ABSTRACT
School Effectiveness has been a key goal of education in many countries for a number of years now, and has also become a burgeoning international research fi eld, with studies in countries ranging from Hong Kong to Chile (Teddlie & Reynolds, 2000). There has long been policy interest in the fi eld, with school effectiveness units being common in Local Authorities in England, for example. However, the infl uence of school effectiveness on education has been controversial, with many arguing that the emphasis placed on outcomes by proponents of school effectiveness has had negative equity consequences. This chapter will explore to what extent this is the case, and whether research on poverty and equity in education can benefi t from effectiveness research. I will also consider the extent to which effectiveness research needs to be adapted to develop a better understanding of the processes that operate within disadvantaged educational contexts.
