Can School Improvement Overcome the Effects of Disadvantage?: 9 (Perspectives on Education Policy, 9) - Softcover

Mortimore, Peter; Whitty, Geoff

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0854736255 ISBN 13: 9780854736256

Publisher: Institute of Education, 2000

Synopsis

When this book was first published in 1997 the relationship between pupils’ backgrounds and their school achievement has received little attention in education discussions. Although there has been more recognition of the problem, the correlation between disadvantaged family background and low achievement persists. The authors have revised and updated their discussion of what disadvantage can mean for pupils, the strategies that have been adopted to combat it and the efficacy of these programmes. The authors argue that efforts to compensate at school for disadvantage at home have been too limited in scope. They endorse school improvement work, which has established mechanisms for whole-school change, but fear that claims for its significance may have been exaggerated. They consider that, if the achievement gap between the advantaged and their disadvantaged peers is to be closed, the present government must go beyond its work on school improvement. It should better co-ordinate initiatives that seek more directly to help the disadvantaged, maintain those interventions which have proved to have positive effects and extend the opportunities for post-school learning.

About this title

About the Authors

Peter Mortimore is a former Director of the Institute of Education, University of London.

Geoff Whitty was Director of the Institute of Education, University of London, 2000-2010. His main areas of teaching and research are the sociology of education, education policy and teacher education. He has led evaluations of major educational reforms in the UK, including the assisted places scheme, changes in initial teacher education and provision for pupil voice in schools.

Edition details

• Publisher: Institute of Education
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0854736255
• ISBN 13: 9780854736256
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 39