This article traces how some features of school inspection in England and Wales have changed since Her Majesty's Inspectorate was first established in 1839. The article describes how the inspectorate began its work; how, later on, a series of reviews and changes to legislation affected the exercise of its accountability and advisory functions; how…

Network governance's increasing adoption in education has significantly challenged collaborative networks' external accountability. While educational inspection in network governance has been discussed, research focusing on microlevel educational inspection practices is rare. This study uses evidence from collaborative school turnaround to explore…

In an era of test-based accountability, school inspections can offer a more nuanced understanding of why schools fail. Yet, we have limited knowledge of how inspectors arrive at their decisions on school quality. Analyzing inspectors' decision-making can reveal the underlying views regarding school accountability and open opportunities for school…

Accountability policy and its negative effects on teachers' working lives and retention is internationally recognised as a problem in education with school evaluation and inspection being a particular issue, particularly in England. Research suggests that the school inspection system Ofsted impacts negatively on the health and well-being of staff…

This paper presents new evidence that explores the strengths, weaknesses and overall quality of school inspection practice in China. In one city region of Shandong Province, the research examines stakeholder perceptions of inspection purposes, processes and outcomes, as well as the potential to improve inspection practice and compulsory education…

This report examines the potential for school quality reviews to assess and promote a broader set of outcomes than are currently being measured in most districts and states. These outcomes include a deep understanding of content as well as the ability to use that knowledge to think critically to solve complex problems, communicate effectively,…

This executive summary highlights research findings regarding the potential for school quality reviews to assess and promote a broader set of outcomes than are currently being measured in most districts and states. These outcomes include a deep understanding of content as well as the ability to use that knowledge to think critically to solve…

A recent development in educational accountability is a risk-based approach, in which intensity and frequency of school inspections vary across schools to make educational accountability more efficient and effective by enabling inspectorates to focus on organizations at risk. Characteristics relevant in predicting which schools are "at risk…

School inspection, school self-evaluation and the relationship between them are important themes in current educational policy debates. Many education systems are seeking to find a balance between the, at times, conflicting demands for a robust, transparent and effective system of school evaluation that at the same time allows for professional…

The Nigerian Government and other stakeholders invest heavily in Education. The Education system should therefore be held accountable to be sure that value is being given to justify the financial investments and the period of time spent schooling. This is only possible through the process of quality control of the Education system and it is…

During the first half of the 1990s, the British government turned inspection into an ambitious instrument of educational policy-making. What happens when schools are inspected is the subject of this book. Based on a 3-year study, it answers such questions as "What happens when the inspectors announce that they intend to call?,""How…

This book provides guidelines for conducting internal audits of school districts. The first five chapters provide an overview of internal auditing and describe techniques that can be used to improve or implement internal audits in school districts. They offer information on the definition and benefits of internal auditing, the role of internal…

What really happens in an inspection of a primary school? Some answers to this question, with a focus on the technical and emotional results of such evaluations, are provided in this text. It is based on a research project involving over 80 interviews in 12 case studies of inspections carried out in England. The book, which is intended for primary…

Evaluating schools has become a contentious issue in many countries. There seems to be a broad and growing consensus that some form of evaluation can on the one hand play a significant role in school improvement efforts, and on the other is also required to provide a reasonable level of public accountability appropriate in democratic societies.…

This book provokes a re-examination of how expert knowledge, not practitioner know-how, has come to dominate how Americans judge and improve schools. It depicts the English tradition of school inspection to provoke the invention of better ways for judging and knowing schools in America. Data were gathered by observation of 39 local and national…