ABSTRACT
Regardless of the impetus for current accountability reforms, these reforms have captured a broad audience of institutional and noninstitutional actors (Cahn, 1995). Moreover, accountability systems, which are a prominent aspect of the current national reform agenda, have had a profound effect on policy and practice in educational organizations from school classrooms to universities.1 Most educational organizations realize the necessity to respond quickly in this accountability-driven environment to increasing demands and expectations for substantially higher levels of academic achievement for all children. A district administrator illustrated this consciousness when she explained that educational institutions are expected to now “belly up to the bar” and improve student performance.2 Consequently, many practitioners and policy makers have translated these demands into an opportunity to dislocate inequity and to improve teaching and learning. To accomplish this task, districts and schools are aligning policies, structures, and practices with a commitment to equity for all.
