Inquiry-Minded Schools: Opening Doors for Accountability

Author: Rallis, S.F., & MacMullen, M.M.
Publisher: Phi Delta Kappa
Publication Date: 2000
Journal: Phi Delta Kappan
Journal Volume: 81(10)
Pages: 766-773
Full text available online at: http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/kral0006.htm

Abstract (written by WestEd)

Rallis and MacMullen describe four approaches to systems of accountability and then proceed to outline a clear and simple approach that balances external (state) and internal (school) accountability through ongoing inquiry. Schools should not "be held accountable;" rather, they should "be accountable." Schools need the will and capacity to change, with support from parents, community members, businesses, and policymakers.

According to the authors, "most schools lack the capacity to improve student achievement through external or internal accountability alone. Both forms of accountability are necessary components of improvement" that must be interwoven into a school culture for it to be successful. A cycle of inquiry about what is working and what needs to be improved bridges external and internal accountability. A school needs to incorporate reasonable external accountability requirements within their own internal improvement needs.

The challenges facing schools are creating a motivated, unified team to improve student achievement, developing an inquiry-minded culture to recognize important data to answer essential questions, understanding this information, and realizing how to take action to improve student learning. To help schools address the challenges, policymakers need to share accountability and see that schools have the resources they need to build capacity and take action.

Rallis and MacMullen offer six steps as an ongoing inquiry process (that need not be linear) that aims to continually improve student achievement:

1. Establish outcomes for which we accept responsibility. Standards are set to judge the quality of success toward achieving those outcomes.
   
   
2. Identify important questions concerning student learning, and then prioritize.
   
   
3. Collect and manage data from performance assessments to answer the essential questions. Usually, one type of test is not sufficient; a variety of assessments over time are more accurate and equitable for all students.
   
   
4. Conduct mindful inquiries of the data and interpret results in terms of a school's purposes. Interpretations raise questions for teacher-initiated action.
   
   
5. Take action based on knowledge. What practices should we continue? What practices do we need to change? What type of support and resources do we need?
   
   
6. Assess the effects of actions. Resulting actions are a best guess —— albeit a well-informed one —— about what will be effective in improving student achievement.