1: School Improvement Networks in a Market-Oriented Educational Context

International evidence shows that numerous educational systems have opted for school networks to support the improvement not only of those schools in difficulty but also the system as a whole (Azorín & Muijs, 2017; Chapman, 2015; Feys & Devos, 2015; Rincón-Gallardo & Fullan, 2016). In the global north, these network initiatives are supported by methodologies of data gathering and analysis to improve practices, involving many schools, teachers and/or school leaders. Many school networks with different purposes where developed in the 1990s to address diverse educational challenges (Hadfield & Chapman, 2009). Some of these experiences focused on supporting good professional relationships among teachers, while others used networks for professional from different schools, not only teachers, to address similar educational challenges (Bryk et al., 2010; Lieberman & Grolnick, 1996; Little, 1993; Wohlstetter, Malloy, Chau, & Polhemus, 2003).