The Rationale and Theoretical Background of a European School Improvement Study on Promoting Quality and Equity in Education

In this chapter the theoretical background of a European experimental study aiming to support primary schools in socially disadvantaged areas in order to improve their student learning outcomes is presented. The study is built on an evidence-based and theory-driven approach that draws on the dynamic model of educational effectiveness. Therefore, in the first part of this chapter, the theory upon which this approach is based is presented. Specifically, the rationale of the dynamic model is discussed and school-level factors are described in detailed. We then refer to various national and international studies which have provided empirical support for the validity of the dynamic model and reveal that factors included in the model are associated with student achievement gains in different learning outcomes. Drawing on this research, an approach to promoting quality and equity has been developed. Thus the main assumptions of the dynamic approach to school improvement (DASI) are discussed and an overview of its major steps are described in the second part of the chapter. Finally, the impact of DASI on student learning outcomes through four experimental studies is presented and its importance for promoting quality in education is pointed out. We then argue for the need for further studies that investigate the extent to which the dynamic approach is able not only to promote quality, but also equity, in education.