Evidence bases to inform school improvement plans: findings from an umbrella review of school quality domains and specific improvement strategies for school leaders and early years specialists

Abstract

Early education is critical for establishing positive developmental trajectories, particularly the first few years (Grade K-3). School improvement frameworks identify a range of ‘quality domains’ that are expected to provide a foundation to quality and guide improvement plans. Schools often select from a range of domains to focus quality improvement efforts. Thus, educators need to know which are supported by strong evidence. This umbrella review compiles evidence from meta-analyses and systematic reviews for 13 school quality domains. Bibliographic databases (ERIC, ERC, PsychINFO, Cochrane) were searched in October 2018 and May 2020, identifying 80 relevant publications. Results indicate that 10 of 13 quality domains were supported at the elementary school level, however evidence was substantially narrower for the Grade K-3 bracket, though data supported several of the same domains: Pedagogical Approaches; Peer Tutoring; Technology-Enhanced Teaching and Learning; and Social-Emotional and Behavioural Interventions to Improve School Climate. Findings are important for educator and policy-maker decisions about the prioritisation of quality domains, and support evidence-based selection of specific school improvement strategies.

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