Accountability in Education

Re “Zacarias Cracks the Whip,” Aug. 4.

I am delighted to see [LAUSD Supt. Ruben] Zacarias’ plans for accountability in education, especially when recalling those of his predecessor, and hope he gets the support necessary to see his program through to a definite conclusion.

He should be eager to accept the assistance of Ted Mitchell, “a high-ranking UCLA administrator who formerly headed the Graduate School of Education,” and should apply Mitchell’s ideas in an accountable experimental way. Low-scoring schools could be matched into three comparable groups--one group to use primarily Mitchell’s academic advice, another to use primarily teacher-training by outstanding teachers, and the third group free to choose and apply methods used in more successful neighboring schools. Test scores could be compared two years later, and if one method was superior it could be applied more widely in LAUSD in future years.

WILLIAM LEWIS

Woodland Hills