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Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
According to Joetta L. Slack, "Accountability has become the watchword in recent
years for state legislators looking for ways to reform K- 12 education and hold schools,
educators, and students responsible for showing results" (Slack 1999, p. 1). Gone forever are
the days of skilled educators entering the classroom with feelings of trust and freedom to do
what their training had prepared them to do. This transition was especially difficult for Iowa
educators. As the last remaining state still fightins the local control battle, the action of the
1998 legislature in passing HF 2272 into law (HF 2272: Accountability For Student Learning
Act) left many educators feeling a loss of trust. confidence. and pride in their profession.
Ioula's 37 1 school districts were faced with the task of implementing state mandated
accountability procedures that forced districts to develop school irnprovement plans with strict
guidelines. to develop standards and benchmarks for student learning. and to report test scores
Ltnd other indicatc~rs of impro\.ement to the state and local communities using uniform
I'c~rmats. Even thouyh the ideas invol\.ed uwe not ne\v. the requirements of 2272 \x.ould pro\-e
to he ;I Herculean task for e\~-yone.
Concept\ (of accountabilit!.. continuous school improvement. and periodic re\.isions of
CO;IIS \x.crc concepts \4.irh \x.hich 1oix.a educators \Awe quits familiar. During the 1980s. man!.
,c.hclol rli\rricts across the st~itc h;td implenicnted acti\.ities. de\.eloped staff development
p~.oyr;i~lls. ;111~1 01.g;111i7eri c.o~~~mitrecs to meet the rcquire~ntsnts of Sections :SO. 12 and 2S0.18
(11' [llcl It~\\,;l (-0dc. .l'llc.4c 1nnncfatc.s 4crj.ed ;is the fir>[ i[ate\\.icit' effort\ to 3ddrelr~ S C ~ L ~ O ~
;lcc.(,ilnt;ll>ilir\' is\llc\, t?llt ~llc.\. \\.crc inlerp~-ctt.d ;ind implt.menrc.d bror~dl!. and in .ccord '1- - \\.it11
[llc. tl.;lciilic)l14 (,I. IOc;~1 C*c~l~tI.c~l-\\.hic.h pro\.idctl con?;idcr;~t~lz latirucic in imllkmentnti~n. Tht.