Building a High-Quality Assessment and Accountability Program: The Philadelphia Example

The purpose of implementing an assessment and accountability program in an urban school district is to improve student learning of worthwhile content.1 Current levels of achievement in most U.S. urban districts are unacceptably low. Average achievement test results conceal the fact that achievement levels of students of color are substantially lower than those of white students. Improvements are urgently needed. Assessment and accountability, by themselves, are unlikely to turn around the low levels of student achievement in urban settings.2 Supports must be put in place so that students and schools can be successful. Such supports must be an integral part of an effective assessment and accountability program. Nevertheless, high-stakes testing can be a powerful policy lever in a more comprehensive reform initiative.3 Some education researchers and practitioners believe that high-stakes testing leads to a dumbed-down curriculum and unfair penalties for students and schools.4 Others believe equally strongly that, without high-stakes testing, many schools will continue to provide inadequate opportunities to learn for students, especially students from low-income families. We believe that a