Chapter 9 The School Head in School-Based Management number of classrooms built as a result of the strong

(SBM) partnerships between schools and communities and

successful school -community programs like those
Meaning of School-Based Management (SBM) described in the Chapter on The School and the
Community.
What is school-based management? School based-
Through SBM, problems and needs at the school
management decentralized management initiative by
level solved faster and specific personalities and cultures
developing power or to school heads, teachers, parents and
are taken into consideration. These personalities and
students. (SBM) is to improve education by transferring cultures are usually ignored in multi-layered in In a
significant decision authority from the DepEd Central hierarchical organization like DEPED. In a hierarchical
Office, regional offices, offices to individual schools. SBM organization, straight jacket rules, procedures and
provides principals, students, and parents greater control allocation norms are given solve problems if schools have
over the education by giving them responsibility for to wait for answers from above. As a result, teachers,
decisions about the budget, personnel and the curriculum. parents and students are frustrated due to delays.
Through the involvement of teachers, and other
community members in these key decisions, SBM create In SBM, schools take the responsibility to plan and
more effective learning environments for children. implement their School Improvement Plans (SIP). ((The
table that you scrutinized in the Activity phase of the
SBM and the Principle of Subsidiarity lesson is a part of a School Improvement Plan). It is the
SBM is in keeping with the principle of subsidiarity schools themselves, not DEPED higher offices that know
best their problems and the solutions to these problems.
which that it is the people at the lowest level who will know
It is the schools that determine the number and kind of
best problems and so are in the best position to address
teachers they need, the kind of learning materials and
the same. This tenet holds that "nothing should be done by resources they need.
a larger and more organization which can be done as well
Since schools are given more power to direct
by a smaller and organization. In other words, any activity themselves, they are made accountable for results. SBM
which can be by a more decentralized entity should be makes schools accountable to the stakeholders.
done by that decentralized entity. Those in the higher
echelon are far removed from the scene and are therefore
not as involved and as informed as those from those below.

Legal Basis of SBM

Advantages of SBM
The Philippine Constitution provides that congress
 Allows competent individuals in the schools to shall enact a local government code that will
make decisions that will improve learning; institutionalize a system of decentralization (Article 10,
Sec. 3) whereby local government units shall be extended
 Gives the entire school community a voice in key
more power, authority.. The Local Government Code in
decisions;
1991 is a fulfillment of this Constitutional provision.
 Focus accountability for decisions;
This means that long before the Department of
 Lead to greater creativity in the design of programs;
Education (DepEd) legally introduced decentralization in
 Redirect resources to support the goals developed schools through School-Based Management (SBM) in 2001
in each school; through the enactment of RA 9155, local government
 Lead to realistic budgeting as parents and teachers units were already empowered for local governance. RA
become more aware spending limitations, and the 9155, Basic Governance Act transfers the power and
cost of its programs; authority as well as the resources to the school level.
 Improve morale of teachers and nurture new School empowerment is based on the assumption that the
leadership at all levels. school heads including teachers, key leaders in the
community, parents know best the root and solution to
the problem.
Through SBM, decision making authority is
developed to school head, teachers, parents and students.
Conditions for the Success of SBM
This is school empowerment. This reduces bureaucratic
controls on schools and encourage school heads, teachers
and parents to use greater initiative in meeting the needs • Teachers, school heads must be given the opportunity to
of students and community. This results in a sense of make choices. They must actively Participate in school
community school ownership which makes the school improvement planning.
realize its vision and mission.
Involving stakeholders - parents, teachers,
• The involvement of parents and teachers must be
strongly encouraged and highly welcomed.
students and other and other members of the community
– is also helpful in the mobilization of local resources to
competent public resources. Concrete proof of this is the
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 Curriculum Create a physical Development of collective
• Stakeholders must participate in. the development of a developer and accountability for school and
School Improvement Plan. They must have a say on psychological student performance
resource allocation to meet specific needs. climate
conducive to
• Higher authorities must actively encourage thoughtful teaching
learning
and
experimentation and innovation in an atmosphere
Localize and Development of the
where mistakes are viewed as learning experiences. implement curriculum to address both
They must be willing to share their authority with the school national goas, local needs
academic and the larger community. curriculum and aspirations.

