Abstract

Despite significant investment in a number of reformatory measures in the elementary education sector, indicators relating to the quality of Karnataka’s elementary education have not shown significant improvement. Blame tended to be levelled at exogenous factors like poverty and material difference, though studies indicated towards shortcomings in the outlooks of teaching cadre as well as hierarchical issues. It was in this context that the ELDP (Educational Leadership Development Programme) was developed as a capacity development programme for enhancing skills relating to personal effectiveness, educational leadership and school planning for sub-district level institutional staff.

In this report, an evaluation of the ELDP programme is undertaken by CBPS, with the primary objectives of examining the process of the development of a participant in the ELDP; examining whether the methods used in and outcomes from the program are in line with its objectives; whether the programme achieved its objectives of preparing effective frameworks for developing leadership and impact skills; and what the shortfalls could be and why. Outcome analysis of programme was measured via comparison of a treatment group with a control group, evaluating the difference between groups in terms of their knowledge of educational components, perceptions and knowledge of facilitation. Test scores indicated towards mixed impact of the ELDP scheme, with ELDP cohort participants demonstrating greater subject knowledge, but no difference in terms of facilitation. Treatment cohorts also indicated towards differences in their perception of their roles, as they assigned greater value to more well rounded development as opposed to greater building of obedience in students, which was the preference of the control group.

CBPS. (2013). Report: Evaluation of the Educational Leadership Development Programme (ELDP). Bengaluru, India: Centre for Budget & Policy Studies.