Development Planning for School Improvement

Development planning is a relatively new concept in a changing educational vocabulary. Different terms are now being used both within and between countries, and the same term does not always have a shared meaning. There is, however, something of a common core in both the origin and definition of the concept, whatever particular name is used. Development planning is a response to the need for a systematic and whole-school approach to planning and the management of multiple innovations and change. Although development planning is now a widespread innovation, its success or effectiveness in terms of school improvement is by no means established. The relative youth of development planning as a school improvement strategy, and the fact the research is set within specific national or local contexts, means that far less is known than anyone cares to admit. The twelve chapters representing experience from six English-speaking countries that comprise this volume attempt to remedy that situation. Together with the editorial introduction they seek to pick out recurring themes as well as those very distinctive features that may be important in an emergent field of study.