Effective inspections for
social quality
M. Ehren
SICI, 19 September, Amsterdam
www.ioe.ac.uk/lcll
Studies on effectiveness
of school inspections
• Increasing number of studies, particularly in
Europe: Governing by Inspection (Grek et al),
ISI-TL (Ehren et al), OECD (synergies for
learning), SICI (Gray et al), Hussain (2012),
Allen & Burgess (2012).
• Inconclusive findings on effects and
unintended consequences, some insight into
mechanisms of change from inspections.
• No studies in the social domain
Effectiveness of school
inspections in the social domain?
• Transferable research findings?
• Differences in inspections?
• Counterbalance unintended
consequences?
Outline
• Summarizing evidence in cognitive domain
• Analysing differences in inspections in the
cognitive versus social domain
• Hypothesizing about effectiveness of
school inspections in the social domain
Evidence in the cognitive domain
Effects:
– Intentions of teachers and schools to
change
– School improvement (in general and of
failing schools)
– Improved student achievement
See literature review: Klerks (2013) and Nelson and Ehren (2014),
posted on: www.schoolinspections.eu
Evidence in the cognitive domain
Side effects of school inspections:
• Unintended strategic behavior:
behavior of schools is influenced by
assessment
• Intended strategic behavior:
schools try to improve their status on the
measures
• Unintended consequences
Source: De Wolf and Janssens (2007)
Evidence in the cognitive domain
Mechanisms of impact:
– Quality, acceptance and use of inspection
feedback (performance feedback)
– Setting of expectations from inspection
standards (institutionalisation/performativity)
– Publication and use of inspection results by
the
school’s
stakeholders
(market
mechanisms)
Differences in inspections in
cognitive versus social domain
• Position of social domain in inspections
• (Semi) legislative requirements and
guidelines
• Role of national government and
stakeholders
Differences in inspections in
cognitive versus social domain
• Standards, measures and frequency of
measurement
• Lack of tradition and knowledge
• Consequences for failing
Implications for effects of
inspections in the social domain
• Feedback: lack of measures, limited
benchmarking, limited specific, timely and
frequent feedback on social
quality/competences.
• Setting expectations: limited clarity and
specificity of goals and aspiration levels,
diffuse and general standards, low stakes
• Publication of inspection results: lack of
information/benchmarking
Potential for high impact
• Feedback: exchange of good practices and
cooperatively developing measures
• Setting expectations: invest in processes of
contextualized standard-setting, creating
(variety in) standards, adapted to local
context and focused on student outcomes,
increase knowledge sharing, training
Potential for high impact
• Publication of inspection results: parents are
interested in social quality and outcomes
(sometimes more than cognitive outcomes)
• Counterbalancing unintended consequences