Should Gender Gaps Be Incorporated into School Accountability Measures? If So,How?

Abstract

School accountability policies are central to current education reform efforts, and most of these policies prominently focus on race- and income-based achievement gaps. Recently, though, discussion of gender-based achievement gaps in schools has emerged in research and policy discussions, so accounting for gender-based achievement differences in existing accountability policies may be an inevitable next step. In this article, I offer a brief background on the origins of school accountability as an education policy priority and review the evidence on its effects. I then discuss gender gaps in education and consider how they stand apart from gaps based on race and socioeconomics. I speculate about the possible adverse outcomes and potential benefits of including gender differences in present school accountability policies and offer concluding recommendations about using these measures in school accountability.