The dynamic workings of accountability–illuminating collaboration on inclusive education for students with special educational needs

This article examines how an institutional approach to accountability, as developed by Bovens (2007) and Bovens et al. (2008), can enhance our understanding of how collaborations aimed at inclusive education can be justified, assessed and improved. The study aims to elucidate how responsibility for students with special educational needs (SEN) is currently enacted, thereby providing a knowledge base for developing accountability frameworks designed to enhance education for these students. Drawing on qualitative data from a study of collaborative practices on inclusive education in upper secondary schools in a Norwegian county municipality, we ask: How can an institutional approach yield a more precise understanding of the workings of accountability for inclusion of students with special educational needs in upper secondary schools? The findings are presented through an illustrative case study focusing on students with reading difficulties. The study reveals weaknesses in how accountability operates in practice, including actors’ struggles to interpret the legal framework, the misalignment between administrative routines and the capacity of schools and support services to implement them, and the weakness and arbitrariness of professional efforts to ensure inclusion. The results underscore the need for a hybrid and systematic approach to such issues, accompanied by the development of relevant accountability instruments that align with this approach. The institutional approach proves valuable in enabling a nuanced discussion about how different actors can contribute to ensuring the inclusion of students with SEN.