Unintended Consequences of a State Accountability Policy in a Precollegiate Urban Teaching Academy Program
Keywords:
perceived collective efficacy, school accountability, sensemaking,, teacher agencyAbstract
Purpose and Method: Using perceived collective efficacy and sensemaking perspectives, this qualitative, multi-case study explored teachers’ responses to accountability pressures at three high schools within a pre-collegiate Urban Teaching Academy (UTA) magnet program.
Results: Three major themes emerged. The first theme of Divergent Levels of Resistance Towards Certification highlighted the two unique viewpoints of the UTA teachers concerning integrating the MOS certification at their specific school sites. The second theme of Perceived Benefits of Certification articulates the varying responses of the students upon executing the certification. The third theme of District Pressures: Industry Certification Points Count emphasizes the three UTA teachers’ perceptions of their school district’s rationale for imposing the district mandate.
Conclusion: Data interpretations suggested that sensemaking was ongoing in all sites and was associated with teachers’ interpretations of accountability policies and their efforts, resistance, and agency to transform classroom practice to be consistent with school and district pressures.
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References
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