The size, stability, and consistency of school effects: Evidence from Victoria

Journal article


Marks, Gary. (2015). The size, stability, and consistency of school effects: Evidence from Victoria. School Effectiveness and School Improvement. 26(3), pp. 397 - 414. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2014.964264
AuthorsMarks, Gary
Abstract

The bulk of public debate on education focuses on schools and school differences. Ideally, the characteristics of schools that add value to student performance can be identified and implemented for other schools. However, such scenarios assume that school effects are sizable, stable across cohorts, and consistent across subject areas. This study tests these assumptions by analysing school effects in both primary and secondary schools in 5 achievement domains with administrative data from almost all government school students in Victoria, Australia. Gross school effects are reasonably large but show only moderate stability. However, in net progress models which control for prior achievement, school effects are substantially smaller, display only low levels of stability across cohorts, and are not consistent across achievement domains. Therefore, it is difficult to identify schools that consistently increase (or decrease) student performance across subject areas beyond that expected by students’ intake characteristics, most notably prior student performance. Other policy goals are recommended.

Keywordsgross school effects; value-added school effects; socioeconomic background; primary schools; secondary schools
Year2015
JournalSchool Effectiveness and School Improvement
Journal citation26 (3), pp. 397 - 414
PublisherRoutledge
ISSN0924-3453
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2014.964264
Scopus EID2-s2.0-84936847656
Page range397 - 414
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Controlled
Place of publicationNetherlands
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