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Lancaster, Laura, Ed.; Lawrence, Leslie, Ed.Handbook for Local Goals Reports: Building aCommunity of Learners, 1992. Publication 93-01.National Education Goals Panel, Washington, DC.9365p.; For 1991 handbook, see ED 349 634.National Education Goals Panel, 1850 M Street, N.W.,Suite 270, Washington, DC 20036.Reports Evaluative/Feasibility (142) GuidesNon- Classroom Use (055)

MF01/PC03 Plus Postage.*Community Involvement; *Community Role; *EducationalChange; Elementary Secondary Education; *EvaluationMethods; *Measurement Techniques; Public Schools;School Community Relationship; *Student Evaluation

IDENTIFIERS *National Education Goals 1990

ABSTRACT

This handbook is designed to guide readers :11developing a local assessment of their community's progress towardachieving the National Education Goals. It is organized around thosequestions that the National Education Goals Panel has used to measurenational and state progress. The introduction includes a history ofthe National Education Goals and information about the 1991 and 1992Goals Reports. There are five characteristics that are useful forlocal community goal reports: outcome orientation, world-classstandards comparison, use of broad indicators, progress over time,and decade-long progress. The guide is organized around the sixNational Education Goals. Each section is devoted to one of the sixgoals, beginning with the goal statement and objectives. These arefollowed by appropriate questions to ask in assessing progress towardthat goal. Next is a section titled "Measures To Use," in which eachquestion is taken up individually, with answers provided that weredeveloped in the 1992 National Education Goals Reports, the pages onwhich the data appear in the report, and suggestions on how to answerthem in a local report. At the end of each goal section is a list ofsources that can provide more information on specific goal areas.(JPT)

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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made* from the original document.***********************************************************************

NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL'SHANDBOOK FORLOCAL GOALS REPORTS

2000

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1994BEST COPY AVAILABLE

1993U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONMace Of Educational R1111fth and Improvement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

i 15141 document ties been reproduced as

N4 received from the Per$On or Ongem Cation

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VIZ'S 1. 9 9 14,4tBUILDING A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS

Points of vow Of opinions stated in tniedoctrmerit do not necessarily represent OrvalOERI ;option or policy

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NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL MEMBERS

Governors

E. Benjamin Nelson, Nebraska, Chairman (1992-1993)Evan Bayh, IndianaTerry Branstad, Iowa

Carroll Campbell, Jr., South Carolina, Past Chairman(1991-1992)Howard Dean, Vermont

John McKeman, Jr.,.MaineBarbara Roberts, Oregon

Roy Romer, Colorado

Members of the Administration

Lamar Alexander, Secretary of EducationRoger Porter, Assistant to the President for Economic and Domestic Policy

Members of Congress

Senator Jeff Bingaman, New lvixicoSenator Thad Cochran, Mississippi

Representative Dale Kildee, MichiganRepresentative William Goodling, Pennsylvania

NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL STAFF

Executive DirectorWilmer Cody

Associate DirectorMartin Orland

Professional StaffEdward FuentesLaura LancasterLeslie LawrenceCynthia PrinceCharles Walter

Emily Wurtz

with assistance from

Nancy DelasosCarol Jay Stratoudakis

Andrea Venezia

Support staff0 Tia Cosey

HANDBOOK FORLOCAL GOALS REPORTS

BUILDING A COMMUNITYOF LEARNERSA Handbook for Communities to Develop Local Goals Reportsto Measure Their Progress Toward the National Education Goals

Published ByThe National Education Goals Panel1850 M Street, Suite 270Washington, DC 20036(202) 632-0952

Edited ByLaura Lancaster andLeslie Lawrence .2000Publication 93-01

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BEST COPY AVAILABLE991

This Handbook is Published by the

NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL

An independent, bipartisan panel charged with assessing and reportingthe nation's and the states' progress toward the achievement

of the National Education Goals

"The National Education Goals are an integral part of the challenge to make qualityand competitiveness hallmarks of America once again. We, on the National Educa-tion Goals Panel, are committed to providing leaders at all levels with a clearervision of what needs to be improved to transform our schools and to provide world-class, high-performance learning."

