Improvement of educational outcomes in segregated schools, but how?

Schools with low educational results in segregated and marginalized areas challenge the Swedish education system´s goal of a high-quality school for all.

This project is about examining politically initiated measures for increased equality (top-down measures) and local initiatives to strengthen the school´s compensatory capacity (bottom-up initiatives).

At present, there is little systematic knowledge about the effects of top-down measures and almost no deep understanding of bottom-up initiatives for improving the quality of schools with low educational results in marginalized areas.

Against this background, the project aims to study how improvement initiatives for schools with low educational results are implemented.

How different forms of top-down measures and bottom-up initiatives and different components of such interventions have an effect, and in what way and to what extent they promote students´ knowledge development and secure more equal life opportunities.The project uses a mix-method approach, where we will combine A) a survey with school staff at a sample of schools in Sweden; and B) ethnographic methods, i.e., participant observation in six schools that have had low educational results but seen improved results during the last five years.A key contribution of the project is examining how financial, organizational, social and pedagogical initiatives and measures work together to create favourable conditions for learning in schools with low educational results.

In addition, the results of the project bring together the basic educational goal of Swedish compulsory schooling with successful school outcomes for all young people, regardless of background.

By using our results, policy-makers can make more well-informed decisions.The project´s costs for three years mainly consist of salary for the project members. In addition, there are costs for the survey and expenses related to fieldwork.