Accountability and the Common Core: A Story of Opportunities and Challenges

• In Event: Implementing the Common Core: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Objective

This paper hopes to build on the literature of accountability policy with respect to the Common Core. It will focus on four key issues related to accountability policy vis a vis the Common Core: (1) aligning the Common Core standards with the content of the associated standardized tests, (2) redefining proficiency in terms of the Common Core standards, (3) the opportunity for increased comparability across states, (4) how the NCLB waivers issued by the US Department of Education affect the relationship between the Common Core standards and accountability systems.

Theoretical Framework

The author attempts to predict future responses to the Common Core based in a historical analysis of response to previous standards-based accountability policies, taking into account the peculiarities of the nationwide effort of the Common Core.

Mode of Inquiry

This paper pairs a review of the literature with an analysis of current efforts related to the Common Core.

Data Source

The author draws on the research literature on accountability policy, documentation of state responses to accountability policy, news reports regarding changes in accountability policy, and analysis of state and federal regulations.

Results

This paper comes to three main conclusions. First, the discussion of proficiency thresholds—and the assessments more generally—suggests that inter-state tensions are likely to arise relatively soon after Common Core implementation. Some of these tensions have already begun to develop and have manifested themselves through the 2012 state superintendent election results in Indiana and the withdrawal of Utah and Alabama from the assessment consortia. The nature in which these early tensions are resolved will be very important to the Common Core’s future. Second, because of the differences in states’ educational cultures, disagreements are unlikely to go away over time. If anything, they are likely to become more pronounced. Maintaining the integrity of the Common Core standards will require continued attention and effort. Third, educational cultures, like any type of culture, are difficult to change. It has taken over two decades, but accountability systems—unlike the Common Core—have become part of the educational culture in the United States. This implies that any conflict between accountability systems and the Common Core standards is likely to be resolved in favor of maintaining accountability systems.

Scholarly significance
Little research has been conducted to date regarding the Common Core’s role in standards-based accountability policies. As states transition to these new Common-Core aligned systems in the next 2-3 years, it will be essential to understand the looming issues so as to avoid making the same mistakes of the previous generation of policies.

Author

• Deven Edward Carlson, University of Oklahoma