This book offers a comprehensive program of holistic accountability for educators, school board members, school leaders, and parents. Holistic accountability systems yield information about curriculum, assessment, and instruction that can lead to better practices, better decision making, and higher student achievement. The chapters are: (1) "What Is Holistic Accountability?"; (2) "Caught in the Middle: The Consequences of Accountability; (3) "A Better Way: Using Holistic Accountability To Improve Teaching and Learning"; (4) "Community Collaboration: Making Accountability a Constructive Force"; (5) "Accountability and Academic Standards: The Essential Connection"; (6) "Models of Effective Accountability Systems"; (7) "Ten Steps to Creating a Holistic Accountability System"; and (8) "Rhetoric and Reason: Communicating about Educational Accountability." Two appendixes contain sample accountability reports and suggested resources for accountability systems. (Contains 5 figures, 3 tables, and 36 references.) (SLD)