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Lawmakers hear panel calling for clearer standards and statewide accountability in education
Summary
A Committee of the Whole heard six education experts who urged statewide standards, better assessment and reporting (school report cards), and a dedicated accountability office; panelists emphasized measuring student outcomes rather than inputs and discussed NAEP participation and block grants.
The Utah House met as a Committee of the Whole for an extended panel on education reform and accountability, hearing from six experts and district leaders who urged clearer standards, better statewide assessment and public reporting.
Panelists included Devon Sanderson (Jordan School District), Don Thomas (former Salt Lake City superintendent), Suzanne Blakesley (teacher, Provo), John Bennion (Salt Lake superintendent), Jim Peacock (business representative), and Richard Maxfield (education consultant). Speakers recommended school report cards, more transparent trends in student performance, and an accountability office that sets standards and measures results.
Devon Sanderson described a Jordan District initiative to create school report cards and to share annual performance reports with parents and taxpayers. Don Thomas argued accountability should focus on results: "Accountability must focus on outputs and not on inputs," he said, urging standards tied to student performance. Suzanne Blakesley and other educators emphasized teacher professionalism and local involvement; business voices urged that standards align with employer expectations.
Panelists debated assessment methods, including NAEP participation, criterion-referenced testing, and direct assessments for writing and higher-order thinking. Several panelists said NAEP allows interstate benchmarking for mean-matched comparisons, while others warned that statewide implementation must account for demographic differences between schools. Proposals included an office to analyze data, phased standards (minimum, normative, effectiveness, absolute) and the need for timely data use for school improvement.
The session did not conclude with legislative action but set the agenda for further work: sponsors and committee chairs indicated the House will consider statutory changes to create clearer statewide standards, support site-based decision-making pilots, and explore how block grants might interact with accountability measures.
