The primary responsibility of the school council is, as it has been from its inception, to work with the principal to develop a sound plan for school improvement. The school improvement plan is at the heart of Education Reform, and it is a key component of the School and District Accountability System established by the Board of Education in 1999. The school council brings together the expertise of educators, parents, and community members to review data available from MCAS reports and other sources, and together with the principal, it develops a plan to address identified needs and improve the performance of students in the school. When the school improvement plan is sound, and the teachers and other educators within the school align their individual professional development plans with it, then all can work better together to improve student learning.