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As summer winds down, administrators around the country are looking for ways to improve the overall academic performance of their schools. As they examine the data from their "report card" (i.e. standardized test scores)they evaluate what's working and what's not working in their schools. A school leader's fundamental thoughts on accountability stem from two areas: individual responsibility and collective expectation. Various school adopt different applications of individual responsibility and collective expectation; it is here that the breakdown in the organization occurs. When individual values and beliefs take precedence over the majority, coherency and effectiveness are sacrificed. The goal of the school leader has to be creating a school environment that has collective expectation. In doing this, a higher level of internal accountability can be established. Examples of this would be teachers taking the initiative to decide on which curricular areas need to be focused on, developing their own instructional measures, and dealing with the pressures of society by staying focused on a common set of core values.

When school leaders are called to make improvements it is not uncommon for them to try to revise existing knowledge and skills. Once former practices no longer yield expected success it time to incorporate new knowledge and skills. Stepping outside of the organization by way of consultation and professional development allows for opportunities for curricular models and instructional practices to be integrated into the organization. Accountability is placed back in the hands of school leaders and educators when additional resources are made available. Individuals who accept responsibility publicly as well as personally are very powerful factors within an organization.
The idea of shared expectation, where all teachers work toward a common goal, is so basic yet at the same time is often not demonstrated in the schools. When everyone is on the same page in regards to what they can and should be doing, common values connecting each individual together, the organization can stay focused on the business of educating students. When these factors are in place no amount of outside pressure can be of any real influence.
An organization's success is built on individuals who hold themselves accountable for being effective. This type of thinking empowers the teacher to make it their mission to be actively involved in how the organization is run, not waiting for responsibility to be handed to them but instead assuming it on their own. Educators of this caliber are not afraid of accepting change in instructional practice when performance based assessment indicate students' capabilities are not fully being realized. Becoming polished in new practices, teaching a new way and with an alternate agenda allows for an improvement in the school's performance. This improvement is not instant. It is a process that can be seen as more teachers adopt new approaches aimed at increasing students' learning. Creating and maintaining an organization with such dynamics is not easy for school leaders to accomplish, not to say it cannot be done. Any organization is going to have new demands placed on it; how it responds to such demands will illustrate its belief and value system.

Learn more about this author, Rasheedah Fitzpatrick.
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