Accountability Movement and Education Traditionally,

Accountability Movement and Education

Traditionally, education has focused on structured learning outcomes. New aims of education under education accountability reform encompass a broad activity focus to try to ensure the success of all children (System reforms: Perspectives on personalizing education):

taking care of business (a learning focus);

monitoring performance (an accountability focus);

changing policies/practices (a change focus);

consideration and caring for stakeholder (a caring focus);

creating shared values (a commitment focus); and creating community support (a community focus).

Goals and objectives now encompass curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, parent and community involvement, leadership and the use of technology and other resources (Critical Issue: Integrating standards into the curriculum). Schools are developing content standards for what students should know and be able to do in subjects and grade levels. and, they are developing standards for student performance at specific ages, grades or development levels to show that they have content proficiency. Further, schools are demanding that teachers know as much about students and learning as they do about content. Teachers are measured on their ability to use a wide variety of instructional strategies as appropriate and the ability to assess their impact on student learning.

In my local school district, we believe that we've had tremendous success in accommodating educational reform, but measurement is proving to be a challenge. There's always debate about whether the appropriate things are really being measured. and, to measure activities, sometimes the activities must be viewed from a very narrow focus, leading one to question if the measurements are really accurate.

The principal leads the school in the development of a vision, creating a positive school culture, promoting a safe learning environment, collaborating with the community, ensuring ethical behavior, and respondingg to the political, social, economic legal and cultural influences of the school

Arnold,

Perry,

Watson,

Minatra, and Schwartz).

Principals should also create a climate where teachers are encouraged to give their input.