The papers in this collection report on various aspects of a project which studied the effects of educational policies upon classroom teaching. The background of the project is a set of intensive interviews of 43 randomly-selected teachers in 3 diverse school districts. In "Teaching Standards or Standardized Teaching," the point is made that school systems serious about teacher quality must shun "remote control" accountability measures and treat teachers as professionals. "Beyond Standardization: State Standards and School Improvement" discusses state educational policies mandating standardized testing for students. "The Seduction of Central Office Administrators by Effective Schools Research" raises the question of the reliability of such research and how well state policymakers understand research results. "School Reform by Test Scores: A Logical Extension of American Educational Folly" critically examines the policy of basing teacher evaluation on the results of pupil performance on standardized tests. "Teacher Professionalism: A Radical Approach to Improving Schools" offers suggestions for lessening the bureaucratization of the schools and improving teacher education. "On Standards and Public Policy" argues that public officials are using the wrong approach in their efforts to improve education. (JD)