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vieu, of rhc ulorld. and as scholars have warned in many ways. the policy and policy
implementation regulatory apparatus must be as simple as possible. but not simpler than
Iiecessary to get the results desired. The research vi~orously su_ggests that, more often than
not. deep pockets and considerable patience are required to support school reform as it n5inds
its way through the layers of authority, capacity, and willingness of the system.
The last link in the policy implementation chain is that of assessment. a similarly
complex and difficult activity. Determining outcomes may he dependent on the point in the
~.x-ocess under study. Care must be taken to examine change from the total contextual
en\.ironment, rather than in isolation. Lessons must be taken from the individual character of
the institution studied. As Cronbach (1982) quipped, "generalizations decay" and by their
\.el-! nature. policies have to be general-but also sufficiently specific to guide assessments to
determine if the policy uras effecti1.e. Policy squares off asainst the experience in schools of
\t:~t'f rno\.ing on to new opportunities. changes in leadership. and colnpetin? demands for
linlitccl I-c.\c)ur-ces. This con\tantl~ chansing en\-ironrnent requires adaptation after adaptation.
nc\i I ~ ; I I ~ L ~ i~ncl s old pnlic!. \i.orking to_rether to manase a steadfastness in the midst of change.
Iyin;ill!.. linking rhe macro and micro le\.els of policy implementarion analysis pro\-ides
tl~c ~ll;illc'~l~c' (;)I. tllc next ~e11er;~tiori of re\earcher (Lerner. 1986). The macro Is\-el emphasis
OII 1l1c ~.~gl~l;~r.iries
01. prcwe~s and the c~rganizritional ~trucrure is at odds \i.ith the street lewl
ps;~c.~itio~lcr ;IS the'!' so ;1hoi11 ~ hc ciail!. rcalilic'5 of implenientuticm. ofren \\'ith insut'ticient
CLI~(~,IIIL'C to i~ltc~.j~~.c't poliC!. inrcnt. On [he or11t.1. ]land. prricritio~lsr-I* 2nd micro Ie\.el rin:il!-sts
I ~ ; I \ c tr-;~cli~iori;ill\. p~.o\.id~~i li~liitc~l suid;in~,c ttj ~~oIic.!.rnakcr\. a. their foc'u~ rends 10 isnc>~-c
O I ~ C : I I I ~ ~ : I ~ ~ ~ ~ I I ; I I
ci.ft.~.~s
L ~ O I ~ S ~ ~ 01. ~ \!,\ICII~-\\.IL~C
L I ~ I ~ ~ C ~
of ;I polic!- ~IIIL~
c~~~icc.~it~~;itc 011 111c're