[Author’s Name]
[Institution’s Name]
Essay on Policies And Procedures For Increasing Standardized Test Scores In An Urban High School
The contrasting dimensions of the change process are part of the daily reality for school leaders committed to outcome-based reform. Over the past 18 months, however, these school leaders have encountered an exceptionally heavy dose of the risks and challenges associated with leading change and reform. In some instances, these challenges have all but obscured the promise of outcome-based reform and the difference it can make in student learning. Unfortunately, many of the challenges that have surfaced are based on definitions of outcome-based education that are the antithesis of genuine outcome-based practices. They defy the actual results and gains in student learning that school districts across the country have documented.
Perhaps of greatest concern, these ill-founded challenges have siphoned off the time, talents, and energies of many school leaders who had to respond to these challenges rather than maintaining their focus on the continuous improvement of the teaching-for-learning process in their schools. As the recommendations for student learning proposed by the new National Education Standards and Improvement Council are released, it is clear that the onus will be placed on local school districts to develop and further expand outcome-based education systems. The designs of these systems will need to take into account the goals and standards for student learning not only in developing curriculum, but also in designing instructional strategies and assessments and in building the technical and organizational capacity to support outcome-based reform.
Supporting such a systemic reform effort will require a clear definition of what outcome-based education is and is not. In addition, the major challenges to these reform initiatives will need to be addressed forthrightly if our schools are to realize the benefits of an outcome-based system for student learning. (Little & McLaughlin, 1993)Over the past decade several key distinguishing elements of successful outcome-based practices.............
