Citation
(2014), "2013 Awards for Excellence", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 52 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-02-2014-001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
2013 Awards for Excellence
Article Type: 2013 Awards for Excellence From: Journal of Educational Administration, Volume 52, Issue 1
The following article was selected for this year's Outstanding Paper Award for Journal of Educational Administration
"Managing the intersection of internal and external accountability: challenge for urban school leadership in the United States"
Michael S. Knapp and Susan B. Feldman
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to direct attention to the intersection of external and internal accountability systems within
urban schools, and the role of school leadership, especially that of the principal, in managing this intersection. In particular,
the paper explores how school leaders are able to strengthen and sustain the school's internal accountability system, in pursuit
of school-defined learning improvement agenda, and at the same time respond productively to external accountability demands.
The paper also seeks to identify consequences of these leaders’ efforts to navigate an often problematic set of converging
demands.
Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on findings from a larger multi-case study of learning-focused leadership in 15 schools in four urban
school districts in the USA. Schools were chosen to represent those that were “making progress” (by local measures). Data
were collected over 18 months, spanning two school years, from Spring 2007 to Fall 2008. Data collection included multiple
site visits, semi-structured interviews and observations of leadership activity across school and district settings, and a
variety of documentary evidence.
Findings – Though working in substantially different contexts, these leaders found remarkably similar ways of crafting tools and creating
occasions, from the array of external accountability demands and resources, to serve internal accountability purposes. They
did so by internalizing external expectations and developing accountable practice within the school, leading through data,
and modelling what it meant to learn to lead in a fully accountable way. As they did so, they reshaped the scope of instruction
and the instructional improvement conversation, and also made teaching and leadership practice more public.
Originality/value – This paper extends discussions of school-level accountability in two ways. First, it updates scholarship on accountability
by examining school-level responses at a time five years into the new accountability context in the USA defined by strict
system-wide expectations and mechanisms. Second, the paper demonstrates ways in which the often onerous demands of external
accountability systems can be treated as a resource by school leaders and used in ways that bolster the school's capacity
for accountable professional practice.
This article originally appeared in Volume 50 Number 5, 2012, Journal of Educational Administration
The following articles were selected for this year's Highly Commended Award
"At-risk student averse: risk management and accountability"
Julian Vasquez Heilig, Michelle Young and Amy Williams
This article originally appeared in Volume 50 Number 5, 2012, Journal of Educational Administration
"Bridging accountability obligations, professional values and (perceived) student needs with integrity"
Heinrich Mintrop
This article originally appeared in Volume 50 Number 5, 2012, Journal of Educational Administration