The following paper attempts to assess whether research benefits school empowerment, as argued by the evidence-based literature, or, whether an education system under centralised circumstances, may be another expression for the centralisation trap which undermines school empowerment. This study follows an official Call for Research initiated by the Chief Scientist's office at the Israeli Ministry of Education during the academic year 1999-2000, shortly after the implementation of a School-Based Management (SBM) policy began. The findings show that teachers' increased financial autonomy is the only positive effect found from the introduction of SBM. At the same time, however, teachers perceive that they have less authority in terms of the influence they have over schooling processes compared to teachers of the comparison group. No statistically significant differences are found between SBM schools and schools in the comparison group in students' academic achievements. It is suggested that an evidence-based orientation may be efficient when attempting to rationally establish a policy plan. However, at the same time, this may also serve those attempting to ensure that centralised power relations in the educational system are unchanged. The unique contextual implications created by centralised structures for evidence-based school empowerment policies are further discussed.