This is the top-down approach. It accomplishes little more than keeping career bureaucrats fully employed and legislators swimming in a sea of statistics. Under this process of accountability, real change that helps children is almost impossible. By the time the State of Ohio discovers a problem and responds, the children impacted by that problem have moved on through the system. You simply cannot accomplish real accountability from Columbus or Washington, D.C., nor should we attempt such accountability.
Real accountability begins at home and in the local community.
And the best form of accountability is that which is driven by market forces. When parents can choose between two or more schools for their child they will exercise that choice based upon what is best for their family. The school that is chosen will then be accountable to produce results that satisfy parents. Schools that cannot satisfy parents will no longer be in business. This form of accountability is already working in the Hope Academies of Cleveland.