ABSTRACT
This study aims to investigate the School Self-Evaluation (SSE) process and asks how beneficial it has been in encouraging schools to continuously improve. The research was conducted at Gresik, East Java, and six schools have been involved in the study. Research data was collected qualitatively by means of document analysis, focus group discussions and interviews. The results of the findings have shown that most schools have adequate knowledge and understanding of SSE, but that the process is still perceived as an obligation task imposed by the ministry. The implementation is not yet effective enough to be utilized as a management tool for school improvement. The study has emphasized that a major challenge is the lack of leadership capacity, which implies the need for supportive supervision or moderation from outsiders.
