Accountability

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires that each state create an accountability plan that includes the implementation of academic and performance standards for all students. In addition, states are required to have students demonstrate proficiency in state content and achievement standards in mathematics, reading or language arts, and science (NCLB, § 1111 (b)(2)(B)(2001). Beginning in the 2007-2008 school year, students are required to demonstrate proficiency in science. States are also required to show that limited English proficient (LEP) students are progressing in their proficiency of the English language by meeting annual measurable achievement objectives (AMAOs) (NCLB, § 3122 (b)(2001).

Based on NCLB, accountability can be defined as the requirement of states to assess student knowledge of the state standards, improve performance on state assessments, and apply sanctions to districts and schools that fail to progress sufficiently in order to receive federal aid. Accountability, as it is specifically related to LEP students, means the inclusion of all LEP and former LEP students in assessments on state content and achievement standards and their increased visibility in accountability systems to improve their instruction and achievement (U.S. Department of Education, 2007).

Key Terms

Annual measurable achievement objectives (AMAOs): objectives that measure LEP students’ development and attainment of language proficiency in English and adequate yearly progress.
- AMAO 1: the progress LEP students make in learning English
- AMAO 2: the progress LEP students make in attaining English language proficiency
- AMAO 3: the measurement of adequate yearly progress for the LEP subgroup
Adequate yearly progress (AYP): measure used by individual states to determine student progress toward achievement of academic standards in reading/language arts, mathematics, and science.