Research Evaluations, Part 5 EDUC – 8350 Module 6 Assignment 1 Accountability in Education

1. Research Evaluations, Part 5EDUC – 8350Module 6 Assignment 1Accountability in Education Rebecca Doherty

2. Insights on Accountability in AEA Evaluation • Yarbrough, Shulha, Hopson, and Caruthers (2011) suggested that the evaluator use accuracy in the American Evaluation Association (AEA) evaluation process. • Schools must implement and develop improvement plans to increase achievement in all students, and accountability is the collective responsibility of the stakeholders to support the learning process. • The evaluator may use thirty AEA standards in five groups as a guide in the evaluation process, such as utility, feasibility, propriety, accuracy, and accountability (Yarbrough et al., 2011) • Stakeholders can be significant in the evaluation, and it is crucial to engage them in the early stages of planning.

3. Insights (continued) • Social change in accountability involves the use of strategies, ideas, and actions to promote self-worth and self-respect, and develop stakeholders in their environment (Faculty Handbook, 2011). • Dr. Foshay suggested that social change is to do what works in order to achieve what is important in education (Laureate Education, 2012). • Dr. Cram suggested that social change has a tendency to pull people together and build capability in them (Laureate Education, 2012).

4. Evaluation Strategies in Accountability • The evaluator is a translator on policy and evaluation questions in the evaluation. • The evaluator clarifies any indecisions that the stakeholder may have on achievement, instructional improvement, alignment of curriculum, diversity, and accountability outcomes. • The evaluator keeps the lines of communication open with the stakeholders on the evaluation process. • The evaluator facilitates interactions between the stakeholders by encouraging them to participate in the evaluation (Plottu & Plottu, 2009).

5. Ideas on Accountability Actions • Actions will bring stakeholders together in a way that creates shared effort, passion, and purpose, such as sharing a lesson on content in the classroom with students or as an evaluator with a team of stakeholders in an evaluation. • The focus is to instill social change in the stakeholders through standards, activities, offer directions, and positive recognitions in the evaluation (Nesbit, Belfer, & Vargo, 2002). • Students must be empowered to unleash their full potential on accountability assessments. • An evaluator must communicate accurate information and knowledge to a generation of individuals who will be held accountable in encouraging stakeholders participation, validity in evaluation, excellent evaluation outcomes, and empowerment (Plottu & Plottu, 2009). Ideas on social change in accountability is through collaboration by the evaluator and stakeholders sharing knowledge, content, and expertise in the evaluation process.

6. Opportunities • According to Dr. Thomas, we are making this world a better place by improving educational programs and opportunities (Laureate Education, 2012). • Teachers must teach values, which are critical thinking and citizenship. • Teachers must use accountability to set benchmarks, assess, and evaluate the process.

7. References Faculty Handbook. (2011). Retrieved from Walden University website. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012c). Voices from the field: Positive social change. Baltimore, MD: Author. Nesbit, J., Belfer, K., & Vargo, J. (2002). A convergent participation model for evaluation of learning. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 28(3). Retrieved from http://www.cjlt.ca/index.php/cjlt/article/view Article/110/103 Plottu, B., & Plottu, E. Approaches to participation in evaluation. Evaluation, 15(3), 343-359. Yarbrough, D. B., Shulha, L. M., Hopson, R. K., & Caruthers, F. A. (2011). The program evaluation standards: A guide for evaluators and evaluation users (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage