by Lance T. Izumi, Fellow in California Studies
Pacific Research Institute
October 17, 2000

Announcer lead: Time for Perspectives. Lance Izumi says that there are holes in California's school accountability system.

One of the most popular buzz words in education reform is accountability. Here in California, Governor Gray Davis has claimed that the incremental improvements in student test scores is due to his new public-school accountability program. Trouble is, Davis' program holds very few schools accountable and allows many of the worst schools to escape accountability completely.

Under the Davis program, underperforming schools are required to hire an external evaluator, devise a school improvement plan, and increase test scores by a minimal percentage. Schools meeting their performance goals may receive monetary rewards. Schools failing to meet their goals could, among other things, be forced to allow students to attend another school, be turned into a charter school, have their teachers reassigned, or be closed down. Schools, however, have to apply voluntarily to the program and the number accepted into the program is limited.

In 1999-2000, out of California's more than 3,100 low-performing schools, only 430 were subject to the Davis program. That's less than 15 percent. And although the new state budget increases the number of schools that can participate in the program, more than two-thirds of low-performing schools will still escape any accountability.

Even more disturbing, though, is the fact that many of the state's worst schools continue to be unaccountable under Davis' program. Last year, 546 schools at the very bottom of the state's ranking system were not subject to the accountability program. They either didn't apply to the program or applied and were rejected. This is appalling especially given the fact that many schools that were just slightly below average applied and were accepted into the program.

Despite his claims, Gov. Davis' Swiss-cheese program falls far short of bringing true accountability to the state's public schools. A much better alternative is Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's plan to give school-choice vouchers to students in low-performing public schools. What California needs is competition, not Potemkin Village non-reforms.

With a perspective, I'm Lance Izumi.