When we think of “accountability” in education, we usually envision standards (written by school systems, states, or the federal government), combined with measures to see if schools are meeting those standards–e.g., exam results, graduation rates, per/pupil spending, and teachers’ qualifications. This is “external” accountability: it comes from outside of each school. Most people think such pressure is necessary and appropriate. Schools are public institutions, so they should be accountable to the public through its elected representatives. Besides, there must be some device for keeping educators honest and up-to-speed. The main alternative to external accountability is market discipline (i.e., letting parents decide which schools are working best). There may be a place for some market discipline in education, but it has severe limitations. Thus legally-mandated standards and tests seem necessary.
However, “external” standards demonstrate a lack of trust for teachers. I know from the experience and testimony of friends and close relatives who are classroom teachers that this lack of trust is hard to accept, especially when a person is a good educator and the standards and exams are at least partly foolish (as they tend to be). Moreover, “external” accountability measures are always blunt or crude, whether they are used in business, medicine, education, or any field. Any such measures will apply unjustly or inappropriately in certain particular circumstances. And if people want to resist them, they can–by shifting blame, “working to rule,” or even cheating.
Therefore, we shouldn’t forget about “internal” accountability. For example, a good teacher feels that she doesn’t want to let her kids down or disappoint their parents, her peers, or her principal. “Internal” accountability is also what drives really successful students. It’s not the grade they care about, ultimately, but what their teacher and parents think about their work.
So the question becomes: How can we increase “internal” accountability in schools? Some promising ideas: —
Another aspect of internal accountability would be more student control and decision making within schools. Perhaps even include some student-centered “market accountability”. Students are a lot smarter than people give them credit for, and they can sniff out bad teachers vs. good teachers much easier than politicians, administrators, parents, or even other faculty. Empowering students with greater control over what classes they take, and which professors they take them with could demonstrate quite clearly who the good and bad teachers are.
Also of course student participation in school operations from curriculum, to hiring/firing, and everything else. Students are most affected by schools, know them better, and should have a much larger say.
As a former teacher who witnessed vast amounts of unprofessionalism, I think you may be on to something here! I’d be interested in viewing other’s comments and ideas.