TY - JOUR
T1 - How much of a difference do principals make? An analysis of between-schools variation in academic achievement in Hong Kong public secondary schools
AU - Walker, Allan
AU - LEE, Moo Sung
AU - Bryant, Darren
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - between-schools variation
KW - academic achievement
KW - utilization of communication structures
KW - quality assurance and accountability
KW - resource management
KW - Hong Kong
KW - principals
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84905395495&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09243453.2013.875044
DO - 10.1080/09243453.2013.875044
M3 - Article
VL - 25
SP - 602
EP - 628
JO - School Effectiveness and School Improvement
JF - School Effectiveness and School Improvement
SN - 0924-3453
IS - 4
ER -