An approach that measures educational ‘outputs’ through student, school and teacher assessment is needed to ensure accountability in the education system, according to this policy paper.

The paper shows that despite massive spending on education by the world’s governments, totalling $2 trillion in 2006, performance has barely improved in decades. Funding does not often correlate with performance, and therefore educational quality must be measured by other means. The paper considers the effectiveness of accountability processes, particularly standardised tests of student performance, and corresponding rewards and sanctions based on performance indicators.