Increasing Accountability in Schools

There are four key elements to Governor Susana Martinez’s proposed “Kids First, New Mexico Wins” education reform plan. Governor Martinez wants to increase accountability of NM schools by giving schools letter grades, send more money to the classrooms, end social promotion, and reward teachers based on performance. The next blog posts will focus on these four areas individually and discuss the positive effects this reform plan can have on education in New Mexico.

Increasing Accountability

Creating accountability in public education is a very complex task. The blame for the failures of the current school system cannot be placed on any one policymaker or education provider. Building accountability is also made difficult because of the problems with defining and measuring school outcomes.

There is no question that accountability is weak in the traditional school system. The RAND (Research and Development) Corporation has completed studies on the lack of accountability in the public education. Inadequate information, confusing roles in the educational bureaucracy and weak incentives all lead to the irresponsibility seen in education.

First, many of the “clients” of public education (parents, families, the community) have insufficient information about the performance of schools. New Mexico Secretary of Education Hanna Skandera writes, “Currently, New Mexico schools receive confusing, opaque labels, like ‘School Not Making Adequate Yearly Progress by 1, 2, or 3 Indicators.’” These ratings do not give a clear picture of a given school’s success.

Secondly, even if education clients have accurate, transparent information about a school’s performance, they often find it difficult to find out who is responsible for what, how to complain, or whom to complain. Navigating through the public education bureaucracy is at times so difficult that many concerned parents give up.

Lastly, a lack of strong motivational incentives has led to the current low accountability standards. A report from the United States Agency for International Development states, “In a competitive, private market, failure to meet client demand translates into bankruptcy – or at least a declining market share.” This is similar to New Mexico's charter schools - either perform or face closure.  The same should be true for New Mexico's traditional schools as well!  The report goes on to share that in Chile, managers from the public sector face criminal charges if they misuse funds. They compare these strong incentives to the American educational arena, “Teachers and principals almost never lose their employment as a result of students’ poor test performance.”

Governor Martinez’s plan to improve accountability in New Mexico’s public education system would address these current problems. She recommends an easy-to-understand “A-F” grading system for schools. Secretary of Education Skandera has this to say about the proposed system: “For the first time, parents, teachers, school and community leaders will have a clear understanding of whether or not students are learning.” Also in the Governor’s plan, schools earning an “A” grade, or schools showing improvement by moving up a letter grade, will receive recognition funds, while schools that don’t make the grade will receive more attention. By intervening in failing schools faster and giving struggling students and parents more options, accountability will improve greatly.

The changes Governor Martinez wants to implement have been successful in other states. For example, Florida’s former Governor, Jeb Bush, signed an education reform package in 1999 that included increased accountability through grading schools. Currently the effects of the push for more accountability in Florida are seen. Almost 75% of elementary students are reading at their grade level or above their grade level. The graduation rate for the state is 15% higher than in the year 2000 and Florida has been recognized by the Department of Education for making progress in closing the achievement gap.

Although the path to more accountability for the public education system will not be an easy one, implementing Governor Martinez’s proposals will lead to a better education for New Mexico’s students. With the clear lack of accountability in the current system, it is clear that the status quo needs to change. As Secretary of Education Skandera states, “Now, it is time to create a robust accountability system in New Mexico.”

The staff at the Southwest Learning Center expects to be held accountable by the students, parents, and comunity that have chosen SLC for their child's education.  We are committed to hiring the best staff, providing the best facilities, and employing the best communication strategies available to keep parents informed.  We believe that this will lead to improved student learning for all kids.  As always, we invite recommendations and responses to our innovative ideas for transforming education.