However, he thinks that to succeed, assessment re-formers cannot focus only on educational consequences. They must also develop awareness of the political consequences of reliance on statistical accountability. Dorn is not optimistic about the possibilities for change and believes that reliance on standardized tests will increase in the near future. He argues that relying on enhanced profes-sionalization of teachers as an alternative to testing is not likely to succeed politically, largely because of current skepticism about professionalism in general. In particular, he claims, teachers often are viewed as unaccountable to the community, particularly in urban districts.
Professionalization also can be contrary to democratic control over schools.
He concludes that alternative conceptions of accountability must encourage deeper discussion of educational problems, connect student performance with classroom practice, and make the interests of all children common. He thinks that creating structures which bring the community into evaluating the school is one way to do this. Dorn concludes with a call to develop local models of alternative accountability that can be used to change the dynamics of educational politics. Such models usually do not offer particulars of how this process can develop. Principle 5 of the Principles and Indicators for Student Assessment Systems of the National Forum on Assessment also calls for expanded involvement of the community in the assessment process.