Educational accountability is a serious concern of legislative bodies representing the people paying the costs involved in community college education. Most cost evaluations have, up to now, revolved about operational costs such as those associated with instruction and plant operation. However, newer evaluations are centering on program quality and effectiveness. In this sense community college self-scrutiny moves from evaluation to accountability. This involves a complex, time-consuming, on-going, and multi-faceted process. Studies based on this process are needed to reaffirm legislator faith in higher education. Carnegie Commission guidelines can be the evaluation criteria by which a legislature assesses its state's post-secondary educational system. Restrictive measures imposed by state government can possibly infringe upon the autonomy of the college. Not all accountability methodologies are suitable for every community college, but when possible they should be used in conjunction with long range planning. The public, throught its legislators, demands evidence of community college effectiveness and efficiency. The careful matching of appropriate goals and objectives for individual community colleges and their different programs along with relevant evaluation and accountability methods can meet that demand. (AL)