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Hilda Borko University of Colorado, Boulder CRESST

The Impact of State Accountability Systems on Classroom Practices: Successes and Enduring Problems for Teachers and Schools. Hilda Borko University of Colorado, Boulder CRESST. State Reform Agendas. State accountability systems Academic standards for students Standards-based assessments

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Hilda Borko University of Colorado, Boulder CRESST

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  1. The Impact of State Accountability Systems on Classroom Practices:Successes and Enduring Problems for Teachers and Schools Hilda Borko University of Colorado, Boulder CRESST

  2. State Reform Agendas • State accountability systems • Academic standards for students • Standards-based assessments • Reform agenda goals • Student outcomes • Curriculum content • Instructional practices

  3. “The Effects of Standards-Based Assessment on Classroom Practice” • Research Questions • What are the effects of state-wide standards-based reform on school structure and organization, classroom practices, and student outcomes? • What combination of factors explains the differential patterns of success within and across schools and states?

  4. Research Sites • Kentucky • “early implementer” • Forefront of standards-based assessment • KERA and KIRIS • Washington • New reform program • Gradual implementation • EALRs and WASL

  5. Research Design • Writing and mathematics • Elementary and middle schools • Accountability grades • Surveys (RAND) • Broad patterns of impact • Differences among teachers and schools • Case studies (University of Colorado) • Exemplary schools and classrooms • Factors that determine differential success

  6. Changes in School and Classroom Practices • Allocation of instructional time across subjects • Instructional practices in writing • Instructional practices in mathematics

  7. Allocation of Instructional Time Across Subjects • Kentucky • More time allocated to tested than untested subjects in accountability grades • Increased time allocated to tested subjects • Washington • Increased time allocated to reading, writing, mathematics and communication • Decreased time allocated to untested subjects • Success or enduring problem?

  8. Instructional Practices in Writing • General patterns • Increased frequency for most aspects of writing • Greatest increases • Reform-oriented approaches • Less frequently taught elements • Content of writing instruction • Greatest increases • Different purposes and different audiences • Style appropriate to audience and purpose

  9. Instructional Practices in Writing • Instructional strategies • Instruction organized around genres • Different prompts and starting points (KY) • Student activities • Increased engagement in all writing activities • More teacher conferences (KY) • Discussions of portfolio scoring guides (KY)

  10. Instructional Practices in Mathematics • General patterns • Traditional and reform-oriented approaches • Greater increases in reform-oriented • Mathematics content • Most frequent topics: traditional • Number and computation • Greatest increases • Probability & statistics • Algebraic ideas

  11. Instructional Practices in Mathematics • Instructional strategies • Greatest increases: reform-oriented • Open-response questions with many answers • Demonstrations with manipulatives • Student activities • Greatest increases: reform-oriented • Write about mathematics • Solve real-world problems with manipulatives (KY) • Explain mathematical thinking (WA)

  12. Test Preparation • Kentucky • Influence of portfolios • Mathematics assessments similar to KIRIS • Washington • Use of scoring rubrics • Writing: open-ended questions • Mathematics: released items & open-ended questions • Success or enduring problem?

  13. Patterns of Change • Gradual • Changes on the margins • Additions to existing repertoires • Increases in infrequently taught aspects of curriculum and instruction • Discrete practices rather than entire programs • Uneven • Success or enduring problem?

  14. Comparability with Other Research • Schoor & Firestone (2001) “… adopting a number of specific procedures associated with recent reforms in mathematics instruction … not changing either the kind of task they are giving students or the quality of the discourse in their classrooms.” • McDonnell (2004) “Classroom practices did change in response to state assessments that espoused curricular philosophies…. At the same time, the extent of change was limited … and it typically involved shifts in classroom activities rather than in how students were taught conceptual understandings of subject matter.” • Knapp (1997) “… implementation of reforms in the classroom is often piecemeal … discrete elements … not a coherent whole”

  15. Success or Enduring Problem? • Changes on the margin • Time allocation to subject areas • Test preparation activities

  16. The Design of Accountability Systems: Recommendations • Strategies to support changes in instructional practices • Strengthen school and teacher capacity • Professional development opportunities for teachers and principals • Resources targeted to the reform agenda • Strategies to address potential negative consequences of “teaching to the test” • Test in more grade levels • Test more subjects per grade level • Change content or format of tests from year to year

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