This paper explores the relationship between measures of school management quality and
student test scores. Data on management practices from interviews with Ugandan secondary
school head teachers is combined with individual level panel test score data from two highstakes
examinations. We find that the overall average quality of management is similar to the
other low and middle- income countries for which comparable data exists (India and Brazil).
Management matters for school performance in Uganda – with a standard deviation
improvement in management performance being associated with a 0.05 – 0.2 standard
deviation improvement in test scores. Observable characteristics of schools and headteachers
explain little of the variation between schools in test scores.