The remaining challenges were unique to individual districts, and unrelated to each other. The primary characteristics of this local system are flexible time and structures based on what students need in order to learn. Time is a key element in half of the top ten characteristics. It is notable that the standards themselves were rarely mentioned, but that local assessment is listed 47 times. The questions districts asked about statewide Learning Results implementation are largely the same ones I remember from 1996.
Funding is still a challenge at the local level and accountability remains nebulous.
The nine common challenges districts listed include two that specifically require outside support developing assessment tools and funding. The Learning Results Team will continue to collect data about Learning Results implementation and report its findings to you throughout the coming year. The next report will compare the data in the Goals 2000 Learning Results Implementation and TLCF grants, and the separate per pupil professional development plans to the characteristics of full implementation listed at the retreats.