Accountability. The very mention of the word strikes fear in the hearts of many teachers and school leaders, leading to confusion and panic rather than improved student achievement. Author Douglas B. Reeves explains how to transform accountability from destructive and demoralizing accounting drills into a constructive decision-making process that improves teaching, learning, and leadership. Reeves encourages educators to become proactive in developing student-centered accountability systems. These systems capture the many aspects of teaching that test scores don?t reveal-they tell the stories behind the numbers. Reeves shows how educators can create accountability systems that enhance teacher motivation and lead to significant improvements in student achievement and equity, even in traditionally low-performing schools. Accountability for Learning explains how to build a student-centered accountability system by examining key indicators in teaching, leadership, curriculum, and parent and community involvement. Focusing on the classroom, it outlines how teachers can become leaders in accountability by using a four-step process of observation, reflection, synthesis, and replication of effective teaching practices. Finally, the author discusses the role of local, state, and federal policymakers and corrects the myths associated with No Child Left Behind. The book contains: Acknowledgments; Introduction; and the following seven chapters: (1) The "A-Word": Why People Hate Accountability and What You Can Do About It; (2) Accountability Essentials: Identifying and Measuring Teaching Practices; (3) The Accountable Teacher; (4) Teacher Empowerment: Bottom-Up Accountability; (5) A View from the District; (6) The Policymaker's Perspective; and (7) Putting It All Together: Standards, Assessment, and Accountability. Appended are: (1) A Sample Comprehensive Accountability System; (2) Tools for Developing and Implementing an Accountability System; (3) Contact Information for Sta of Education and Other Organizations. It also contains a list of references, and a section entitled "About the Author".