These antecedents of excellence are those activities in schools that lead to the twin goals-excellence and equity. Although many accountability systems incorporate some of these principles, it is rare to find one that includes all of them. Congruence Standards, assessments, and evaluations of teachers and administrators must be congruent with the accountability system. Many teachers are frustrated when school administrators establish academic standards, and then hold teachers accountable for test scores that are only marginally related to those standards. The same frustration afflicts superintendents when a district or state accountability system is announced with considerable fanfare, but the evaluations of administrators and teachers, as well as the assessments of students, fail to match the goals of the accountability system.
Accountability is nothing more than a paper tiger without congruence.
Specificity Educational reformers are sometimes better able to articulate grand goals than to identify specific expectations. Teachers and administrators know precisely what is expected of them and how to prepare students for this challenge. Relevance Principals and teachers need accountability goals that are directly related to their individual schools. Test scores are related to effects. Meaningful accountability systems have goals that are relevant to causes.