The turmoil of the seventies was replaced with the reform movements of the eighties. Educational reform has continued to maintain a steady pressure on school systems across the country. Accountability has become the buzzword of education in the nineties. Accountability has been a sign of the times. Parents demand schools that produce a quality product, that is, children who can compete in an increasingly competitive world of skilled labor.
Local politicians point to the schools as a drain on taxpayers dollars.
National politicians use the education issue as a plank in election platforms. News media fill space with news of declining test scores, increased dropout rates and low quality teachers. Accountability has become the pennant of political campaigns. Parents and politicians look to the schools to be responsible for student learning and the schools are holding the students accountable for their learning. Traditionally a student's accountability involved being evaluated by his teacher.