Educational Reform and School Improvement Chapter 10

Educational Reform in the 1980s and 1990s Conservative response to the progressive reforms of the 1960s and 1970s Two waves of reform: the first as a response to A Nation At Risk and other reports concerned primarily with accountability and achievement

First Wave of Reform Many states increased graduation requirements, toughened curriculum mandates, and increased the use of standardized tests to measure student achievement Increasingly top-down reform was seen to be ineffective

Second Wave of Reform Targeted with the structure and processes of schools, more control in the hands of local schools, teachers, and communities The triple theme of achievement, assessment, and accountability Reforms remained highly bureaucratic, and aimed at assessment, critics said Teacher empowerment, site-based management, school choice, charter schools, and tuition vouchers became most important

School Choice Seen as a panacea: nonbureaucratic, inexpensive, and fundamentally egalitarian allowing market forces to shape school policy (conservatives) Controversial because it is highly political Intersectional choice includes public and private schools Intrasectional choice includes only public schools Intradistrict choice

School Choice Market-driven choice increases stratification Increase educational opportunities for minority children Choice parents more involved in children’s education Choice parents more satisfied Disagreement on student achievement of choice students

Other Reform Movements School-business Partnerships School-to-work Programs School-Based Management and Teacher Empowerment The Effective School Movement

Teacher Education Perceived lack of rigor and intellectual demands in teacher education programs Need to attract and retain competent teacher candidates Necessity to reorganize academic and professional components of teacher education and the undergraduate and graduate levels