Progress in these areas is influencing reform on the state and local levels. The second type of reform is related to school administration and governance procedures. This type of reform affects how schools are managed and what roles teachers and administrators play. Education reform may be started by powers from outside or inside the school. In contrast, the move toward flexible school schedules in the late 1960s and early 1970s was a reform that came from inside the school.
School reform is nothing new.
The school system has undergone numerous changes in policy and procedure in the past two centuries. Although the basic structure of education has changed very little, reforms have had an influence on the direction of education in America. For example, in the past 100 years, schools have seen the introduction of the lesson plan, learning objectives, and student goal setting. Today, many school reforms are driven by the idea that U.S. students need to be more competitive. To retain this country's international leadership, our schools must prepare all students to be productive in the world marketplace.