Discussion of alternative education is growing across the country as states and districts look for ways to better serve students whose needs are not met in traditional high school settings. Alternative settings, however, vary greatly in how they operate, whom they aim to enroll, and the methods they use to educate students. The variation of approaches taken in alternative settings has led to significant differences in the quality of these settings and presents challenges in how to best hold alternative schools accountable. Alternative schools are overrepresented in identified low-graduation-rate high schools. If these schools intend to offer a high-quality educational pathway for students at the greatest risk for dropping out--or in some cases, students who have already disconnected from school--it is critical that meaningful accountability measures are put in place for alternative settings to ensure they are serving their purpose and are provided with necessary support and resources. Ultimately, accountability for alternative settings provides an opportunity to focus on the continuous improvement of these settings to better ensure that every student is given the chance to thrive. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides states the chance to establish robust accountability systems for this growing sector of schools and programs. This brief aims to address four key opportunities states have both within and outside of ESSA to better understand and ultimately improve alternative education: (1) Definition: What is alternative education?; (2) Accountability System: What structures can states put into place to ensure alternative settings are appropriately held accountable?; (3) Accountability Measures: What measures can states consider that accurately reflect the quality of alternative settings?; and (4) Continuous Improvement: How can states use accountability for alternative settings as a tool for continuous improvement? [For a companion to this report, "Innovations in Accountability Measures & Processes: Three Case Studies for Alternative Education," see ED582371.]