SREB: State Accountability Systems Lack Cohesiveness

By Robert C. Johnston

School accountability programs in the South have come a long way in a decade, but many still suffer from a lack of cohesiveness, community input, and teacher preparation, among other shortcomings, a report says.

The 16-state Southern Regional Education Board released the report last week as part of a new effort to improve accountability in the region by studying the successes and failures of its member states, which stretch from Texas and Florida as far north as Delaware. The SREB is expected to release several follow-up reports over the next five years.

"We want to see what can be done to float the sinking boats," said James A. Watts, the vice president of state services for the Atlanta-based SREB and a co-author of the 29-page document. "There's enough experience out there that we...