Promoting transparency through information: a global review of school report cards

Author(s)
Cheng, Xuejiao Joy; Moses, Kurt
Languages
English
Series
Ethics and corruption in education
Year
2016
Pages
151 p.
ISBN
978-92-803-1404-5

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About the publication

In an era of growing public access to information, how can data be better used to encourage transparency and accountability in the education sector? This study looks at the case of school report cards (SRCs), examining various models and conditions in which they have succeeded in involving stakeholders and motivating them to make changes, and positively impacted the level of transparency and accountability in education systems. Based on an in-depth review of 14 school report card initiatives from around the world, the study uses a comparative approach to examine the impact of factors such as information dissemination methods, formal or participatory approaches, reward or punishment mechanisms, and the incorporation of anti-corruption elements. It also looks at how, and to what extent, SRCs have been adapted to specific contexts, and explores some innovations introduced by stakeholders into the SRC process to reduce corruption. The book includes the formulation of an index which aims to help policy-makers and programme implementers clearly identify which elements of school-level information can lead to increased accountability and transparency, and, as a result, make informed decisions about how to make the best use of SRCs to improve integrity in education.