Could Community Based Accountability Get the Federal Government Out of Our Schools?
Schools today are seeing an unprecedented expansion of federally-driven accountability practices. In addition to annual high stakes standardized tests, more and more students now take interim assessments for use in teacher evaluations, mandated by NCLB waivers and Race to the Top grants. Soon we will have beginning of the year as well as spring testing so we can precisely measure growth. Common Core national standards will soon deliver standards-aligned curriculum and tests to thousands of schools across the nation. All of this is driven by the need to "hold teachers and schools accountable" for results.
The dictionary defines "accountable" as "subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something; responsible; answerable." There is a relationship implied here. Whomever is held accountable is obliged to report to someone else, who acts as the judge for the performance. No Child Left Behind has, in effect, empowered the federal government as this judge.
Of course teachers and schools should be responsible for doing their work. But is it necessary or wise to have
The dictionary defines "accountable" as "subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something; responsible; answerable." There is a relationship implied here. Whomever is held accountable is obliged to report to someone else, who acts as the judge for the performance. No Child Left Behind has, in effect, empowered the federal government as this judge.
Of course teachers and schools should be responsible for doing their work. But is it necessary or wise to have
