Studies in Educational Evaluation. Vol. 17, pp. 275-289. 1991 0191-491X/91 $0.00 + .50 Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved. @1991 Pergamon Press plc UNIT ACCREDITATION: A RESPONSE TO A CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT NEED Cliff Jones and Janet Strivens Curriculum Accredited Development Unit, Liverpool Education Authority, Liverpool, U.K. Department of Education, University of Liverpool, P.O. Box 147, Liverpool, L69 3BX, U.K. Introduction The forms of assessment and accreditation chosen by schools are influenced by the environments in which they operate. The environment for many schools in the UK has for some time been characterised by changing patterns of work and employment, by new technology and high import penetration, by an apparent loss of political consensus over the purposes of education, by an ageing population and by a strong perception that schools must be held accountable for national failure. Central government initiatives impose a series of (sometimes conflicting) demands which are about to take a quantum leap with the introduction of the National Curriculum; at the same time, the demands of parents will be given a louder voice through legislative changes which will increase their access to information and decision-making. One enduring pressure on schools is the demand for a learning route which leads to traditional academic qualifications. This may conflict with the current concern, fuelled by awareness of the dire state of the job market, to carry out a vocational transformation of much of the curriculum. Teachers are keenly aware of the danger that students following the traditional route may be labelled successes while others are labelled 275