Information, Governance and Accountability Alejandro Tiana UNED (Spain)
Education systems under reform: the crucial role of governance
Main current challenges for national education systems Increasing the educational level of the population Increasing readiness for schooling: developing early childhood education Ensuring success for all in basic, compulsory education Expanding access to post-compulsory education Offering new opportunities for lifelong learning and school-to-work transition Improving the quality of education and training Enhancing equal educational opportunities for all
Some outstanding lines of reform Curriculum reform Revision of traditional curricula for formal education Competencies as a way of defining curriculum intentions Definition of teaching and learning standards Revision of teachers policies Teacher training and professional development reform New provisions for recruitment and career development Teachers performance evaluation and incentives Development of national evaluation systems Establishment of student assessment mechanisms Adoption of national indicators systems
Changes affecting the governance of education systems Restructuring the education system Reform of secondary education (a lively debate on comprehensive versus tracking/streaming policy options) Reform of higher education (revising differences and connections between university and tertiary VET systems) Decentralizing educational administration Changes in the distribution of educational responsibilities at State and regional levels Reinforcing school autonomy Strengthening responsibilities and decision-making capabilities at the school level
Decentralization and autonomy Two interconnected issues to be distinguished Decentralization as a redistribution of responsibilities among the State and regional administrations Autonomy as a process of conferring responsibilities to schools in different fields
Key issues for decision-making in the different levels of education systems Regulatory Framework (structure, compulsory schooling, access requisites to different levels) Requirements for granting certificates, credentials and degrees Curriculum design and development (areas/subjects, contents, teaching materials, student assessment) Staff provision and management (principals, teaching and non-teaching staff) Control, supervision and system evaluation Financing and budgeting (recurrent expenditures and capital investments)
Decentralization as a crucial political issue Decentralization is a crucial political issue, basically related to the model of distributing responsibilities among the State and the regions Decisions on education decentralization are closely connected with the overall model of State organization They cannot be taken by themselves, as in a vacuum They involve decisions on public budgets, hierarchical relationships and regulatory autonomy
Some political reflections related to educational decentralization Different existing models for decentralization are not good or bad by themselves, but the result of national contexts and processes which may be better or worse adapted and responsive to specific circumstances Distribution of power among the State and the regions is a dynamic and non-static reality, i.e., a permanently open set of political trade-offs. There is always a tension between centrifugal and centripetal forces
Strengthening school autonomy as a recent global trend Granting autonomy to schools is perceived as a sensible way to respond to current challenges in education Strengthening school autonomy may have two faces Potential benefits: Flexibility and responsiveness to student diversity Proximity to educational actors (principle of subsidiarity) Efficiency gains and increased accountability Potential risks: Lack of a common framework Potential inequalities Weakening of cohesion among regions or schools
School autonomy, a promising reality to be carefully designed & implemented School autonomy seems to have an obvious potential for improving education Nevertheless, there are different dimensions of school autonomy to be considered Two main fields of school autonomy studied by PISA: Curriculum and assessment Resource allocation Not all of them have shown the same impact on student performance School autonomy does not bring about improvement by itself. It is rather an indirect factor related to other conditions (among them the existence of an accountability system) that appear to be positively linked to student achievement.
