An Invitation to Your Community -- How GOALS 2000 Works

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

How GOALS 2000 Works

Through GOALS 2000, the federal government is offering to enter into a new partnership with your state, community, and school. It works like this. If your state is willing to establish high standards for all students, the federal government is ready to provide:

Support for your state, community, and school to develop high standards for all students;
Support for your state, community, and school to pursue your own comprehensive, continuous improvement plan to help all students reach those high standards;
Flexibility in federal education programs -- freedom from certain federal rules and regulations that could get in the way of your effort.

Your state is also invited to apply for a GOALS 2000 planning grant. If it does, your governor and chief state school officer will assemble a broad-based state planning panel.

The panel may hold hearings, sponsor surveys or meetings, start a toll-free hotline, or arrange other forums to gather ideas. These ideas -- from teachers and parents, principals, superintendents, school board members, and business people and citizens across the state -- will help the state panel develop a comprehensive plan to assist every community and school in reaching the National Education Goals and moving all students toward high standards of learning.

[For details, please see "Elements of the State GOALS 2000 Action Plan"]

If your state applies for a planning grant...

Your School District may seek GOALS 2000 support from the state. This grant would support your school district's comprehensive, long-term plan for moving all children toward high standards.
Individual Schools may compete for GOALS 2000 funding from your school district. This grant would help underwrite your school's pursuit of its own comprehensive, long-term plan to move all students toward high standards.

Congress has appropriated $105 million for GOALS 2000 in 1994, and President Clinton has asked for $700 million in 1995.

Most of each state's funding -- 60 percent in 1994 and 90 percent in each subsequent year -- will support school districts and schools in pursuing their own comprehensive plans and, in conjunction with higher education, providing training and professional development for teachers and principals. And most of each school district's funding -- 75 percent in 1994 and 85 percent in each year thereafter -- will go to individual schools, for their own GOALS 2000 plans.

GOALS 2000 can help start your reform efforts or revitalize existing efforts. GOALS 2000 also means that, for the first time:

You'll be able to see how the learning standards in your school, community, and state measure up to world-class voluntary national standards. Your state will have the option of using those standards to "benchmark," or improve, its own standards.

Your community will be able to draw on voluntary national skill standards -- what workers need to know and be able to do to enter and succeed in key occupations. These skill standards will be developed under a National Skill Standards Board. They can guide the creation of school-to-work programs, which help students learn academic and technical skills needed to get good jobs.

Your schools can get waivers from certain federal rules and regulations blocking your path to comprehensive reform. GOALS 2000 also asks your state and school district to take a fresh look at their rules and regulations, and to reconsider any that may be roadblocks to improvement.

[Building on Existing Efforts]

[Getting Started]