School Improvement Precedents and prospects

The author outlines a brief history of educational change and the evolution of school improvement as a series of phases; considers some of the most relevant critiques of policy and practice; and summarises the current knowledge base as a series of ‘myths’, with associated theories of action for implementation. He then presents an overarching framework, together with practical examples of strategies for system and school improvement that build on contemporary best practice. Finally he explores factors currently preventing school improvement policy and practice from ensuring excellence and equity; discusses approaches for transformation; and proposes a shift in paradigm, based on critical theory.

Professor David Hopkins is currently Chair of Educational Leadership at the University of Bolton, as well as being Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Education, University College London and the University of Nottingham. David is passionately committed to improving the quality of education for all and has worked at the intersection of policy, research and practice for over forty years. Among a range of educational roles, he has been Chief Adviser to three Secretaries of State on School Standards in the UK, Dean of Education at the University of Nottingham, and a secondary school teacher, as well as an Outward Bound instructor and international mountain guide, he has also consulted widely on school reform in over twenty educational systems globally. David completed his school improvement trilogy with the publication of Exploding the Myths of School Reform; the previous books being School Improvement for Real (2001) and Every School a Great School (2007).

He was recently ranked as the 16th most influential educator in the world by the American-based Global Gurus organisation. Visit profdavidhopkins.com