The four key elements in education accountability are: meaningful learning, professional accountability, resource accountability, and continuous improvement. The implications for an education system are: 1) A common vision of learning must be agreed upon; 2) A political commitment is needed to deliver this vision to ALL students; 3) All elements in the education system must be designed, aligned, and/or modified, based on this vision of learning.

1. Key Elements in an
Accountability System
By: Dr. Iwan Syahril, Ph.D.
Center for Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum Development

2. About Dr. Iwan Syahril, Ph.D.
Education
• Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Michigan State University, 2016.
• Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education, Michigan State University, 2016.
• Ed.M. (Master of Education) in Curriculum and Teaching, Columbia University, 2009.
• M.A. (Master of Arts) in Secondary Education (TESOL/Literacy), Columbia University, 2008.
• Graduate program in English Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, 2003.
• B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) in International Relations, Universitas Padjadjaran, 1998.
Summary
I am an international scholar with 22 years of professional experience working in a variety of settings: public and
private universities (bachelor’s and master’s programs), public and private K-12 schools and institutions, and
educational systems in three countries (United States, Indonesia, and Canada).
Areas of specialization
Understanding teacher quality, which includes teacher learning (pre- and in-service), teacher change, and
education policy on teacher quality. Special focus on the development of teacher candidates and beginning
teachers, and on policy sense-making in large-scale education reforms in comparative and international
education contexts.
An International Scholar in Educational Policy and Teaching Quality
Email:
iwan.syahril@sampoernauniversity.ac.id
0812-7656-6582

3. AGENDA
• Opening quotes
• Key elements of an accountability system
• Closing
• Q & A

4. “Education should be the pursuit of learning,
NOT the business of testing.”

5. “Education should be the pursuit of learning,
NOT the business of testing.”

6. “Education should be the pursuit of learning,
NOT the business of testing.”

7. –Anonymous
“Not everything that counts can be counted,
and not everything that can be counted counts.”

8. Source: Darling-Hammond, L., Without, G., & Pittenger, L. (2014). Accountability for college and career
readiness: Developing a new paradigm. Stanford, CA: Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education.

9. Element 1:
Meaningful Learning

11. Learning is the main goal of the accountability.

12. Learning is the main goal of the accountability.
What does it mean?

13. Learning is the main goal of the accountability.
What does it mean?
1) We need to define what we mean by learning.

14. Learning is the main goal of the accountability.
What does it mean?
1) We need to define what we mean by learning.
2) All stakeholders need to agree on and to commit to the
same vision of learning.

15. Source: http://thosewhocan.org/2014/04/06/make-em-say-huh-the-value-of-confusion/
Linear

16. Source: Google Images

17. Source: http://thosewhocan.org/2014/04/06/make-em-say-huh-the-value-of-confusion/
Non
Linear

18. Element 1: Meaningful Learning

19. Element 1: Meaningful Learning
• Learning is non linear, messy, and complex.

20. Element 1: Meaningful Learning
• Learning is non linear, messy, and complex.
• Key: Capturing complexity we need comprehensive data,
comprehensive assessment, multiple measures.

21. Element 1: Meaningful Learning
• Learning is non linear, messy, and complex.
• Key: Capturing complexity we need comprehensive data,
comprehensive assessment, multiple measures.
• A professional model: going to the doctor

22. Element 1: Meaningful Learning
• Learning is non linear, messy, and complex.
• Key: Capturing complexity we need comprehensive data,
comprehensive assessment, multiple measures.
• A professional model: going to the doctor
• Formative and summative assessment
Assessment — of, for, as, — learning

23. Element 1: Meaningful Learning
• Learning is non linear, messy, and complex.
• Key: Capturing complexity we need comprehensive data,
comprehensive assessment, multiple measures.
• A professional model: going to the doctor
• Formative and summative assessment
Assessment — of, for, as, — learning
• Giving feedback to 200 students
10 minutes for each = 2000 minutes =
33 1/3 hours nonstop = 4.65 days of work (1 week = 40 working hours)

24. Element 2: Professional Accountability

25. Element 2: Professional Accountability
• Constructing Professional knowledge
— academic knowledge + situated knowledge
1) How to teach students
2) How to prepare educators

