T     The Education Equality Project (EEP)  teamed up with Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) to produce a background memo on the accountability provisions within the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA), which is currently known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

is   This document is the first in a series of issue briefs that we hope policymakers, advocates, parents, educators, and the general public will find useful as Congress and the president embark on reauthorization of ESEA.

       The memo covers:

           1) History of accountability in ESEA.

           2) Rationale for standardized testing

           3) Need for better tests

           4) Disaggregation of data is critical for highlighting achievement gaps

           5) Timeslines and annual benchmarks are a necessary part of accountability systems

           6) Ambitious goals and timelines have improved academic progress for at-risk students

           7) High goals and credit for growth are compatible

           8) Curriculum narrowing trend is miniscule or nonexistent

           9) Local accountability

T     The full text of the memo can be found on our website here, and is attached as a PDF (“EEP & DFER – ESEA Backgrounder on Accountability”).