Education reform is the process of amending the legislation, standards, and methods affecting a country’s schools in order to improve academic achievement. These changes can be implemented at national, state, or district level and are often driven by political interests. Reforms are aimed at a wide range of objectives, including teaching standards, teacher development, school choice, and assessments and accountability. Understanding these goals can help education leaders successfully implement and fund education reforms.
Historically, many of the motivations behind education reform have been linked to addressing socio-economic issues like poverty, gender equality, and health. Education reforms have tried to address these issues through improving access to education and changing how students are taught. In the United States, education reforms have included allowing women to attend school, introducing standardized testing, and expanding education for minorities.
The most successful education systems set high, consistent standards for students that teachers at every level must meet. These systems also have strong leadership, including at the school level. They develop new teaching and learning frameworks that support innovation and focus on student outcomes. They invest in teacher preparation and professional development to support this work.
These systems understand that their vision, leadership, and commitment to equity are not enough to improve educational performance if these efforts don’t impact teaching and learning in classrooms. They know that they must implement education reforms in a way that is supported by a broad network of state-led local entities and nonprofit organizations. They understand that their implementation must be guided by research to ensure the greatest impact.
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