That is why in many cities there are often many competing, small, plausible, ultimately ineffective reform efforts. When many teachers are poorly edu- cated and have weak control of their subjects or instructional technique, teacher training initiatives are plausible. When pupils get good grades without learning the material normally expected for students of their age, raising academic standards is plausible. However, such plausible initiatives are often ineffective. They may not work because the politics of jobs and patronage continues to divert extra money into hiring, unmotivated teachers neglect training opportuni- ties, weak schools treat standards as unnecessarily high, bureaucracies continually thwart school initiatives, and parents find they have no good choices available.
Many proposals sound good.
They might, despite their limitations, become vital parts of a broader strategy. Some of these initiatives have had localized successes and have contributed to measurable improvements in a few schools. This distinction between a fully developed causal analysis and an as- sertion of plausibility helps explain education reformers' concern with the problem of scaling up. These initiatives are plausible, and they can have the de- sired effects in situations where their originators can control ah relevant factors. However, outside hothouse conditions, the initiatives are wa- tered down or are defeated by factors beyond their originators' control.