Making educational accountability more democratic

Educational accountability is a fundamental right of citizens in a democratic society serving the public interest. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 holds states, school districts, public officials, educators, parents, and students accountable through auditable performance standards. At the same time, the lack of discussion about how to decide what educational outcomes should be typifies a climate of control. This article proposes making educational accountability more democratic by constructing democratic accountability within the context of a local school and/or district as a democratic conversation. The foundations of democratic accountability, the meaning of democratic accountability, and how its meaning is constructed (including accountability for what and to whom and how it is implemented) are outlined.