Needs-oriented Resource Allocation as an Opportunity to Face Educational Disparities? The Berlin Bonus Program

The Berlin Bonus Program, launched in February 2014, is designed to support schools serving disadvantaged communities. In order to counteract educational disadvantages, schools are provided with additional financial resources to implement school improvement measures in their own responsibility. In terms of a needs-oriented resource allocation, the educational opportunities for students at schools serving disadvantaged communities are thus to be improved. Furthermore, the Bonus Program is intended to contribute to the decoupling of educational achievement from socio-economic background. From 2014 to 2018, the scientific monitoring and evaluation of the Bonus Program took place within the framework of the BONUS study. The study focused on the assessment, implementation, and effects of the program. The Bonus Program has been widely accepted by the schools and has stimulated improvement processes in many of them. However, effects with regard to the program's objectives were only apparent in a few cases during the evaluation.