• Teachers must develop reflection, problem solving. Encourage

development
Creation of open learning
system based on several
and use of resource materials rather
innovative than on single textbooks
instructional Participatory and peer based
In addition, based on international experience, the methods focused instructional supervision
following must be present for SBM to succeed in schools: o improving
learning
• have basic resources; outcomes,
improving the
• have developed an effective school support systern; holding power of
schools and
• are provided with regular information on their addressing
performance; specific local
problems
• are given advice on how they may improve; and Fiscal Administer and Fund management
Resource manage all
• emphasize the motivational element in the management Manager personnel,
work of the principal physical and
fiscal resources
of the school
Encourage and Serving as model for
Roles Functions Knowledge/Skills/Attitudes accept transparency and
Required donations, gifts, accountability especially in
Visionary Lead in of setting Change and future orientation bequests and financial management
principal, the vision,
grants for
motivator, mission and
educational
advocate goals of the
and planner schools purposes and
Builder of Organize Networking, organizing, social report all such
networks /expand school, mobilization, advocacy donations to the
and support community and appropriate
systems local offices
government
networks and Factors of School Effectiveness Based on Research
groups that will
actively Effective practices need to be institutionalized for
participate in them to become part of the school culture. To build
school
improvement professional capacity and establish mechanism that
Lead in Development of teamwork,
developing the building consensus and skills supports the continuing quality improvement of schools is
Improvement in negotiation and of the an assurance that effective schools even become more
Plan with the staff and conflict resolution
participation effective. School-Based Management (SBM) is the
skills of the staff
and the mechanism introduced by the Department of Education in
community the Philippines to continuously work on effective schools.
Lead in Participatory planning and
developing and administrative management As the term implies, in SBM, schools are given greater
maintaining the
School
autonomy to make decisions regarding education of
Management children.
Information
System
Generation and use of data
and information as basis for
planning and management
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 Their research finding of OECD confirms "that Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, the
school autonomy has a positive relationship with student Department of Education (DepEd) provided School-Based
performance when accountability measures are in place Management (SBM) Grants as additional funds to public
and/or when school principals and teachers collaborate in elementary and secondary schools,……to augment the
school management" (OECD, 2012). China and Singapore school fund on Maintenance and Other Operating
have been "devolving more responsibility to the school Expenses (DO 45, s. 2015).
level" (Stewart, 2008). In Finland, accountability rests on
the trust placed by families and government in the Philippine Accreditation System for Basic Education
professional competence of teachers (Stewart, 2008). (PASBE)
The institutionalization of SBM was strengthened
In the Philippines, the devolving of more
with the introduction of the Philippine Accreditation System
responsibility to the schools was done through the School-
for Basic Education (PASBE) which was launched through
Based Management (SBM). SBM was introduced during
DepEd Order No 64, s. 2012. Accreditation is a process of
the implementation of the Third Elementary Education
self-evaluation and peer. review to ensure that quality
Project (TEEP), 1999-2005. In 2005, TEEP conducted a
standards agreed upon by stakeholders are understood,
study to determine the effect of school-based
implemented, maintained, and enhanced for continuous
management on student performance in the Philippines
improvement of learner outcomes (DepEd DO 20, s. 2013 -
using the administrative dataset of all public schools in 23
The Philippine Accreditation System for Basic Education
school districts over a 3-year period, 2003-2005. The
(PASBE) Supplemental Guidelines to DepEd Order No. 83, S.
results showed that the introduction of SBM had a
2012). source: http://www.teacherph.com/a-
statistically significant, although small, overall positive
comprehensive-guide-to-school-based-management_
effect on average school-level test scores in 23 school
sbm/Accessed 9-2-2016
districts in the Philippines.
The agreed upon standards of quality or effective
With SBM, significant decision-making authority
schools are grounded on the four principles of A Child-and
was transferred from state and district offices to individual
—Community Centered Education Systems (ACCESs),
schools. SBM provided principals, teachers, students, and
namely: (1) principle of collective leadership (2) principle of
parents greater control over the education process by
community-based learning (3) principle of accountability for
giving them responsibility for decisions about the budget,
performance and results and (4) principle of convergence to
personnel, and the curriculum. Through the involvement
harness resources for education. All of these four principles
of teachers, parents, and other community members in
also apply to SBM.
these key decisions, SBM can create more effective
The school's level of SBM practice can either be
learning environments for children. (Source: Office of
Level l, Developing; Level Il, Maturing and Level Ill,
Research Education/Consumer Guide). To further
Advanced. A school that reaches the highest level of SBM
strengthen the school-Based Management (SBM) practice
practice qualifies for an accredited status.
and re-emphasize the centrality of the learners and the
involvement of relevant community in basic education
service delivery, the Department of Education (DepEd) A school in Level I, developing, means that the

embarked on revisiting the SBM framework, assessment school is developing structures and mechanisms with

process and tool to improve on already recognized acceptable level and extent of Level community II, described

successful practices across the regions (DO 83, s. 2012). To participation as Maturing, and means impact that the school

institutionalize decentralization efforts at the school level is introducing and sustaining continuous improvement

and in line with Republic Act No. 9155 also known as process that integrates wider community participation and
significantly improve performance and learning outcomes.
82
Level III, Advanced (Accredited) means that the school is
ensuring the production of intended outputs/outcomes and
meeting all standards of a system fully integrated in the
local community and s self – renewing ad self-sustaining.

In conclusion, PASBE is a means to institutionalize

SBM, the granting of more autonomy to schools for them to
chart their destiny to grow in effectiveness continuously.

Factors that Contribute to School Effectiveness

Research findings point to the following factors
that spell school effectiveness:

l. Human factors - These include a dynamic school head,

highly selected competent and committed teachers, highly
motivated pupils with high expectations, and a supportive
community.

2. Non- human factors, processes - These refer to clear and

shared vision-mission (focus), high expectations/ ambitious
standards, emphasis on accountability, aligned curriculum
instruction and assessment with state / DepEd standards
efficiency or optimal utilization of resources and facilities
collaboration and communication, focused professional
development, and global and future orientation.

These factors are exemplified by high performing

schools in the Philippines and abroad and by the best
education performing countries in the world.

In the Philippines, the practice of School-Based

Management gave greater autonomy to schools to make
decisions in collaboration with parents and community
towards greater school effectiveness. The SBM Assessment
Tool is an instrument used to assess schools, effectiveness
and its use for accreditation of schools is an assurance that
effective practices get institutionalized to build the school's
culture of excellence. A copy of this SBM Assessment Tool is
in Appendix A.

The heart of all these elements, both human and

non-human is the school head, the school leader. This
means that all these factors that contribute to school
effectiveness come forth only with a dynamic and a
transformational school leader.

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