Often, factors related to school characteristics or context can impede a state’s ability to produce or implement a standard accountability system for all schools. This paper, prepared for the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) Accountability Systems and Reporting (ASR) State Collaborative outlines a process and rationale for addressing exceptions in otherwise standardized school accountability systems. it illustrates potential pathways from exceptionality to system redesign, provides an overview of considerations and challenges specific to alternative schools, and describes some of the common exceptional circumstances states must address when implementing school accountability systems.
