教育政策と評価のダイナミズム : 特集にあたって(<特集>教育改革と評価のダイナミズム)  [in Japanese] Dynamic Impacts of Evaluations of Educational Policy(<Special Issue>Dynamic Impacts of Evaluations and Educational Reform)  [in Japanese]

Recent trends in school evaluation and education policy evaluations are reviewed, and the following points are noted by way of introduction to the special issue. 1. Within the framework of administrative reform under New Public Management, education has been placed in a complex position, being both an object of the market mechanism and an object of evaluation. 2. It is not a simple matter to evaluate how far the ultimate objectives of education have been attained, and it is particularly difficult to measure the outcome (impact on society) of an educational system. It is also difficult to isolate the outcome of the policy. On the other hand, though it is easy to evaluate education according to readily available numerical data, to do so would be biased. 3. Applying the ideas of the framework of Japanese industrial policy on the future course of competition in higher education, educational diversity is desirable for the vitalization of the higher education market. This is expected to give rise to innovations in the field of education, but these results would become proprietary knowledge, belonging to their developers. The challenges to be addressed from now on are noted below. 1. Evaluations and the market mechanism are means, which presuppose a grand design for Japan's educational system as a whole. Education is a public good, some areas of which are better not left to the market mechanism. At the same time, evaluation and the market are expected to help vitalize Japanese education and make it more efficient. 2. Evaluations and operation of the market require cost and labor, without which appropriate management cannot be expected. It also is a specialized activity, and requires the training of specialists. What is particularly needed is an arrangement under which school evaluations at the elementary and secondary level are supported by specialized evaluators. 3. School evaluations and the evaluation of educational policy are still at a developing stage in the rest of the world as well. There is a need for research and development initiatives to improve evaluation methods.