The Confusing World of Educational Accountability

Accountability has been a watchword in education for decades—for who could be against it? It has not been a reality, however, because accountability is threatening to many and because, even when desired, it is difficult to implement. There are signs, however, that times are changing. Today, accountability is not only taken more seriously but also sometimes promises to have real teeth. Yet, the future is far from certain. While many states and districts are moving forward with accountability schemes, they are likely to run into real problems with design or interpretation that compromise and distort their impact. In fact, while it seems natural to measure outcomes and hold schools responsible for them, the reality is much more complicated. Achieving the beneficial effects of accountability and performance incentive schemes will require a deeper understanding of the dynamics of accountability in public schools.1 Considerable controversy also accompanies accountability in schools. Parents, teachers, policy makers, and the American public frequently enter into debate about various elements and uses of accountability systems. These debates are motivated by different underlying views about how best to improve student performance as well as by self–interested reactions. This discussion does not dwell on the controversies but instead focuses on the key elements that enter into the incentives that are created by them. The origins of today’s movement to enhanced accountability systems lie in the historical performance of the U.S. educational system, which is briefly reviewed to identify the policy environment. The structure and function of accountability systems used in the states are then described. Following that, there is a discussion of the difficulties with the current implementation and with concerns about the potential impacts. A fundamental perspective of this discussion is, however, the very large potential benefits that are likely to accrue from the focus on student performance. The change to public conThe Confusing World of Educational Accountability