Consider the Children: Unintended Consequences of the Jamaican Primary Education Accountability System The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Miller, Dawn E. E. 2017. Consider the Children: Unintended Consequences of the Jamaican Primary Education Accountability System. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard Graduate School of Education. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:33052860 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA Consider the Children: Unintended Consequences of the Jamaican Primary Education Accountability System Dawn Elizabeth Elaine Miller Terrence Tivnan Pamela A. Mason John B. Willett A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Education of Harvard University in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education 2017 i @ 2017 Dawn Elizabeth Elaine Miller All Rights Reserved ii To my Father, The Most High God, Yahuah iii Acknowledgements The successful completion of this doctoral journey would not have been possible without the contribution and support of others. First, I want to acknowledge and thank the Jamaican children, parents, teachers, and principals who kindly allowed me to visit your schools and speak with you. I also want to thank the Ministry of Education for allowing me to access these schools and for giving me the data I used for my statistical analyses. Second, I want to recognize my doctoral committee. What can I say about the people who guided me throughout this journey? Who supported me beyond the call of duty? Who advocated for me, when it was necessary, and ensured that my adventurous journey to the finish line was as smooth as possible? There is no way for me to adequately express my gratitude and love for the members of my doctoral committee: Terrence Tivnan, Pamela Mason, and John Willett. The three of you banded together as Team Dawn and gave me everything I needed to finish this race. You not only cared for my academic wellbeing but my emotional and physical as well. I was empowered knowing that I had my “three docs” with and behind me all the way. Thank you! I especially want to thank Doc T for your unwavering support of my work and me. Your selfless commitment and dedication to coaching and assisting me as I completed this degree goes beyond description. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Doc T. I love you all dearly. Third, to my best friend and the sister of my heart, Emily, thank you for being there. We’ve known each other since we were toddlers and, in all these years, you have never let me down. And, true to form, you were with me every step of this journey - sometimes encouraging, sometimes consoling, sometimes reprimanding but always supporting. You contributed to my success and I appreciate you so much. I love you dearly. Fourth, to my Mother, Esmie, and my brother, Andrew, thank you both for believing in me and for supporting me in this endeavor. Finally, to my Heavenly Father, Yahuah, thank you for calling and equipping me for this work. You brought me through every trial, removed every obstacle out of my way, and gave me victory again and again and again. Thank you. Please be glorified in who I am, in what I do, and in where I go. iv Table of Contents !"#$%&'()*(+($,-.//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////.000! "1!2,(3.45.0$,3%)6",0%$./////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////.4! 1.1.! SOME BACKGROUND ON JAMAICA!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!#! 1.2.! STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!$! 1.3.! RESEARCH QUESTIONS!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!%! "1!2,(3.75.8!"#*3%6$).!$)."%$,(9,.///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////.:! 2.1.! BRIEF HISTORY OF THE JAMAICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!&! 2.2.! STRUCTURE OF THE JAMAICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!'! 2.3.! HISTORY OF EDUCATION REFORM IN JAMAICA!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!()! 2.4.! RESEARCH FOCUS: JAMAICAN PUBLIC-PRIMARY EDUCATION!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!($! 2.5.! CURRENT PRIMARY EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!(*! "1!2,(3.;5.10*1<-,!#(-.!--(--+($,.////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////.4=! 3.1.! HIGH-STAKES ASSESSMENTS!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!('! 3.2.! HISTORY OF HIGH-STAKES ASSESSMENTS!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!#+! 3.3.! DEBATE ON HIGH-STAKES ASSESSMENTS!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!##! 3.4.! INTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF HIGH-STAKES ASSESSMENTS!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!##! 3.5.! UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF HIGH-STAKES ASSESSMENTS!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!#$! 3.5.1.! NARROWING OF THE CURRICULUM!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!#$! 3.5.2.! ADVERSE EFFECTS ON DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!#*! 3.5.3.! MISLEADING MEASURE OF OVERALL ACHIEVEMENT!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!#,! 3.6.! HIGH-STAKES ASSESSMENT IN JAMAICA!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!#,! "1!2,(3.>5.3(-(!3"1.)(-0*$./////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////.;?! 4.1.! NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT DATA!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!)+! 4.2.! ANALYTIC SAMPLE!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!)(! 4.3.! MEASURES!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!)#! 4.4.! DATA ANALYTIC STRATEGY!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!),! 4.5.! A QUALITATIVE PEEK: JAMAICAN SCHOOL VISITS!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!)%! "1!2,([email protected](-6',-.////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////.>7! 5.1.! QUANTITATIVE FINDINGS!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!$#! 5.1.1.! WERE JAMAICAN CHILDREN SUCCESSFUL IN PASSING THE GFLT?!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!$#! 5.1.2.! DID STUDENTS WHO FAILED EVENTUALLY BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR HIGH SCHOOL?!"!$'! 5.2.! QUALITATIVE FINDINGS!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!*$! 5.2.1.! STUDENT PERSPECTIVES ON THE GRADE 4 LITERACY TEST (GFLT)!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!**! 5.2.2.! PARENT PERSPECTIVES ON THE GRADE-4 LITERACY TEST (GFLT)!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!,)! 5.2.3.! TEACHER PERSPECTIVES ON THE GRADE-4 LITERACY TEST (GFLT)!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!,&! 5.2.4.! PRINCIPAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE GRADE-4 LITERACY TEST (GFLT)!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!%)! 5.3.! LINKING THE QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE FINDINGS!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!%,! "1!2,(3.A5.)0-"6--0%$.//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////.B=! 6.1.! EVIDENCE OF LOW PERFORMANCE LEVELS ON INITIAL SITTING AND ON RETAKE!"""""""!&+! 6.2.! GENDER DIFFERENCES IN GFLT PERFORMANCE!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!&#! 6.3.! SCHOOL SES AND SCHOOL-SIZE DIFFERENCES ON THE GFLT!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!&)! v "1!2,(3.B5."%$"'6-0%$.!$).0+2'0"!,0%$-.////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////.:@! 7.1.! IMPLICATIONS!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!&*! !22($)0"(-.//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////.:B! APPENDIX A: THE JAMAICAN NATIONAL ASSESSMENT PROGRAMME (NAP)!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!&%! APPENDIX B: SCHEMATIC OF HOW THE COMPETENCE-BASED TRANSITION POLICY (CBTP) WORKS!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!&'! APPENDIX C: GRADE-4 LITERACY TEST (GFLT) TEST-ITEM STRUCTURE!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!'+! APPENDIX D: