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Accountability Systems (accountability + system)
Selected AbstractsDo school accountability systems make it more difficult for low-performing schools to attract and retain high-quality teachers?JOURNAL OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2004Charles T. Clotfelter Administrative data from North Carolina are used to explore the extent to which that state's relatively sophisticated school-based accountability system has exacerbated the challenges that schools serving low-performing students face in retaining and attracting high-quality teachers. Most clear are the adverse effects on retention rates, and hence on teacher turnover, in such schools. Less clear is the extent to which that higher turnover has translated into a decline in the average qualifications of the teachers in the low-performing schools. Other states with more primitive accountability systems can expect even greater adverse effects on teacher turnover in low-performing schools. © 2004 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. [source] PIE ŕ la Mode: Mainstreaming Evaluation and Accountability in Each Program in Every County of a Statewide School Readiness InitiativeNEW DIRECTIONS FOR EVALUATION, Issue 99 2003Abraham Wandersman This chapter describes the framework and implementation of a program accountability system in a statewide initiative (South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness), which was developed (1) to enable practitioners to provide evaluation information required by legislative mandate and (2) to develop the capacity of practitioners to systematically plan their program, implement with quality, and self-evaluate. The components of this program are reflected in its name: Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation (PIE). The chapter describes PIE in relation to program theory, usage, and efforts to mainstream. [source] Framing French Success in Elementary Mathematics: Policy, Curriculum, and PedagogyCURRICULUM INQUIRY, Issue 3 2004FRANCES C. FOWLER ABSTRACT For many decades Americans have been concerned about the effective teaching of mathematics, and educational and political leaders have often advocated reforms such as a return to the basics and strict accountability systems as the way to improve mathematical achievement. International studies, however, suggest that such reforms may not be the best path to successful mathematics education. Through this qualitative case study, the authors explore in depth the French approach to teaching elementary mathematics, using interviews, classroom observations, and documents as their data sets. They apply three theoretical frameworks to their data and find that the French use large-group instruction and a visible pedagogy, focusing on the discussion of mathematical concepts rather than on the completion of practice exercises. The national curriculum is relatively nonprescriptive, and teachers are somewhat empowered through site-based management. The authors conclude that the keys to French success with mathematics education are ongoing formative assessment, mathematically competent teachers, policies and practices that help disadvantaged children, and the use of constructivist methods. They urge comparative education researchers to look beyond international test scores to deeper issues of policy and practice. [source] Validity of High-Stakes Assessment: Are Students Engaged in Complex Thinking?EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT: ISSUES AND PRACTICE, Issue 3 2004Suzanne Lane The validity of high-stakes assessments and accountability systems is discussed in relation to the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The extent to which content standards and assessments are cognitively rich, the challenges in setting performance standards, and the impact of high-stakes assessments on instruction and student learning are addressed. The article argues for quality content standards, cognitively rich assessments, and a cohesive, balanced assessment system. [source] Reliability of No Child Left Behind Accountability DesignsEDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT: ISSUES AND PRACTICE, Issue 3 2003Richard K. Hill The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires states to establish accountability systems that are both valid and reliable. If one follows the language of the law literally, there is no design that will meet both requirements. If one interprets the law more flexibly, it is possible to create such a design. States will need to approach the problem carefully if they are going to appropriately balance the various probabilities of making incorrect decisions about schools. [source] District Accountability Without a State Assessment: A Proposed ModelEDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT: ISSUES AND PRACTICE, Issue 4 2002Chad W. Buckendahl Most states have adopted assessment and accountability systems that involve common measures of student performance. A state assessment system that allows school districts to choose the specific strategies they use to measure student performance on state-adopted content standards presents a unique state accountability challenge. The authors propose an accountability model that addresses this challenge using a combination of student performance, technical quality, and noncognitive indicators of performance. They also describe a study that evaluated the proposed model using data from all school districts in a southern state. [source] More Peace for Less Money: Measurement and Accountability in the Swedish Armed ForcesFINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY & MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2005Bino Catasús Studies of measurement and accountability are leading public sector transformation. By examining military work, this paper addresses the relationship between measurements and accountability by highlighting the measurements. Evidence was gathered from documents, political statements and field research. Several layers of accountability systems were found in the organisation. The principal can be the weak link in an accountability relationship if the measurement agenda is in the hands of the agent. The problems seem to go beyond performance and output, and a more fundamental question is challenging the public sector: `Are we doing the right things?' Or an even more dramatic existential question arises: `Why do we exist?' [source] The Impact of Performance Level Misclassification on the Accuracy and Precision of Percent at Performance Level MeasuresJOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT, Issue 2 2008Damian W. Betebenner No Child Left Behind (NCLB) performance mandates, embedded within state accountability systems, focus school AYP (adequate yearly progress) compliance squarely on the percentage of students at or above proficient. The singular importance of this quantity for decision-making purposes has initiated extensive research into percent proficient as a measure of school quality. In particular, technical discussions have scrutinized the impact of sampling, measurement, and other sources of error on percent proficient statistics. In this article, we challenge the received orthodoxy that measurement error associated with individual students' scores is inconsequential for aggregate percent proficient statistics. Synthesizing current classification accuracy research with techniques from randomized response designs, we establish results which specify the extent to which measurement error,manifest as performance level misclassifications,produces bias and increases error variability for percent at performance level statistics. The results have direct relevance for the design of coherent and fair accountability systems based upon assessment outcomes. [source] Do school accountability systems make it more difficult for low-performing schools to attract and retain high-quality teachers?JOURNAL OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2004Charles T. Clotfelter Administrative data from North Carolina are used to explore the extent to which that state's relatively sophisticated school-based accountability system has exacerbated the challenges that schools serving low-performing students face in retaining and attracting high-quality teachers. Most clear are the adverse effects on retention rates, and hence on teacher turnover, in such schools. Less clear is the extent to which that higher turnover has translated into a decline in the average qualifications of the teachers in the low-performing schools. Other states with more primitive accountability systems can expect even greater adverse effects on teacher turnover in low-performing schools. © 2004 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. [source] Using evaluation data to strike a balance between stakeholders and accountability systemsNEW DIRECTIONS FOR EVALUATION, Issue 117 2008Lisa N. T. Schmitt A district evaluator in a large Texas district examines new challenges arising since implementation of No Child Left Behind, relating to (1) navigating competing requirements in state and federal accountability systems; (2) evaluating effectiveness of sanctions districts are required to address; (3) using scientifically based research (SBR) to select effective programs and interventions; and (4) initiating SBR given high student mobility, inefficient data-management systems, and competing priorities of local schools. This chapter details these challenges for district-level evaluators and highlights how they can implement processes that strike a balance between supporting decision making and conducting rigorous evaluation. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Seeing sustainability in business operations: US and British food retailer experiments with accountabilityBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 4 2007Alastair Iles Abstract This article compares how food retail industries in Britain and the United States are facing sustainability challenges. The British and US industries are in different stages of maturity in identifying and responding to sustainability. Some UK retailers have begun developing broad-based accountability systems that may aid them to see sustainability in their business operations. By examining what retailers are doing, how accountability systems can inform retailers and the business case for accountability, this article argues that retailers can gain significant business advantages with strategies to improve accountability. Compared with their American counterparts, British retailers may be better placed to deal with sustainability issues in future. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] | |||||||||||||