Test-Based Accountability and Alternative Education: Evidence of Gaming?

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: How Schools and Systems Experience Accountability: A View Across Contexts

Abstract

Evidence on the efficacy of test-based accountability is mixed, with some studies showing improvements in reading and math performance and others documenting arguably perverse impacts on the behaviors of schools, educators, and the students they serve. While studies have shown that accountability has impacted the educational experiences of at-risk students, no studies to date have considered whether this type of accountability has influenced alternative learning program (ALP) enrollment. This study examines the relationship between accountability pressure and ALPs by examining trends in alternative school enrollment in North Carolina. I investigate whether (1) certain districts have exhibited disproportionate ALP enrollment relative to regular public schools and (2) whether test-based accountability predicts ALP enrollment disparities.

Author

• Kenya Iman Lee, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill