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Accountability can promote educational quality in several ways.
An effective accountability system not only reports the status of education to the public, but also serves as a vehicle for school improvement by setting clear expectations. It significantly influences what administrators do, what teachers teach, and what students become. Clearly, Minnesota's adoption of the Graduation Standards places a new emphasis on accountability for student results. Thus far, states have been slow to develop the segments of accountability systems that go beyond traditional standardized achievement test, thereby giving only a limited view of the educational system. Public reporting on the condition of the educational system should include multiple indictors that are essential to describing and understanding the needs of children and youth, and should apply to all students in the educational system.