School Practices in Response to Subgroup Accountability Pressure: Orienting Schools to Equity and Identified Subgroups

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: Division L Section 5 Poster Session

Abstract

Although school-level practices in response to high-stakes accountability policies are well-documented, how schools react to subgroup accountability pressure—the requirement for subgroups to make certain gains in order for the school to make “adequate yearly progress”—is underexplored. I draw upon a one-year ethnography at a middle school to examine how day-to-day practices are shaped by subgroup accountability pressure. How do schools respond to subgroup accountability pressure, and what are the consequences of these practices? I show that while subgroup accountability pressure encourages the school to compare the performance of student groups and to respond accordingly, it does not necessarily orient the school to the particular subgroups that the school is cited for. I consider implications for policymakers and administrators.

Author

• Rachel Garver, New York University