Accountability: a case study of the Jamaican and English education systems

Accountability in education is characterised most saliently by an emphasis on measurable student outcomes. Apple (2000, p. 105) argued that education is increasingly marketised. While scholars and stakeholders acknowledge that accountability in education is necessary, some research has revealed that market driven accountability has caused perverse consequences. This was endorsed by Sergiovanni (2000, p. 11) who wrote about the depletion of the local character and culture of schools because of stricter accountability measures. In this research the goal was to give voice to stakeholders (teachers, governors and Head Teachers) so that they can help to shape a model of accountability in education that would reflect their values while maintaining high expectations. The research used a multi-method case study and data was collected using interviews and surveys among in two Secondary Schools of very similar profiles; one in Jamaica and one in England. The limitations of the study were discussed within the paper. However, results gathered suggested that educators considered accountability to be vital, but teachers, Head Teachers and Governors felt that accountability would be best managed through a network of Head teachers supported by Regional Commissioners (RC). The findings suggested that teachers, Governors and Head Teachers thought that the standards used to measure schools’ performance were not reflective enough of the work that goes into educating students and the progress that students make. On the other hand, results from the interview with government officials and the inspectorate revealed that schools needed to perform better and owed it to the students to offer more than they currently do. The researcher suggested further study to explore the impact that school-based assessment supported by RC would have on the performance of schools in England and Jamaica.