El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, andNicaragua introduced education decentralization reforms,including school-based management (SBM) in some schools. Asapplied in Central America, (SBM) is a decentralizationmechanism that shifts certain decision-making powers to theschool level, emphasizing the role of community, andparental management in school affairs. The SBM programs aimto increase enrollments, efficiency, and parental and localcommunity participation. Greater participations are alsoseen as a means to achieve other goals. In three cases-EDUCO(El Salvador), PRONADE (Guatemala), and PROHECO(Honduras)-the main objective is increasing enrollment inisolated rural areas affected by conflict, poverty, ornatural disasters. The School Autonomy Program in Nicaraguaaims to increase operational efficiency, by giving voice toparents and civil society on educational issues. The notediscusses two key questions that arise: What effect have thereforms had on community empowerment, and educationaloutcomes? What can be learned by comparing thecircumstances, reform designs, and contexts in the four countries?
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