1999 CRESST Conference Proceedings: Benchmarks for Accountability: Are We There Yet?

The work to create good benchmarks for accountability in education proceeds at almost a furious pace, as papers and discussions at the 1999 CRESST National Conference affirmed. Most heartening is the greater understanding and use of accountability at the classroom level. Yet, efforts to maintain continuity and to establish well-researched standards for accountability in a volatile political and policymaking environment are struggling – both to keep up and to be heard. In this context – of endeavoring to make assessment work under challenging conditions – the 300 participants at the conference discussed often controversial policy aspects of accountability, primarily at national and state levels and learned from researchers about ongoing studies and assistance at classroom and school levels to make accountability tools useful and integrated into instruction. A summary is provided in these conference proceedings.