April 21, 1994


               ************************************
               THE GOALS 2000:  EDUCATE AMERICA ACT
               ************************************


When President Clinton placed his signature on the Goals 2000: 
Educate America Act on March 31, 1994, he did more than just sign
into law this innovative and comprehensive program to improve
education.  It became the day that America got serious about
education.  

His action commenced the current phase of an about-face in
education that began eleven years ago after the discouraging report
"A Nation At Risk" was issued, which described a "rising tide of
mediocrity" in American education.

Three times in the last six years, Congress has attempted to pass
education reform legislation and each time it has been unable to
resolve its differences.  The strong bipartisan support for Goals
2000 demonstrates that we are ready to move from "a nation at risk"
to a nation on the move.

The enactment of Goals 2000 is the beginning of a new era in school
and education reform -- a revolutionary, all-inclusive plan to
change every aspect of our education system, while at the same time
aligning its individual parts with one another.  

It offers an opportunity for those concerned with the state of
American education to become involved in the implementation of real
change and improvement of our nation's education system, working at
the local community and state levels.  

And it will create and improve learning opportunities for everyone
from pre-school to those who return to school.   

By generating enthusiasm in schools and states throughout this
nation, it will create thousands of community-based reform efforts,
each working for the betterment of our educational system, and each
allowing every school and every student to be the best they can be
-- to learn to world-class standards.

Goals 2000 will move the nation toward a system that is based on
high standards that all students can meet -- a system that will
provide both equity and excellence for all of the students in this
country.  

When we fail to hold all students to high standards, the results
are low achievement and the tragic experience of children leaving
school without ever having been challenged to fulfill their
potential.

High standards lets everyone in the education system know what to
aim for.  It allows every student, every parent, and every teacher
to share in common expectations of what students should know and be
able to accomplish.  Students will learn more when more is expected
of them, in school and at home.  And, aligning teacher education,
instructional materials, assessment practices, and parental
involvement, will create coherence in educational practice.

The American people have said they are ready to move from the old
assembly line version of education to a better way of educating
their children.  They want their children to be part of the new,
emerging high-tech, high- knowledge economy of the 21st century.

By transforming the national education goals into a policy for
which committed people across our nation can work, President
Clinton has helped to ensure that the future of this nation will
remain strong and secure and that its citizens will be able to
compete and prosper in this new global economic era that is already
upon us.

Since early in our history, the public education system of this
nation has been a magnet and a model for people throughout the
world who yearn to make something better of their lives.  It is a
beacon of light across the globe, a symbol of our democratic and
egalitarian traditions.

Unfortunately, in recent years, this standard has slipped; the
beacon has dimmed.  That is why the Goals 2000 law is so important,
as well as the subsequent enactment of additional education reform
legislation like the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, and the
revolutionary reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Act,
both of which are designed to dovetail with Goals 2000.  Each of
these important changes in the law will offer federal assistance in
implementing local education reform...help that is designed to
assist, but not interfere with the traditional local character of
education.

It has been nearly thirty years since this nation has seen the kind
of reform in education that Goals 2000 offers.  It is up to us to
ensure that we maximize the opportunities this law offers us and
work to guarantee a challenging education for every student.  For
the future of our children and our nation, it is the least we can
do.


.
.
April 6, 1994


             ***************************************
               THE GOALS 2000:  EDUCATE AMERICA ACT
              A STRATEGY FOR REINVENTING OUR SCHOOLS
             ***************************************

American education is in crisis. Our schools are not meeting the
needs of students or the demands of our economy for a more
skilled, more adaptable work force. And many vocational education
and job training programs don't equip beginning or experienced
workers with the skills needed for success in the workplace.
Without comprehensive education reform across America, our
nation's economic strength is in jeopardy.

Recognizing this peril, a large majority of the American people
have called for a dramatic overhaul of our nation's public school
system.  President Clinton's program for change -- the Goals
2000: Educate America Act -- will help to reform our schools
dramatically by establishing high academic and occupational
standards and providing support to states and communities to help
students reach those standards.


                    A PLAN THAT WILL WORK
                    *********************

The Goals 2000: Educate America Act is not an experiment; it
incorporates the lessons of education reform from communities and
states in the 1980s.

