This paper examines and critiques the accountability movement, high-stakes testing, and their relationship to the achievement gap. Analyzing the issues in the context of Texas, the paper discusses dropout rates that were incorrectly identified and reported, the role of courts and specific court cases in high-stakes testing, ethical considerations, social implications and social stratification, and debunks the myth of accountability as an equalizer. Authors conclude that the sorting at the root of high-stakes testing has neither closed the achievement gap nor fomented meaningful accountability or success. [This paper was published in "Journal of Family Strengths" v18 n1 Article 9 2018.]