Defenders of the status quo may very well argue that while restructuring represents opportunities for power shifts, it does not have a great deal to do with students. Consequently, the link between American education problems and solutions must be made more explicit. Although the current state of research is insufficient to establish a causal link between these strategies and student outcomes, at least a logical link should be specified, showing the progression of changes likely to be associated with a particular restructuring proposal. This will give policymakers and the public a basis for understanding what they would be purchasing with their money and support, and educators a clear gauge for judging the effectiveness of restructuring efforts. The second potential pitfall is that each of the major restructuring strategies addresses different parts of the educational system.
Educational problems are multi-faceted, and some combination of reforms is needed.
However, few efforts are being made to design a comprehensive strategy. Worse yet, some restructuring proponents are isolated from one another. This is particularly true for those advocating changes in the organization of schooling and those espousing different curriculum and teaching methods. Third, scant attention has been paid to basic feasibility questions. Society cannot implement a fundamentally different curriculum or ask teachers to assume the role of gatekeepers for an array of social services without providing training, time, and opportunity to develop new operating procedures.