The intention of Performance-Based Accountability (PBA) policies is to foster school changes to enhance student learning and success. The influence of variation in these approaches, however, has not been empirically determined. This article employs a new conceptual framework to describe PBA models and compare them across contexts. We conducted a comparative analysis, finding that three kinds of PBA models exist in Canada. In this article, we consider the policy-level contextual differences coordinating large-scale, provincial, student testing and the use of results, using Canada as an example. (Contains 5 tables, 1 figure and 1 note.)