Accountability that Works . . . .for Kids.

William L. Sterrett, Ph.D. (@billsterrett)

Many issues of importance, from the economy and health care, to foreign relations and energy can occupy any president early in his term. These issues certainly are at the forefront today. Similarly, in education, we are at a pivotal moment in history. President Barack Obama and his administration, along with Congress and state/ local government leaders, and, importantly, educational leaders, have the opportunity to truly make a difference in how we view accountability for kids and for educators. Though educational leaders, policy wonks, and political commentators offer a boilerplate menu of educational “to do” items such as universal pre-school, salaries, fully funding No Child Left Behind, and a host of other items for much-needed discussion and debate, perhaps the most “fixable” item that the new president’s team can address with little to no cost is the accountability issue. Central to the NCLB act is the basic question: “How can we ensure that each child is making adequate yearly progress?”

As lawmakers scurried to frame that basic question in terms of measurable accountability, wide variances in testing methods (and pass rates) ranged from state to state. As a result we as educators have difficulty framing “best practices” in terms of state-to-state comparisons. Assessments that are built upon one state’s curriculum framework can look much different from other states. Similarly, even within states, within divisions, and within school districts, there is wide variance as schools may vary widely in regards to student populations.

Yes, realistic consideration must be given as schools even within the same division may have a very different make-up in terms of socioeconomics, ethnicity, and languages spoken. No Child Left Behind looks at these distinctions in terms of membership groups- it is time to instead look at these in terms of growth opportunities. At our Distinguished Title I School, the staff enthusiastically welcomes and embraces our diverse population (no one ethnicity is above 50% and nearly half of all students qualify for free/reduced lunch).

However, under the current provisions of NCLB, our membership groups must score a “pass” on an end-of-year test that currently does not take into consideration that a 3rd grade student who comes to us reading at a kindergarten level and makes an extraordinary two years of growth in a year is a huge success- he will simply get a “fail” score on an end-of-year exam. Similarly, a 3rd grade student that is reading on a 5th grade level only has to pass the 3rd grade assessment; we should instead be pushing her to excel even further. Our schools should be pushed to push all students to new heights. Educators want to be held to a high standard, and we want to be judged fairly and realistically. Here are five essential recommendations to enable this solution:

1.) Adopt a Baseline of National Standards- Other countries have “power standards” that are concise and to-the-point. Let states build upon these but use these standards as a baseline criterion for testing. We should applaud the recent efforts of the National Governor’s Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State Officers (CCSO) for their efforts in this regard so far.

2.) Measure Growth- “Value-added” models that take into consideration inputs (where students come in) and outputs (where the school community has taken them throughout the course of the school year) are needed. Growth should be measured on the above power-standards in a way that does not force teachers to spend inordinate amounts of time testing rather than teaching. This will bolster instruction, collaboration, reliability and validity.

3.) Higher-order Teaching and Assessments- It’s time to not rely solely upon “bubble tests” to measure accountability but let’s find ways to push students to create, design, synthesize, and evaluate.

4.) Reward Staff in Challenging Schools- Retaining teachers and staff in high-poverty schools is a challenge that can be addressed by supplementing compensation accordingly. All students deserve a great teacher; we should create incentives for our teachers to work in challenging environments and to share out their success stories.

5.) Look at the Big Picture- A holistic determination of a school community demonstrating healthy growth and progress versus the current complicated and potentially punitive system will take into account the bigger picture of the above growth model while also recognizing the larger picture of growing the school community in terms of safety, communication, and collaboration. Principals and teachers alike would welcome this realistic portrayal and it would encourage greater teamwork and transparency.

Like all professions, educators should be held to a high standard that is realistic and fair. Today’s myriad national issues are rightfully drawing a lot of attention in D.C. However, scores of schools will soon enter numerous sanctions that drain already-depleted budgets simply because the current accountability structures fail to take into consideration inputs and outputs. Today’s leaders should consider a true “quick fix” for today’s schools that will have little or no cost involved, yet transform what is considered by many to be a punitive “high stakes” model into a true growth model. Yes, the stakes are indeed high- we must ensure that each student, regardless of skin color, socioeconomics, language, or current achievement level, is truly being challenged to excel in this “flat,” increasingly competitive world. We must employ an accountability system that works. . . .for schools and for kids.

Author Biography:

Dr. William Sterrett is an elementary principal with Albemarle County Public Schools, in Charlottesville, Virginia. A former upper elementary science and reading teacher, he is current principal of a 2009 Distinguished Title I School which also received the 2009 Governor’s Board of Education Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) Award. He received his B.S. in education from Asbury College and his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.

Please note that this piece is from me as a citizen, parent, and educator; I write independently and not on behalf of my school, division, or any other organization.

http://www.corestandards.org/ (for more information about NGA, CCSO)