• Subscribe

    Sign up here for our monthly newsletter.

  • Menu

    Standards and accountability movement needs to push, not punish

    By Linda Darling-Hammond
    August 2007
    The education reform movement in the United States has increasingly focused on developing new standards for students. Virtually all states and many districts have begun creating standards for student learning, curriculum frameworks to guide instruction, and assessments to test students’ knowledge. These measures often are accompanied by accountability schemes that reward and sanction students, teachers, and schools based on trends in test scores. Although standards-based reform was intended to leverage systemwide changes in curriculum, teacher preparation, and school resources, in many cases the notions of standards and “accountability” have become synonymous with mandates for student testing that have little connection to policy initiatives that directly address the quality of teaching, the allocation of resources, or the nature of schooling. Assessment data are helpful for creating

    Read the remaining content with membership access. Join or log in below to continue.

    Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

    Log In
       

    References

    Darling-Hammond, L., Ancess, J., & Falk, B. (1995). Authentic assessment in action. New York: Teachers College Press.

    National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. (1996). What matters most: Teaching for America’s future. New York: Author.


    Image for aesthetic effect only - Lindadarlinghammond A2-e1612462218650
    + posts

    Linda Darling-Hammond, the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education Emeritus at Stanford University and founding president of the Learning Policy Institute, is a longtime leader in education, an expert on professional learning, and an influential researcher and policy advisor. She has been leading President Joe Biden’s education transition team, giving her a unique perspective on the current moment in education and the future of U.S. policy.


    Search
    The Learning Professional


    Published Date

    CURRENT ISSUE



  • Subscribe

  • Recent Issues

    LEARNING TO PIVOT
    August 2024

    Sometimes new information and situations call for major change. This issue...

    GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
    June 2024

    What does professional learning look like around the world? This issue...

    WHERE TECHNOLOGY CAN TAKE US
    April 2024

    Technology is both a topic and a tool for professional learning. This...

    EVALUATING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
    February 2024

    How do you know your professional learning is working? This issue digs...

    Skip to content