为质量而问责:美国高等教育问责制及其启示

Accountability for Quality:Higher Education Accountability in the United States and Its Implications

作为当代美国教育改革与发展重要议题的高等教育问责制的发展历史并不长,滥觞于20世纪60年代,形成于20世纪70年代,发展于20世纪80年代中期,在21世纪以来又出现了'自愿问责'的新气象。美国高等教育问责制的历史,表现为从关注高等教育资源'输入'及其使用效率的问责阶段,到聚焦高等教育的结果性和输出性的问责阶段的演进,展现了美国社会各界'为质量而问责'的真实脉动。美国高等教育问责制的主要特征体现在'因质量而问责'、'为‘问责’而立法'、'寻求多元化机制的合力',以及'独特的高校联盟文化'等方面。以此为鉴,我国高等教育问责制的建构与实践,需要以压缩政府管理空间扩充高等学校办学自主权,以法律法规供给保障高等教育问责行动,以多元主体参与激活高等教育问责机制,以完善信息公开助推高等教育问责落定。

The vigorous reform of public administration in the late 1970 s had a great impact on the development of higher education in Western countries.An important issue concerning the reform and development of modern American education,higher education accountability has a short history.It originated in the United States in the 1960 s,came into existence in the 1970 s,developed in the mid-1980 s,and has taken on a new look through'voluntary accountability'since the 21 st century.Historically,higher education accountability showed the real pulse of'accountability for quality'in the social circles of the United States,developing from the concentration on the'input'of higher education resources and its efficiency to the emphasis on the results and outputs of higher education.The higher education accountability in the United States is mainly characterized by'accountability for quality','legislation for accountability','synergy of diversified mechanisms',and'unique college union culture'.To construct and practice higher education accountability in China,we need to extend the autonomy of colleges and universities by narrowing the government’s pace of management,ensure the practice of higher education accountability through laws and regulations,activate the mechanism for higher education accountability by multiple participants,and promote the implementation of higher education accountability by improving information disclosure.