What works in school improvement? Lessons from the field and future directions

This paper outlines the range of school improvement interventions and programmes currently in operation. It summarizes the main features of those school improvement programmes that have been shown to work in practice. It also highlights the limitations of contemporary school improvement programmes and argues that school improvement needs to be more rigorously conceptualized and evaluated. The paper concludes by suggesting that future school improvement work needs to be more carefully matched to the needs of different types of schools. It also suggests that future development in the field should be premissed upon what works in practice, rather than what fits in terms of political expediency.