Empowering Educational Governance: A Retrospective Evaluation of School-Based Management Implementation and Impact in the Division of Bohol, Philippines

This study evaluated the extent of implementation and perceived impact of School-Based Management (SBM) in public secondary schools in the Department of Education, Division of Bohol, Philippines, within the context of national decentralization reforms. Guided by General Systems Theory and the Sequential Theory of Decentralization, the study employed a descriptive–correlational design to assess the relationship between SBM implementation and its outcomes across leadership and governance, curriculum and learning, accountability and continuous improvement, and resource management. Data were collected in 2016 from 800 respondents—school heads, teachers, PTA presidents, and barangay officials—selected through systematic random sampling using a validated questionnaire. Findings revealed that SBM practices were extensively implemented (overall means = 2.68–2.76) and their perceived impact was consistently attained (means = 2.66–2.94), with statistically significant positive correlations between implementation and impact (Pearson's r = .43–.55, p < .05). Despite these achievements, challenges persisted in stakeholder training, grassroots participation, and localized accountability tools. The study highlights the enduring relevance of SBM in strengthening participatory educational governance and offers an enhancement plan to inform future policy and program interventions.