¶ … New Accountability" Susan H. Fuhrman discusses new approaches that U.S. states and school districts are using to assess standards and assessment of student learning. She notes that most of these states and school districts now consider achievement of specific standards as the backbone of accountability. Fuhrman's policy brief reports these accountability developments in light of Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) standards of accountability.

Fuhrman's article is clearly thorough and well researched. She presents detailed information on the new standards of accountability. This includes information on public reporting, inspections, and the consequences of reaching specific performance levels and accreditation levels.

Further, Fuhrman is not afraid to delve deeply into her subject. Her article includes a long discussion on measuring student performance. She discusses several indicators, and delves into the difficulty policy makers face in determining appropriate measures of student performance.

Fuhrman is also not afraid to criticize specific aspects of current accountability programs. Notes Fuhrman, new systems are often "not designed to motivate students." She goes on to note that "education is co-produced; teacher's success is dependent on student's efforts to learn."

In addition, Fuhrman offers several important conclusions and recommendations. For example, she notes that teachers often find money bonuses are motivating, and that sanctions like identification of a declining school also motivate. Ultimately, Fuhrman argues that well-designed new accountability systems are effective, but that new systems that do not pay attention to capacity are not sufficient to promote the achievement of students.

The writing style within "The New Accountability" is highly effective and appropriate. Fuhrman never falls into the trap of using large, obscure words to impress her reader. Instead, she is consistently clear and concise.

In summary, Fuhrman's "The New Accountability" is a thorough, effective, and well-written article. Fuhrman's article delves deeply into the subject, and makes a number of helpful recommendations.

Works Cited

Fuhrman, Susan H. The New Accountability. CPRE Policy Briefs. University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education. RB-27-January 1999.