In this essay I argue that the effects of federal policy can be examined through a scale analysis that helps deconstruct the effect of the current widespread accountability movement in the US educational system. I first discuss the concept of scale, including its thus-far limited use in educational research. I define scales not only as hierarchical, nested physical spaces but also as the social relations and activities that constitute, and are constitutive of, spaces and places of interaction like the classroom. I draw on my own ethnographic data and current research to provide descriptions of each scale and the ways social relations are shaped by, and also shape, scales. I show how certain scales have been routinely elided from broader discussions about assessment under programmes like the No Child Left Behind Act (2002) and discuss who has the ability to make decisions and enforce policies in this context. I end with some implications of this analysis for educational policy and literacy research, including potential ways to redistribute power amongst actors.