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This paper contributes both to the theory of accountability and to the body of empirical evidence about the effects of accountability on improving schools. The author describes the implied theory of accountability and the sources of possible failure of this theory in practice. The author provides a classification of the main accountability systems that have been implemented in recent years and presents a model predicting the effects of these systems on school improvement efforts. The paper presents multivariate results from a stratified sample survey. The findings have implications for both No Child Left Behind and coexisting state accountability systems.