Governor E. Benjamin NelsonChair, National Education Goals Panel

1992.1993

P.

January, 1993

Dear Colleague:

As Chair of the National Education Goals Panel, I am pleased to provide you withour updated "how to" guide for reporting educational progress at the communitylevel.

The Goals process resulted from the historic Education Summit of 1989. Thenation's Governors joined the President in a unique, bipartisan consensus concern-ing what our country must do in order to remain strong and competitive in the nextcentury. They established the National Education Goals to capture the attention ofAmericans and build a resolve to restructure our schools and increase our expecta-tions for student performance.

The nation's executives fully recognized that adopting the National Goals wouldprove an empty gesture without a shared commitment to achieving them and ameans of holding ourselves accountable for their success at the national, state, andlocal levels. Therefore they formed the National Education Goals Panel, comprisedof Governors, members of Congress, and members of the President's administration.The Panel's mission is to assess annually the nation's and stares' progress toward theGoals until the year 2000. Governors have issued state progress reports as well, pro-viding more detailed information on specific statewide reforms and consequentresults.

The members of the Goals Panel realize that reporting educational achievement isnot an end in itself; it must serve as a tool for improving results. The success of indi-vidual children, adult learners, their families, their employers, their communities,and our nation is at stake.

It is therefore our hope that this handbook will assist local leaders and other interest-ed citizens in joining this important initiative by assessing which programs are work-ing in their communities and by focusing on what needs to be done to attain theGoals. By helping to issue a local progress report on the National Goals, you willgive your fellow citizens a sense of your community's educational strengths andweaknesses, equipping them with a powerful tool for school and communityimprovement.

It is my firm belief that grass-roots involvement will bring about a transformation ofthe learning process in America. Thank you for accepting the challenge and becom-ing involved in helping your community to attain our National Education Goals.

Sincerely,

E. Benjamin Nelson, Chair 1992.93National Education Goals Panel, andGovernor of Nebraska

Local Goals Report Handbook

Introduction

What is the Purpose of theHandbook?

This handbook is designed to guideyou as you begin developing a localassessment of your community'sprogress toward the National Edu-cation Goals. It is organized aroundthose questions that the NationalEducation Goals Panel has used tomeasure national and state progressin its annual Goals Report3. Wehope that it serves as a startingpoint for the development of a clearvision of where your communitystands in relation to achieving thesix National Goals and of whatneeds to be accomplished betweennow and the year 2000.

What is the History of theGoals and the GoalsReports?

Recognizing that our country'sfuture rests on quality educationalopportunities for all Americans,the President and the nation's Gov-ernors met in Charlottesville, Vir-ginia, in 1989.. an historic Educa-tion Summit. There they resolvedto set ambitious National Goals,based on a belief that Americaneeded a totally new vision of edu-

vi

cation. At the heart of this vision isthe six National Education Goalsestablished in 1990.

Because national and state leadersbelieved that adopting NationalGoals would prove an empty ges-ture without holding ourselvesaccountable for their success, theNational Education Goals Panelwas established in July of 1990 toassess and annually report state andnational progress toward achievingthose Goals every year until theyear 2000. The Panel is indepen-dent and bipartisan, and member-ship consists of eight Governors,two Administration officials, andfour members of Congress. ThePanel's first report, entitled TheNational Education Goals Report:Building a Nation of Learners, wasreleased in September of 1991; thesecond was released in Septemberof 1992.

What Did the 1991 and1.92 Goals Reports Tell Us?

The Goals Reports showed that weare making progress in some areas.Schools now educate increasingnumbers of diverse students, andmore of those students have

acquired minimum skills than everbefore. High school completion isat an all-time high. Achievementin science and mathematics hasimproved over the last decade. Theincidence of drug use in the schoolshas declined in recent years.

The positive accomplishmentsreported in both Goals Reports are aresult of purposeful action from arevitalized American commitmentto quality education. However,indications are that, as a nation, weare falling short of what we need toaccomplish if this country is to staysecure and prosperous.

