In this article, the authors explain a method that helps policymakers and educators to identify the forces and trends affecting education today and to project how they might conceivably play out in the future. They suggest that by asking "What if?" in a disciplined way, it might be better to imagine the possibilities of tomorrow in order to take…

In the latter part of the 20th century, public education in America underwent a revolutionary shift. The 1983 publication of "A Nation at Risk," widely credited with launching the modern standards movement, led to a spate of statewide initiatives intended to define what students should know and be able to do. Now, more than five years…

This paper describes how implementation of four key aspects of the No Child Left Behind Act can move schools closer to raising achievement for all students. These four aspects--accountability and testing, flexible use of federal resources, school choice, and quality teachers and quality teaching--can allow schools and districts to realize the…