Research On American Basic Education Accountability Science The 1970s

Education accountability prospered in the United States in the 1970 s.As the quality of school education is increasingly concerned by the society,the United States introduced accountability into the field of education,and become an important way of basic education governance and an important guarantee for the healthy development of basic education,and then “educational accountability” has spread globally.Only by retrospection its development course can we better grasp the development path of educational accountability and the future trend of education reform.Therefore,this study attempts to jump out of the inherent thinking of a detached interpretation of basic educational accountability in the United States from a certain section or side.Under the premise of analyzing historical details,retrospective research and analysis of the background,specific actions,characteristics,and logical turn of the evolution in American basic education over the past half century,then to examines the phase characteristics and general evolutionary rationale and trends of basic education accountability in the United States.This research mainly adopts research methods such as literature research,historical research,comparative research,text analysis,and case analysis.It also comprehensively uses research strategies that combine history with reality and integrate the whole with parts.Systematic elaboration and analysis of historical evolution.Through reflection on the modern connotation and mechanism of basic education accountability,it provides academic and practical experience for the governance of basic education in China.Logically,the full text can be divided into three parts with seven charts(including the introduction).The first part(Introduction,Chart 1)plans and discusses the overall research,and gives a theoretical overview of basic education accountability in the United States.In March 1970,President Nixon promoted accountability for education as the new key to education reform in his “Comment on Education Reform” and declared that school administrators and teachers must take responsibility for student's academic performance,this kicked off the prelude to accountability reform in American basic education.Since then,the United States has successively introduced a series of education bills,reports,etc.,which have guided the development of American basic educational accountability in a scientific and legal way.In contrast,with the full popularization of nine-year compulsory education,China's compulsory education has begun to enter a new stage of connotative development.Comprehensively improving the quality of compulsory education has become the core task of education reform and development at this stage.Improving the quality of compulsory education has also become a practical issue that we cannot avoid at present.From an international perspective,what is the attitude towards basic education accountability and how to build a reasonable basic education accountability mechanism? From a national perspective,how is China's education accountability model possible? These issues drive the research.Basic education accountability,as a mechanism to promote the improvement of education quality,shows the structural relationship and operation mode of various elements.It is an educational governance mechanism that federal,state,or school district based on certain standards,using public schools in grades 1-12 as a unit of measure to evaluate students' academic achievement performance,and awards and punishes schools based on the results of the evaluation.However,the interpretation varies in different historical stages.The second part(Chart 2,Chart 3,Chart 4)discusses the development of accountability of basic education in the United States since the 1970 s,and analyzes the content,era background,content,and characteristics of accountability at each stage.Based on the theory of punctuated equilibrium,taking American policies or events on accountability as key nodes since the 1970 s,the basic education accountability of the United States since the 1970 s is divided into three phases:1970-1980,1981-1989,and 1990 to the present.Chart 2 discusses the accountability for educational performance in 1970 s.Under the impetus of the education quality management movement,the return to basics movement and accountability advocates,the accountability orientation towards performance has obviously emerged,forming an accountability movement oriented towards educational achievements.Chart 3 discusses the multiple accountability of education in 1980 s.Under the influence of social environment such as intensified international competition,decentralization of education power and effective school movement,an accountability movement has been formed with equity as the orientation of accountability and the focus on the education process.With the emergence of a new type of pluralistic accountability relationship,the governance of basic education has increasingly clarified the positioning,roles and powers of various stakeholders.Chart 4 discusses the accountability of educational standards after 1990 s.Driven by globalization,neo-liberalism and school-selection movement,the excellence of education quality has replaced other values.Standardization has become a prominent feature of basic education governance,forming an accountability movement towards education standardization.The third part(Charts 5 and 6)comprehensively examines,ponders,and deeply investigates accountability for basic education.The accountability of basic education in the United States has shown its unique evolution logic in the development of half a century.It focuses on the deepening of accountability value pursuit,the optimization of accountability process mode and the construction of accountability mechanism.It gradually develops towards the direction of fairness and excellence,inclusiveness and pluralism,integration and embeddedness,and opens up the rationalization process of accountability development of basic education.But at the same time,it should be noted that in the evolution of nearly half a century,the basic education accountability in the United States has shown different principles and characteristics.Judging from the historical evolution of accountability in basic education in the United States,the dominant relationship of accountability in education does not hold a value neutral position,but presents and shapes the practice,structure and standards in the public domain.In micro-practice,the value of accountability reflects the reconciliation of fairness and excellence;the coexistence of standards and diversity is reflected in the content of accountability;the unity and diversity are taken into account in the way of accountability;the combination of punishment and improvement is emphasized in the accountability results;the common rail of vertical and horizontal in the accountability model.This requires us to carry out in-depth inquiry on the accountability of basic education.How to understand the modern connotation of educational accountability,how accountability mechanisms are possible,and how to learn from China's model all point to how we should treat basic education accountability and how to promote the scientific and efficient governance of basic education.Therefore,we need to define the boundaries and limits of accountability in school education,take social justice as the value orientation,establish a pluralistic and democratic accountability mechanism based on clear,fair,measurable and achievable standards,and achieve a responsible accountability ecology.