In particular, the Goals Reportsrevealed that fewer than 20 percentof students in the fourth, eighth,and twelfth grades can be consid-ered competent in mathematics.U.S. students score significantlybelow students in other countridson international math and sciencetests. Few adults are able to per-form literacy tasks that requirethem to process and synthesizemany pieces of information. Amer-ica's young people continue to haveunequal preparation for school, andthere are significant "achievementgaps" and differences in student,parental, and worker attitudesbetween our country and otherindustrialized nations.

The 1992 Goals Report highlightedthe importance of American educa-tional performance in a global andcompetitive context. Some of its

Introduction

findings concluded that Americanparents seem more easily satisfiedwith their children's academic per-formance than parents in higherperforming nations. SignificantAmerican achievement gaps, rela-tive to other nations, may be pre-sent as early as first grade, and thegap grows as students get older.Furthermore, American workersare less likely than German orJapanese workers to anticipate aneed to upgrade their present jobskills.

More important than any individ-ual finding in the Goals Reports is acrosscutting theme: America is toocomplacent about its educationalshortcomings. Satisfaction withmediocre achievement and currentjob skills suggests an Americanview of education as an obstacle toovercome rather than an invest-ment for the future.

Why Should LocalCommunities Develop aLocal Goals Report?

The National Education GoalsPanel's work to date reflects thenation's and the states' commit-ment to informing themselves or.how much progress they are makingtoward achieving the Goals. Forthese Goals to be taken seriously, torepresent real targets and not justaspirations, local communitiesneed to become involved and toinform themselves as well.

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Introduction

We cannot hope to achieve theNational Education Goals unlesswe all know what progress we aremaking toward them. An accuratelocal assessment of educational per-formance in your community canhelp to determine which efforts arefalling short and suggest areas thatmust be improved.

What Basic CharacteristicsShould Goals ReportsIncorporate?

The National Education GoalsPanel urges local communities toincorporate five characteristicsused in the Panel's Goals Reportsinto their own Goals reportingstructure.

Outcome OrientedThe Goals Panel has chosen toemphasize outcomes, not inputs,that focus on the difficulty of thecircumstances that confront us.The primary purpose of Goalsreports should be to inform thecommunity where it is succeedingor failing to make progress towardthe National Education Goals.While your local community maywish to include other informationin your Goals report, emphasizingperformance outcomes should bethe central focus.

World-Class StandardsBecause of modem global econom-ic competition, we must haveworld-class standards of education-

viii

al performance. We must knowhow our schools compare with thebest in the world. In the future, theNational Education Goals Panelwill help coordinate the creation ofnational education standards insubject areas which reflect world-class achievement expectations forall our students. Your local reportsshould not att, .apt to assess studentachievement using only the resultsof basic, minimum skills tests, butalso achievements against the high-est standards available. As anation, we must be concerned thatall of our students meet high expec-tations instead of gaining only min-imal skills.

Breadth of IndicatorsThe Goals Report does not justcover one subject area, one gradelevel, or even only K-12 education.The six National Education Goalscover prenatal health care to life-long adult learning. Your localreports should similarly containinformation from many differentsources, covering the entire lifes-pans of the citizens in your commu-nity.

Measuring Progress Over TimeEach year the Goals Report willmeasure national and state progressagainst past performance, allowingthe nation and each state to com-pare themselves over time to theirown progress toward achieving f.o.e:Go, ts. Your first report shoult-used similarly as a baseline bywhich to measure your communi-

ty's continued progress over theyears.

Decade-Long ProcessThe National Education Goals Reportis not a one-time publication. TheGoals Panel is committed to report-ing to the nation and states everyyear on progress being made towardachieving the Goals. A commit-ment to this decade-long process isessential to local communities aswell. In the future, the Panel willcontinue its work toward develop-ing better measures to fill in its pre-sent data gaps, just as local commu-nities should work to fill theirs.

Who Should Be Involved inDeveloping Local GoalsReports?

As you begin the process of devel-oping local progress reports onachieving the National EducationGoals, the Panel encourages you totake advantage of the resourcesavailable in different segments ofyour community from thoseinvolved in areas of early childhooddevelopment to lifelong learning.You will need the assistance of yourlocal school, government, highereducation, health, social services,and community leaders, as well asteachers, parents, students, businessleaders, and adult educators.