*    First, raising standards and making course content more
     challenging really works. When more is expected of students,
     they work harder and achieve more. When employees know what
     skills they need to succeed on the job, they will work to
     achieve them.

*    Second, we must change our expectations of teachers. They
     cannot teach to new standards using the same old ways. We
     must overhaul teacher training and make continuing
     professional development an integral part of their job.

*    Third, accountability is essential. Schools must be given
     the tools and the flexibility they need to get the job done
     and then be held accountable for the results they achieve.
     There must be real rewards for high performance and
     significant consequences for failure.

*    Fourth, schools can't do the job alone. Parents, businesses,
     families, community organizations, and public and private
     agencies that provide  health care, counseling, family
     support and other social services must be part of
     community-wide efforts to support students.

*    Fifth, in an economy in which what you earn depends on what
     you learn, learning must never end. Schools, colleges and
     employers must work together with local, state and federal
     governments to make lifelong learning a reality for all
     employees.

The Goals 2000: Educate America Act incorporates and builds on
these lessons of the last decade and creates a historic new
partnership in which parents, schools, teachers, business and
labor leaders, the states, and the federal government all work
together to educate all students.


                    HIGHLIGHTS OF THE LEGISLATION
                    *****************************

The Goals 2000: Educate America Act will:

*    Set in law the original six National Education Goals --
     concerning school readiness, school completion, student
     academic achievement, leadership in math and science, adult
     literacy, and safe and drug-free schools -- and add two new
     goals related to parental participation and professional
     development;

*    Develop and adopt -- for the first time -- challenging
     national performance standards that define what all students
     should know and be able to do in core subject areas such as
     science, math, history, English, geography, foreign
     languages and the arts, and support local reform efforts to
     make those standards a reality in every classroom;

*    Strengthen and improve teacher training, textbooks,
     instructional materials, technologies and overall school
     services so that students will have the tools to achieve
     higher standards;

*    Encourage the development of innovative student performance  
     assessments to gauge progress;

*    Establish a National Skills Standards Board to promote the
     development of occupational skill standards that will define
     what workers will need to know and to ensure that American
     workers are better trained and internationally competitive;
     and

*    Increase flexibility for states, school districts and
     schools by waiving rules and regulations that might impede
     local reform and improvement.


       THE NEW NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE
       *******************************************************

The bill encourages a bottom-up approach to reform. States and
local communities will develop their own improvement plans,
tailored to their special needs. Business and labor will work
together to define the knowledge and skills needed to create
secure economic futures for employees and employers alike. The
federal government will use its resources to assist local reform
efforts and help them implement their improvement plans and will
support the development of model standards against which states,
communities, schools and individuals can measure their progress. 


                         THE FEDERAL ROLE --
                       Setting High Standards

A National Education Standards and Improvement Council (NESIC),
comprised of teachers, parents, business groups, civic leaders
and others, will be created to:

*    Review the efforts by national organizations of
     subject-matter experts to develop voluntary national content
     and performance standards in each subject area, such as
     math, science, history, and geography.  These will be clear
     statements of what students should know and be able to do as
     they progress through school. The standards will be far     
     more rigorous than what is currently expected of students
     and will be as challenging as those in other countries.

*    Lead the effort to develop better measures of student
     progress and performance, measures that really reflect what
     we expect them to learn. New and promising assessment
     programs are being developed through the country; NESIC will
     keep track of changes and encourage those that advance the
     state of the art.


                         THE STATE ROLE --
     Implementing Comprehensive Strategies for Real Improvement

Each state choosing to participate will be asked to develop and
implement a comprehensive improvement plan that raises standards
and helps all students achieve them. Many states have already
begun this work, though few have undertaken anything as ambitious
as called for in this legislation. Every state will be challenged
to participate and to build on local reforms already under way.

*    States will be asked to form a broad-based and
     representative leadership team, comprised of policy makers,
     educators, business and civic leaders, parents and others at
     the grassroots level. Real and lasting change requires new
     partnerships working together.

*    Many states will want to use the national standards as a
     benchmark for their own efforts. On a voluntary basis,
     states may submit to NESIC their content and performance
     standards for certification that they are as rigorous and
     challenging as national standards. 

