Event Highlights: Book Launch - Data for Accountability in Education: Global Trends in School Reform
Wednesday 15 April 2026
15:00 to 16:30 CET
Online
On 15 April 2026, NORRAG launched the 8th book of NORRAG Book Series titled Data for Accountability in Education: Global Trends in School Reform. The book, co-authored by Gita Steiner-Khamsi, Patricia Bromley, Rie Kijima, Kerstin Martens, and Antoni Verger, delves into the trend of using data for accountability purposes in education. In the book contributors examine the utilization of data as a governance tool through the lens of different disciplinary backgrounds: organizational sociology, political economy, international relations, public policy studies.
The event began with the opening remarks by Marie-Laure Salles (Director of the Geneva Graduate Institute) emphasizing the need for collective fight for education on the global level. Accounting for the current state of the world and the emerging risks, Marie-Laure Salles highlights the importance of education as the foundational element of a functioning democratic state. The speaker follows with raising the questions on the conceptualization of the notions of accountability and responsibility as well as accountability to whom and for what. The latter became one of the central questions throughout the event.
The launch then proceeds with the presentation of the video where authors of Data for Accountability in Education: Global Trends in School Reform highlight the essence of the book and the individual chapters. Gita Steiner-Khamsi (Teachers College, Columbia University) speaking about the value of the book in the introductory Chapter, emphasizes on the intersectionality of lenses applied to the study of the topic by the contributors. Patricia Bromley (Graduate School of Education and Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University) in the Chapter two places the emphasis on accountability and responsibility in education reform. Chapter three, authored by Antoni Verger (Department of Sociology, Autonomous University of Barcelona) examines the trajectories in which large scale assessments and related accountability policies evolve in educational systems. In the fourth Chapter, Gita Steiner-Khamsi focuses on the layers of datafication, zooming in on the reform transfers across the sectors. Chapter five developed by Rie Kijima (Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto) centers the notion of assessment and argues that assessments are influential components of reform efforts. Finally, Kerstin Martens (Institute for Intercultural and International Studies, University of Bremen) in the Chapter six delves into the dimension of intergovernmental organizations and how they contribute to the field of education.
Following this brief introduction to the book, Chanwoong Baek, NORRAG Academic Director, opens the floor to the discussants. Jane Gingrich (Professor of Social Policy, Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford) begins her reflection by pointing out a gap in scholarship on datafication, which book adds a valuable contribution to, in particular accounting for the empirical dimension: the political and institutional components through which data became a dominant instrument of educational governance. The following major contributions were defined: the consistent attention of authors throughout the book to the matter of temporality; desegregation of the levels of analysis (combining macro, meso and micro dimensions); empirical documentation of accountability without responsibility. Similarly to Marie-Laure Salles, Jane Gingrich voices out the questions: what is the accountability and who is it for? The commentator introduces additional scholarly on conceptualization of accountability challenges, contrasting with the ones developed within the book.
Patrick Le Galès (CNRS Research Professor of Sociology, Politics and Urban Studies, Sciences Po) takes over the stage, commenting from the policy perspective. Agreeing with the strengths of the book uncovered by the previous speaker, Patrick Le Galès poses the following questions. Firstly, the connection between the accountability and data, since accountability is one of the factors why data is being produced. Is accountability really central to this process? Adding to that, the commentator emphasizes the potential of the concept of burden of accountability, addressed by the authors in the book, suggesting that more attention is needed to debate: who carries the responsibility? Secondly, the commentator raises interest towards the tension between empowerment and control, in connection to datafication that is addressed throughout the chapters, wishing for more interpretation on the dynamics between the elements. Concluding, Patrick Le Galès encourages the authors to reflect on the private sector actors in the world of policy entrepreneurs and how the datafication process is pushed forward by them. Recognizing diverse academic backgrounds of the authors, the discussant makes a proposal to combine the expertise of the team and critically tackle the limits of datafication in their further works.
John Meyer (Professor of Sociology, Emeritus, Stanford University) emphasizes on the focus of the book being a long-term rationalization of education on a global scale, expanding what datafication constitutes. The power dynamics in the system are once again addressed through the notion of governmentality. “Datafication is something one does to other people, one does not do it to oneself”, says John Meyer. Talking about the factors beyond the general world datafication process, the discussant highlights the rise and centrality of education, meaning more effort is dedicated towards producing data within the field as important as this one. The question he poses to the authors is: how do the decline of liberal authority in the world and the rise of opposition affect datafication? To add more, what will happen to education in the period of resistance to global liberalism? Who has the right to be counted? Will datafication stagnate under the influence of opposition?
Following the panel of commentators, Chanwoong Baek moderates the discussion with the authors. The central question encourages the authors to reflect on the concept of accountability. Patricia Bromley begins by addressing the importance of the dimension of accountability measures as the tool for empowerment versus control and surveillance; and how it might further influence the notion of accountability in different settings. Gita Steiner-Khamsi continues by tackling the change in the trust to the data in the light of the neoliberal era. She points out that “data takes on a life of its own” as it continues despite the decrease in the trust in data. Antoni Verger in his response highlights the multidimensionality of performance-based accountability, stressing that is not a policy instrument but a system of different components that can evolve differently across time.
