States can help local schools improve by implementing effective school improvement strategies. A study by the Education Commission of the States (ECS) identified key elements that can transform schools into more effective organizations, and various roles that states can play in the change process. The study analyzed data collected in 40 schools in 10 states, providing a solid knowledge base for implementing state-mandated education reforms. Effective strategies and conditions for success were studied using a case-study approach. The study began in late 1983 and was completed in early 1985.

Public school policy mak­ing is embedded in a complex societal matrix. It is not possi­ble to consider the future of U.S. schools without examining the size and distribution of future populations; the future state of the economy and its ef­fect on funds available for the schools; and the political context within which decisions will be made. The public school system is a "dependent variable" of larger social and economic forces.

Increased state funding of public education has led to a call for statewide accountability systems. Current trends rely on standardized true-false testing, which can distort what happens in schools when financial incentives are linked with the tests. Teachers are important, and accountability should provide positive encouragement without excessive use of testing. A set of principles and an outline for a statewide accountability system that relies on both top-down and bottom-up accountability is presented.