education reform and student learning outcomes goals, outcomes and challenges march 4-6 2008

Education Reform And Student Learning Outcomes Goals, Outcomes And Challenges

March 4-6 2008

© 2008 Dominic Brewer. All Rights Reserved.2

Dr. Dominic Brewer

Clifford H. and Betty C. Allen Professor of Urban LeadershipProfessor of Education, Economics and Policy

University of Southern California


Agenda

• Goals, Outcomes,and Challenges of Reform

• Small Group Exercise Goals Outcomes Challenges

• Wrap-Up: Components of Effective Reform


Education Is Critical to National Development

• Education imperative for economic, social, and political development Contributes to national economic growth, higher living

standards Improves social outcomes such as health, crime Encourages civic participation

• External environment changing rapidly; existing institutions may not adapt Rigid curriculum and pedagogy Misallocated resources Lack of incentives, accountability, and autonomy


Common Problems: Rigid Curriculum/Pedagogy

• Student differences get little attention• Rote learning/memorization are emphasized• Students have too many subjects, too few extracurricular activities

• Curriculum may rely on single textbook• Technology-based learning materials not integrated


Common Problems: Misallocated Resources

• Teachers are assigned without regard for preferences/expertise

• Teachers receive low pay, few incentives for greater effort

• Teachers get little or ineffective professional development

• Instructional materials are inadequate/outdated• Schools are rundown and classrooms overcrowded


Common Problems: Lack Of Incentives and Accountability

• Innovative ideas are not solicited, supported, or rewarded

• Principals have little authority; time-consuming approval processes

• There are few performance indicators at student, school, or system level

• Evaluation system has little direct effect on schools, teachers, or students


Reform Can Be Challenging

• Successful reforms focus on improving student outcomes Immediate learning outcomes Long-term economic success (employment, etc.)

• No dominant successful strategy Uncertainty over what skills are needed, how to measure

them, or how to produce them Cannot “import” model wholesale from elsewhere

(but can get ideas and lessons learned)• Reform requires political will, financial resources,

administrator/teacher capacity and time• Multiple systems components need to be considered

simultaneously• Design and implementation are critical to success


Designing A Reform Strategy

•Start with clear goals •Define measurable objectives and benchmarks

•Understand strengths and weaknesses of existing system

•Recognize challenges of reform


Designing A Reform Strategy

HOW should these institutions or individuals induce others to implement policy? How is behavior motivated? How can the system exploit preferences and talents? How is performance rewarded and punished?

WHO makes decisions? Who sets standards? Who determines assessments? Who decides where children go to school? Who determines resources, staffing, curriculum, and teaching styles?

WHAT are your goals for education? What outcomes are most important? What standards do you aspire to achieve? What can education reform accomplish, and what requires change elsewhere? What are the parameters of reform?

EVALUATE! Do student outcomes improve? How is student, teacher, and school performance evaluated? How does the system rate in terms of: stability, accountability innovation, flexibility and responsiveness, transparency, simplicity, and efficiency?


Improved Accountability: A Critical Component of Reform Efforts

• Educational accountability has changed in many countries It is outcome-based rather than input-based It involves public reporting of performance information There are monetary and non-monetary rewards and sanctions

• Accountability is a contractual relationship It requires a provider of a good/service and a director with the power

to reward, punish, or replace the provider The provider is held responsible for reaching specified goals The provider’s performance is assessed on whether goal is achieved There are consequences – rewards or sanctions - for performance

• Accountability relationships vary with: Values and goals (what parties care about) Decision rights (who has authority over what), and Information (for monitoring)


Accountability Operates in Different Ways

Model Who? To Whom? For What? What Consequences?

Bureaucratic School/District State/MinistryCompliance with rules and regulations

Sanctions e.g., loss of accreditation, firing of staff

Professional TeachersProfessional peers and organizations

Following recognized professional practices

Professional sanctions; loss of certification

Market School Parents

Academic standards, philosophical/ societal norms, student discipline

Loss of students, leading to loss of revenue, economic failure

Standards-based accountability is a popular reform approach; it combines elements of these different types of accountability.


