A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Teacher Accountability Systems in the United States and Abroad

Abstract

On a global scale, the United States is struggling to compete with other countries’ education systems. There are several theories as to the cause of our decline that involve various attempts at education reform. Some involve a greater focus on teaching students "global competence" and others involve a more equitable and reliable accountability system for teachers. Much of the push for equitable systems comes from countries that have outstanding education ratings, such as Finland. This cross-cultural analysis provides some in-depth ideas for a framework that could work for the United States in the same way. This referred framework is summarized by W.K. Cummings when he states that the most fundamental kind of education reform is to create a "new concept of the ideal person," as defined by the society in which the education system resides.