Advancing The National Education Goals PDF Download

This is the central document of the fourth series of annual reports to measure progress toward the National Education Goals through the year 2000; goals which set high expectations for education performance at every stage of a learner's life, from preschool through adulthood. The report focuses on 16 core indicators that are: comprehensive across the Goals; critical in determining whether the Goals are actually achieved; policy-actionable; and updated at frequent intervals. National performance has gotten better in four areas: improved general health and development of infants; increased mathematics achievement in grades 4 and 8; decline in student alcohol use; and a reduction in number of threats and violence in schools. However, one area has gotten worse: student drug use has increased. No discernible changes in national performance were detected in six areas, and in eight areas assessment of progress was not possible because of a lack of data. Sixteen exhibits and six tables summarize what is known of progress to date. Appendix A lists state progress on core indicators. Appendixes B and C contain technical notes and acknowledgements. (SLD)