It must have seemed simple to the framers of No Child Left Behind. For years, they had poured more and more money into federal programs for schools, yet reading performance had not improved. It appeared that the money had gone down a rat hole, and Congress was ready to hold schools accountable. It was time to get tough. Unfortunately, the…

Summarizes the Southern Regional Education Board's findings concerning 1980s teacher improvement reforms. Salaries doubled in 15 southern states, with pay increases tied to increased teacher accountability. However, available state funding covered evaluations, not staff development; pay-for-performance programs generated heated debates; and…