Standards and accountability have become a central issue of educational reform in many countries. Professional standards for teachers and principals have been developed, and benchmarking and comparison are at the heart of the new performance assessment. "Designer leadership" has become a defining theme for leadership in the appearance of regimes…

Discusses school restructuring and how it can apply to music education. Includes changes in concepts of education, the movement toward accountability, and defining effective schools. Describes effective schools as those in which the basic skills of underserved students are at the same level as those of middle class students. (DK)