Accountability is high on the education reform agenda as taxpayers, business leaders, and elected officials demand proof of results. Although several states show promising improvements in their accountability arrangements, none has in place a comprehensive system. Such a system includes three fundamental accountability elements: (1) clear and…

Field testing, the last step in the developmental cycle for educational products, must ascertain whether the test product, placed in a natural environment, will actually elicit the behavioral changes it was designed to effect. A systems approach to field testing requires that certain basic areas of investigation first be established. Specific…