26. Element 2: Professional Accountability
• Constructing Professional knowledge
— academic knowledge + situated knowledge
1) How to teach students
2) How to prepare educators
• Mechanism:
—> the best available professional knowledge
—> professional practice, professional judgment (educators, schools)
—> evaluation
—> continuous improvement

27. Element 2: Professional Accountability
• Constructing Professional knowledge
— academic knowledge + situated knowledge
1) How to teach students
2) How to prepare educators
• Mechanism:
—> the best available professional knowledge
—> professional practice, professional judgment (educators, schools)
—> evaluation
—> continuous improvement
• More genuine, internally-driven, NOT, externally imposed

28. Element 3: Resource Accountability

29. Element 3: Resource Accountability
• Accountability MUST BE reciprocal!

30. Element 3: Resource Accountability
• Accountability MUST BE reciprocal!
• Government must meet standards to support meaningful learning for
ALL students based on their contextual circumstances.

31. Element 3: Resource Accountability
• Accountability MUST BE reciprocal!
• Government must meet standards to support meaningful learning for
ALL students based on their contextual circumstances.
• adequate resources, equitable access to quality service,
preparing high-quality teachers and education professionals.

32. Element 3: Resource Accountability
• Accountability MUST BE reciprocal!
• Government must meet standards to support meaningful learning for
ALL students based on their contextual circumstances.
• adequate resources, equitable access to quality service,
preparing high-quality teachers and education professionals.
• Not focusing on controlling, but on maximizing the quality of service
delivery for meaningful learning
— based on professional knowledge.

33. Element 4: Continuous Improvement

34. Element 4: Continuous Improvement
• Emphasizing on reasonable outcomes over time towards excellence.

35. Element 4: Continuous Improvement
• Emphasizing on reasonable outcomes over time towards excellence.
• Based on data, based on professional knowledge.

36. Element 4: Continuous Improvement
• Emphasizing on reasonable outcomes over time towards excellence.
• Based on data, based on professional knowledge.
• Finland - commitment to quality and excellence, stages of
improvement, focusing on professional knowledge.

37. Element 4: Continuous Improvement
• Emphasizing on reasonable outcomes over time towards excellence.
• Based on data, based on professional knowledge.
• Finland - commitment to quality and excellence, stages of
improvement, focusing on professional knowledge.
• Avoid “toddlers are asked to run, compete, and win marathon.”

38. Element 4: Continuous Improvement
• Emphasizing on reasonable outcomes over time towards excellence.
• Based on data, based on professional knowledge.
• Finland - commitment to quality and excellence, stages of
improvement, focusing on professional knowledge.
• Avoid “toddlers are asked to run, compete, and win marathon.”
• Avoid “kucing-kucingan” leading to rote and/or superficial learning
—> BACKWARDS!

39. Source: Darling-Hammond, L., Without, G., & Pittenger, L. (2014). Accountability for college and career
readiness: Developing a new paradigm. Stanford, CA: Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education.

40. What does it mean for Indonesia?

41. What does it mean for Indonesia?
• We need to have the same vision about “LEARNING.”

42. What does it mean for Indonesia?
• We need to have the same vision about “LEARNING.”
• We need to have a political commitment to deliver this kind of
learning to ALL students.

43. What does it mean for Indonesia?
• We need to have the same vision about “LEARNING.”
• We need to have a political commitment to deliver this kind of
learning to ALL students.
• All accountability system elements should be designed, aligned and
modified with this vision of learning.

44. Professor
Mochtar Buchori
Segenap kegiatan pendidikan harus dirancang dan
melaksanakan suatu program pendidikan yang akan akan
mempersiapkan peserta didik pada tiga hal, yaitu:
(1) mampu menghidupi diri-sendiri (able to make a living);
(2) mampu menjalani kehidupan yang bermakna (able to live a
meaningful life);
(3) mampu memuliakan kehidupan (able to ennoble life).

45. Key Elements in an
Accountability System
By: Dr. Iwan Syahril, Ph.D.
Center for Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum Development