Policy change and accountability. Over the last 20 years, American policymakers increasingly have demanded simple, public reporting of government activity. Pres. George W. Bush's "stoplight accounting" at OMB and the U.S. Department of Education's "below-basic," "basic," "proficient," and "advanced" schema are two prominent examples. My research interests lie in how this public accounting intersects with actual implementation. Does accountability lead to policy change? When does policy change reshape expectations accountability? Substantively, I am interested in American education policy.

My current teaching and research emphasize these questions, both in contemporary policy (particularly with school choice) and historically (through an American political development lens).

Full curriculum vitae.

Book
• Splintered Accountability: State Governance and Education Reform. 2010. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.

Articles
• John F. Witte, David Weimer, Arnold F. Shober, and Paul Schlomer. 2007. "The Performance of Charter Schools in Wisconsin." Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 26(3): 567-588.
• John F. Witte, Paul A. Schlomer, and Arnold F. Shober. 2007. "Going Charter? A Study of School District Competition in Wisconsin." Peabody Journal of Education 82(2 & 3):410-439.
• Arnold F. Shober, Paul Manna, and John F. Witte. 2006. "Analyzing State Charter School Laws and the Formation of Charter Schools in the United States." Policy Studies Journal 34(4, November): 263-287.

Other Publications
• Arnold F. Shober. 2009. "Making the Grade: Education Governance in Ohio." KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Columbus, Ohio.
• Arnold F. Shober. 2008. "Fulfilling Parents' Wishes: The Effect of School Choice on School Referenda Success." National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York.