<p>Teacher performance management in many Western countries has been identified as jeopardising teacher professionalism rather than enhancing it. It has been argued that the teaching profession faces issues of mistrust, external reviews that demand unrealistic transparency, and constraints on professional judgement. To address these concerns, intelligent accountability has been proposed. Although there is some theoretical research on intelligent accountability, significant gaps remain in practical applications. This paper aims to theorise intelligent accountability in education policy by identifying its key aspects: trust (cooperation among stakeholders), collaboration with an emphasis on the important role of school leaders, and demystifying the relationship between big data and transparency. Additionally, this paper provides a specific example of how the principles of intelligent accountability can be enacted in practice. This study examines two education policies in New Zealand. In 2020, the New Zealand government introduced the Teacher Professional Growth Cycle (PGC) to replace the Teacher Performance Appraisal (TPA). This paper argues that this transition demonstrates a practical orientation towards intelligent accountability. By analysing the implementation of the professional growth cycle for teachers in New Zealand, the article shows that this initiative aligns perfectly with the principles of intelligent accountability. This paper contributes to the exploration of intelligent accountability within a specific socio-political context.</p>