Thus, virtually every state in the country is putting in place a statewide testing regime to ascertain whether students are learning, and schools are teaching, what state authorities say they should. Asking such questions raises the further question of consequences. A dozen or so provide financial rewards to successful schools and teachers. But states are finding that imposing such consequences has consequences itself . Wisconsin's movement for a rigorous statewide exam ran into a wall when proposed questions were released and most parents discovered that they could not answer the questions.
Social cleavages underlie other unresolved problems in school reform.
And this summer, the Kansas school board rejected evolution as a valid subject for inclusion in that state's standards. The Sixties and their aftermath gave rise to calls for greater student and instructional freedom, as well as a focus on educational equality and access. Each student is required to read at least 100 books per marking period. Those teachers who do not improve after intervention may be asked to leave. As a result of the rigorous peer review, the district has a lower attrition rate than similar districts, and fewer teachers are now requiring intervention.