标准、质量、评估与问责:2008年美国课程标准报告的特征

20世纪90年代以来,美国各州通过采取制订新的课程标准、建立严格的绩效责任制来提高基础教育质量.2008年美国教师联合会对美国各州课程内容标准进行了评估,以期使各州能够及时制订或完善自己的课程标准,促进教育质量与效益的提高.该评估体现了课程标准内容既要有统一的要求又要有开放的空间,而且内容标准和评价标准要清晰准确.使我们在更全面地了解美国基础教育课程改革现状的同时,为我国新课程改革提供参考和借鉴.     

Charter School Accountability

ABSTRACT

Stakeholder surveys conducted as part of the development of an accountability and assessment system for five charter schools in Miami-Dade County and Broward County, Florida, revealed high positive response regarding high expectations, school climate, basic skills instruction, and monitoring student progress. The lowest overall rating revealed dissatisfaction with charter school resources. Five researchers distributed questionnaires to stakeholders, defined as parents, pupils, teachers, administrators, special program teachers, and auxiliary personnel. Survey results were generally positive in assessing the schools, programs, teachers, administrators, and relationships between the various stakeholder groups. This study provided the quantitative data needed to form the framework for the development and implementation of an accountability system.     

School Admissions: Increasing Equity, Accountability and Transparency

This paper examines the impact of education reforms on school admissions policies and practices. It discusses the changes that are needed to improve the current system, especially in areas where the market is highly developed. It is concluded that the new legislation to be enacted by the current Labour Government should be beneficial, but that more far-reaching changes are needed for the admissions process to be equitable, transparent and accountable.     

Comparing State High School Assessments to Standards for Success in Entry-Level University Courses

States have moved rapidly over the past 20 years to institute systems of standards and assessments. State assessments in particular take on added importance at the high school level as they are required for graduation by an increasing number of states. Federal legislation mandating testing in high school also serves to increase the stakes and impact of state exams. Many states are also using high school exams for postsecondary purposes, although the content and criterion validity of these exams in relation to students' post-high school pursuits is not well documented. Though no state exam was developed with the express intent of aligning specifically with postsecondary education, it is nonetheless important to understand this linkage given the wide-ranging use of high school exams across the country. This study analyzed the content of state tests relative to a set of standards that identify knowledge and skills necessary for success in entry-level university courses. A total of 60 math and English assessments from 20 states were analyzed along a number of alignment dimensions. Exams were found to be moderately aligned with a subset of the university standards, but in an uneven fashion. English exams were somewhat more aligned than math exams, but math exams had high alignment in some specific standard areas, and English exams aligned poorly or not at all in areas requiring higher order thinking. In the future, states using high school exams for postsecondary purposes may want to examine the content of state standards and exams to determine their relationship to college-readiness criteria.     

Student Achievement and School and Teacher Accountability

This article is part of a set of papers generated from a keynote presentation by Dr. Jack Frymier at the 1997 CREATE annual meeting. Dr. Frymier dealt with several reasons, that, as he saw it, invalidate the use of student achievement data in teacher accountability systems. This article first notes problems with Dr. Frymier's conception of accountability. Next, it summarizes some of the recent evidence showing the strong connection between school and teacher effectiveness measures and student achievement. It then notes some of the benefits of school and teacher effectiveness measures external to their function as measures of performance. Next, policy issues arising from the use of student data and the associated research are considered. Finally, it concludes with some cautions about using effectiveness measures in teacher accountability systems.     

促进学校的发展与问责——香港学校评估的实践与发展

质量保证架构的设立旨在结合学校及当局的力量,透过学校改善和问责,达致优质学校教育。我们期望学校在明确的问责制度下,能以有效率和具成效的方法,达到社会对优质学校教育的期望。一线教育工作者亦可选择最合适的教学模式,在各个教育范畴追求卓越。学生能在多元化的教育体制下     

International Evidence on School Competition,Autonomy, and Accountability: A Review

This article reviews evidence from four international student achievement tests on the effects on student performance of competition from privately managed schools, schools' freedom to make autonomous decisions, and accountability introduced by external exit exams. The multivariate cross-country regressions are performed at the level of individual students and control for extensive family and school background information. The results reveal that students perform better in countries with more competition from privately managed schools, in countries where public funding ensures that all families can make choices, in schools that have freedom to make autonomous process and personnel decisions, where teachers have both freedom and incentives to select appropriate teaching methods, where parents take interest in teaching matters, and where school autonomy is combined with external exams that provide an information basis allowing for well-informed choices and holding schools accountable for their autonomous decisions.     

