Scrutinizing educational performance -- Performance based accountability -- The evolution of educational accountability -- Education standards and performance accountability, 1970-2001 -- Educational performance accountability in three states -- Education finance and accountability in Massachusetts : "The grand bargain" -- Accountability and equity in New Jersey : "where home rule hasn't worked, the legislature must do what home rule has not done" -- Incrementalism and local control in Connecticut : "I'm not out looking for your keys" -- Assessing performance accountability in education -- Lessons for performance measurement research and practice
Summary
Performance accountability has been the dominant trend in education policy reform since the 1970s. State and federal policies set standards for what students should learn; require students to take "high-stakes" tests to measure what they have learned; and then hold students, schools, and school districts accountable for their performance. The goal of these policies is to push public school districts to ensure that all students reach a common threshold of knowledge and skills. High-Stakes Reform analyzes the political processes and historical context that led to the enactment of state