To ensure that school districts and schools meet acceptable performance levels, many school districts and states have enacted various accountability policies. Two of the most controversial approaches to accountability are reconstitutions of schools and state takeovers of school districts and schools. For each approach, this policy brief presents an overview, offers opposing perspectives, examines effects, and poses questions for policymakers. The brief also provides additional information, presented in tabular form, in six appendices: (1) "Legal Citations: State Takeovers of School Districts" presents the states, along with the appropriate legal citations, that have enacted district takeover policies. (2) "State Takeovers of School Districts" presents examples of states and districts that have been involved in takeovers. (3) "Legal Citations: State Takeover of Schools" presents the states, along with the appropriate legal citations, that have enacted school takeover policies. (4) "State Takeover of Schools" presents examples of states, school districts, and schools that have been involved in a state takeover. (5) "Legal Citations: Reconstitutions of Schools" presents the states, along with the appropriate legal citations, that have enacted policies that allow the state to reconstitute schools. (6) "Reconstitutions of Schools" presents examples of school districts where reconstitutions have occurred. (Contains 33 references.) (WFA)