Applying the concept of ‘quality’ to education has been controversial, making it difficult for educators to develop systems for sustainable quality development in schools that meet the needs of governmental accountability and pedagogical practice. The varying perspectives reflect conflicting views about what is quality and, morevoer, how quality can and should be measured. Over the last several decades, numerous programmes and strategies have been developed at the European level to assist schools in developing quality in education, as well as giving perspective to the underlying questions. In 2003, the European Education Quality Benchmark System (2EQBS) was designed with the intent to bridge the paradigmatic camps regarding quality in education, providing educators with a holistic framework to examine their practices in relation to the needs of their community, national curricula, pedagogical principles, and European partners. A formal content validation and usability study were conducted of the quality development tool to examine the degree to which the 2EQBS provides educators with a framework to facilitate school development through cross-cultural partnerships in an age of accountability. Findings from this study are presented in this article and contribute insight into the possibilities for creating a framework that facilitates school development through cross-cultural partnerships and provides teachers with a system for helping to sustain change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR