Finally, I wish to acknowledge two outstanding persons who are no longer with us. ** Erling Lars Dale was the reason I began studying education at the University of Oslo. In the spring of 2003, Robert and I represented Elevorganisasjonen at the University of Agder's seminar facility, Metochi, in Lesvos, Greece. We spent an entire week discussing research that Erling had undertaken for the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (then Laeringssenteret), which related to a national upper secondary education professional development programme (Differensierings-prosjektet) on new approaches to adapted teaching. That week defined my choice of career, and, after I enrolled at university, In university Erling continued to encourage me. I remember my pride when he excitedly showed me that he had cited my first publication in a book he had published. His encouragement stimulated my ambition to take on the task of editing a book while a graduate student in his department in 2007. I am privileged to have enjoyed Erling's support and influence during my time in Elevorganisasjonen and as a student. It was a great loss to my research project when, only half a year after its commencement, he passed away. Erling was an astonishingly productive and dedicated scholar, and his many books will continue to stimulate and inspire my intellectual work throughout my career. **Lastly, I wish to remember my grandfather, Sverre Therkelsen, after whom I was named.Unfortunately, he did not live to see me complete this project, but I know that he would have been very proud of me. Grandpa has been my inspiration in writing since I was a child. He was a principle at Stavern Folk High School (then Fredtun folkehøyskole) from 1955 to 1970 and throughout many of those years he represented the Norwegian Folk High School in the Norwegian Nynorsk section of the Language Council of Norway (at the time called Norsk Språknemnd, now Språkrådet).Grandpa published two collections of poems, one young-adult novel, four booklets of hymns and church songs, one collection of aphorisms as well as four mixed publications consisting short stories and poems. No wonder I wanted to write books too! Grandpa encouraged me through milestones such as publishing my first book chapter at the age of 21. His psalms, novels and aphorisms continue to awe me.In particular, I loved hearing about his experiences as an exchange student in the Midwest and his adventures in 1945 New York. It was with much pride that I followed in his footsteps, and that journey continues.My thesis is lovingly dedicated to him.
In arguing for alternatives to test-based accountability, researchers have suggested that teacher-assigned student grades could be used for high-stakes purposes. In this study, Sweden serves as an example of a school system in which teacher-assigned grades have a major role in performance management and accountability. We study how politicians view and legitimise the strengths of grading in an outcome-based accountability system. Based on two-part analysis, we show how grades, through complex processes of legitimation, have acquired and retained a central position in governing the overall quality of the educational system in Sweden. We argue that in the Swedish system, grades used in an administrative rather than a pedagogical way function as a quick language that effectively reduces the complexity of communication between various actors with regard to what students learn and accomplish in education. As such, grades are legitimate in terms of their communicative rationality. However, their use in communicating student learning has not been sufficient to meet the needs of government. We conclude that in order to turn grading into an instrument that can moderate some of the downsides of testing regimes, a broader view of what constitute outcomes in education needs to follow.
Identifying three modes of policy legitimation in education, illustrated by shifts in Swedish educational assessment and grading policies over the past decades, the paper demonstrates significant trends with regard to national governments’ policymaking and borrowing. We observe a shift away from collaboracy – defined as policy legitimation located in partnerships and networks of stakeholders, researchers and other experts – towards more use of supranational agencies (called agency), such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the European Union and associated networks, as well as the use of individual consultants and private enterprises (called consultancy) to legitimate policy change. Given their political and high-stakes character for stakeholders, assessment and grading policies are suitable areas for investigating strategies and trends for policy legitimation in education. The European Union-affiliated Eurydice network synthesises policy descriptions for the European countries in an online database that is widely used by policymakers. Analysing Eurydice data for assessment and grading policies, the paper discusses functional equivalence of grading policies and validity problems related to the comparison of such policy information. Illuminating the roles of the Swedish Government and a consultant in reviewing and recommending grading policies, the paper discusses new ‘fast policy’ modes of policy legitimation in which comparative data is used to effectuate assessment reform.
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