Again, numerous reports have been published in which efforts to improve education are described. Initiatives to improve textbooks and instructional materials were reported by 21. Master teacher or career ladder programs were being examined in 24, and 6 had begun statewide or pilot programs. The amount of activity has increased with the passage of time. Clune et al.
Reform is designed to bring about change.
Change is a process that, in education, does not occur quickly and that is subject to the influence of many variables. Also, to know if change has occurred, it is necessary to have some indicators to provide valid and reliable data. Indicators are individual or composite statistics reflecting important features of an educational system or relating to a basic construct in education. They are useful in a policy context. However, indicators cannot set goals and priorities, evaluate programs, or develop a balance sheet.