Milwaukee Voucher-School Leaders’ Views on Accountability: What Are They, and Why Do They Matter?

ABSTRACT

This article uses originally collected survey data to determine how leaders of private schools in the nation’s oldest school-voucher program define accountability and perceive the state agency charged with holding them accountable. The results indicate voucher-school administrators’ views on accountability are influenced by their school’s level of dependence on government revenues, their school’s academic performance, and their own personal views on regulation. The findings add to a body of research showing how accountability frameworks and perceptions influence the actions and performance of organizations and their stakeholders.

Notes

1. A copy of the full survey is available from the author upon request.

2. This appears to be a reference to Wisconsin’s statewide accountability report card, which currently does not include Milwaukee voucher schools.

3. The test statistic Kendall’s tau-b is used as a nonparametric alternative to chi-square due to the small sample size.