An Invitation to Your Community -- Partners For Reaching the National Education Goals

A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

Partners For Reaching the National Education Goals

There are probably people, resources, and existing programs that can help your comprehensive effort succeed. Your planning panel may want to conduct an inventory of "who's doing what" that supports the eight National Education Goals. Perhaps through a survey, your panel may want to ask local organizations, institutions, and agencies questions such as:

What is your group now doing to...

Support families in getting all children ready for school?
Increase the school completion rate to at least 90 percent?
Ensure that all students demonstrate competence in key subject areas?
Move students toward levels of achievement in math and science that are second to none?
Support all adults in our community in becoming literate?
Make sure that every school is safe, disciplined, and free of drugs?
Offer teachers programs and ongoing opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to prepare all children for the next century?
Help schools strengthen partnerships with parents to increase parental participation in promoting the social, emotional, and academic growth of children?

Directing those questions to all local organizations and institutions could be an early first step in developing a comprehensive, coordinated partnership to reach the Goals. Your panel may want to ask:

preschools and hospitals
colleges and adult education providers
businesses --small and large -- and the Chamber of Commerce
older Americans, including the American Association of Retired Persons
law enforcement agencies and the juvenile justice system
social service and other government agencies
newspapers, radio and TV stations, and other media
civic, religious, professional, and volunteer organizations
groups that serve youngsters -- Scouts, sports teams, girls clubs, boys clubs, 4-H, and others
arts and cultural institutions, and museums
and of course, schools in your community, state, and nation.

Once your panel has taken inventory of all the existing efforts related to each Goal, you may want to ask, "Which of these efforts are effective, and which are not? How might we expand those that are working, and discontinue those that aren't? What additional efforts are needed? And how can we continue to integrate these separate efforts into a coherent, comprehensive approach?" Your answers to these questions are part of your GOALS 2000 plan.

[Milestones and Timelines]

[The Process]