How much of a difference do principals make? An analysis of between-schools variation in academic achievement in Hong Kong public secondary schools

How much of a difference do principals make? An analysis of between-schools variation in academic achievement in Hong Kong public secondary schools

• Walker, Allan David
• Lee, Moosung Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong
• Bryant, Darren A. University of Hong Kong

School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 25(4), 602-628, 2014

Routledge

2014

• Q Philosophy of Education, Educational System & School At Different Levels
  • QD Secondary Education
• R Educational Policy & Administration
  • RH Supervisors, School Principals & Administrators

Between-schools Variation Academic Achievement Utilization of Communication Structures Quality Assurance and Accountability Resource Management Hong Kong Principals Instructional Leadership Accountability Policies Student Outcomes Teachers Performance Edu

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Secondary Education

This article aims to explain the role principals play in the variation in academic achievement between secondary schools in Hong Kong. The article draws on survey data from 179 key staff and 2,037 students from 42 schools. The study uses 2 analytical approaches. First, it employs classification and regression tree analysis (CART). This was used to sort out the most significant leadership practices associated with student achievement. Second, based on first-stage analysis, the study further explores the effects of leadership practices on academic achievement using hierarchical linear modelling (HLM). Results indicate that transparent and efficient communication structures as managed by principals explained approximately 12% of between-schools variation in academic achievement. Leadership practices related to quality assurance and accountability and resource management also contributed to explaining between-schools variation in academic achievement, yet they had negative effects on student achievement. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
[Copyright of School Effectiveness and School Improvement is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2013.875044]

• English

Journal Articles

• 09243453

• 10.1080/09243453.2013.875044

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/d578f0ce

2014-12-19