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One of the most frequently used terms in education today is accountability - and with good reason. Today, accountability is placing demands on school leaders and holding them responsible to raise student achievement - usually as measured on statewide or district assessments. High-stakes testing and tough accountability measures have, of course, prompted concerns about narrowing of the curriculum, teaching to the test, and intensification of educators' workloads. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that a common trait of nine high-poverty, high-performing schools studied by the Charles A. Dana Center (1999) is that they tend to operate under strong district accountability measures accompanied by district support and some degree of flexibility. In other words, well-conceived accountability systems can be an impetus for reform. MacIver and Balfanz (2000) caution, however, that such systems must also be fair. In particular, student performance assessments should be value-added. That is, districts should report student learning gains over the course of the year, rather than how many students have attained arbitrary levels of proficiency. Here are some resources to help school leaders design fair, yet effective accountability systems. Resources Accountability: A Brief History A Comprehensive
Guide to Designing Standards-Based Districts, Schools, and Classrooms McREL Policy
Brief: Standards-Based Accountability Systems 1Charles A. Dana Center, University of Texas at Austin. (1999). Hope for urban education: A study of nine high-performing, high-poverty, urban elementary schools. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Planning and Evaluation Service.
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