Assessment using multiple approaches should be part of the accountability plan. Good assessment programs show what students know and can do as they enter a school, and as they continue to attend the school. Well developed and implemented, assessment of students provides information that can be used for accountability purposes. One of the greatest contributions that the charter movement can make is to encourage educators, parents and policy-makers to think carefully about what academic expectations we should have of schools, along with how to assess and report student achievement. The report does not attempt to repeat nor resolve debates about the use of standardized tests, but the authors believe strongly that standardized tests are an incomplete measure.
Some people equate accountability with reporting.
This is a bit like saying students are accountable for their learning if the results of their work are reported. But most states and schools say student accountability must include consequences. Students who turn in enough satisfactory work, or who attend school often enough, graduate. In many schools and states, students who don't complete enough work, achieve certain standards, or demonstrate certain skills, don't graduate. Simply reporting the achievement of students at a school does not make the school accountable.