Abstract:
School improvement program is designed to bring enhancement on students’ academic
achievement. This can be realized if the necessary conditions are fulfilled and challenges
hindering its implementation are reduced. This research was conducted to assess the practice
and challenges of school improvement program implementation. For this purpose, descriptive
research was employed. The study was carried out in five secondary schools of Kamash Zone. A
total of 267 individuals were participated in the study. In which 86 were teachers, 155 were
students, 20 were SIP committee members, 4 were woreda education officers and 1 was Zone
education officer from curriculum preparation and provision department. Questionnaire,
interview, observation and document analysis were the main instrument of data collection. The
analysis of the quantitative data was carried out by using percent, and frequency. The findings
revealed that the extent at which adequate preparation made for school improvement was low in
the secondary school of the zone. In terms of the implementation of school improvement program
regarding its four domains its extent of implementation was low. The practice of the school
improvement program was low due to various hindering factors like lack of awareness, lack of
adequate SIP guide lines in schools, low monitoring and evaluation made on the SIP
implementation at school, low educational back ground of parents, shortage of school facilities
are some of major challenges investigated in this study. So as to alleviate the problem it was
recommended that concerned stake holders need to fulfill SIP guide lines, facilities and assign
adequate finance. Monitoring and evaluation mechanism need to be regularly conducted.
Training must be adjusted and provided for school community
