New forms of assessment often were being developed to test for other outcomes not prominent in the goals of traditional instruction. Student excitement about learning and interest in the subject matter was evidenced by increased student enrollment in elective portions of the reformed programs. Although federal and state resources often were influential in initiating the reforms described in the case studies, the dollar amount expended for a given site was relatively small. By and large, local expenditures remained at normal levels, although resources often were reallocated to meet redefined needs. The complex and fundamental reforms advocated by the reformers are not easy to establish, but they are appropriate and worthy of pursuit.
Time is a major dilemma for teachers in the reform context.
While teachers find that the time pressures let up as they become more successful in implementing their reforms, it is apparent that the time demands of the reforms are a dilemma for teachers. Expect the reform process to extend over a long period of time. Of central importance to the reforms are changed values and beliefs about the goals of instruction and the means of fostering this learning. To reform education in the full sense demands more than the acquisition of new teaching strategies and techniques. Teacher learning is central to the process of reform, both in its own right and as a foundation for the required learning on the part of students and parents.