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

This paper outlines the range of school improvement interventions and progr ammes currently in operation. It summarizes the main features of those scho ol improvement programmes that have been shown to work in practice. It also highlights the limitations of contemporary school improvement programmes a nd argues that school improvement needs to be more rigorously conceptualize d and evaluated. The paper concludes by suggesting that future school impro vement work needs to be more carefully matched to the needs of different ty pes of schools. It also suggests that future development in the field shoul d be premissed upon what works in practice, rather than what fits in terms of political expediency.