Other elements such as school climate, retention policies, accountability designs, and the support for teachers in their work with students all shape what teachers are able to do in their classrooms. What actually happens in a particular classroom with a particular group of students depends fundamentally on teachers knowledge, beliefs, decisions, commitment, and support.

Much has been written about the restructuring of the content students learn, the way it is taught, and the way the program is supported through professional development. Teachers understanding of teaching and learning in science and mathematics varies widely, in part, depending on their undergraduate or graduate education and subsequent professional development.

Recent analysis by Linda Darling-Hammond (The Right to Learn, 1997) has shown that of the key variables effecting student achievement such as poverty, ethnicity, language, and location, are all dwarfed in comparison by teacher experience. This has serious implications for children of poverty, who also attend the poorest schools with the least experienced teachers. The alternative is to provide teachers with the knowledge, critical frames, and working environment where they will be able to think deeply about how to improve their practice (Loucks-Horsley, Designing Professional Development, 1998).

Most teachers work alone and in isolation from their colleagues, so once the teacher leaders have been identified they must be nurtured and appreciated. It is important to pick teacher leaders who have already decided to focus on standards-based education and should be nurtured to ensure that they share a common vision with the principal, schools, and district.