School Accountability Essay

Over the past several decades, lawmakers have tried to find a way to be sure that all students are receiving a good education. The idea of school accountability is based on three principles. (1) A clearly defined set of standards, (2) Valid and reliable tests that would measure how well the standards are met and (3) An effective plan to improve schools that fall short. In the 1950’s, the color of your skin decided on whether or not you got a good education. Brown vs the Board of Education changed that by saying that the color of your skin could no longer determine the school in which the student went to. In 1965, President Johnson signed a bill called the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This bill stated that there would be no more gaps in what white students and minority students learned, and that schools in lower income and underprivileged communities would be able to receive resources which would equal a decent education. The nation’s progress would depend on all students, no matter their color, race, ethnicity or economic standing. Schools and districts would be held accountable by the politicians and taxpayers. People wanted to know if all students were moving ahead. During this time, the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) started. This is …show more content…
The report showed how far behind our nation was deteriorating in education. After reading the report, President Reagan was reported saying, “You've found that our educational system is in the grip of a crisis caused by low standards, lack of purpose, ineffective use of resources, and a failure to challenge students to push performance to the boundaries of individual ability—and that is to strive for excellence.” This meant that the nation needed to improve academic standards, effective use of resources and the ability to push and challenge our students to do their very