*    In no state can all students meet challenging new standards
     as the schools currently operate. A fundamental overhaul is
     required. States will develop comprehensive reform plans and
     implementation strategies that will affect every aspect of
     the state's education system -- curriculum, technology,
     teacher training and licensure, parental and community
     involvement, school management and accountability -- and
     every local school district and school.


                         THE LOCAL ROLE --
                    Putting Reform into Action

To make a difference, reform has to occur in every school. Local
school districts and individual schools also will develop and
implement comprehensive improvement plans, reflecting unique
local needs and circumstances, in conjunction with the state's
efforts.

For the first year, $105 million in federal funds is available to
implement Goals 2000 with additional funds requested in
subsequent years. By the second year of funding, states will be
required to use at least 90 percent of their funds to support the
development and implementation of reform plans in local school
districts. 


              CREATING A WORLD-CLASS WORK FORCE
              *********************************

American students, workers, employers and educators must know
what knowledge and skills are required in the workplace. The bill
encourages the development and voluntary adoption of national
skill standards and certification. This effort is a critical step
in establishing a lifelong learning system for all Americans,
including high school students not planning to attend a four-year
college, unemployed and dislocated workers, and employed workers
who want to upgrade their skills. The standards will allow us to
build an education and training system that ties schools,
colleges and other postsecondary institutions, other job training
providers, and employers together in an effort to create a
high-skills, high-wage work force.



                         
.
.
April 6, 1994


        *************************************************
                GOALS 2000:  EDUCATE AMERICA ACT
         SUPPORTING SYSTEMIC EDUCATION REFORM NATIONWIDE
        *************************************************



OVERVIEW

*    Goals 2000 provides resources to states and communities to
     develop and implement comprehensive education reforms aimed
     at helping all students reach challenging academic and
     occupational skill standards.


LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

*    On March 23, the House of Representatives approved the final
     Goals 2000 bill with a bipartisan vote of 306-121.  On March
     26, the Senate approved Goals 2000 with a 63-22 vote.

*    The President signed the bill into law March 31, 1994.


TIMETABLE AND FUNDING

*    Congress has appropriated $105 million for Goals 2000 for
     fiscal year 1994.  First-year funds will be available to the
     states on July 1, 1994.  The President has asked for $700
     million in his 1995 budget proposal to be administered by
     the Department of Education and $12 million for the
     Department of Labor to support the National Skill Standards
     Board.

*    For first-year funding, state educational agencies (SEAs)
     will be asked to submit an application that will describe
     the process by which the state will develop a school
     improvement plan and how the SEA will use the funds
     received, including how the SEA will make subgrants to local
     educational agencies (LEAs) and awards for education
     preservice programs and professional development.
                                
*    In year one, SEAs will use at least 60 percent of the
     allotted funds to award subgrants to LEAs for the
     development or implementation of local improvement plans,
     and to make awards for education preservice programs and
     professional development activities.

*    In succeeding years, at least 90 percent of each state's
     funds are to be used to make subgrants for the
     implementation of the state and local improvement plans and
     to support educator preservice and professional development.

*    In year one, LEAs will use at least 75 percent of the funds
     they receive to support individual school improvement
     initiatives.  After year one, LEAs will pass through at
     least 85 percent of the funds to schools.



          COMPONENTS OF THE "GOALS 2000:  EDUCATE AMERICA ACT"
          ****************************************************



NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS
************************

*    Codifies in law the original six National Education Goals --
     concerning school readiness, school completion, student
     academic achievement, leadership in math and science, adult
     literacy, and safe and drug-free schools -- and adds two new
     goals encouraging parental participation and professional
     development of teachers.



NATIONAL EDUCATION REFORM LEADERSHIP, STANDARDS, AND ASSESSMENTS
****************************************************************

*    Establishes in law the National Education Goals Panel which
     will: build public support for the goals; report on the
     nation's progress toward meeting the goals; and review the
     voluntarily-submitted national content, student performance,
     and opportunity-to-learn standards, and the criteria for
     certification of these standards developed by the National
     Education Standards and Improvement Council (NESIC).

*    Creates NESIC to examine and certify voluntary national and
     state content, student performance, and opportunity-to-learn
     standards, and assessment systems submitted by states and
     content groups on a voluntary basis.  

