.1 Stage 1: School Self-Review and the Peer Review Framework 201
9.6.2 Stage 2: Peer Review 203
9.6.3 Stage 3: Follow Up Workshop and School-to-School Support 204
9.7 Long Term Sustainability 205
9.8 So What? Peer Review, Partnership Maturity and School Improvement 205
9.9 Five Years On the Growth of the Model
9.10 Looking Ahead 208
References 210
Part VI: Participatory Evaluation Approaches to Peer Review 211
Chapter 10: Empowering Principals in Peer Review: The Value of an Empowerment Evaluation Approach for Educational Improvement 212
10.1 The Context in Which the Program Emerged 213
10.2 The Brief for the Cyclical Review Program 214
10.3 The Peer-Review Approach Adopted for the Cyclical Review Program 214
10.4 The Case-Study 217
10.5 What Changed? 219
10.6 How Did Principals Perceive the Approach to Be Different from Traditional Practice? 220
10.7 How Did the Reviews Influence the Principals? 224
10.8 Results-Based Influences 224
10.9 Process-Based Influences 226
10.10 Interaction Between the Results-Based and Process-Based Influences 227
10.11 The Factors Underlying the Influence of Cyclical Reviews on the Participating Principals 228
10.12 Future Directions 230
10.13 Conclusion 231
References 231
Chapter 11: Research-Informed Peer Review 234
11.1 Introduction and Aims of the Chapter 234
11.2 Background 235
11.3 The Research-Informed Peer Review Process 236
11.4 The Principles of Research-Informed Peer Review 239
11.5 Mechanisms for Impact of Research-Informed Peer Review 245
11.6 Using Evaluation Theory to Inform Evaluation Policy 246
11.7 Teacher Collective Efficacy 248
11.8 Conclusions and Discussion 250
References 252
Chapter 12: Changing School Leaders’ Conversations about Teaching and Learning through a Peer Review Process Implemented in Nine Public Schools in Chile 256
12.1 Introduction 257
12.2 Public Schools Leaders’ Work in Context 258
12.2.1 Structure of the System 259
12.2.2 Market Model for the Provision of Education 259
12.2.3 Increased Decentralization and Accountability 260
12.3 Schools Inquiring and Learning with Peers Model 261
12.4 Components of the Schools Inquiring and Learning with Peers Model 263
12.5 Key Findings 265
12.5.1 Vision and Approach to Student Learning 266
12.5.2 Understandings of Teacher Learning and Development 268
12.6 Professional Skills Development Reported by School Teams 269
12.7 Participants’ Evaluation of SILP 271
12.8 Discussion and Conclusions 272
12.9 Network Level Process and Outcomes 273
12.10 School Level Process and Outcomes 273
References 275
Part VII: Synthesis and Discussion 278
Chapter 13: Evaluation Theory and Peer Review. Practice, Policy and Research Implications 279
13.1 Introduction 279
13.2 A Conceptual Framework for Peer Review 280
13.2.1 Use and Users 280
13.2.2 Values 281
13.2.3 Methodology 282
13.3 A Comparative Analysis of Peer Review Programmes 282
13.3.1 Use/Users 282
13.3.2 Values 289
13.3.3 Methodology 290
13.4 Conclusions and Discussion 292
13.4.1 Leadership Development Benefits of Peer Review 293
13.4.2 Collective Efficacy 294
13.4.3 Trust as a Mediating Variable 294
13.4.4 Network Configurations of Peer Review Programmes 296
13.4.5 Peer Review in a ‘Coopetitive’ Environment 297
References 298

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 3.9.2020
• Reihe/Serie: Accountability and Educational Improvement
• Reihe/Serie: Accountability and Educational Improvement
• Zusatzinfo: XXIII, 289 p. 22 illus.
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Pädagogik ► Bildungstheorie
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Pädagogik ► Schulpädagogik / Grundschule
• Schlagworte: Internal accountability for schools • Lateral accountability for schools • Networked Learning • Peer review organisations • Professional accountability for schools • school collaboration • School data use • School evaluation and accountability • School Improvement • School inspections • School inspection systems • School peer review • School research-engagement • Schools Inspectorate
• ISBN-10: 3-030-48130-1 / 3030481301
• ISBN-13: 978-3-030-48130-8 / 9783030481308