What do quality assurance policies assure? A case study research in different school contexts

Abstract

Despite the importance of quality assurance policies in Chile, there is little empirical evidence of their impact within schools. Research findings of eight school case studies, located in different social and educational scenarios, are presented in this paper. The results identify four types of institutional responses to the examined policies. The contrast between the case studies evidences that school practices are set on an uneven field, and national policies legitimize and augment these differences– rather than decreasing them. Although the policies promote a more structured and goal-oriented schoolwork, in none of the case studies the policy does strengthen professional capacity. Adverse effects are found especially in low-performing schools located in disadvantaged communities.