The Rules of Engagement: Examining the Limits of Standards and Accountability Policy

Standards and accountability policies are central elements of school reform agendas aimed at equalizing students' access to quality education and closing the achievement gap. Yet, such policies have failed to yield the expected, large scale results. One explanation may be found in the embedded zones of wishful thinking. Two particular zones of wishful thinking are the policies' efficacy to foster deep learning and the standards' ability to create cohesive P–12 systems of educational excellence.     

行政决策责任追究程序启动标准问题研究

合法正当有效的程序是行政决策责任追究走向法治轨道健康、持续发展的保证。假如责任追究是一条河流,正义是河水,那么程序就是堤岸。具体的程序性规定就是堤岸上一道道闸口,控制河水的流速与方向。行政决策责任追究程序启动标准和行政决策失误的评判标准,可谓是一体两面。也就是说,凡是行政决策不当导致决策失误的,就应当启动责任追究程序,追究相应主体的责任。但是,现实既有程序启动标准的模糊性,使得行政决策责任追究充满了随意性、情绪化,甚至戏剧性。必须从过程和结果导向出发,进一步细化程序启动的具体标准。     

Using National Standards and Models of Excellence as Frameworks for Accountability

The authors describe several national standards and models of excellence, and demonstrate how two states, Maine and New Hampshire, have integrated these standards and models into their recommendations to school counseling programs for developing and implementing comprehensive career development programs. Emphasis is placed upon three factors: curriculum integration, guidance program evaluation, and accountability to school and community.     

美国学校绩效责任制的探析

美国学校绩效责任的概念及实践先后经历了以权力控制为导向、以经济效益为导向、以学业成绩为导向的演变。在当前的基础教育改革中,美国学校绩效责任制就是在学业成绩评价基础上直接回应公众对提高学校教育质量的要求。在实践中,需要进行不同层面的评价标准设计、以标准化测验为主进行学业成绩评价、基于评价结果确立“高利害性”奖惩制度。     

Reviewing the Reviews on Entrance Age and School Success

Abstract

A critical analysis of recent reviews on the effects of early entrance to first grade by prominent educators and organizations demonstrated that most of the reviewers relied heavily on the same few sources, and that the findings in these sources were frequently misinterpreted. Further analysis of the studies in the reviews indicated that pupils who had entered first grade early were one year ahead in grade and approximately three months ahead in average achievement of pupils of similar intelligence and age who had not entered school early; but when early entrants were compared upon anticipated achievement scores with pupils of similar intelligence and grade level, but one year older, it was discovered that the early entrants were approximately seven months behind this criterion group in average achievement.     

Implications of NCLB Accountability for Comprehensive School Reform

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) accountability mechanisms have the potential to derail comprehensive school reform (CSR) implementation. For those pursuing CSR, the question is how to reconcile the implementation of NCLB accountability mandates with ongoing CSR efforts. Drawing from longitudinal data from a national study of CSR, this article explores this question. Survey data indicate that schools identified for improvement are no more likely to drop their models than are other CSR schools. Moreover, it appears that when CSR schools are identified for improvement, this identification stimulates a higher rate of model implementation than in schools that are not identified under NCLB. Case study interview data revealed that a district variation in stakeholders' awareness and perceptions of NCLB and the interactions of NCLB accountability mechanisms and CSR sustainability.     

西方关于学校效能和过程变量的研究

在西方,就中小学校层面的教育研究而言,至少有两个趋势值得我们关注:一是学校效能(School Effectiveness Research,又称学校有效性)研究不断得到深入与发展,其研究价值逐渐受到教育界的广泛认同,并且     

布什政府的教育责任制及其实施近况

布什政府推行的教育责任制是1965年以来美国最重要的中小学教育改革，正在主导着美国中小学教育。了解《不让任何一个孩子掉队法案》中的教育责任制内容，以及全国各地执行责任制的基本情况，将给我们以启示。