Accountability is NOT Paint By Numbers Lorna Earl, Ph.D. Head, International Centre for Educational Change OISE/UT And Director of Aporia Consulting Ltd.

Possible Titles Being Accountable: Measuring Effectiveness and Improvement in Schools School Effectiveness and Improvement Research: Implications for Policy, Practice and Accountability Accountability: Surveillance or Improvement Everything That You Always Wanted to Know about Accountability; But Were Afraid To Ask

Accountability: Let Me Count the Ways Accountability as Conversation Accountability and Improvement Accountability is not Paint By Numbers

What is Accountability? Responsibility and Entitlement. Who is accountable? To Whom? For What? In What Manner? and Under What Circumstances? Wagner (1989)

Accountability: By whom; To whom; For what? Responsibility of Entitlement to Central Government District/LEA School Administrators/Teachers General public/ taxpayers quality of educational programs quality of program and program delivery cost effectiveness judicious and efficient use of resources equity of policies, structures and programs Individual parents and students individual student learning fair and equitable treatment equity Appeal process

Accountability: In what manner? Accounting - gathering, organizing and reporting information that describes performance Accountability - the conversation about what the information means and how it fits with everything else that we know and about how to use it to make positive changes

Changing Roles in Accountability Researchers – Communicate research in ways that make the findings accessible use and the consequences defensible. Educators – Learn to live with data, use it and like it.

Accountability and Improvement Accountability without improvement is empty rhetoric Improvement without accountability is whimsical action without direction

Accountability: Under what conditions? Monitoring and Improvement Pressure and Support Accountability and Capacity-building

Indicator Categories

PAINTING A GALLERY OF IMAGES Setting the Canvas Planning This Picture Blocking the Canvas The First Strokes The Image Grows What do we know? Where do we want to go? Establishing role, purpose, and audience Matching planning goals to indicator categories From indicator categories to actual and potential data sources Examining, interpreting and displaying data Formulating key messages Clarifying the messages and supporting evidence Delivering the message Checking audience reaction

Capacities for Leaders in a Data-Rich World Develop an Inquiry Habit of Mind Become Data Literate Create a Culture of Inquiry

A Leader with an Inquiry Habit of Mind: Values deep understanding Reserves judgment and has a tolerance for ambiguity Takes a range of perspectives and systematically poses increasingly focused questions

A Data Literate Leader: Thinks about purpose Recognises sound and unsound data Is knowledgeable about statistical and measurement concepts Makes interpretation paramount Pays attention to reporting and to audiences

A Leader who Creates a Culture of Inquiry: Involves others in interpreting and engaging with the data Stimulates an internal sense of “urgency” Makes time Uses “critical friends”

Internal Capacity for Change Internal capacity is the power to engage in and sustain continuous learning of teachers and the school itself for the purpose of enhancing student learning. Stoll (1999)

If you make a change and it feels comfortable, you haven’t made a change. Lee Trevino

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed citizens can change the world. In fact, it has never happened any other way. Margaret Mead