Idaho State Department of Education

Accountability

Accountability is a system that provides a transparent display of how well students in a school, district, and state are learning. The idea of accountability, holding the teachers and schools responsible for the student’s learning, is not new. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act created an accountability framework that each state had to develop, implement, and regulate.

With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in December 2015, the accountability requirements at the state and district levels have been relaxed and have provided an opportunity for suggestions of innovative systems. During this transition from NCLB to ESSA, the Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) will be working with the US Department of Education and all Idaho Districts to interpret and design a fair and equitable accountability system that ultimately supports each student in Idaho to learn the Idaho Content Standards.

Academic progress of Idaho students is measured on the Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) and on other tests in the spring of each year. The SDE reports assessment results and other performance indicators on a Report Card at state, district, and school levels. Schools whose students are struggling to learn the state content standards are provided greater assistance from their districts by the SDE and other sources. You will find additional and updated information on ESSA, especially as it relates to Idaho, on this page as more information is gathered.