ECONOMIC-DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC-EDUCATION - STRATEGIES AND STANDARDS

Public discussion of public school reform has been animated by a popul ar presumption that public education is a key to economic development. The popular model further presumes that a direct and simple mechanism connects education and development. Review of a rapidly accumulating literature indicates that there is a strong connection, but the mechan isms are many and complex rather than few and simple. Three basic deve lopment strategies are identified and corresponding educational standa rds are defined as a way of simplifying a growing complexity confronti ng public decision makers. The strategy-standard pairs are termed the shifting foundation, high-performance applications, and innovation pro cess.