Dr Clive Dimmock This is a welcome addition to the literature on educational accountability which, as a growing policy thrust in education in the 1970s and 1980s, inspired a number of books, but has attracted little in the way of authoritative or definitive texts, since. The field of education is thus ready for a well researched book on accountability which not only maps developments of a theorectical and conceptual kind, but tracks policy trends and practical issues through the last two decades, and in so doing, sets the scene for the next millenium. This book fulfils that role. It is a substantive and definitive text in its field...This book derives from a project the author was invited to undertake, aimed at helping the Tasmanian Education Authority re-think its accountability policies and practices. However, in the authors words, the project drew from and speaks to the challenges being faced in the United States, England and Wales. Consequently, the book has relevance for, and should appeal to, an international readership. It offers an invaluable source for comparativists interested in policy trends in England and Wales, the USA and Australia. It is refreshing to read a book which adopts a robust methodology, reports empirical data, provides an informative policy background and a critical policy analysis, and achieves all of this while managing to advance theoretical and conceptual frameworks underpinning both methodology and the substantive area of accountabilty. This important book fills a void. It will be read and consulted by professional educators in whatever capacity. It will have particular appeal for those studying postgraduate courses at bachelors, masters and doctoral levels. Educational Management and Administration