You will need to work closely withyour state's department of educa-

Introductio

tion to lean, what assessment datathe state has collected from yourcommunity and has available. Youalso will need to contact other stateand local agencies for informationon local health, nutrition, andother public programs. At the endof each Goal chapter, there is a listof the Goals Panel's own sources ofdata.

How Should the HandbookBe Used When Developinga Local Report?

This handbook lists questions toask as you begin to measure yourcommunity's progress toward theGoals and possible sources of datato answer those questions. Samplesurvey questions from the Panel'sdata sources are given. You areencouraged to seek the expertadvice of data gatherers from localinstitutions of higher education onbroadening those surveys to incor-porate other issues in the Goalareas in which your communitywould have an interest.

Thit, document is a guide to beginyour assessment and reportingefforts in relation to the NationalEducation Goals. It provides only abasis for your local Goals reports.You are encouraged to pursue otherinformation which may be of helpwhen developing your local assess-ment, such as your Itate's progressreport.

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Introducti

What About New DataSources in Future NationalGoals Reports?

A National Education Goals Reportwill be published annually in thefall containing new and updatedinformation related to each of the

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National Goals. An updated hand-book will be issued each year toinform communities of new datathe Goals Panel was able to report.This document can be acquired bycontacting the Nat:onal EducationGoals Panel Office.

The NationalEducation GoalsGoal 1: By the year 2000, allchildren in America willstart school ready to learn.

Objectives:

All disadvantaged and disabled chil-dren will have access to high quality anddevelopmentally appropriate preschoolprograms that help prepare children forschool.

Every parent in America will be achild's first teacher and devote time eachday helping his or her preschool childlearn; parents will have access to thetraining and support they need.

Children will receive the nutrition andhealth care needed to arrive at schoolwith healthy minds and bodies; and thenumber of low-birthweight babies will besignificantly reduced through enhancedprenatal health systems.

Goal 2: By the year 2000, thehigh school graduationrate will increase to at least90 percent.

Objectives:

The nation must dramatically reduceits dropout rate, and 75 percent of thosestudents who do drop out will successfullycomplete a high school degree or itsequivalent.

The gap in high school graduationrates between American students fromminority backgrounds and their non-minority counterparts will he eliminated.

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Goal 3: 3y the year 2000,America n students will leavegrades four, eight, and twelvehaving demonstratedcompetency in challengingsubject matter, includingEnglish, mathematics, science,history, and geography; andevery school in America willensure that all students learnto use their minds well, sothey may be prepared forresponsible citizenship, furtherlearning, and productiveemployment in our moderneconomy.

Objectives:

The academic performance of elemen-tary and secondary students will increasesignificantly in every quartile, and thedistribution of minority students in eachlevel will more closely reflect the studentpopulation as a whole.

The percentage of students whodemonstrate the ability to reason, soli ,.

problems, apply knowledge, and writeand communicate effectively willincrease substantially.

All students will be involved in activi-ties that promote and demonstrate goodcitizenship, community service, and per-sonal responsibility.

The percentage of students who arecompetent in more than one languagewill substantially increase.

All students will be knowledgeableabout the diverse cultural heritage of thisnation and about the world community.

Goal 4: By the year 2000, U.S.students will be first in theworld in science andmathematics achievement.

Objectives:

Math and science education will bestrengthened throughout the system,especially in the early grades.

The number of teachers with a substan-tive background in mathematics and sci-ence will increase to 50 percent.

The number of U.S. undergraduate andgraduate students, especially women andminorities, who complete degrees inmathematics, science, and engineeringwill increase significantly.

Goal 5: By the year 2000,every adult American will beliterate and will possess theknowledge and skillsnecessary to compete in aglobal economy and exercisethe rights and responsibilitiesof citizenship.

Objectives:

Every majc"- Amerizan business will beinvolved in strengthening the connec-tion between ,.ducation and work.

All worke. will have the opportunityto acquire the knowledge and skills, frombasic to highly technical, needed toadapt to emerging new technologies,work methods, and markets through pub-lic and private educational, vocational,technical, workplace, or other programs.

