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Legislatures play a critical role with Governors, State Boards of Education and Chief State School Officers in creating the environment within which school reform takes place. That environment must be one that establishes high expectations for student achievement as embodied in clear, challenging academic content standards, provides support and resources, and encourages shared responsibility for schooling success at the state and local level.

The state has the ultimate responsibility for setting the standards that will drive the accountability system. In practice that responsibility is usually delegated by the legislature that passes the laws, which call for the creation of standards and sets forth the specific criteria that will serve as the basis for the accountability system, to the state education agency. In order for the standards to have the desired effect on school improvement, they must be of high quality to begin with, set high expectations for students, schools and districts, and the academic component of the standards must be teachable.

State legislatures enact legislation that establishes the accountability system for a state, and as such, must share in the responsibility for the improvement of schools and student learning on an ongoing basis. Cohesive legislative action that is demanding but fair, consistent over a number of years, strategic and systematic, and that ensures alignment between the various actions passed is of utmost importance.

Disjointed legislative actions from one legislative session to the next only add confusion to the already difficult task of improving our nation’s schools. A key guiding principle for the legislature in the accountability arena is that they should be "clear on expectations and loose on controls."

Flexibility must be provided for schools within legislative action so that they may take advantage of unique circumstances or special needs that exists within their communities. While health and safety issues must never be compromised, the “one shoe fits all” approach to schooling that we have held over the years simply has to be rethought.

Although the responsibility for evaluation and oversight of the accountability system rests with the state legislature, this function is usually delegated to some other organization such as the state education agency or an independent body of citizens such as the one proposed in this paper. In delegating this responsibility, the legislature must assure that the system created does not over-regulate schools and that it is thoroughly and consistently implemented.

Adequate, reliable, and predictable school funding systems are a must.

If school districts are expected to develop effective continuous improvement/strategic plans to guide their improvement efforts, a funding system that supports those efforts and allows for long-range planning is essential. This is a legislative responsibility.

There must also be sufficient legislative attention and financial support given to the institutions that prepare teachers and administrators for the schools. And time must be allowed for many of the improvement initiatives to bear fruit, rather than searching for the “quick fix!" There must be recognition that the redesign of schooling in America calls for a much more comprehensive approach and that it will take time.

Districts and schools must have time to put into place the necessary actions that are designed to bring about the improvements called for in the accountability system. Substantial time and effort over a number of years will be needed if we are to see improved learning from all students.

There are few, if any, quick fixes to the school improvement challenge.

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