Public accountability : the perceived usefulness of school
annual reports Tooley, Stuart & Hooks, Jillian (2010) Public
accountability : the perceived usefulness of school annual
reports. Australasian Accounting Business & Finance Journal,
4(2), pp. 39-59. Annual reports are an important component of
New Zealand schools’ public accountability. Through the annual
report the governance body informs stakeholders about school
aims, objectives, achievements, use of resources, and financial
performance. This paper identifies the perceived usefulness of
the school annual report to recipients and the extent to which
it serves as an instrument of accountability and/or decision-
usefulness. The study finds that the annual report is used for a
variety of purposes, including: to determine if the school has
conducted its activities effectively and achieved stated
objectives and goals; to examine student achievements; to assess
financial accountability and performance; and to make decisions
about the school as a suitable en