Accountability Operates in Different Ways

Mechanisms

Accountability Components

What Who How/Process

Setting Expectations and Standards Teach to standards Ministry

Outside consultants, no

teacher input

Setting Rewards and PunishmentsContribute to

salary increases

Ministry/School Administration School

Monitoring PerformanceState

standardized tests

State Students tested at end of year

Evaluating Success and Failure Gain-scores for class School Teacher review

process

Levying Rewards and Punishments Size of salary Increase School Administrative

decision


Indicator System:An Important Part of Standards-Based Accountability

• Comprehensive, objective, and transparent assessment system is component of standards-based reform Helps drive focus on improving student learning outcomes Increases stakeholder awareness and engagement in

education Enhances system responsiveness to local/national/global

needs and developments• What should be measured, how best is it measured, and

what other information is needed to interpret the measure• Must detect problems (problem-oriented) and be able to

describe conditions in a way amenable to policy change (policy-relevant)

• Include educational outcomes with student background and school context for meaningful interpretation


Reforms Go Awry In Implementation

• Need for systemic reform Many moving parts Opportunities for unintended consequences

• Often a desire for rapid change Changing how people think and act takes time Need early successes to maintain momentum Be aware of starting point

• Effective implementation requires: Significant planning Technical expertise, often with external help Building capacity of school managers and teachers Continuous training and support over the long term Monitoring so that adjustments can be made Flexibility with willingness to make adjustments


Small Group Exercise

In groups of 6-8, discuss the following questions. Spend about 15 minutes on each question. One member of your group should be ready to report your main points to the whole group.

1. What do you think should be the major goals of education reform? 2. What reform outcomes are the most important?

How can you measure these outcomes?3. What are the major challenges

to successful education reform?


Wrap-up: Some Components of Effective Reform

• Begin with clear goals

• Embody goals in curriculum standards

• Measure performance objectively

• Adjust in response to measures of progress

• Foster real changes in schools

• Recognize systemic linkages

• Develop support from outside the education system


Embody Goals In Curriculum Standards

Curriculum standards:• Should guide academic content and teaching practice What students should know What students should be able to do Grade-by-grade progression

• May require technical expertise and stakeholder participation

• Should inform development of materials and teacher/administrator professional development Alignment is important


Begin With Clear Goals

• Good reform focuses on developing students’ capabilities with a view to their long-term economic success

• Goals also might address broader social goals such as participation in civic life

• To guide effective education reform, policymakers need a clear vision What outcomes do you want schools to produce? What does existing system do well and what could be

improved?


Measure Performance Objectively

Regional and national authorities must: • Monitor system at many levels against standards• Use tests to measure student attainment of curriculum

standards • Use monitoring mechanisms (other than tests) to show the

strengths and weaknesses of the system (e.g., surveys, observations)

• Make results of tests, surveys, and observations available to participants to understand and improve performance Reporting system and training are important to maximize

use of information


Adjust Performance in Response to Measures of Progress

• Measurement alone is not enough to realize reform goals

• Use information on progress to identify changes and course corrections

• Mechanisms must be in place to adjust to assessment findings at all levels of system Requires flexibility to impact curricular materials,

professional development, school resources, etc.


Foster Real Change in Schools

• To improve education, changes must occur inside the classroom where teaching and learning occur Reform efforts directed at changing only a central

bureaucracy usually produce disappointing results

• Understanding what is actually happening in schools and classrooms is key to guiding change Requires measuring student learning outcomes and

using that information continuously to improve curriculum materials and professional development


Recognize Systemic Linkages

• Policy changes in one aspect of the system will often have consequences (sometimes unintended) for other parts

• Systemic approach highlights linkages between parts of the system Coordinate roles of each participant in the system Coordinate with policies outside education


Develop Support from Outside the Education System

• Some changes can be made without external support, but support is always helpful

• Changes to important social arrangements (e.g., labor rules, individual accountability) require external support (e.g., other government agencies, businesses, parents)

• Coordination with other public policies and private decision-making is often required to implement change

• Transparency may be important in explaining and sustaining reform


Conclusion: Reform Is Necessary But Challenging

• Effective educational change is necessary for national development All countries are struggling to find approaches that work

• There is no single “correct” approach to reform It must vary based on national goals and context

• Setting standards to international benchmarks, measuring student performance regularly, and aligning curriculum, professional development, and assessments will be critical

• Reform design and implementation requires planning, expertise, support, and patience

Thank you.

education reform and student learning outcomes goals, outcomes and challenges march 4-6 2008

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