*    Authorizes grants to support the development of voluntary
     model opportunity-to-learn standards as well as assessment
     systems aligned to state content standards.



STATE AND LOCAL EDUCATION SYSTEMIC IMPROVEMENT
**********************************************

Title III is a state grant program to support, accelerate, and
sustain state and local improvement efforts aimed at helping all
students reach challenging academic standards.


                    STATE PLANNING PANEL

*    The Governor and the Chief State School Officer will each
     appoint half the members of a broad-based panel comprised of
     the chair of the state board of education and the chair of
     the appropriate authorizing committees of the state
     legislature, teachers, principals, administrators, parents,
     representatives of business, labor, and higher education,
     and members of the public.

*    States that already have a broad-based panel in place that
     has made substantial progress in developing a plan may
     request that the Secretary of Education recognize the
     existing panel.


                 COMPREHENSIVE IMPROVEMENT PLAN

*    The State Planning Panel is responsible for developing a
     comprehensive reform plan.

*    States with reform plans already in place that meet the
     Act's requirements will not have to develop new plans for
     Goals 2000.  The Secretary may approve plans, or portions of
     plans, already adopted by the state.

*    In order to receive Goals 2000 funds after the first year, a
     state has to have an approved plan or have made substantial
     progress in developing it.

*    A peer review process will be used to review the state plans
     and offer guidance to the State Planning Panel.  The
     Department of Education also will offer other technical
     assistance and support.


IN GENERAL, THE PLANS ARE TO ADDRESS:

*    Strategies for the development or adoption of content
     standards, student performance standards, student
     assessments, and plans for teacher training.

*    Strategies for providing all students an opportunity to
     learn at higher academic levels.

*    Strategies for improved management and governance, and for
     promoting accountability for results, flexibility, site-
     based management, and other principles of high-performance
     management.

*    Strategies to involve parents and the community in helping
     all students meet the challenging state standards and for
     promoting grass roots, bottom-up involvement in reform.

*    Strategies for ensuring that all local educational agencies
     and schools in the state are involved in developing and
     implementing needed improvements.

*    Strategies for assisting local educational agencies and
     schools to meet the needs of school-aged students who have
     dropped out of school.

Funds also will be available to states to support the development
of a state technology plan, which will be coordinated with the
overall reform plan.  This plan is to describe how states will
use technology to support systemic reform and the achievement of
high standards.


                     LOCAL PLANNING PROCESS

*    LEAs may use Goals 2000 funds to develop or implement a
     local improvement plan.  As is true for the state, LEAs will
     be asked to develop broad consensus regarding the
     improvement plan.

*    LEAs will encourage and assist schools in developing and
     implementing reforms that best meet their particular needs. 
     The local plan would include strategies for ensuring that
     all students meet the academic standards developed by the
     states.



NATIONAL SKILL STANDARDS BOARD
******************************


*    This title creates a National Skill Standards Board to serve
     as a catalyst in stimulating the development and adoption of
     a voluntary national system of occupational skill standards
     and certification that will serve as a cornerstone of the
     national strategy to enhance workforce skills. The Board
     will be responsible for identifying broad clusters of major
     occupations in the U.S. and facilitating the establishment
     of voluntary partnerships to develop skill standards for
     each cluster. The Board will endorse those skill standards
     submitted by the partnerships that meet certain statutorily
     prescribed criteria.



                           WAIVERS
                           *******

*    State educational agencies (SEAs) may apply to the Secretary
     of Education for waivers of certain programmatic
     requirements of Department of Education programs that impede
     the implementation of the state or local implementation
     plans.  SEAs may also submit waiver requests on behalf of
     LEAs and schools.

*    The Secretary may select up to six states for participation
     in an education flexibility demonstration program, which
     allows the Secretary to delegate his waiver authority to
     SEAs.

*    The Act specifies certain statutory and regulatory
     programmatic requirements that may not be waived, including
     civil rights laws.



THE RELATIONSHIP OF GOALS 2000 TO OTHER FEDERAL EDUCATION
PROGRAMS
*********************************************************

*    State participation in all aspects of Goals 2000 is
     voluntary, and is not a precondition for participation in
     other Federal programs.

