School improvement. (c2007)

Abstract

This study attempts to answer a number of questions relevant to the external and internal factors affecting the performance of a private school in a low-income rural environment in Lebanon. The study utilizes qualitative and quantitative methods to gauge the impact of the administration, faculty, students, and curriculum on school improvement. It also examines the role of parents, as well as cultural, and socio-economic conditions affecting the school. The study accompanied one specific rural school over a period of a little over a year and was advantaged by readily available access to administration, parents, faculty, staff and students. This allowed for a thorough examination of the relationship between school and environment, between parents and administration, and between faculty and students. The argument is made that while school improvement is dependent on internal dynamics, it is also conditioned by external factors beyond the control of the administration. A particular focus of the study is the English language component of the curriculum, and the use by faculty and students of the language, the medium of instruction in most courses. Despite the high value placed on the importance of the language by all parties, deficiencies in the teaching and use of English are significant and impact markedly on student performance. The school offers a program leading from KG to grade 9, the Brevet year, and the students success rate in that official exam in the year of the study was 87%. This high rate of success has been maintained for a number of years. However, the minimal involvement by parents, shortcomings in the teaching staff, limited motivation on the part of students and faculty, and weak school culture result in a bare minimum educational environment. The limited resources available to the administration, forced to operate in a low income environment where the pool of potential students is limited, makes any major change virtually impossible.