Support of Low-Performing Schools as Part of National Educational Policy. A Review of International Experience

Abstract

Irina Grunicheva, research fellow at the Center of Socioeconomic Development of Schools, Institute of Educational Studies, National Research University — Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation. Email: igrunicheva@hse.ru Address: 20 Myasnitskaya St., 101000, Moscow, Russian Federation.

Marina Pinskaya,Ped.D., leading researcher at the Center of Socioeconomic Development of Schools, Institute of Educational Studies, National Research University — Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation. Email: m-pinskaya@yandex.ru Address: 20 Myasnitskaya St., 101000, Moscow, Russian Federation.

Sergey Kosaretsky, Psy.D., Director of the Center of Socioeconomic Development of Schools, Institute of Educational Studies, National Research University — Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation. Email: skosaretski@hse.ru Address: 20 Myasnitskaya St., 101000, Moscow, Russian Federation.

The article describes the major approaches to and solutions for the problem of the developing segment of schools working in a challenging social context and demonstrating low performance.

Strategies of increasing work efficiency and improving educational results in schools have become part of national educational policies in many countries. The underlying concept of these strategies is the recognition of the close relation between low socioeconomic status of student families and low teaching results of schools. As a rule, educational policies include measures to identify the risk segments and to provide timely interventions so as to avoid acute or chronic inefficiency. In some rare, extremely difficult cases, education management authorities resort to more drastic measures, from change of management and part of the teaching staff to reorganization of the whole educational institution.

Modern support programs for low-performing schools around the world are based on consistent and large-scale launching of financial, staff, organizational and other mechanisms designed to enhance qualification and stimulate professional growth of teachers, to expand the culture of collaboration, co-research and distribution of effective practices among teachers, to allocate leadership roles in school management, to develop partner relations between principals of the highest and the lowest performing schools, and to implement the efficient school model largely in practice.

The international experience of research and practical interventions into this field may be useful for Russian education, especially now when support of low-performing schools is on the agenda of Russian educational policy.