*    Goals 2000 is the first step toward making the Federal
     government a supportive partner in state and local systemic
     reforms aimed at helping all children reach higher
     standards.

*    Other new and existing education and training programs will
     fit within the Goals 2000 framework of challenging academic
     and occupational standards, systemic reform, and flexibility
     at the state and local levels.  The aim is to promote
     greater coherence among Federal programs and between Federal
     programs and state and local education reforms.

*    For example, the pending School-to-Work Opportunities Act
     will support state and local efforts to build a school-to-
     work transition system that will help youth acquire the
     knowledge, skills, abilities, and labor-market information
     they need to make a smooth transition from school to career-
     oriented work and to further education and training. 
     Students in these programs will be expected to meet the same
     academic standards states establish under Goals 2000 and
     will earn portable, industry-recognized skill certificates
     that are benchmarked to high-quality standards such as the
     skill standards that will be established under Goals 2000.

*    Similarly, the Administration's proposed reauthorization of
     the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA)
     allows states that have developed standards and assessments
     under Goals 2000 to use them for the ESEA, thereby providing
     a single set of standards and assessments for states to use
     for their reform needs and to meet Federal requirements.

*    In the future, the Administration's proposals for the
     reauthorization of education programs also will fit within
     the same framework of challenging standards and
     comprehensive reform.


revised 4/7/94
                    ****************************
                    THE NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS
                    ****************************


By the Year 2000 --

*  ALL CHILDREN in America will start school ready to learn.

*  THE HIGH SCHOOL graduation rate will increase to at least 90
percent.

*  ALL STUDENTS will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having
demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter including
English, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and
government, economics, the arts, history, and geography, and
every school in America will ensure that all students learn to
use their minds well, so they may be prepared for responsible
citizenship, further learning, and productive employment in our
nation's modern economy.

*  UNITED STATES students will be first in the world in
mathematics and science achievement.

*  EVERY ADULT American will be literate and will possess the
knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global economy and
exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

*  EVERY SCHOOL in the United States will be free of drugs,
violence, and the unauthorized presence of firearms and alcohol
and will offer a disciplined environment conducive to learning.

*  THE NATION'S teaching force will have access to programs for
the continued improvement of their professional skills and the
opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to
instruct and prepare all American students for the next century.

*  EVERY SCHOOL will promote partnerships that will increase
parental involvement and participation in promoting the social,
emotional, and academic growth of children.
 
     **************************************************
     WHY WE NEED VOLUNTARY NATIONAL EDUCATION STANDARDS
     *************************************************


When we think about how to improve our schools, one of the most
important questions is: What do we want our children to know and
be able to do?

Not everyone leaves school with the skills and knowledge
necessary to succeed. Too many of this nation's schools offer
students watered-down curricula, inadequate textbooks, and
outmoded teaching methods. And we have, until now, often gauged
student achievement by the number of courses taken -- not actual
learning -- and by scores on multiple-choice tests that often
measure little more than low-level skills.

The results of international assessments in the 1980s show that
the skills and knowledge of American students do not measure up
to their international peers. Other developed countries have
something we don't: clearly defined high standards.

American students can learn more if they are challenged -- both
in school and at home. If students and schools are not held to
high standards, they will not work hard enough and achieve as
much as they can. If their parents don't show them the importance
of learning, they may not have the will to learn.


       WHAT NATIONAL STANDARDS ARE AND HOW THEY'RE BEING SET
       *****************************************************

National standards will describe what all students should know
and be able to do at certain grade levels. The standards will
encourage students to use their minds well, to solve problems, to
think, and to reason.

National standards will provide a focus, not a national
curriculum; a national consensus, not federal mandates; voluntary
adoption, not mandatory use; and dynamic, not static,
applications.

Mathematics standards are already in use in many classrooms.
National standards in science, history, civics and government,
geography, English, economics, foreign languages, and the arts
are now being developed by teachers and scholars. The input of
state and local leaders, parents, and citizens is also being
sought.

The national standards are meant to be a resource to be used by
schools, districts, and states to guide and revise curricula,
assessments, teacher preparation, and instruction. All of the
elements should be aligned so that everyone and everything
involved in education work together to help students learn more.

