Students felt respected, accountable, and in control of their work. Consequently, their performance and grades improved. The teachers, too, found that the standards helped sharpen their vision of teaching. They eliminated activities that did not match up with a standard, and they continue to clarify their objectives and goals through performance-based standards. Suzanne Tacheny March 1999, Vol.
Educators promise increased accountability.
But building an accountability system is only half the job. This article explores the factors of school culture that enable accountability to be a successful catalyst for school reform. For example, as a school introduces accountability systems, support of employees must be a common theme. And in schools that have most successfully implemented approaches to accountability, employees also share a common story about why change was necessary and how it is being accomplished. Service Learning Makes the Grade Rich Cairn and Susan Cairn March 1999, Vol.