| The purpose of this historical comparative study is to compare three secondary education reform reports representing two different time periods with legislative mandates of that time period. The early reform period represents time periods from 1893 to 1918. The two reports: Committee on Secondary School Studies 1893, oft times referred to as the Committee of Ten-1893 and Cardinal Principles of Secondary Education–1918. The National Council of Education of the National Education Association (NEA) authorized both of these reports. The third report represents the latter reform period from 1983 until 2001. The report that initiated this reform period is the Nation At-Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform Report . The federal government, during a critical period for the Department of Education, authorized this report. These reform reports will be utilized to examine how the state of Illinois legislatively responded to the recommendations from these reform reports in the areas of curriculum, instruction and assessment.; How does the state, as a critical actor, influence local education agencies to implement mandated changes? What mechanism does the state have to assure implementation? It is important for the educational practitioner to understand the complexity of change for the secondary education and how the state influences change.; In addition, comparing the reform reports would provide a basis for commentary on how the federal government legislation influenced the change process in the latter time period. |
