1 / 15

Who wins the game? Changing accountability and funding of Australian schools

Who wins the game? Changing accountability and funding of Australian schools. Bruce Gurd University of South Australia Discussant : Cameron Graham Schulich School of Business. Overview of the Paper. Introduction Understanding the theory of the game

bao
Download Presentation

Who wins the game? Changing accountability and funding of Australian schools

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Who wins the game? Changing accountability and funding of Australian schools Bruce Gurd University of South Australia Discussant:Cameron Graham Schulich School of Business

  2. Overview of the Paper • Introduction • Understanding the theory of the game • Exploring the game of fundingand accountability of schools • Discussion • Conclusions

  3. Introduction • Gonski Committee (2009-2011) • National review of education funding • Recommended increase of $6 billion per annum • Accountability • “School” as unit of accountability • Education outcomes • Fiscal accountability • Drive for data & measurement

  4. Theory of the Game • Elias’s game theory • Processual sociology • Figurations • Interdependent networks of people • Mutually oriented • Historically produced & reproduced • Unintentional interdependencies produce unintended consequences • Power • Complexity

  5. Exploring the Game:Funding and accountability of schools Actors • Non-governmental schools • Catholic (over 200 years ago) • Lutheran • Independent Schools Australia • State governments • Government schools (since 1872) • Curriculum and regulatory standards • Federal government • Funding • Parents • Government vs. non-government • Australian education union • Subsumes teachers

  6. Exploring the game … Overview • Education responsibility is at state level • Funding is at federal level • Gonskireview not allowed to recommend cuts

  7. Exploring the game … Chronology • Rhetoric of “accountability” • Schools Assistance Act (2004) • Ruddgovernment (2007-2013) • National curriculum & skills testing • Investments in IT • Accountability requirements • Gonskicommission • Heavily influenced by wealthy stakeholders • Funding formula: disability, indigeneity, etc. • Liberal/National government (2013) • Tried to dismiss Gonski report, but had to back down

  8. Exploring the game … Mechanisms • 13 KPIs • Professional engagement of teachers • Student outcomes • Results • Retention • Post-school destinations • Satisfaction of stakeholders • “Australian Schools Agenda” • Funding contingencies • Flying national flag • Singing national anthem • Clear student reports to parents

  9. Exploring the game … MySchool Website • Set up by Labor government • Allowed comparison of school performances • Showed resources were not sole success factor • Reaction • Teachers & academics • Overemphasis on basic skills • Parents • Good performance feedback • Shows desirable schools • Non-gov’t funding sources still not transparent

  10. Exploring the game … Shift in Focus • By 2012 • Many overlapping programs to improve schools • Focus on performance, not finance • In 2012 • Collapse of 3 non-gov’t schools in Victoria • Australian School Performance Institute • “Data-driven accountability” • In 2013 • Liberal gov’t to give principals autonomy • Resistance from state Liberal governments

  11. Discussion • Unique situation • Federal funding (unlike Canada) • Gov’t funding of church schools (unlike US) • Federal government • Power to press for conformance • Can by-pass states and go directly to schools • Constraints • Non-gov’t school parents • Gov’t school parents and unions • International education comparison processes • Relatively high cooperation between groups

  12. Conclusions • Situation • Gradual ratcheting up of accountability • Increased transparency • Actors • Teachers and unions exert influence • Parents not highly mobilized • Non-gov’t schools • Socialization into a particular class or peer group • Specific religious or other values • Adds to public sector literature • Resource provision and resistance (Dopson 2005)

  13. Discussant Comments Overall Assessment • Important topic • Clear event (Gonskicommission) • Potential to examine accountability • Next step: detailed data!

  14. Discussant Comments Suggestions 1 • Engage with literature • Much written about public sector accountability • Figure out what this can contribute • Provide a clear story line • Focus on main events • Provide a clear chronology • Look at “how” • Accounting reports • Measurements • Specific funding contingencies

  15. DiscussantComments Suggestions 2 • Need details • Government reports • Gonski commission • Union statements • MySchool website • How parents use data • Analysis • Draw more heavily on theory

More Related