Central to sociology is the assumption that virtually all forms of social action and public policies have unanticipated consequences for their actors and social systems. Sociologists seek to explore these unanticipated consequences and delineate how they will affect people, policies, and practices. This essay focuses on the unanticipated consequences of the assessment and accountability mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. Here, the author suggests ways for sociologists to play significant roles in the states' implementation of their assessment and accountability systems.