National standards do not have to be in place before states and
communities can begin to develop their own standards. Indeed,
some states have already introduced high standards into their
classrooms. States and communities can develop their own
standards or modify and adopt those developed under national
consensus.

Under the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the Clinton
Administration's landmark school reform bill, federal funds would
flow to states and communities to help them develop their own
rigorous standards and implement their own programs of school
reform to help their students achieve the higher standards.



.
.
               					April 6, 1994

		UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
 
    Why We Need Voluntary National Education Standards

When we think about how to improve our schools, one of the
most important questions is: What do we want our children
to know and be able to do? 

Not everyone leaves school with the skills and knowledge
necessary to succeed. Too many of this nation's schools
offer students watered-down curricula, inadequate
textbooks, and outmoded teaching methods. And we have,
until now, often gauged student achievement by the
number of courses taken  not actual learning  and by
scores on multiple-choice tests that often measure
little more than low-level skills. 

The results of international assessments in the 1980s
show that the skills and knowledge of American students
do not measure up to their international peers. Other
developed countries have something we don't: clearly
defined high standards. 

American students can learn more if they are challenged 
both in school and at home. If students and schools are not
held to high standards, they will not work hard enough and
achieve as much as they can. If their parents don't show
them the importance of learning, they may not have the
will to learn. 


   WHAT NATIONAL STANDARDS ARE AND HOW THEY'RE BEING SET

National standards will describe what all students
should know and be able to do at certain grade levels. The
standards will encourage students to use their minds
well, to solve problems, to think, and to reason. 

National standards will provide a focus, not a national
curriculum; a national consensus, not federal
mandates; voluntary adoption, not mandatory use; and
dynamic, not static, applications. 

Mathematics standards are already in use in many
classrooms. National standards in science, history,
civics and government, geography, English, economics,
foreign languages, and the arts are now being developed
by teachers and scholars. The input of state and local
leaders, parents, and citizens is also being sought. 

The national standards are meant to be a resource to be
used by schools, districts, and states to guide and
revise curricula, assessments, teacher preparation,
and instruction. All of the elements should be aligned so
that everyone and everything involved in education work
together to help students learn more. 

National standards do not have to be in place before
states and communities can begin to develop their own
standards. Indeed, some states have already introduced
high standards into their classrooms. States and
communities can develop their own standards or modify
and adopt those developed under national consensus. 

Under the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the Clinton
Administration's landmark school reform bill, federal
funds would flow to states and communities to help them
develop their own rigorous standards and implement
their own programs of school reform to help their
students achieve the higher standards. 


 
.
.
April 6, 1994


     *****************************************************
     PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE HIGH-WAGE JOBS OF TOMORROW
     *****************************************************


SKILL STANDARDS: WHAT THEY ARE, WHY WE NEED THEM

Many Americans are not equipped with the academic and
occupational skills that an increasingly complex job market
requires. Often, they do not find stable, career-track jobs for
five to 10 years after leaving high school. The cost to them, to
businesses and to the American economy is staggering.

American students, workers, employers, and educators must be
aware of the knowledge and skills that the workplace of today and
of the future will demand of them. The Goals 2000: Educate
America Act encourages the development and adoption of a system
of skill standards and certification of an individual's
attainment of such standards. Skill standards identify the
specific knowledge, skill, and ability levels needed to perform a
given job in a given industry.


WHO BENEFITS?

With a system of skill standards in place:

*    STUDENTS in education and training programs will know what
     skills are needed for high-wage employment and they can earn
     a credential that is portable and recognizable by employees
     and demonstrates they have acquired such skills.

*    EMPLOYERS and businesses will have reliable information to
     assist in evaluating workers' skill levels in making hiring
     and training decisions.  This is especially important for
     small and medium-sized businesses that cannot afford to
     develop their own skill assessment systems.

*    TRAINING PROVIDERS AND EDUCATORS will be accountable for the
     services they provide because there will be a method in
     place to evaluate whether the participants or students have
     attained skills that are relevant to the demands of the
     workplace.

*    UNEMPLOYED AMERICANS can seek retraining with the confidence
     that the skills they gain will lead to new employment
     opportunities.

