Accountability T. Gramling: Chapter Summary

Gramling discusses The Accountability Trap in Chapter 2, pages 17-35. In Chapter 2, Grambling (2015) gives a brief history of Ralph W. Tyler and the beginning of the accountability era. The Accountability Era, introduced by Tyler continues to impact the very nature of education and how teachers teach today. According to Gramling, Tyler claimed, “a performance objective must be specific and concrete so that the students’ mastery of the objective can be readily assessed. Tyler’s methodology included specific, discrete, incremental, and observable learning objectives” (p.18). The teacher writes the lesson plan based on the performance objective to be assessed, i.e., “The student will” If the student does not achieve the observable learning objective, the teacher must return to the original objective differentiate the instruction until the performance objective is achieved. Tyler’s method is not reflective of how a preschooler’s brain work in early childhood education Gambling (2015). shared, “The developing brain of the child during early childhood is constantly processing information faster and with greater complexity of thought than could possibly be predicted by means of performance objective” (p.19). Early Learning Standards and Incremental Learning “The faulty assumption about early childhood education

Parents are longer called upon to support the school in teaching performance objectives, nor are they judged by their participation or lack thereof in the homework assignments provided by the school” (p.156). Instead parents are given some suggestions to assist with their child on a more personal level: 1. Telling them stories about their childhood; 2. Having conversation about your day or what you saw on TV; 3. Taking your child to the mall or grocery store and discuss what is on the list; and 4: Read to your