Ensure Education Accountability Systems are Culturally Relevant | North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation

Pathways Recommendation

Ensure that the way effectiveness is measured in schools and early learning programs is relevant and meaningful to families, students, and other stakeholders. Engage people from low-income communities and communities of color in the design, reporting, and fine-tuning of accountability measures.

Pathways Action Map > Expectation 3: Education Action 3.10: Ensure Education Accountability Systems are Culturally Relevant

Why This Matters

Accountability systems in early care and education, such as how student, educator, child care and school performance are measured, are most effective when they are relevant to the cultures of children, families, staff, and communities involved. Examples of this include linking student assessment to instructional curricula rather than standardized test norms, assessing learning environments for their ability to accommodate different cultures, and evaluating how family-friendly practices are implemented.¹ By engaging people with diverse cultures and backgrounds in the development and use of accountability systems, they can more accurately assess the effectiveness of early care and education for all students and areas for improvement.