Successful School Improvement in the United Kingdom and Canada

Abstract

The characteristics of improving schools have been widely documented and disputed within the international research field of school improvement (Hopkins et al, 1994; Stoll and Fink, 1996; Harris, 1999). Successive studies have shown that there are a number of factors that support positive school change. These include purposeful leadership, teacher collaboration and a central focus upon learning outcomes (Fullan, 1992). Yet, despite a good deal of research describing schools once they have improved, there is surprisingly little known about how they get there. The existing literature provides a range of descriptions of different types of school improvement projects. There are however, relatively few detailed studies of successful school improvement projects in action and even fewer studies of a comparative nature. 

This article considers two school improvement projects that have been shown to have a positive effect upon teaching and learning outcomes. The Improving the Quality of All Project (IQEA) in the United Kingdom and the Manitoba School Improvement Project (MSIP) in Canada have both demonstrated considerable success in their work with schools (Earl and Lee, 1998; Hopkins and Harris, 1997). These projects are well known within the international research community and provide a basis for comparing ëwhat works' in different countries and in contrasting educational contexts.