To find the full references for the authors cited in this review, click on their names. Controversy about schools and school practices is not new. Recently however, the level of intensity has been increasing, especially since funding for education is decreasing in the face of government deficits and taxpayer resistance to increased taxes. Questions abound about whether schools are performing as well as they could or should be, considering the money that is spent on them. Many members of the public believe that schools are neither effective in providing students with the basic skills of reading and arithmetic nor in providing equal opportunities for all students.
Parents certainly are concerned about school effectiveness.
What parents consider important in schools are the quality of teachers, school discipline and physical facilities. In the past, evaluations of schools made by administrators and trustees have often been as informal as those made by parents. Assessments of schools based on inputs assumes that what goes into a school determines what comes out, an assumption that, today, is seen as erroneous. In recent years, the focus has shifted from concern with inputs to measuring outcomes. Large-scale examinations or standardized tests have been used to compare schools and school systems with one another, as well as to compare students.