8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
1/25
Accountability in schools
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
2/25
Definition-Etymology
Oxford Dictionary:"Accountability" stems from
late Latin accomptare (toaccount), a prefixed form
ofcomputare (to calculate),
which in turn derivedfromputare(to reckon)
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
3/25
Definition
The obligation of an individual ororganization to account for its
activities, accept responsibility for
them, and to disclose the results in atransparent manner.
It is related to responsibility - A duty
or obligation to satisfactorily performor complete a task that one must
fulfill, and which has a consequent
penalty for failure.
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
4/25
Accountability
Accountability is the responsibilitythat goes with the authority to do
something. The responsibility is to
use authority justifiably andcredibly.
accountability may be directed
toward either process (how
something was done) or outcomes
(what results were accomplished)
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
5/25
Procedural accountability
If one has been delegated theauthority to engage in some
activity, then one is responsible,
at the least, for conducting theactivity properly
The prevailing expectations thatguide how the activity should be
conducted. This might be termed
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
6/25
Consequential accountability
The responsibility for theconsequences or results of
ones actionswhetherpositive or negative, and
whether intended or not.
Education as results-
driven.
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
7/25
Accountability is essentially evaluative
Schools operations shouldprovide internal self-correctives
in the system to identify,
diagnose, and change courses ofaction that are harmful or
ineffective. Darling-Hammond
and Snyder (1992)
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
8/25
USA-texas Education Agency
Assessing public schoolstudents on what they have
learned and determiningdistrict and school
accountability ratings.
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
9/25
Aim (Ethical accountability)
To improve both the internalstandard of individual and
group conduct as well as
external factors, such as
sustainable economic and
ecologic strategies
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
10/25
5 sources of accountability
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
11/25
Uses hierarchic structure and authoritativesuperior-subordinate
relationships to enforce compliance with
rules and regulations
Values promoted: equitable resource
allocation, equal access, planned
management, uniform/standardized
operationsMajor weaknesses: unresponsive to individual
client needs; minimizes professional
autonomy and creativity of personnel
1. Bureaucratic
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
12/25
2. Legal
Uses statutes to direct compliance and useof suits or injunctions to obtain redress for
violations
Values promoted: establishment andenforcement of legal rights; maintenance
of rights via a formal avenue of complaint
Major weaknesses: costs of monitoring
compliance; reliance on punishment to
induce compliance; adversarial process
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
13/25
3.Professional
Uses review by professional peers using thestandard of accepted practice within
the profession
Values promoted: professional autonomy toprovide services to best meet client
needs; responsiveness to variation in
client needs
Major weaknesses: difficult and costly to
establish the elements for developing and
maintaining a professional culture
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
14/25
4.Political
Uses the processes of democratic control(elections, political action, public opinion)
to influence and constrain the use of
authority by elected officials
Values promoted: democratic control;
responsiveness to constituents;
inclusiveness
Major weaknesses: public expectations may
be vague, unclear; unwieldy in diverse,
pluralistic communities
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
15/25
5. Market-Based
Uses choice of providers within a (regulated)market to obtain best services and induce
quality improvement among providers
Values promoted: consumer rights;
responsiveness to client preferences/needs;
competition among providers
Major weaknesses: no assurance of publics
equal access to services of comparablequality; providers are likely to be responsive
only to their particular clients
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
16/25
BasicAccountability
Question
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
17/25
Who Is
Responsible?
ForWhat? ToWhom?
education
officials
accounting for
use of program
funds
BOE, Legislature,
public (& federal
government for
school principal,education
officials, BOE,
Legislature,
public
providingclassroom
supplies &
materials (e.g.,
books)
classroomteachers,
students, parents
classroom
teacher
maintaining
student
grade &
attendance
records
students, parents,
school principal
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
18/25
Internal-External dimension to
Accountability
Internal: relationships among
providers and recipients located
within the same organization
External: relationships involving
recipients of accountabilitylocated outside the organization
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
19/25
The
conceptual accountability
model
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
20/25
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
21/25
Accountability overload
Refers to a condition in which the accumulation ofaccounting and
accountability demands has become excessive;
No net value is being added to the service
provided, or, worse, value may be actuallyreduced due to the diversion of staff time and
effort.
The steady accretion and layering of accounting
and accountability mandates is rarelyaccompanied by the removal of earlier
requirements.
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
22/25
Steps to control or reduce
overload1. Accounting activities should be (a)
deleted, (b) reduced in scope, or (c)
merged into accountability activities2. clearly focused effortindividual and
organizationalon achieving the
desired outcomes3. Consequential accountability
for outcomes should be emphasized.
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
23/25
Accountability forStudent
Outcomes Accountability in public education
must be developed through a process of
negotiation among all participants and
stakeholders
Parents and community members will
increasingly become key players inschool affairs, and school leaders must be
able to demonstrate accountability
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
24/25
Accountability forStudent
OutcomesThe account must highlight the ways and
extent to which the school has
contributed to making a difference.Information that shows students status in
terms of performance standards at a point
in time is useful, but information thatshows growth or improvement over
time is essential.
8/3/2019 1-2 Accountability in Schools
25/25
Referencesuse by Michael Heim,Pacific Resources for Education and Learning
Aizawa, H. M. (May 1994). Success Compact: Every Student, Every Time. Superintendents Vision.
Honolulu, HI: Hawaii State Department of Education.
Brown, P. R. (1990). Accountability in Education. Policy Briefs, No. 14. Far West Laboratory forEducational Research and Development, San Francisco, CA. [ED326949]
Darling-Hammond, L. (July 1992). Standards for Practice for Learner-Centered Schools. National
Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching.
Darling-Hammond, L. & Snyder, J. (1992). Reframing accountability: Creating learner- centered
schools. In A. Lieberman (Ed.), The Changing Contexts of Teaching (Ninety-first Yearbook of the
National Society for the Study of Education), Chapter 2, pp. 11-36. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago
Press.
Department of Education. (October 1977). Foundation Program Assessment and Improvement System.
Honolulu, HI; Hawaii State Department of Education, Office of Instructional Services.
Heim, M. (February 1995). Accountability in Education. (unpublished paper submitted to the Hawaii
Department of Education in partial fulfillment of professional improvement leave requirements).
Honolulu, HI: Hawaii State Department of Education, Office of the Superintendent.
LeMahieu, P. G. & Lesley, B. A. (1994). State Education Agencies: Partners in Reform. (In Jane
Armstrong, Ed.) Washington, D.C.: National GovernorsAssociation. [Cited with permission of the
authors.]
McDonnell, L. M. (September 1990). Accountability and School Restructuring: Resolving the
Dilemma. Paper prepared at the RAND Corporation for the Office of Educational Research and
improvement, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC.
Scriven, M. (no date). The Foundations of Educational Accountability. Kalamazoo, MI: Center for
Research on Educational Accountability and Teacher Evaluation.