Dissertation writing help - diverse and shifting accountability policies

Custom Dissertation Writing Service on an analysis of technology education

Several recent national studies and Federal initiatives, such as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, have emphasized the importance of new assessment and educational accountability practices, while also drawing attention to the need for reform in America's high schools. In many states and communities, technology education (TE) represents a small but integral segment of the comprehensive high school offerings. This research examines the influence of accountability environments on high school TE programs and the tendencies of TE teachers toward adjusting curriculum to support school-wide core academic content.

The study employed a stratified random sample of 48 schools in four states-12 comprehensive high schools in each state-to seek possible associations between state accountability environments and actions by TE teachers in these select schools. Using a web-based data collection instrument, the study examined processes at work in select high schools, and highlighted mechanisms that may link accountability environments with TE practice. The processes focused upon were related to teacher motivation, access to resources, and specific TE teacher actions associated with performance-based measures. The framework builds upon work from a 2005 high school accountability study conducted by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education, Holding High Hopes (Goertz & Massell).

Data analysis of responses from 70 TE teachers and 30 administrators across Iowa, Florida, Nebraska, and New York, representing 41 high schools, suggests diverse accountability environments exhibit differences in TE teachers at the sampled high schools in three distinct areas:

1) Attitudes regarding trust, feeling supported, discussions about teaching, and analysis of practice.

2) Teacher practice associated with interactions with core content materials and test preparation.

3) Curriculum and lesson alignment to external standards.

Conceptually, this research builds upon outcomes accountability theory (Adams & Kirst, 1999) while exploring the impact of performance-based policies. These findings and analysis may assist accountability policy development in TE and other curriculum content areas.