Case Study: ISX, A For-Profit International School

Introduction
ISX is a for-profit international school, which recently has experienced several changes in ownership, leadership and management. The school has existed for over 50 years, and caters for many local families, as well as for students who have evolved in international settings, or whose mother tongue is different to the one spoken by the host country. In June 2014, the school was taken over by an international education company, which itself is owned by an investment company. A new director runs the school, and the principal just took office in September 2014. Additionally, ISX made a bid for a piece of land, and funding from the local government in order to get new premises. The planning for all of these changes started over five
In the UK, the audit commission deems value for money is achieved when objective and subjective are brought together, when “ the production process is both effective and efficient” (Audit commission: 1984). This process is hard to quantify as “efficiency is a normative concept” according to Levaĉić (2000) and implies making a “value judgment” when looking at output. Efficacy is difficult to make operational, and even more to be assessed in a non bias, or prejudiced way. Data, to be relevant has to be collected objectively and needs to be triangulated (Cohen, 1994). Stakeholders, through the prism of their own role within the institution make a moral judgment on efficacy, which turns out to be value judgment. External auditors hired by the institution and accreditation teams will also cast a judgment based on a range of criterion, which are often connected to mainstream social values. For Cribb and Gerwitz, (2001: 64) an obvious ‘values drift’ is visible in the procedures surrounding management of
Code of Local Government Audit Practice for England and Wales. London: HMSO, 1984.
Brown, P. and Lauder, H. "Education, globalisation and economic development." Halsey,
Caldwell, B. Reconceptualising the self-managing schools. . Lewes: Palmer Press, 2008.
Chin, R. and Benne, K. "General strategies for effective change in human systems." Bennis, W., Benne, K., Chin, R. Planning of Change. London: Holt, Rhinart and Winston, 1969.
Cohen, L. and Manion, L. "Research Methods in Education ." London : Routledge, 1994.
Cribb, A. and Gewirtz, S. "Values and schooling." Becoming a teacher : issues in secondary teaching. Ed. J. and Maguire, M. Dillon. Buckingham: Open University Press, 2001.
Gray, J. "The quality of Schooling: framework for jugement". Gray, J. and Wilcox, B. Good school, Bad school: Evaluating Performance and Encouraging Improvement. Buckingham: Open University Press, 1995.
International Baccalaureate. Online Curriculum. 10 december 2014 .
Cuttance, P. "Monitoring educational quality through performance indicators for school practice." School effectiveness and school improvement. 1994.
Halsey, H. Lauder, P., Brown, P., and Wells, S. Education: Culture, Economy, Society. . Oxford: Oxford University Press,