Educational Equity And Accountability: Paradigms, Policies, And Politics (studies In Education/politics)

Despite the intense political attention that has been focused on accountability, on standardized testing, and on the equity effects of both accountability and testing, the great majority of recent debate in education policy circles has failed to attend to either the dynamism or complexity of these issues and has, instead, been carried out in a dualistic, good versus evil, fashion. In contrast, the scholarship collected in this important new volume is designed to move beyond the prevailing dualism and to push the discourse about accountability, testing, and educational equity in public schools usefully forward, and to provide a much-needed resource for researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. Book Cover......Page 1 Half-Title......Page 2 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 PART I The Equity and Accountability Conversation......Page 9 CHAPTER 1 Introduction......Page 12 Accountability Policy Promotes Equity......Page 13 Accountability Policy Has Mixed Effects on Equity......Page 14 Accountability Policy Damages Equity......Page 15 Part I: The Equity and Accountability Conversation......Page 16 Part II: The Effect of Accountability Policy on Educational Equity......Page 17 Part III: Equity-Focused Research and Responses on Accountability......Page 18 Part IV: Critiques and Commentaries on the Equity-Accountability Debate......Page 19 References......Page 20 PART II The Effect of Accountability Policy on Educational Equity......Page 24 Three Historic Possibilities......Page 26 Fifty Different, Complex, Dynamic Systems......Page 30 Thinking Carefully about Equity and Accountability......Page 31 2. Curriculum Issues......Page 32 3. Teaching Issues......Page 33 4. Assessment Issues......Page 34 5. Other Issues......Page 35 Notes......Page 36 References......Page 37 Historical Grounding......Page 40 National Equity Norm......Page 41 2. Major Public Commitment......Page 42 Additional Concerns......Page 43 2. Success for All Students......Page 44 Accountability as a Dichotomy......Page 45 Our Vision of Equity and Accountability......Page 46 Conclusion......Page 47 References......Page 48 CHAPTER 4 Continuing the Conversation on Equity and Accountability......Page 50 Educators Have Generally Failed Children of Color......Page 51 Confirming Our Colleagues’ Criticisms......Page 52 Some Other Concerns to Think About......Page 54 Conclusion......Page 56 References......Page 57 Introduction......Page 62 Systemic Racism in U.S. Schools......Page 64 Accountability and Equity?......Page 66 Convergence of Interests......Page 70 Origins......Page 72 Components......Page 73 Examples of Results......Page 76 Improvement at the School District Level......Page 79 Conclusion......Page 83 Notes......Page 84 References......Page 85 CHAPTER 6 Response to Skrla et al. The Illusion of Educational Equity in Texas......Page 92 A Miracle of Educational Progress in Texas?......Page 94 Progress in Four Texas Districts?......Page 96 Conclusion......Page 97 Notes......Page 100 References......Page 101 CHAPTER 7 Response to Skrla et al.......Page 102 A Tale of Two Tests......Page 103 Why Do NAEP and TAAS Scores Tell Such Different Stories?......Page 105 Conclusions and Implications......Page 106 References......Page 107 Convergent Constructions......Page 108 Contested Constructions......Page 109 Conclusion......Page 113 References......Page 114 PART III Equity-Focused Research and Responses on Accountability......Page 116 Introduction and Theoretical Framework......Page 118 Methodology......Page 121 Participant Districts......Page 123 Results: Five Ways Accountability Displaces Deficit Thinking......Page 125 Accountability Makes Educational Inequity Visible......Page 126 State Accountability Reduces Risk for Superintendents......Page 129 Accountability Forces Superintendents to Seek Success Exemplars......Page 132 Accountability Develops Anti-Deficit Leadership Orientations......Page 133 Accountability Drives Successively Higher Expectations......Page 136 Conclusion......Page 138 References......Page 139 CHAPTER 10 Can State Accountability Systems Drive Improvements in School Performance for Children of Color and Children from Low-Income Homes?......Page 142 English Version Results......Page 143 Spanish Version Results......Page 144 NAEP Mathematics......Page 146 NAEP