Examining the Meaning of Accountability: Reframing the Construct
Author(s):
Sheila Arens
Contact:
Sheila Arens
Audience(s):
Administrators and Policymakers
Product Description:
This Issues Brief reports on the results of an ongoing research project that McREL conducted in partnership with the Kettering Foundation to uncover what parents and other community members, particularly those in underrepresented populations, think "education accountability" means.
Key Ideas:
Highlights from the findings include:
- Respondents generally believed that, in addition to schools, parents, and community members, students should also be held accountable for student success.
- Respondents accept standardized tests as a means of measuring student progress, but believe that other means should be included.
- Community members in rural areas demonstrated resistance to imposed standards and lack of faith in the quality of statewide assessments.
- Spanish-speaking community members voiced concern that, despite the rhetorical focus on ensuring the success of all students, teachers do not consider themselves "equally accountable" for the education of all children.
APA Citation:
Arens, S. A. (2005). Examining the meaning of accountability: Reframing the construct (Issues brief). Aurora, CO: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL).
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