ABSTRACT

This paper investigates how test-based, standardized accountability is impacting on urban school leaders’ everyday work in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada. This critical policy analysis draws on theories of new public management and governmentality to document the experiences of school leaders as they enact and navigate test-based accountability policies. The data for this empirical study was collected from semi-structured interviews with 18 school leaders in 4 high schools from two cities: Toronto and Vancouver. As a result of different education policy contexts in Ontario and British Columbia, findings reveal that there were both similarities and differences between the experiences of school leaders therein. In Ontario, school leaders face tremendous pressure to provide evidence of improved test scores as part of an accountability regime that is high-stakes. In both provincial contexts, the mediatization of test scores places new demands on school leaders who act as entrepreneurs, marketing and selling their schools. Ultimately, the research highlights the unintended consequences of test-based accountability systems as contributing to the marketization of education in Canada with deleterious consequences for marginalized communities and the practice of social justice leadership in schools. There is a need to identify democratic and holistic measures of accountability.

摘要

本文调查了基于考试的标准化问责制如何影响加拿大安大略省和不列颠哥伦比亚省城市学校领导的日常工作。这一关键的政策分析借鉴了新公共管理和政府管理的理论，以记录学校领导在制定和驾驭基于考试的问责政策时的经验。本实证研究的数据来自对多伦多和温哥华两个城市 4 所高中的 18 名学校领导的半结构化访谈。由于安大略省和不列颠哥伦比亚省的教育政策背景不同，调查结果显示，当地学校领导的经历既有相似之处，也有不同之处。在安大略省，作为高风险问责制度的一部分，学校领导面临着提供考试成绩提高证据的巨大压力。在这两个省的背景下，考试成绩的媒介化对学校领导者提出了新的要求，学校领导者充当企业家，营销和销售他们的学校。最终，该研究强调了基于考试的问责制的意外后果，因为它有助于加拿大的教育市场化，对边缘化社区和学校的社会正义领导实践产生有害影响。有必要确定民主和全面的问责措施。该研究强调了以考试为基础的问责制的意外后果，它有助于加拿大教育的市场化，对边缘化社区和学校的社会正义领导实践产生有害影响。有必要确定民主和全面的问责措施。该研究强调了以考试为基础的问责制的意外后果，它有助于加拿大教育的市场化，对边缘化社区和学校的社会正义领导实践产生有害影响。有必要确定民主和全面的问责措施。