Virtual school parent perceptions of public school accountability

While school accountability systems were implemented to improve student outcomes through increased transparency, creating linkages between successful behaviors and rewards, they have often faced controversy. One strand of criticism posits that the systems are designed to reward conformity, punishing schools that deviate from standardization. Another is that the systems appraising school quality do not necessarily align with parent values and goals. This study touches upon both themes by surveying parents of students in full-time virtual schools (n = 1012), asking them to devise an accountability framework for such schools. While there is broad disagreement about which metrics should be privileged in evaluating virtual schools, evidence indicates that parents place far less emphasis on state summative assessments than do compliance-oriented school performance frameworks.