SPECIAL ISSUE Policies and Practices of Promise in Teacher Evaluation - Vol 28 Number 56 - April 13, 2020

Oct 15, 2026

This commentary pushes the boundaries of how teacher accountability, the purpose of education, and schooling are understood in contemporary contexts. It argues that recent changes to the Every Student Succeeds Act do little to shift the underlying logics of high-stakes teacher accountability that threaten public schools’ stability and adaptability. It examines standardization, datafication, and evaluation practices that undermine teacher expertise, autonomy, and professional discretion, offering a disruptive lens for imagining alternatives beyond traditional accountability.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Teacher Accountability, Datafication and Evaluation

A Case for Reimagining Schooling

Abstract and Keywords

SPECIAL ISSUE Policies and Practices of Promise in Teacher Evaluation education policy analysis archives A peer-reviewed, independent, open access, multilingual journal Arizona State University Volume 28 Number 56 April 13 , 2020 ISSN 1068-2341 Teacher Accountability, Datafication and Evaluation: A Case for Reimagining Schooling1 Jessica Holloway Research for Educational Impact (REDI) Centre, Deakin University Australia Citation: Holloway, J. (2020) . Teacher accountability, datafication, and evaluation: A case for reimagining schooling. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 28(56) . [https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.28.5026](https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.28.5026) This article is part of the special issue, Policies and Practices of Promise in Teacher Evaluation, guest edited by Audrey Amrein-Beardsley. Abstract: The purpose of this commentary is to push the boundaries (real and perceived) of how we think about teacher accountability, education and the purpose of schooling in contemporary times. It takes as a starting point a view that recent changes to the Every Student Succeeds Act does little to shift the underpinning logics of high-stakes teacher accountability that ultimately threaten the stability and adaptability of public schools. Building from this presumption, it explores more universal features of contemporary schooling practices (e.g. , standardization, datafication and evaluation) that undermine 1 This work was supported by the Australian Research Council [grant number DE190101140]: Jessica Holloway. teacher expertise, autonomy and professional discretion. The purpose is to provide a new lens for thinking about the role of education and to radically disrupt the ‘norms’ we have come to accept as necessary features of modern schooling. Ultimately, it serves as a thought experiment to provide some space for imagining new possibilities and thinking“outside of” the traditional accountability “box.” Keywords: accountability; datafication; teacher evaluation; Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Accountability de los maestros, datification y evaluación: Un caso para reinventar la escolarización Resumen: El propósito de este comentario es ampliar los límites (reales y percibidos) decómo pensamos acerca de la accountability de los maestros, la educación y el propósito dela educación en los tiempos contemporáneos. Toma como punto de partida una visión de que los cambios recientes a la Every Student Succeeds Act hacen poco para cambiar las lógicas subyacentes de la accountability de los maestros de alto riesgo que en últimainstancia amenazan la estabilidad y la adaptabilidad de las escuelas públicas. Partiendo de esta presunción, explora características más universales de las prácticas escolares contemporáneas (por ejemplo, estandarización, datos y evaluación) que socavan la experiencia docente, la autonomía y la discreción profesional. El propósito es proporcionar una nueva lente para pensar sobre el papel de la educación y perturbar radicalmente las “normas” que hemos llegado a aceptar como características necesarias dela escuela moderna. En última instancia, sirve como un experimento mental para proporcionar algo de espacio para imaginar nuevas posibilidades y pensar “fuera de” la“caja” de accountability tradicional. Palabras-clave: Accountability; datafication; evaluación docente; Every Child Succeeds Act (ESSA) Accountability dos professores, datification, e avaliação: Um caso para reinventar aescolarização Resumo: O objetivo deste comentário é expandir os limites (reais e percebidos) de comopensamos sobre a accountability dos professores, a educação e o objetivo da educação nos tempos contemporâneos. Ele assume como ponto de partida que mudanças recentes na Every Student Succeeds Act pouco contribuem para alterar as lógicas subjacentes da accountability dos professores de alto risco, que acabam ameaçando a estabilidade e a adaptabilidade das escolas. público. Com base nessa premissa, ele

FAQs

What is the central purpose of the commentary?

It aims to challenge how teacher accountability and the purpose of schooling are conceptualized in contemporary times, and to offer a new lens for imagining alternatives beyond traditional accountability.

How does the commentary view changes to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)?

It argues that recent ESSA changes do little to change the underlying logics of high-stakes teacher accountability that destabilize and limit public schools.

Which schooling practices are identified as undermining teachers?

Standardization, datafication, and evaluation practices are described as weakening teacher expertise, autonomy, and professional discretion.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by CatatanPagi