The Autonomy Premium Professional Autonomy and Student Achievement in the 21st Century

Abstract

The Autonomy Premium is a concise response to the popular and often loosely defined debate about whether higher levels of student achievement may flow from autonomy in school management and professional practice. Drawing on over 40 years of research Brian J Caldwell examines a series of compelling questions that bring the reader through the key pillars of autonomy-related studies. These include: Why are there mixed results in research into links between school autonomy and student achievement? What do more autonomous schools actually do to make gains in student achievement? Is professional autonomy the key driver for improvement? Through the lens of case studies in Australian public schools..