Almost all of the most recent school improvement strategies have focused on standards and accountability. But test data from assessments such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicate that such emphasis has had little impact on student achievement. Drawing from extensive research across national settings, Andy Hargreaves and…

Characterizing this special "Kappan" section on test-based accountability as a cautionary plea, this article sees five themes: tests seldom measure what matters; standardization gets confused with standards; tests constitute a limited reform lever; test-based accountability plans often misplace trust and protection; and the…

Comments on "Kappan's" practice of presenting essays by Presidential candidates concerning their mission for education. (MLH)

President George Bush claims to have increased federal spending on education and favors readiness goals, school choice, voluntary national examinations, and increasing Pell grant awards. (MLH)

Presidential challenger, Governor Bill Clinton, critiques President Bush's record, promising to scrap the existing student loan program and deliver a workable educational reform package. (MLH)

South Carolina's Educator Improvement Act provides for a "cradle-to-grave" system of training, certification, employment, and evaluation of teachers. The author fears this type of legislation is the precursor of a nationwide shift in the locus of policy making. (Author/WD)