Steering, Goal-Setting, and Accountability: The Finnish Approach to Quality Assurance

• In Event: 52.085 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: 52.085-4 - Accountability Policies at the Local, State, and National Levels

Abstract

While much has been written about the autonomy that teachers and schools in Finland enjoy, this analysis highlights some of the mechanisms through which policymakers in Finland can influence instruction at the school level. To do so, this paper describes the Finnish approach to quality assurance by focusing on three key governance mechanisms 1) planning and goal-setting; 2) monitoring student, school and system performance; and 3) follow-up and evaluation. The Finnish approach includes wide engagement in a process of goal-setting combined with extensive monitoring. While there is limited emphasis on follow-up, this approach also relies on extensive informal and formal social connections amongst well-prepared educators who share a small set of relatively good resources that are closely-linked to common goals.

Author

• Thomas C. Hatch, Teachers College, Columbia University