Expanding the initial question to cover the “burden of accountability”, addressed by the commentators, Rie Kijima points out the increase in teacher and student assessment and the stress it poses on the education system. The reason behind is partly government aiming to obtain more information, resulting in both positive and negative consequences. Kerstin Martens, sharing her reflections, suggests that accountability always involves at least two actors, as it contains monitoring and reporting. In order for accountability to be effective, both parties must actually believe in it. Additionally, Kerstin Martens points out the different levels of actors, where accountability takes place.
What is the future of accountability mechanisms? What will the future of datafication be? These as well as many other essential questions posed by the commentators as well as the attendees powered the discussion among the authors for the rest of the event. In final reflections, Gita Steiner-Khamsi emphasizes that while it is true that not all data is collected for accountability purposes, this book looks at the use of data for these purposes precisely. Accountability within this book is interpreted through the lens of expectation; accountability has become a norm and as earlier mentioned “taken on a life of its own”.
The launch concluded with closing remarks by Chanwoong Baek, who invited attendees to continue engaging with NORRAG initiative and explored some up-to-date options to enable that.
The event was organized with the UNESCO Chair in Comparative Education Policy, Geneva Graduate Institute and KIX EMAP Hub, as well as co-sponsored by Stanford University Graduate School of Education, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto, and The Master in Education Policies for Global Development (GLOBED).
Five leading scholars explore a set of urgent and complex questions: When did data-for-accountability emerge as a governing tool in education? How has it evolved over time and across regions? Who benefits from the datafication of education—and who loses out? This co-authored book traces the rise of student testing, performance-based evaluation, and governance by numbers. Drawing on a variety of methods, theories, and disciplines, the co-authors demonstrate how these instruments have taken root globally, why they persist, and how their meanings and effects vary across policy contexts. This book launch will be of interest to scholars and practitioners across the fields of comparative education, sociology of education, policy studies, and international relations.
About Authors
Patricia Bromley is Associate Professor of Education, Environmental Social Science and (by courtesy) Sociology at Stanford University. Her research spans a range of fields, including comparative education, organisation theory, sociology of education, and public administration and policy. Her work focuses on the historical rise and globalisation of liberal culture emphasising rational, scientific thinking and expansive forms of rights as well as contemporary attacks on this culture. Much of her research empirically focuses on two settings – education systems and organisations. Her recent publications examine pushbacks against liberal culture in the form of growing restrictions on civil society and declining emphases on education reform.
Rie Kijima is Assistant Professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto, where she serves as the inaugural director of the Initiative for Education Policy and Innovation. Rie Kijima’s research addresses topics such as the politics of international assessments, the impact of education reforms, and STEAM education. Her recent articles have appeared in journals such as The Review of International Organization, Review of International Political Economy, Sociology of Education and International Journal of STEM Education. Her research project on education reform is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She received her PhD and MA from Stanford University and her BA from the ICU in Tokyo, Japan.
Kerstin Martens is Professor of International Relations at the University of Bremen, Germany. She is head of research project A05, “The Global Development of Coverage and Generosity in Public Education,” at the Collaborative Research Center 1342 “Global Dynamics of Social Policy,” also based at the University of Bremen. She has published widely on international organisations in education policy (particularly on the OECD and the UN), international large-scale assessments in education, such as the PISA study, and on global public policies, particularly those focusing on education, health and social policy. She holds a PhD from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.
Gita Steiner-Khamsi is the William H. Kilpatrick Professor of Comparative Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York. She also holds the Honorary UNESCO Chair in Comparative Education Policy at the Geneva Graduate Institute. A former president of the Comparative and International Education Society (2009/2010), editor of the World Yearbook of Education (2008–2021) and academic director of NORRAG (2017–2022), she has published widely on topics such as policy transfer, qualitative comparative analyses and school reform from an international comparative perspective. Her most recent book, Time in Education Policy Transfer. The Seven Temporalities in Global School Reform, was published with open access in English (Palgrave/Springer Nature), Chinese (Hong Kong University Press) and Spanish (Prometeo).
Antoni Verger is Professor of Sociology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and an ICREA research fellow. His research focuses on the relationship between governance institutions and education policy, using comparative policy analysis to examine the adoption, trajectory and impact of key education reforms, including public-private partnerships, accountability mechanisms and school governance models. He has secured multiple research grants on these topics, including two from the European Research Council (ERC) for the REFORMED and ACCOUNTED projects. He also holds editorial leadership roles with the World Yearbook of Education and the Journal of Education Policy. He also directs the Erasmus+ joint master’s programme Education Policies for Global Development (GLOBED), which has received three awards from the European Commission for its excellence in international education.
This event is organised with the UNESCO Chair in Comparative Education Policy, Geneva Graduate Institute and KIX EMAP Hub, and co-sponsored by Stanford University Graduate School of Education, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto, and The Master in Education Policies for Global Development (GLOBED).
