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2026  \nJuan D’Brot & Laura Pinsonneault  \nNational Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment  \nDover, New Hampshire  \nThe National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, Inc. (the Center for Assessment) is New Hampshire based not-for-profit (501(c)(3)) corporation. Founded in September 1998, the Center’s mission is to improve student learning by partnering with educational leaders to advance effective practices and policies in support of high-quality assessment and accountability systems. The Center for Assessment does this by providing services directly to states, school districts, and partner organizations to support state and district assessment and accountability systems.  \nThis work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY) . To view a copy of this license [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) .  \nACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:  \nWe acknowledge the support and feedback from Chris Domaleski, Brian Gong, and Damian Betebenner, whose ideas and suggestions improved this paper. We are also grateful to Catherine Gewertz, whose feedback helped us strengthen our arguments, improve our prose, and clarify our messaging and structure throughout the process. Any errors and omissions are our own.  \nSUGGESTED CITATION:  \nD'Brot, J. M. & Pinsonneault, L. (2026). Reclaiming Accountability: From Measurement and Labeling to Learning and Improvement. The National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment.  \nPHOTO CREDIT:  \nAllison Shelley, EDUImages  \nPAGE 2  \nTABLE OF CONTENTS  \nINTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................4  \nDEFINING THE PROBLEM: WHY TODAY’S ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS FALL SHORT .................................................................5  \n• Faulty Assumption \\#1: Measurement Alone Drives Improvement ........................ 6  \n• Faulty Assumption \\#2: Accountability Systems Define Roles Clearly ..................... 6  \n• Faulty Assumption \\#3: Reporting Alone Is Sufficient to Support Decision-Making ............................................................................................. 6  \n• Pushing Accountability Forward ................................................................................. 7  \nTHE START OF A SOLUTION: EXPANDING OUR PERSPECTIVE ................................7  \n• Perspective Shift \\#1: Clarifying Learning, Growth, Improvement and Performance .......................................................................................................... 7  \n• Perspective Shift \\#2: Recognizing Connections Among Roles Across the Educational System ................................................................................... 9  \n• Perspective Shift \\#3: Designing Systems That Support Continuous Improvement ......................................................................................... 11  \nTHE BENEFITS OF AN IMPROVED PERSPECTIVE:  \nENACTING RECIPROCAL RESPONSIBILITY ..............................................................13  \n• Benefit \\#1: A Better Understanding to Improve Learning ..................................... 14  \n• Benefit \\#2: More Effective Engagement .................................................................. 14  \n• Benefit \\#3: More Engagement Leads to More Meaningful Impact ...................... 15  \nWHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE? CRITERIA FOR MORE EFFECTIVE ACCOUNTABILITY DESIGN .........................................................16  \n• Criterion \\#1: Be Clear About Roles .......................................................................... 16  \n• Criterion \\#2: Accountability as a Capacity Building System .................................. 17  \n• Criterion \\#3: Communication at the Core ...............................................................","cbCaiikQ5snqsOTG","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiikQ5snqsOTG","pdf",2606878,23,"English","# Introduction\n# Defining the Problem: Why Today’s Accountability Systems Fall Short\n## Faulty Assumption #1: Measurement Alone Drives Improvement\n## Faulty Assumption #2: Accountability Systems Define Roles Clearly\n## Faulty Assumption #3: Reporting Alone Is Sufficient to Support Decision-Making\n# The Start of a Solution: Expanding Our Perspective\n## Perspective Shift #1: Clarifying Learning, Growth, Improvement and Performance\n## Perspective Shift #2: Recognizing Connections Among Roles Across the Educational System\n## Perspective Shift #3: Designing Systems That Support Continuous Improvement\n# The Benefits of an Improved Perspective: Enacting Reciprocal Responsibility\n## Benefit #1: A Better Understanding to Improve Learning\n## Benefit #2: More Effective Engagement\n## Benefit #3: More Engagement Leads to More Meaningful Impact\n# What Does This Look Like? Criteria for More Effective Accountability Design\n## Criterion #1: Be Clear About Roles\n## Criterion #2: Accountability as a Capacity Building System\n## Criterion #3: Communication at the Core\n# Making It Happen in Practice\n## Consideration #1: Supporting Changes in Behavior\n## Consideration #2: Characteristics of Better Systems\n## Consideration #3: From Principles to Practice: Practical Implications for States and Districts\n# Concluding Considerations\n# References","[{\"question\":\"What does the paper identify as the main reasons accountability systems fall short?\",\"answer\":\"It argues that accountability design is built on narrow assumptions that overemphasize measuring outcomes, labeling performance, and pressuring improvement through reporting and mandates, leading to unintended negative consequences.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the paper propose changing the perspective on accountability?\",\"answer\":\"It recommends shifting toward clarifying learning, growth, improvement, and performance, recognizing connections among roles across the educational system, and designing systems that support continuous improvement.\"},{\"question\":\"What criteria does the paper suggest for more effective accountability design?\",\"answer\":\"It calls for being clear about roles, treating accountability as a capacity-building system, and placing communication at the core of how accountability information supports decisions.\"}]","Reclaiming Accountability - From Measurement and Labeling to Learning and Improvement - March 2026 | PDF",1792057682,58]