EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND SOUND DECISION MAKING: A DETERMINANT

IN THE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

Ricardo R. Gutierrez Jr.

Educational policy and decision making has been subjects in many studies in
varied domains in organizational performance. The significance of choosing and
designing a policy and making sound decision are the determinant factors in the
success of the organization. Wagner & Simpton (2009) posited that successful
administrators know how to create a meaningful policy and make a sound decision and
bring it all together for the benefit of the stakeholders and institutions alike. Some of
these factors include making an effort to listen the problems and manifestation of the
differences exist between leaders and the constituents about the educational issues.
Moreover, Ventures for excellence (2008) claimed that excellent administrators have a
clear vision and sense of uniqueness in making use of the policy and implementing a
sound decision. When a shared vision is present within the organization, it is important
to consistently consider all voices to achieve academic and social growth for all.
Baumann and Bonner (2013) add that the potential to take each member’s unique
information and combine it during the decision-making process is one of the greatest
strengths of a group and thus improve the organizational performance.

Decision-making is a process that relates to a problem solving and hence,

decision-making is address to advance towards in solving-problem. Amason & Mooney
(2008) concluded poor performance in the organization would increase the
comprehensiveness of the decision process. Other researchers reported the opposite
finding like Elbana et al. (2013) and Francois et al. (2015c) found positive relationship
that school performance, effective policy and sound decision-making, implementation
and its rationality. Therefore, Sergiovanni (1992) said that there is no doubt with the
combination of the decision-making, school culture, personal values and experiences,
educational leaders make educationally sound decisions based on what they presume
to be the best for the organization.
 The policy development consists of the following processes; the first step starts
with Identifying the Problem and Agenda Setting. Identifying the problem involves
addressing what is happening and why it is an issue in the organization. This part
engages the data gathering and research findings to be collected before it is place on the
agenda. This is perhaps the most crucial stage wherein various factors are consider. The
organization needs to constantly assess its activities, responsibilities and the external
environment in order to identify the need for policies and procedures in the
improvement of the educational directions and performance. Formulation and
Adoption this step allows all the authority to Delegate responsibility to an individual,
working group, sub-committee or staff members, according to the expertise required.
This allows the internal and external stakeholders to scrutinize the policy concerning
the welfare and sustainability of this purpose. Implementation of the Policy, this refers
the series of actions, allocating budget and actualize the policy. This perhaps given the
identification of policy directions and priorities. Finally, the evaluation examines the
efficacy of the policy. This stage results will give inputs on how future policies may be
improved. Therefore, grasping every educational policy process will help an
educational leader improve decision-making for every element dynamic to different
and other levels.

West and Derrington (2009) affirms that looking at organizational performance,

the good platform of the educational policy needs to consider all factors, starting with
vision the purpose of the action for the decision and continuing through the
implementation and practice of the policy. Moreover, when looking at education as an
organization, it is imperative to monitor the progress and the development of the policy
implemented. School leaders make daily decisions with the bases of the policy
influence their entire organization, and create a meaningful evaluation that are design
to facilitate successful policy. Shahsavarani and Abadi (2015) highlighted that the
decision-making process requires collective and participatory techniques to arrive at its
core decision. This notion guides every team or organization to integrate the decision-
making process in achieving harmony and teamwork.
 There are variations to the steps of a decision-making process, but in a general
way, there are four steps and processes to fit in the organization performance proposed
by Ansoff (1988). Perception of the problem or opportunity. This involves in assessing
the nature of problems, factors and opportunities of the organization. This stage allows
the leader to weigh and scrutinize problems and opportunities manifest in the
organization. A certain findings and studies in the fields are needed as base line and
foundation in making decision. The formulation of alternatives, this step is to select
and choose the best solution and that fits to answer the problem encountered. Here the
policy and guidelines must come in to sees situation and problems arise. Evaluation of
alternatives you will probably identify several possible paths of action, or alternatives
and best sources of information. You can also use your imagination and additional
information to construct new alternatives. In this step, you will list all possible and
desirable alternatives. Moreover, choosing one or more alternatives for implementation.
This last stage enables an educational leader to review the steps from the start and
decide firmly the best choice for its execution.

DeBlois (2000) argues that good leaders recognize sound decision-making and
effective educational policy within the school organization. Therefore, it provides a
school with clear, measurable and attainable goals and mission. Hence, leaders know
what is expected to perform, the policy is clear, and the decision is favorable in the
improvement of the organization. The vision is broadly shared throughout the
organization and thus school performance will improve.

According to UNESCO (2013), educational policy is done to meet a need as

influenced by global and regional educational agendas, conventions, and priorities. On
the other hand, decision-making is a process done based on culture, perceptions, values,
attitude, and belief system of the decider (Delazer et al. 2011 & Ratcliff et al. 2009). Let
us make some comparison and contrast between educational policy and decision-
making. Educational policy can be defined as a broad statement that sets out the main
goals and priorities’, and which ‘defines a particular stance, aiming to explore solutions
to an issue (UNESCO, 2013a: 7).  On the other hand, decision-making is a set of action
taken to a particular problem in the organization. Therefore, both differ on its processes,
foundation, and lucrative purpose in the improvement of the school. However, both
are common in the processes and they are interrelated between another. Coming up
together is a reason to improve the educational performance specifically the delivery of
quality education and the service to our clientele.

To one side, both policy and decision-making processes emphasized the

significance of planning. As posited by UNESCO (2013), policy follows a plan which is a
roadmap of concrete actions to achieve the anticipated goals and priorities as specified
in the policy. This is also reinforced by Bursalıoğlu (2013) regards decision-making as
the heart of management, arguing that it serves as an axis for other management
processes.

In conclusion, the effective educational policy and the sound decision-making of

the school leaders are the determinant in the pursuit of the educational success.
Decision-making is a significant management process (Lunenburg, 2010a) and
educational policy stands out as one of the most important roadmap in driving an
organization performance (Atsan, 2017; Drucker, 2001). Decision-making inherently
covers a dynamic and complex set of processes and effective policy (D’Angelo, 2011)
often requiring the participation of many stakeholders, not just the school leader.
School leaders have to make decisions that can affect the school, the instructional
programs, and the students and teachers on a daily basis. These decisions are expected
to be good decisions in an environment that requires prompt action (Calabrese &
Zepeda, 1999). Effective policy and sound decision-making lead School leaders
constitute the administrative staff in leading a school who have to make decisions
concerning the running of schools. They do the planning, organizing, leading and
monitoring required in order for schools to function and thus help improve the school
performance.
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