*    LABOR ORGANIZATIONS can better determine which skills and
     training are vital to their members' employment security.


SKILL STANDARDS AND THE GOALS 2000: EDUCATE AMERICA ACT

Goals 2000 contains two major components -- a system for helping
states and localities establish high, voluntary academic
standards, and a system to support business, labor, educators,
and the public in the development of occupational skill
standards. The two are inextricably linked. A new generation of
workers -- those prepared for high-skill, high-wage jobs -- will
emerge from a restructured American education system that
produces workers firmly grounded in core academic subjects and
equipped with skills that are in demand in today's labor market.

To further these goals, the legislation establishes a National
Skill Standards Board to encourage and assist partnerships in
developing and adopting standards that are relevant to industry.
The partnerships -- including broad-based representation from
business, labor and education -- would actually develop the
standards. The Board's function would be to provide financial and
technical assistance in the development of the standards and to
endorse standards that meet objective criteria. Standards
endorsed by the Board would be linked to the highest
international standards and would promote the transition to
high-performance work organizations.

Through the development of broadly defined skill standards, the
U.S. will be able to set goals for skill achievement,
competencies, and performance that will help create a lifelong
learning system for all Americans and will drive our nation's
economic growth into the next century and beyond.

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April 6, 1994


          ***************************************
                         Goals 2000
          A World-Class Education for Every Child
          ***************************************

Imagine a school ...

     ...where everything is designed to ensure that all students
     can realize their full potential.

     ...where the teachers, the curriculum, the textbooks and
     technology,the administration, the parents, the community ?
     all of the people and parts of education ? are working
     together to help students learn.

Imagine a partnership ...

     ...where all schools can become such a school.

     ...where organizations at every level -- national, state,
     and local -- work together to create and support such
     schools in every community in the United States.

That's the vision of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the
first major school reform legislation in more than a decade. This
landmark law aims to reinvent American schools by creating a
framework for establishing high academic and skill standards --
and by providing the leadership and support
states and communities need to help students reach those
standards.

BUILDING ON WHAT WORKS: The Goals 2000: Educate America is based
upon principles learned from successful school reform efforts in
states and communities during the past 10 years. Those principles
include:

*    Higher expectations for all students. High standards and
     enriched course content produce better student performance.
     All students can learn more than we currently ask of them.
     When we expect more of students, they work harder and
     achieve more.

*    New approaches to teaching. Helping students meet
     challenging standards requires new ways of teaching. Teacher
     preparation and professional development programs need to be
     overhauled and improved.

*    Making schools accountable. We need to give schools the
     tools and flexibility to do their job, and then hold them
     responsible for results.

*    Building partnerships. We've learned that schools can't do
     it alone.  Parents, educators, students, business, labor,
     and public, private and nonprofit groups need to be active
     partners in the reform effort.


What the Goals 2000: Educate America Act does ...

*    Supports the development of challenging voluntary academic
     standards that define what students should know and be able
     to do and offers states and local communities the support
     they need to put those higher standards to work in their
     classrooms.

*    Encourages the development of a new generation of student    
     performance assessments ? new methods of gauging student    
     achievement that will be linked to national, state, and
     local standards and which will be valid, reliable, and free
     of discrimination.

*    Supports the creation of voluntary national occupational
     standards that, with the help of business and labor, will
     define the knowledge and skills needed for the complex,
     high-wage jobs of tomorrow.

*    Supports a "bottom-up," grassroots approach to school
     reform, with the federal government assisting states and
     local communities in the development and implementation of
     their own comprehensive and innovative reform programs.


A New Federal, State, and Local Partnership ...

*    Each participating state and community will develop and
     implement a comprehensive improvement plan that raises
     standards and helps students achieve them. A broad-based
     leadership team composed of policymakers, educators,
     business and civic leaders, parents, and others will help
     create each reform plan. States may adopt national content
     and performance standards or they may develop their own.

*    Federal funds will be provided to support state and local
     improvement efforts. By the second year of funding, 90
     percent of the money will flow to local schools and
     districts to support their reform plans.

*    Supports the establishment of parent information and
     resource centers, in order to help provide parents with the
     knowledge and skills needed to effectively participate in
     their child's education.



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