Korean Educational Development Institute(KEDI)

For several decades since the period of Progressive Movements, the U.S. public school system has been operated by the autonomous education bureaucracy and education professionals, without much direct oversight by the public. However, the failure of the system, highlighted by low student achievement scores, high costs, and a growing disparity in educational opportunities among different social classes, has been recently publicized. In response to the failing public schools, the general public is demanding more school accountability. This paper analyzes the concept of accountability in the public school system and examines major considerations to design an effective organizational structure from the perspective of the principal-agent problem. Three major accountability mechanisms used in the U.S., top-down-standard-driven accountability systems, voucher programs, and charter schools, are discussed.