Transformational Strategies and Best Practices in Functional Literacy and School Achievement in Relation to National Assessment Results of One Leading Province: Springboard to Advocacy Goal in Education

Abstract. This study examined transformational strategies in functional literacy, best practices in education, school achievement, and National Achievement Test (NAT) performance in the South Cotabato and Koronadal City Divisions, Philippines, with the aim of developing an educational advocacy framework. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was employed involving 329 teachers, 25 school leaders, and 9 government officials. Quantitative data were gathered through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, and regression analysis, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Results showed that transformational strategies (M = 4.41), best practices in education (M = 4.53), and school achievement (M = 4.34) were rated very high, while NAT performance was low proficient (M = 49.33). Correlation analysis revealed significant positive relationships between transformational strategies and school achievement (ρ = 0.676, p < .001), and between best practices and school achievement (ρ = 0.739, p < .001). Regression analysis indicated that transformational strategies (β = 0.329, p < .001) and best practices (β = 0.567, p < .001) significantly predicted school achievement, with the model explaining 59.7% of the variance (R² = .597). However, neither transformational strategies nor best practices significantly predicted NAT performance (p > .05). The qualitative findings supported the quantitative results by confirming that instructional practices and leadership processes enhance school achievement, while NAT performance is influenced by broader systemic and contextual factors beyond school-level interventions. The study concludes that strengthening functional literacy strategies and school-wide best practices can improve school achievement, but improving standardized assessment outcomes requires broader educational and structural support. Based on the findings, an educational advocacy framework is proposed to enhance functional literacy initiatives and support replication in similar educational contexts. Keywords: Educational Advocacy; Functional Literacy; National Achievement Test; School Achievement; Transformational Practices