The accountability paradox

Chris Larvin, Curriculum Design Manager, Teach First, UK The widely assumed goal of school accountability is to improve teaching and learning in schools, informed in large part by high-stakes assessments. In her Reith Lectures, Baroness O’Neill (2002) made the case, however, that accountability mechanisms can actually produce less trust in society, eroding confidence in the effectiveness of professionals. It is suggested that the effectiveness of classroom teachers in England has also been undermined by the unforeseen consequences of accountability in schools. The term ‘accountability paradox’ can be used to describe how the mechanisms designed to improve systems actually threaten it and discourage qualities that support reasonable behaviours. The paradox can be illustrated in the challenges facing classroom teachers in England, including the pressure to adopt pedagogical approaches, pay incentives and teacher retention. Accountability can be considered pervasive in modern li