The Words We Use: A Glossary of Terms for
Early Childhood Education Standards and Assessment
Definition
An organization's or individual's responsibility for developing and implementing a process or procedure to justify decisions made and to demonstrate the results or outcomes produced (e.g., what progress children are making).
Related Terms (Not Synonyms)
Accountability System; Responsibility
Explanatory Comments
- Accountability systems can have positive or negative effects and can be valid or not valid.
- Accountability systems that use authentic assessment can contribute positively to program improvement.
- Ideally, accountability includes evaluation of program inputs as well as outcomes.
- In education, the term is typically applied to the K-12 system and is typically associated with results of standardized testing. Critics claim that standardized tests used to document accountability for measurable outcomes are unfair and narrow representations of what children should learn.
- Typically, negative consequences are associated with a failure to produce measurable outcomes. Critics worry that the practices and measures of some accountability systems are too simple and ignore complications caused by the social barriers poor and inner city children face in performing well on standardized tests.
- Consequently, many are concerned about the negative features of accountability moving down to affect programs and services for young children.
Web Sources
ASCD. The language of learning: A guide to educational terms. Retrieved May 19, 2003, from http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/books/mcbrien97book.html
Western Michigan University. The Evaluation Center. Teacher evaluation kit. Complete glossary. Retrieved May 19, 2003, from http://www.wmich.edu/evalctr/ess/glossary/glossary.htm
U.S Department of Education. No child left behind. Glossary of terms. Retrieved May 19, 2003, from http://www.nochildleftbehind.gov/start/glossary/#1
Other Resources
Jaeger, R.M., Gorney, B.E., & Johnson, R.L. (1994). The other kind of report card: When schools are graded. Educational Leadership, 52 (2), 42-45.
Schmoker, M. (1999). Results: The key to continuous school improvement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Theobald, P., & Mills, E. (1995). Accountability and the struggle over what counts, Phi Delta Kappan, 76(6), 462-466.
» Back to List of Terms
Chiefline
