Table: Holding Districts Accountable: An Overview

Introduction | Page 1 | Notes

Holding Districts Accountable:
An Overview

STATE	REPORT CARDS	RATINGS	REWARDS	ASSISTANCE	SANCTIONS
color safe	Does the state have a report card for each of its districts?	Does the state assign overall ratings to districts, or identify low-performing districts?	Does the state reward districts on the basis of performance?	Does the state provide assistance to districts it names low-performing?	Does the state have sanctions for failing districts?***
Alabama	yes	yes	no	yes	yes
Alaska	yes	no	no	no	no
Arizona	yes	no	no	no	no
Arkansas	yes	yes	no	yes	yes
California	no	no	no	no	no
Colorado	future	future	future	future	future
Connecticut	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Delaware	yes	2001	2002	2001	2001
Florida	yes	no	no	no	no
Georgia	yes	no	no	no	no
Hawaii*	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Idaho	no	no	no	no	no
Illinois	yes	yes	no	yes	yes
Indiana	yes	yes	no	yes	yes
Iowa	2000	no	no	no	no
Kansas	no	no	no	no	no
Kentucky	no	no	no	no	no
Louisiana	yes	future	future	future	no
Maine	no	no	no	no	no
Maryland	yes	no	no	no	no
Massachusetts	no	no	no	no	no
Michigan	yes	no	no	no	no
Minnesota	yes	no	yes	no	no
Mississippi	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Missouri	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Montana	no	no	no	no	no
Nebraska	yes	no	yes	no	no
Nevada	no	no	no	no	no
New Hampshire	2000	no	no	no	no
New Jersey	no	yes	yes	yes	yes
New Mexico	yes	no	no	no	no
New York	no	no	no	no	no
North Carolina	yes	no	no	no	no
North Dakota	yes	no	no	no	no
Ohio	yes	2000	2000	2000	2000
Oklahoma	yes	no	no	no	no
Oregon	no	future	no	future	no
Pennsylvania	no	no	no	no	no
Rhode Island	yes	no	no	no	no
South Carolina	no	yes**	yes**	yes	yes
South Dakota	yes	no	no	no	no
Tennessee	yes	yes	no	yes	yes
Texas	yes	yes	no	yes	yes
Utah	yes	no	no	no	no
Vermont	no	no	no	no	no
Virginia	no	no	no	no	no
Washington	no	2001	future	future	no
West Virginia	yes	yes	yes	yes	no
Wisconsin	yes	no	no	no	no
Wyoming	yes	no	no	no	no
U.S.	30	12	8	12	12

* Hawaii has a single statewide district.
** South Carolina is planning to revise its district-accountability system in 2001.
n/a indicates not applicable.
A year indicates when a state plans to implement a policy.
SOURCE: Education Week.

*** DISTRICT SANCTIONS: In the table above, we included standing accountability policies that apply to all districts. Consequently, the sanctions column includes a 'yes' only for states that have legislation permitting them to sanction any district that fails to meet certain standards. However, a number of states have enacted special laws to intervene in the management of a particular school district, usually for legal or fiscal reasons as well as for low-performance, including: Compton, Calif.; Hartford, Conn.; Chicago; Baltimore; Cleveland.

Vol. 18, number 17, page 97