“Goals 2000” on Education: Summary of the Systemic Education Reform

Introduction

Goals 2000 was passed in a congress in 1994 by President Bill Clinton. It was to present grants and or resources to states and localities for systemic education reform efforts and also to certify that every scholar accomplishes their complete inherent capacity for coming into being. The act was amended in 1996 to reduce the requirement states would have to meet to receive access to Goals 2000 funding. This happened so because there was controversy about the extent to which the federal government was to be involved in education policy (Thurlow & Ysseldyke, 1994).

Summary “Goals 2000”

Goals 2000 focused on congressional and executive branch efforts to achieve specific outcomes that would ensure the U.S. economic and educational competitiveness. They include an expectation of continued federal advocacy of the six goals adopted by the state governors of the first Bush administration. The goals were established in the 1990s and were part of a national effort to foster standards based reform in the schools throughout the United States.

These goals, though laudable, were largely rhetorical, and their actual realization, given the federal budget deficit, was highly problematic. Accomplishing the goals was largely a state effort because of the lack of long-term federal funding (Raisch, Hunt, & Lasley, II, 2010).

Goals 2000 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization legislation have far-reaching implications for the federal, state and local compact on education. Goals 2000 establishes a framework for standards-based reform, codifies eight national education goals in the federal law, authorizes funding and other incentives to encourage states to adopt and implement standards, calls for participating states to develop assessments aligned with standards, and authorizes federal money to develop and evaluate new assessments. The goals contain reassurances about the voluntary nature of national standards, vesting primary control of standards and assessments in the states, and establishing a partnership between local communities and the federal government (Valencia, 2002, p.157).

However, the goals 2000 (National Education Goals) include the following:

1. School Readiness- this stated that all American children would commence educational discipline and be prepared to acquire educational knowledge by the year 2000.
2. School Completion-the rate of successful completion of a program of study at high school will enhance to a minimum of 90 per cent by the year 2000.
3. Students Achievement and Citizenship-having expressed educational aptitude over challenging focus matters which consist of English, mathematics, sciences, foreign languages, civics, government, economics, arts, history and geography, all students will graduate from grades 4, 8, and 12 by the year 2000.
4. Teacher Education and Professional Development-This stated that, by the year 2000, the nations training strength would have access to programs for the persistent enhancement of their specialized skills and the prospect of acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to teach and train all American students for the subsequent century.
5. Mathematics and Science- the United States scholars will be foremost in the world in mathematics and science accomplishment by the year 2000.
6. Adult Literacy and lifelong learning- every adult American will be educated and will acquire the knowledge and skills essential to participate in a global economy and apply the privileges and responsibilities of nationality by the year 2000.
7. Safe, Disciplined, and Alcohol-and drug-free Schools- drugs, violence, and the unauthorized presence of firearms and alcohol will be free in every school in the United States. Schools will instead offer a disciplined environment favourable to learning by the year 2000.
8. Parental Participation- every school will encourage corporations that will boost parental contribution and involvement in enhancing the social, emotional, and academic growth of children by the year 2000 (Raisch, Hunt, & Lasley, II, 2010).

Goals 2000 expanded upon the National Education Goals of 1990 and made them law. These eight National Education Goals serve as benchmarks for state and local agendas. However, each state is encouraged on a voluntary basis to develop content standards, performance standards, and an action plan to help students achieve both sets of standards. In fact, Goals 2000 is “the prism” through WHICH amendments to the ESEA were considered (Valencia, 2002, p.159). The three major components of the systemic reform effort included the following: (1) curriculum framework, which establishes what children should know and provide direction for upgrading the quality of content and instruction for all schools; (2) alignment with related state education policies; and (3) schools are given the resources, flexibility, and responsibility for preparing students to learn. This new federal policy provided a vision for reform, and at the same time, contained few prescriptions. There were no new mandates on the states or localities; burdensome federal regulations were waived.

Reference List

Raisch, C. D., Hunt, T. C., & Lasley, II, T. J. (2010). Encyclopedia of Educational Reform and Dissent, Volume 1. California. SAGE.

Thurlow, M. L., & Ysseldyke, J. E. (1994). Educational outcomes for students with disabilities. New York. NY: Routledge.

Valencia, R. R. (2002). Chicano school failure and success: past, present, and future. New York. NY: Routledge.