Holistic Accountability : Serving Students, Schools, and Community

"In Holistic Accountability, Reeves succeeds in recasting the accountability dilemma into a win-win plan for school administrators who are weary of the test score sweepstakes and for policy makers who are demanding results. It is an excellent approach—one that is sound, reasonable, comprehensive, and relevant. The accompanying sample accountability reports are very useful."
—School Business Affairs, October 2002

Nationally recognized expert on assessment, Dr. Douglas B. Reeves, offers a comprehensive program of holistic accountability, a system that includes not only test scores but also the instructional and leadership practices at a school. Holistic accountability systems yield information about curriculum, assessment, and instruction that can lead directly and swiftly to better practices and better decision making for teachers, school leaders, and policymakers.

This essential guide explores the four building blocks of accountability: structure, collaboration, implementation, and communication. Dr. Reeves offers a complete, practical program that can have a profoundly positive impact on students, teachers, and parents. This practical and powerful book:

• Links accountability and academic standards
• Includes three case studies of effective accountability systems
• Explains how to communicate about educational accountability
• Contains sample reports adaptable to any school or system

. . . always focusing on the central purpose of accountability: the improvement of student achievement.

Educators, administrators, school leaders, school board members, school leadership teams, and parents can make use of this groundbreaking work to improve accountability policies at the classroom, school, or district level.