We are now in the third wave of the industrial revolution. The third wave is computer technology and the information age. As America has moved from a manufacturing to a service, high-technology economy, concern has grown about the adequacy of the workforce that is produced by public education. The changes in the world of work and in the world economy necessitate that we make major adjustments and refinements to our educational system. School reform of the 1970s is not the school reform of the 1990s.
Schools now deal with social issues that have long-term, albeit difficult solutions.
Within the framework of school reform are complex social issues of decay in our cities, drugs, violence, and lack of equality of opportunity. These initiatives were designed to address the belief that American youth are not qualified to meet the demands of the increasingly competitive workforce. In addition to those who have dropped out, a large number of individuals, estimated as high as 50 percent, exit with high school diplomas but no marketable skills. Finally, they will provide a clear target for instruction and learning. Assessment can thus help improve achievement, not simply monitor it.