Abstract:
This study aimed to examine the effect of the School Improvement Program (SIP) on students' academic achievement in secondary schools within the Ambo Town Secondary Schools. A correlational research design was utilized, with four secondary schools purposively selected for the study. A total of 134 teacher and 345 students for quantitative and 8 respondents for qualitative totally 485 respondents participated, and data were collected primarily and secondary through questionnaires and from documents. The quantitative data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics with the help of SPSS version 26. Descriptive statistics included frequencies, percentages, measures of central tendency (mean), and measures of dispersion (standard deviation). Inferential statistics, such as multiple regression analysis and correlation, were employed to assess the relationship between SIP components and students' academic achievement.
Results indicated that the components of the School Improvement Program in these schools were implemented at relatively low levels, and student academic achievement was also found to be low. The relationship between SIP and students' academic achievement fell mainly within the moderate to strong range. Multiple regression analysis showed that SIP had a statistically significant positive effect on student achievement (β = 0.602, p < 0.05), suggesting that a one-unit increase in the effectiveness of SIP could lead to a 0.602-unit increase in student academic achievement.
In conclusion, the study highlights that effective implementation of the School Improvement Program is critical to enhancing student academic achievement. School leaders who focus on the practical and consistent implementation of SIP components can foster improvements in academic outcomes. The study recommends that educational leaders prioritize SIP functions to positively influence the teaching and learning process, ultimately leading to improved academic achievement among students.
