Last week (September 10, 2026 – September 11, 2026), the conference of the Commission on Educational Organization, Educational Planning, Educational Law (KBBB for short), supported by the International Congress for School Effectiveness & Improvement (ICSEI), took place at the University of Dortmund. The conference theme was“Reframing Leadership for School Improvement: Roles, Relationships, and Responsibilities in a Demanding World,” and the paper sessions and symposia focused on topics such as collaboration within the school system, school development, and school leadership practices.
The second day of the conference opened with a keynote address by Prof. Dr. Kathrin Racherbäumer. Titled“From Outcome-Based Rhetoric to Relational Practice: Reframing School Improvement by Centering Student Voice,” the keynote highlighted a gap in German-language school development research and emphasized an urgent need: to view students as active participants in school development and school development research and to allow them to participate in development processes with an equal voice.
