In the modern era, education reform has been driven by many different goals, including raising academic standards, developing a skilled workforce, preparing students for the industrialized world, and promoting social equality. These goals have been met with varying degrees of success throughout history, but each attempt has been impacted by different political, social, and economic conditions that influence the results of education reform efforts.
Education reforms often start with changes to the curriculum. Whether it’s an objective science curriculum or a history that focuses on events rather than the whitewashed, “patriotic” version most educational systems teach today, these changes are intended to make what students learn more meaningful and relevant to their lives.
Another important part of the curriculum is the teachers themselves. High-performing systems tend to put more emphasis on teacher recruitment and training, and they also spend their money differently. They don’t spend as much on buildings, sports, or administrative positions and instead prioritize smaller class sizes and mechanisms that help target resources to the most underserved students.
Unfortunately, the implementation gap between policies enacted at the national, state, or district level and what actually happens in classrooms remains a problem in most schools. To close the gap, states must build structures and create more precise data to support schools and districts that want to implement standards-based reforms. They must also foster a constituency to support these efforts, which could include educators’ organizations and nonprofit groups that promote educational options.