School effectiveness research

School effectiveness research is described as the scientific approach to determine the causal influence of malleable conditions of schooling. The article describes how different strands of school effectiveness have developed and are now increasingly combined into more integrative approaches. The knowledge base of school effectiveness research is discussed on the basis of the results from meta-analyses and international comparative assessment studies. The size and educational relevance of the effects of malleable school conditions is still contested. Theory-based interpretation and theory-driven research are a relatively neglected area in this field. Promising developments are found in conceptual models and application of more established organizational and economic theories. Methodologically the field is likely to benefit from more rigorous research design, such as quasi-experimental evaluations of school improvement projects and randomized field trial