Holistic, Supports-Based Accountability Systems – Broader BOLDER Approach to Education

BBA blogs on doing accountability right

Don Long — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 19:12:41 +0000

These blogs by BBA leaders and allies illustrate how the wrong version of accountability does harm, and how it can be done right:

Marc Tucker points out in EdWeek that the evidence is on the side of the grassroots civil rights leaders who see harm, rather than good, in test-based accountability systems.
In Making the Most of Common Core, Elaine Weiss and former MCPS superintendent Josh Starr pose five questions that districts should use to understand the implications of scores from the new state assessments and put in place systems to boost them going forward.
In Crunching Test Scores Isn’t Enough, Elaine Weiss teams up with veteran DCPS high school math teacher David Tansey to highlight the need for accountability systems that take much more than standardized test scores into account.
Stop Counting on Education “Miracles” shows how narrow, high-stakes accountability systems have wrought anything but miraculous results (Elaine Weiss for US News)

BBA case studies on holistic, supports-based accountability

Don Long — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 19:10:31 +0000

BBA Case Studies illustrate how districts taking a comprehensive approach to education employ a broader set of measures of student well-being to assess teacher and school quality and target the right supports to improve teaching and learning.

England’s inspectorate system for whole-school assessments.

Don Long — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 19:08:29 +0000

England is among many Western nations that employ inspectorate systems to conduct whole-school assessments. These systems draw on test scores and other quantitative data, reviews of student work, and intensive visits by master educators to rate schools and provide practical guidance on improvement.

This Education Next article summarizes study findings showing multiple advantages, and few drawbacks of, the English inspectorate system.

States and districts comprehensive approach to improving teaching profession

Don Long — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 19:05:46 +0000

And across the country, states and districts are exploring Broader, Bolder ways to recruit, induct, support, and evaluate teachers:

In California, CORE districts are collaborating to craft systems of accountability as a teacher support and school improvement tool, building on the Common Core State Standards to advance learning across a broad range of cognitive, executive function, social, emotional, and other skills. “It’s a flashlight, not a hammer!”
Toledo, Ohio’s Peer Assistance and Review system (PAR), focused on induction, assessment, and improvement has been adapted in over a dozen districts, including Montgomery County, MD, and found by the Harvard Graduate School of Education to be highly effective.
In Kentucky, The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards developed “Getting It Right,” a comprehensive guide for providing teachers with rich and meaningful appraisal and feedback shown to improve job satisfaction and effectiveness.

Rethinking accountability: Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education

Don Long — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 19:00:59 +0000

The Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education has produced a series of publications that outline how states and districts can craft new, supports-based accountability systems that give students a more central role and that are designed to foster continuous improvement among educators.