School-based management and educational outcomes : lessons from a randomized field experiment

Abstract

This brief summarizes the results of a gender impact evaluation study, entitled School-based management and educational outcomes : lessons from a randomized field experiment, conducted between 2008 and 2011 in The Gambia. The study observed the impact of comprehensive school-based management and capacity building program called Whole School Development (WSD) on schools, principals, representatives off teachers, and communities who received training in school leadership, management, community participation, curriculum management, teacher professional development, and teaching and learning resources on the school, student, and teacher level. The intervention had no impact on learning outcomes in Math or English. However, the intervention led to a significant reduction in student absenteeism by 21 percent and teacher absenteeism by 23 percent. There was no effect of the grant-only intervention on test scores or participation. The program had stronger impacts in areas with high literacy levels at baseline. The impact of the program on enrollment was similar between genders. Funding for the study derived from the World Bank Africa Program for Education Impact Evaluation, Education Program Development Fund.