Means is the first element of the accountability process. According to Schuitema, Means include resources, tools, information, time and attention from the boss or teacher, and most importantly, standards or expectations.
Resources include books and other learning materials. These are not usually an issue except in schools for underprivileged children. Tools include stationary, paper, geometry box etc. which are also not usually a problem. The key factors that we can improve are teacher’s time and attention with their students and the clarification of standards or expectations.
A teacher’s time for each student is a function of class size which is determined to a large extent by student to teacher ratio. This is an economic question and teacher salaries are the largest component of a school budget.
However, within those limitations teachers can maximize their contact time with children by not using class time for corrections or other managerial activities.
The key issue, which is often neglected in schools, is the issue of standards or expectations. Standards must be clear both in term of work expectations and a student’s behavior in class. Teachers often don’t make their expectations clear. They assume that “by now” students should know what is expected of them. This is especially true in terms of appropriate classroom behavior.
The reality is every teacher is a little different. Some prefer an interactive classroom with lots of discussion and activity. Others prefer a quieter environment more oriented towards reading and writing. Some teachers encourage the spontaneous answering of questions during discussions while others expect students to raise their hands and be called upon. Some teachers use seating charts and some allow students to choose their seats. Unfortunately many teachers have not clarified these issues even to themselves and react impulsively when students don’t behave as they expect them to.
Teacher expectations of student work also vary greatly. For example, some teachers have high expectations for neatness and handwriting, while others focus on content and let the neatness go.
Expectations of student assignments also need to also be explicit and clear. For example on a research project we not only need to mention the topic, but the minimum number of sources that need to be used, the level of detail required, the format, minimum number of words, font line spacing etc.
While testing and evaluating students the content covered needs to be explicit as well as the type of questions. Our goal is not to trick the child but to allow him to do his best. Many classroom issues can be avoided and performance raised by making standards or expectations clear. These should be put in writing whenever possible and students should have access to these after they are thoroughly explained.
After Means comes Ability and this includes both the How and Why of an activity. Instruction normally focuses on how a task or activity is to be done, and almost never on why this activity or learning is relevant or important. Most of what we do in schools is not intrinsically relevant to a child’s life. Students must be aware of the context and purpose of the learning because in order to engage a person’s will in an activity, understanding the ‘why’ of the work or activity is crucial.
According to the Care and Growth Model it is only after determining that a student’s substandard performance, or conduct is not the result of means and ability issues can we hold them accountable.
Academic performance is determined by three major factors on the student side of the equation. These include IQ, previous knowledge and effort. IQ and previous knowledge are not within a student’s control. Therefore, we can only hold students accountable for the effort they put in, or for that matter, don’t put in.
Care and Growth is about giving, but giving is not always about being nice. It is about being appropriate to the needs of the situation. To give requires both the qualities of generosity in terms of giving our time and attention, and courage in terms of holding someone accountable.