Strategies for Countering ���The Accountability Agenda

E. Wayne Ross Department of Curriculum Studies

University of British Columbia www.ewayneross.net

Accountability as enforcement

!  Accountability has become the means of enforcement and control used by governments and corporations to enact educational “reforms.”

!  Governments and corporations can only demand that others remake

schools and the authority to carry out this mission is delegated, although not the authority to decide on the mission.

!  The delegation takes the form of uniform outcome measures of

productivity (e.g., scores on standardized tests), which provide evidence that the authority delegated is being properly exercised.

!  Because of the diffuse nature of the system, accountability depends on surveillance, spectacle and self-regulation. (The few watching the performance of the many / Many watching the few.)

Neoliberalism & Accountability

! Accountability is an economic interaction (i.e., return on investment expected, “rendering an account”).

! Tenets of neoliberalism include:

! the rule of the market; ! cutting public expenditures; ! deregulation; privatization; ! and elimination of the concept of “public good”

and replacing it with “individual responsibility”.

Effects of Neoliberalism •  Neoliberal economic policies have created massive social and

economic inequalities among individuals and nations. •  Neoliberalism also works as a political system where there is

formal democracy, but citizens remain spectators, diverted from meaningful participation in decision-making.

•  Thus, neoliberal policies are generally hostile toward civil

society—the arena of uncoerced collective action around shared interests, purposes and values.

Who is being held accountable by whom, for

what, through what mechanisms and with what

consequences?

Bureaucratic outcomes based accountability

Students/teachers/admins are accountable to a central government agency for demonstrating academic success on a small set of indicators of individual student performance

"  Common set of expectations/standards

"  Small number of indicators

"  Clear cut-offs to indicate success or failure

"  Consequences at the individual and school level for failure

Effects of Bureaucratic Accountability

! On teaching ! What is tested is taught,

within and among subjects ! Becomes standardized ! Learning activities mimic

test items ! Teacher centred teaching ! De-professionalization of

teachers ! Double entry teaching

! On learning ! Learning becomes a chore ! Limits critical, analytic

thinking ! Emphasis on learning for

marks, rather than fun ! Valuing of achievement

over ability and effort ! Increase in stress & anxiety ! Loss of student control &

choice

Developing alternative perspectives on accountability

! Who should be accountable to whom?

! What should they be accountable for?

! What kinds of evidence and/or procedures best serve these accountability purposes?

Professional accountability

Teachers/admins/government/ teacher education programs are accountable to the public for quality teacher preparation that supports students’ academic and social success through self-regulation and review by the teaching profession in conjunction with governmental agencies.

"  Standards of professional practice

"  Peer review "  Assessments of novice

teachers "  Certification/licensure of

teachers "  Continuing education

Authentic accountability Schools are accountable to

parents & communities (including students) for how well a school educates its students and for the quality of the social and learning environment through the use of authentic and multiple indicators

"  High quality assessment systems "  Local authentic assessments "  Low stakes standardized tests in

literacy and numeracy "  School quality review/self study

"  Opportunity to learn "  Quality of resources "  Standards of professional practice "  Responsiveness to students

"  Annual reporting by school to its community

"  Focus on improvement of schools, not rewards and punishments

A quick comparison Bureaucratic accountability

Professional accountability

Authentic accountability

Who is accountable

Students Teachers administrators

Teachers Administrators Teacher ed programs

Schools

To whom Government Public/teachers Parents & community

For what Student academic achievement

Quality teacher preparation

Academic achievement Quality of school learning & environment

Through what mechanisms

Standardized tests Graduation rates

Peer review Assessment of teachers Certification/licensure of teachers Continuing education

Standardized tests (literacy & numeracy) Local assessments School reviews

Chronic Grassroots Network

Experts

Acute Grassroots Network

Building Coalitions for Resistance academics

CCPA Alfie Kohn

student groups

parents who opt out

BCTF

Charter for Public Education

AEA Statement on Educational Accountability

Concerns that arise with educational accountability systems:

•  Over-reliance on standardized test scores that are not accurate measures of student learning;

•  Definitions of success that require test score increases that are higher or faster than historical evidence suggests possible;

•  One-size-fits all approach that may be insensitive to local contextual variables or local educational efforts.

AEA Educational Accountability Statement (con’t)

Advocates approaches that feature rigor as well as procedural and methodological safeguards in accountability systems:

•  Multiple measures (e.g., teacher assessments and standardized tests)

•  Measurement of individual student progress over time;

•  Context sensitive reporting (e.g., reporting systems that promote awareness of the many influences affecting outcomes)

AEA Educational Accountability Statement (con’t)

Advocates approaches that feature rigor as well as procedural and methodological safeguards in accountability systems:

•  Data-based resource allocations (e.g., increasing equity)

•  Accessible appeals processes;

•  Public participation and access (e.g., a system that is open to public involvement and scrutiny is more likely to result in more complete understanding of educational institutions, their contexts, nature, success of their efforts, and effects)