Methodological Assessment of Secondary School Systems in Uganda: Quasi-Experimental Designs for System Reliability Evaluation

Uganda's secondary education system faces challenges in maintaining consistent quality across schools, necessitating robust evaluation methods. A systematic review approach was employed to synthesize existing literature on secondary education reforms in Uganda. Quasi-experimental studies were identified, analysed for validity and applicability, and synthesized according to a structured framework. Quasi-experimental designs showed significant variation in system reliability across schools; however, consistent dropout rates between 30-50% indicated areas requiring urgent intervention. While quasi-experimental methods provided valuable insights into the Ugandan secondary education landscape, further research is needed to tailor interventions effectively. Future studies should prioritise longitudinal designs and incorporate qualitative elements to enhance understanding of system complexities. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.