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esponsibility'' is required and that an understanding of this dynamic 'Lu~ill encourage school
staff to work collabol-atively" (p. 42). They maintain that "performance based acc.ountahility
systems focus not only on the level of student performance. but on the progress of students
and schools toward meeting state standards" (p. 46). When respondents for this Iowa-based
study ufere being interviewed, these two broad ideas, accountability and standards-based
reform, were being propelled by a state policy that capitalized on both. This review will
1-.urther explore their underpinnings as \yell as acconlpanying ideas required for
implementation.
Accountability
In its current form. the performance-based accountability movement has a short
history. being introduced in the lnid 1980s, by then Arkansas governor Bill Clinton at a
Xational Go\.ei-nors Association meeting. Amendments to Title 1 legislation in 1994
requiring states to create perforlnance-based accountability sysrerns for schools strengthened
the mo\.erncnt. Since thcn. a merger of stare and federal policies around this concept has
hc-co~lic ;I UOC'LII point for. tncia!.'s accountabilit!. reforms (Elmore. 200Za). The most recent
rc;1~1thc)ri7atic>11. ~urrc~ltl~. operatins in t'eu.er than half the states. mandates a sin~le test-based
;~cc.ountal~iIit!~ \!.lrtc~i~. ..lccordin~ 10 \l;is~elI ( 19981. a key assunlption of this approach to
,c,t~c)ol il~ll~sc\\.crlle~~t i\ ~h;~t ~~c~~t'orr~l;l~c i~i~~~s~~lati~r~
\!.ill dri\.e chanse hecause the re~vards
ant1 ,nnc.ric~nh c ~~~hc~l~icd \j.itIlin in it \\.ill ~l~r~ti\-att' ~e;~c'hess and \chools to impro\.e. Debra!..
I';~I-\OII. :IIILI ~\~ooLl\~~ol~~l~
,200 1 ) l~clie~~c II~;I[ ptib1ic report in^ of >~i~dent perfi'r~~~;~nce \~'C)LII~
III;IL~ L'r\~lll~li~~lit!. ,t;~k~~Ilol~l~~.,
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for tht'nl to pre>.;ure ..c.ho~'l'
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