Finding Additional Value in New Accountability Systems
December 2004
Center for Educational Decision Support Systems
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory
Arie van der Ploeg
Learning Point Associates
Yeow Meng Thum
University of California at Los Angeles
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act stipulates that all public school students must meet or exceed the state's proficient level of academic achievement by the end of the 2013–14 school year. The law also requires that each state develop a monitoring and accountability system to measure that targets are being reached. The adequate yearly progress (AYP) criteria are critical to this system. AYP defines, uniquely within each state, a sequence of performance benchmarks for the state, its districts, and its schools. While NCLB's AYP-based accountability system addresses school performance, it does not provide the guidance needed for schools to make the progress being asked of them.
Just as schools need reliable data and systems to measure progress against AYP goals, they need guidance and viable solutions to improve their teaching practices to ensure they meet those goals. The Center for Education Decision Support Systems at Learning Point Associates recently published a report, Finding Additional Value in New Accountability Systems (PDF 320 KB), that addresses some basic issues surrounding accountability systems and introduces several innovative concepts to help structure thought about how new accountability systems can generate additional utility. The authors maintain that it is possible to augment current state accountability systems so they provide answers to the important questions that will determine the success or failure of schools. A subsequent paper will detail a schematic for the design and implementation of appropriate solutions given the knowledge, technology, and capacity already available.
Learning Point Associates also offers a variety of data tools and resources to help states and districts address the opportunities and challenges presented by NCLB.
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