Standards and Accountability: A Call by the Learning First Alliance for Mid-Course Corrections

Executive Summary

The effort to improve student learning by setting high standards for achievement began in the United States more than a decade ago. A standards-based system with high expectations and accountability for all students and educators is an ambitious undertaking, and the nation is only at the beginning stages. The progress thus far, though limited, has been very encouraging, with evidence of increasing student achievement. The members of the Learning First Alliance affirm their support for high standards and public accountability as a promising pathway to improving student learning and students' capacity to be productive members of society.

However, despite positive results in states and districts, there are serious concerns about the implementation of standards-based education. In too many places, essentials for student success are lacking. In too many places, the emphasis is on testing rather than on learning.

The Learning First Alliance sees five core areas that require urgent attention:

alignment of standards, curriculum, and assessments;
adequate professional development for teachers and principals;
sufficient resources and support for each child to meet high standards;
communication about the importance of standards and accountability; and
balanced and comprehensive accountability systems.

To address these concerns we call for a set of mid-course corrections that we believe are necessary for the promise of standards-based education to be fulfilled for all students. They are:

States, districts, and schools must have in place deep and rich curriculum and instructional programs that support the standards, as well as high-quality, aligned assessment systems that measure student progress on all aspects of required academic standards, using a variety of measurement techniques.
An assurance that every child is taught by well-prepared teachers who are expert in their subject matter and in a variety of teaching techniques. This will require a commitment to professional development of teachers and administrators that enables teachers to help every student learn to higher levels, and principals and superintendents to develop the learning environment in which this may occur.
A commitment to providing children who need extra help with the support necessary to learn at high levels and to providing schools with adequate resources to make such learning possible.
A concerted effort by states, districts, and schools to explain clearly and disseminate widely the content, purposes, and consequences associated with standards and accountability, conveying fully their implications for all students.
Responsible accountability systems that couple high-quality aligned assessments providing good information on student performance with incentives for schools and students that meet standards and supports for schools and students that do not. In designing these accountability systems, states and districts should examine carefully the use of a single standardized test score as the sole basis for important decisions about students or schools. Standardized test scores should be one factor, along with other relevant information about student achievement, considered in making decisions about students. Similarly, test scores should be considered together with other factors in making high-stakes decisions about schools.

In any large-scale effort to improve a complex system, there must be continuous reviews of progress and unintended consequences. The reviews must turn lessons learned into improvements. In our recommendations for mid-course corrections we do NOT call for a change of direction. We emphasize our ongoing support for standards-based education. But we do urgently call for changes to ensure that the promise of standards-based education is fulfilled. If these corrections are made, our nation's opportunity for improving the achievement of all students can be realized.

read full statement

The Learning First Alliance, founded in 1997, is a permanent partnership of leading education organizations working together to improve student learning. The Alliance members supporting this statement are: the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Council of Chief State School Officers, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of State Boards of Education, National Education Association, National PTA, and the National School Boards Association.