Search

RAE ratings have been criticized as biased in favour of universities that are old, in England, large and represented on the panel. We investigate these accusations for the 1996 and 2001 RAE ratings of economics departments using independent rankings from the academic literature as quality controls. We find RAE ratings to be largely in agreement with the profession's view of research quality as documented by independent rankings, although the latter appear to be more focused on research quality at the top end of academic achievement. Accusations of bias find no support in the data, except for panel membership in 1996. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to explore the nature of effective schools serving socially disadvantaged communities, and to point to an overlooked feature in the literature on school effectiveness in relation to social inclusion. Design/methodology/approach - As part of a trans-European project, three English schools are investigated. A qualitative case study approach is utilised. The schools selected have high proportions of ethnic minority students with low socio-economic status backgrounds, yet demonstrate successful results. Findings - The data show the importance of high expectations, and the development of classroom and school-wide systems to translate these into practice. This reflects areas highlighted by earlier research on schools in disadvantaged communities. The data also point to important conclusions about school ethos. Research limitations/implications - The findings are based on a sample of three schools. Though purposively selected (as successful in challenging circumstances), further research is needed into the role of an inclusive ethos in school effectiveness. Practical implications - As Scheerens and Bosker argue, schools are most important for underprivileged and/or initially low-achieving students. Improving the effectiveness of schools in disadvantaged communities is therefore vital, and an ethos of inclusion is an essential dimension in this. Originality/value - The conclusions mirror in many respects the findings of earlier research on effective schools in socio-economically deprived communities. However, the paper also draws attention to the importance of developing and sustaining an ethos of inclusion in schools serving disadvantaged communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative case study of an exceptional school in the south of England challenges the hypothesis that transformational leaders significantly impact on student outcomes. Interviews with staff and students, together with classroom observation, confirm that the head, appointed in 1995, has played an important role in transforming internal processes and in changing the context of the school. Although the observed and reported behaviour of leaders, teachers, and students matches expectations from the literature, the consequences for student achievement are unclear. Background variables seem to explain most of the apparent improvement in student outcomes. An effectiveness framework that assigns disproportionate value to examination results seems to have created a leadership paradox, where heads reported to be transformational produce only limited gains in performance. The study concludes that the government's determination to assume a strongly positive relationship between leaders and outcomes has compromised the principle of evidence-informed policy-making and that we need a different approach based on a broadly defined, qualitative conception of student success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]