Roundtable on Education Systems and Accountability

At the request of the U.S. Department of Education, the Board on Testing and Assessment of the National Research Council has established a Roundtable on Education Systems and Accountability (RESA). As education officials at all levels of government anticipate the next reauthorization of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and then follow through with implementing the reauthorized law, RESA will provide a mechanism for dialogue and discussion on important issues surrounding education accountability to be discussed from a variety of perspectives and informed by knowledgeable experts.

Given the unique role that states and districts play in education in the U.S., successful policy at the national level requires a high degree of communication, coordination, and trust among public officials at the federal, state, and local levels. Often, however, these officials lack the opportunity to work with each other on an equal footing, understand each other's perspectives, and jointly develop solutions to their common problems. RESA will provide a way for federal and state officials, education policymakers and constituency representatives, and education researchers to work together on issues related to education systems and accountability and the evolution of the federal role in K-12 education. RESA will bring together individuals from diverse perspectives to identify critical issues related to education accountability and to hear from researchers about relevant findings that should inform policy decisions. The Roundtable will enable ongoing discussions among key groups during the next critical period of evolution in education accountability, bridging the perspectives and concerns of these different groups and providing continuity during the change in administration.

At its meetings, RESA will address key education policy issues that are likely to affect the national, state, and local levels both during and following the reauthorization of ESEA. For example, the group might take up issues such as higher standards to prepare high school graduates for college or work, the effect of standards-based reform on classroom instruction, and incentives to improve school quality and achievement. The group will maintain a policy focus on pioneering, leading-edge issues in educational accountability, working to identify where federal and state accountability systems should be heading and potential challenges to implementation. The group will also examine ways that these policies would affect the education system (at the state, district, and school level), and mechanisms for ensuring that the policies are effective.

RESA will meet twice yearly. At the first meeting, the members will agree on a set of critical issues to address at future meetings. As funding allows, the Roundtable will organize public workshops to discuss these issues. For the workshops, the Roundtable may commission papers and invite guest speakers. The materials prepared for these workshops will be made available on the group’s website and may also, on occasion, be distilled in short reports for education policymakers.

This activity is sponsored by the Department of Education.

Date	Meeting Materials
February 17, 2009	AGENDA	PARTICIPANTS
November 5, 2009	AGENDA	PARTICIPANTS