On a professional level though, how can we hold our educational community accountable? Have we slipped there? Is it our role to model integrity and to hold others to the same bar? Test scores are such a small part of the equation...yet we've allowed ourselves to be reduced to them. Accountability as a check on conscience is not a bad thing. As educators, we have each made a commitment to the children we serve. We will deliver the best education we can, by being the best teachers and leaders we can be, no matter the obstacles. How are we being held accountable? Using standardized tests as the measure of accountability for teachers and  their students' achievement is a flawed idea. That teachers should be held accountable for their students' achievement, on the other hand, is a sound one.The question is how can we achieve a balance between the grades student earn and all the actions, behaviors, expectations, and responsibilities required of teachers that contribute to the achievement of their students?

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