Reading......Page 147 NAEP Writing......Page 149 Advanced Placement Test Taking......Page 150 College Entrance Examinations......Page 151 Exemptions from Assessment......Page 152 Drop-outs......Page 153 Role of the Accountability System in Changes in Student Achievement......Page 158 Conclusion......Page 160 References......Page 161 Background......Page 164 Methodology and Site Description......Page 166 Historical Context......Page 167 Accountability as Context......Page 168 Commonly Held District Beliefs......Page 170 Systemic Modifications Lead to Success......Page 174 Conclusions......Page 179 References......Page 181 Initial Efforts at Alignment......Page 184 Houston’s Progress......Page 185 Addressing New Challenges......Page 187 References......Page 190 CHAPTER 13 Statewide Assessment Triggers Urban School Reform......Page 192 Critical Race Theory and Educational Testing: Does the Interest Convergence Theory Work for Racial Minorities on Matters of Assessment Policy?......Page 193 Racial/Gender Policy Questions for Consideration......Page 194 Conclusion......Page 195 References......Page 196 CHAPTER 14 Promoting Educational Equity in a Period of Growing Social Inequity......Page 198 “Do you have problem with 90% of poor, minority students passing the TAAS?”......Page 199 School Reform by Itself Cannot Leverage Social Justice.......Page 201 Substantive versus Strategic Issues......Page 203 Legitimation Rituals......Page 205 References......Page 207 CHAPTER 15 Polar Positions on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS)......Page 210 The TAAS Seems Viable and Beneficial......Page 211 The TAAS System of Testing is Harmful, Inappropriate, and Insensitive......Page 212 TAAS Can Lead to Equity and Pragmatic Solutions......Page 214 Lingering Questions, Doubts, and Concerns......Page 215 References......Page 218 PART IV Critiques and Commentaries on the Equity-Accountability Debate......Page 220 Introduction......Page 222 Demographic and Socioeconomic Trends......Page 223 Designs for Inclusion of ELL and Immigrant Youth in the Texas Accountability System......Page 224 Congruence with Federal Policy......Page 226 The Spanish Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS)......Page 227 Advocate Discourse......Page 228 Analysis......Page 229 Institutional Discourse......Page 230 Analysis......Page 232 Conclusion......Page 236 Notes......Page 238 References......Page 239 Introduction......Page 242 The Argument for the Accountability System as a Tool for Social Justice and Equity......Page 243 The Villainization of Students......Page 245 The Narrowing of the Curriculum......Page 247 The De-skilling of Teachers and Principals......Page 249 Conclusion......Page 252 References......Page 253 CHAPTER 18 Intersections in Accountability Reform......Page 256 Essential Complexities in Accountability Reform......Page 257 The Intersection of State Accountability Systems and Local Actors......Page 260 Equity, Legitimacy, and Institutional Conformity......Page 262 Constructive Capacity: Shaping the Agenda......Page 264 Conclusion......Page 266 References......Page 268 A Backwards Glance......Page 272 A Glimpse at Research Demonstrating Progress in Texas......Page 273 Data Collection and Analysis......Page 274 Findings......Page 275 Conclusions: A Glimmer of Hope......Page 278 References......Page 279 Implementing and Refining Policy......Page 280 Foregrounding Equity in Policy Development and Debate......Page 283 Refining and Disseminating Successful Practices......Page 285 Final Thoughts......Page 286 References......Page 287 Contributors......Page 290 Index......Page 294 Nineteen American academics and researchers contribute 20 chapters exploring the dynamism and complexity of the issues involved in current debates about educational equity and accountability in the U.S. Coverage includes the polarized nature of the research conversation; the theoretical and practical possibilities of accountability policy for leveraging educational equity; results and critiques of the research on accountability policy's positive effects at the state and school district levels; and critiques and commentaries on the ongoing debate. For researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. Distributed by Taylor and Francis. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Linda Skrla, James Joseph Scheurich, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Mode Of Access: World Wide Web.