A system that holds students, educators and schools responsible for achievement by attaching consequences-in the form of rewards, sanctions and interventions-to publicly defined performance results.

Accountability systems provide information that tells policymakers, the public, and others how well the education system (schools, districts, and areas) is doing. Information typically includes student assessment data and other indicators such as discipline or graduation rates. Accountability information can be used in different ways: to provide information to the public, to help all the groups involved reach agreement on how to improve the system, or to provide recognition and/or support.

The structure through which a state sets academic standards for what every child should know and assesses how effective schools and districts are in ensuring that their students meet these standards. In Connecticut, student academic achievement is measured through the CMT (given every spring in 3rd-8th grades) and CAPT tests (given in the spring in 10th grade) and the results of these tests are reported both to the schools and to the public.

A way of dealing with corruption by making superiors responsible for the behaviour of their subordinates.

A system that contributes to agency performance by monitoring and evaluating the results of its human capital management policies, programs, and activities; by analyzing compliance with merit system principles; and by identifying and monitoring necessary improvements.