The movement toward school-based management (SBM) has promoted the need for self-imposed accountability. This book provides specific examples of strategies that schools have used to successfully implement SBM and to enhance their accountability functions. Chapter 1 provides the rationale for undertaking accountability measures, and the second chapter examines commonly used, biased decision-making models. The third chapter explains the three building blocks of accountability--vision setting, collaborative action research, and performance assessment. Chapters 4 through 9 offer scenarios that depict how SBM-schools might move from biased decision making to data-based decision making. The situations involve meeting the needs of at-risk students, implementing major system changes, developing a shared vision in order to confront literacy concerns, arbitrating conflicts over inclusion, gaining public support for local initiatives, and using accountability processes to motivate teachers and improve school culture. Thirty figures and an index are included. (Contains 24 references.) (LMI)