A new model of governance for education From a traditional model of governance Uniformity as the main purpose Basic tools: central regulation and local inspection Education processes as the object of control Towards a new model of governance Diversity as a richer purpose Basic tools: shared target setting and school autonomy Education outcomes as the object of control
Information and accountability: necessary tools for a new governance of education systems
A knowledge-driven governance A sensible system of governance demands good information Educational administrations need reliable data from schools, teachers and students Schools need good databases including information about internal organization and general regulation Teachers need curriculum materials of good quality and information about student performance and progress The type of information needed depends on the model of governance adopted
Information systems for different models of governance Traditional model Statistics as a key tool for planning Supervision systems for controlling processes Publication of products from educational research Rigorous collection of information from schools New model Indicators as a key tool for monitoring School evaluation for gaining knowledge Dissemination of what works and best practices A shared knowledge among education stakeholders
Accountability as a policy tool Accountability emerged as a new concept in several fields, namely ethics and governance It is not a totally new concept, but has recently expanded in some countries and regions It is a key concept in current discussions about relationships among public sector, non-profit and corporate worlds There are several types of accountability Political: to representative bodies Administrative: to public administrations Public: to diverse publics and users of public services Market: to customers Professional: to agreed standards or codes of behaviour
Accountability and control in education The term accountability is being widely used in education Accountability refers to control Education systems have always adopted means for controlling schools and teachers activities Means for control have changed along the time Traditional governance models have normally relied on supervision and inspection (compliance with centrally set norms) New governance model relies mainly on accountability
Main tools currently used for accountability in education Quantitative goals or standards for schools Centralised national examinations Standardized students assessments Schools rankings Qualitative monitoring of results Schools information cards Public inspection or school evaluation reports
Evidence in education: a discussion A recent study by OECD (2007) There is an increasing pressure for greater accountability and effectiveness in education policies and systems Still, available information often does not provide the elements necessary for decision-making A complex reality Explosion of underused evidence from evaluation studies Multiple actors demanding information Increased access to information via Internet Evidence as a reference for the legitimacy of decisionmaking
Evidence in education: challenges Three orientations: Producing rigorous evidence based on solid research methodologies Connecting producers with users (through brokerage agencies or other initiatives) Answering the wide range of questions posed by different audiences A crucial question: Is it feasible and possible to develop an evidence-informed policy-making?
School autonomy and accountability: key elements of a new model of governance
Two interrelated tools School autonomy is nowadays considered as a key tool to facilitate flexible answers to a diversity of teaching and learning situations Accountability is nowadays considered as a key tool for stimulating school improvement and best practices Both tools are not magic solutions, but their combination is a powerful lever for improvement
A model subject to criticism The combination of school autonomy and accountability provokes several criticisms: It may cause a naming and shaming situation, and then not bringing about actual improvement Education is not a commodity in a perfect market, but a public good in the public space In its more radical model, it may cause more disadvantages and problems than benefits Accountability may well produce a restriction of school autonomy, instead of its enhancement The presupposed efficiency of this model is not sufficiently supported by evidence
Outstanding issues raised The combination of school autonomy and accountability raises several issues: Who is responsible for controlling schools? What is the role of the different agents and audiences? What is the best model of accountability to apply? What are the consequences of this exercise? These questions related to the governance model need to be explicitly answered when reforming the current model
Some final reflections: the personal view of an academic and policy-maker (1) The interest currently raised by the combination of school autonomy and accountability has not increased by chance or accident Both are powerful levers for educational change Its combination responds to a more dynamic model of public administration than traditional bureaucracy Nevertheless, they are not magic tools, and need to be carefully conceived and developed They can have both beneficial and bad effects to be considered and foreseen
Some final reflections: the view of an academic and policy-maker (2) In my opinion, education and particularly basic education has to be considered a public good The kind and level of general education is a fundamental tool for countries prosperity and development Public administrations and societies, not only individuals, are intrinsically concerned by educational outcomes Education does not work in a real, perfect market, which implies that the role of the State and public administration is crucial and cannot be taken for granted.
Some final reflections: the view of an academic and policy-maker (3) The application of such a model has to have consequences: The introduction of accountability mechanisms necessarily leads to adopt decisions about schools Decisions can be made in terms of prizes, sanctions or support, depending on the model adopted and the circumstances of schools Consequences may be very different, but the total lack thereof is heavily demoralizing Abandoning schools to pure market forces is an option which has not demonstrated its effectiveness
Some final reflections: the view of an academic and policy-maker (4) The adoption of a model of governance based on school autonomy and accountability should take into account several principles: It has to be conceived as a systemic change It cannot be reduced to introducing some specific tools without considering its effects and consequences It needs the dissemination of a new school culture It needs time and energies to be fruitfully implemented
Thank you very much!