The importance of districts

Effectiveness studies have largely concentrated on the school as the unit of analysis, although an increasing number have directed their attention to the teacher as the main unit of interest. But policy is often directed through organisations at the district level or what is sometimes known as the Education Authority (EA). Few studies have explored their importance, but the seminal study by Willms (1987 Willms, J. D. 1987. Differences between Scottish Educational Authorities in their examinations attainment. Oxford Review of Education, 13(2): 211–232. Taylor & Francis Online], Web of Science ®] , Google Scholar]) stands out. This paper reports an analysis of 7 large national databases from England using 3-level multilevel models with pupils nested within primary schools that are in turn nested within districts. All tell the same story: The EA attended by pupils has almost no relevance to their progress.