School evaluation : a comparative analysis

Cheeseman, Caroline (1991) School evaluation : a comparative analysis. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

The seemingly popular sport within the United Kingdom to question the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of the educational provision has made evaluation and accountability key issues on the educational agenda. This study seeks to explore both concepts in theory and practice, through the analysis of two evaluative Protocols which were operative within the United States of America. Although both Protocols were to some extent products of their environment, their purposes, structures, operations and outcomes also had relevance to the United Kingdom. The two schemes presented, the Accreditation Protocol and the Monitoring Procedure, as executed within the State of New Jersey, yielded some interesting contrasts of evaluation and forms of accountability in practice. The former was a long-established voluntary process founded on the notion of professional responsibility and development, whilst the latter was embryonic in terms of its development, was centrally imposed and implemented and was stated to be a mechanism for accountability. Both schemes have been analysed in relation to the key issues arising from some of the literature relating to evaluation and accountability. As a result of conclusions drawn about the two processes, universal conclusions have been suggested on evaluation. These conclusions included that: the professional model was not demonstrated to have significantly enhanced the implementation or use of data or outcomes; evaluation was a time-consuming and bureaucratic activity which did not necessarily improve the quality of provision; external demands for improved education could have been assaugcd in more cost-effective ways and that the notion of total evaluation of institutions was not tenable.

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