It is critical for schools and districts to have access to data about the performance of their school. Analysis for school performance data enables Head Teachers/Principals and School Governing Bodies to make informed plans for school improvement. It enables them to address weaknesses and make the most of available resources. Currently, data collection is sporadic, and understanding gleaned from that data is rarely shared with schools and their communities.
LCD has developed a unique and innovative process which measures individual school performance against common indicators of school success. Our School Performance Review (SPR) enables communities, pupils, teachers, school managers, district officials and national departments to collect and access accurate data about their school's performance. The data collected from SPR enables school communities to tailor all plans for schools so that they can best meet each school's individual needs – and critically, enable them to make best use of scarce school and district resources.
SPR introduces evidence-based data collection in the areas of school management and leadership, teaching and learning, and community participation. LCD supports the development of individual school and collated District performance reports, and co-facilitates School Performance Appraisal Meetings (SPAM) to identify strengths and weaknesses of schools and regions and prioritize targets for improvement planning. We also support conferences for districts and schools to showcase best practice, share plans and hold service providers accountable. SPR actively encourages the community to understand their rights to quality education, and provides mechanisms for them to enter into dialogue with schools and districts decision-makers.
SPR is now bring implemented in over 1,000 schools in our African projects, and has been adopted by national and provincial governments in South Africa, Malawi and Uganda. In each country, the process has been contextualized to fit within and add value to education policy. The general steps of the process are outlined in the diagram above.