ABSTRACT
Meanwhile, turning back to modern time in the United States and our attempts to improve student performance, the two states that led the way concerning consequential accountability and proved its value in terms of encouraging student progress were Texas and North Carolina. The approaches used by these two states, however, differed, especially in terms of interventions. Texas set the same standards for every student, raising the bar incrementally. In terms of rewards and punishments, Texas offered financial benefits to schools that stayed the pace. For those that fell behind, the “punishments” differed somewhat from those stipulated by NCLB. They included the development of student achievement improvement plans, public hearings on the matter, appointment of a school monitor, and, eventually, if things did not improve, a state takeover. The main tactic was to shame these schools into improving.