The number of quality programs,including those at libraries, that aredesigned to serve more effectively theneeds of the growing number of part-timeand mid-career students will increasesubstantially.

The proportion of those qualified stu-dents (especially minorities) who entercollege, who complete at least two years,and who complete their degree programswill increase substantially.

The proportion of college graduateswho demonstrate an advanced ability tothink critically, communicate effective-ly, and solve problems will increase sub-stantially.

Goal 6: By the year 2000, everyschool in America will be freeof drugs and violence and willoffer a disciplined environmentconducive to learning.

Objectives:

Every school will implement a firm andfair policy on use, possession, and distrib-ution of drugs and alcohol.

Parents, businesses, and communityorganizations will work together toensure that schools are a safe haven forall children.

Every school district will develop acomprehensive K-12 drug and alcoholprevention education program Drugand alcohol curriculum should be taughtas an integral part of health education.In addition, community-based teamsshould be organized to provide studentsand teachers with needed support.

to

Local Goals Report HandbookFormat Design

This handbook is designed to be used as a guide when developing local com-munity Goals repors. Listed below are the various parts that make up theHandbook. The Si): Goal Sections begin with the actual wording of theGoal, followed by the Objectives. Next are questions we suggest you consid-er as you start to pian what to include in your local report. Information onthe data presented by the Panel under a Goal is also given, followed by sug-gestions on how to include similar data in your local report. Finally, at theend of each chapter is a list of sources that can provide more information onspecific topics.

Goal

Each chapter of this handbook begins with specifying the Goal number andthe exact language of the Goal.

Objectives

The Objectives for each Goal are listed below the actual Goal language.Like the Goal statements, these Objectives were agreed upon by the Presi-dent and the Governors when the Goals were drafted in 1990.

Questions to Ask

This section suggests the types of questions to raise in determining whetherthe Goal and its corresponding Objectives are being met.

Measures to Use

This section describes how these questions were answered in the 19,2National Education Goals Reports, the pages the data appear on in the 1992Report, and suggestions on how to answer them in your local report.

For More Information

At the end of each Goal chapter is a list of sources that can provide moreinformation in specific Goal areas.

1

Goal OneReadiness for School

"By the year 2000, all children in America will start schoolready to learn."

Objectives

All disadvantaged and disabled children will have access to high quali-ty and developmentally appropriate preschool programs that help preparechildren for school.

Every parent in America will be a child's first teacher and devote timeeach day helping his or her preschool child learn; parents will have accessto the training and support they need.

Children will receive the nutrition and health care needed to arrive atschool with healthy minds and bodies; and the number of low-birth-weight babies will he significantly reduced through enhanced prenatalhealth systems.

2

Questions to Ask

Kindergarten Measuresof Readiness For School

To what degree are childrenentering school ready to learn?

Pre-Kindergarten Measuresof Readiness For School

What are the early indicators thatyoung children will enter schoolready to learn?

Early Childhood Healthand Nutrition

How many low-bithweight babiesare born each year?

How man" mothers receiveadequate prenatal care?

Goal One

How many children have access toregular health care and receiveproper nutrition?. How many havehealth insurance or Medicaid?

Preschool Participation andQuality

How many at-risk childrenparticipate it preschool programs?

How many existing preschoolprograms are of high quality?

Parental Activities withPreschoolers

How much time do familymembers regularly spend with theirpreschool children on activitiesthat will help their children learnand grow?

3

Goal One

Measures to Use

Kindergarten Measures ofReadiness for School

To what degree are childrenentering school ready to learn?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelThis year the Goals Panel endorsedthe development of an Early Child-hood Assessment System. This sys-tem will collect information abouta nationally representative sampleof children from their teachers,their parents, and from the childrenthemselves at sev,-- times dur-ing the kindergarten year. Theinformation collected will addressfive critical dimensions of chil-dren's growth and readiness forlearning. These dimensions andtheir preliminary definitions are:

Physical Well-Being and MotorDevelopment

The various aspects of a chi,health and physical growth,ranging from being rested, fed,properly immunized, andhealthy, to the development ofskills and abilities for runningand jumping, and using crayonsand puzzles.

Social and Emotional DevelopmentThe sense of personal well-

being that allows a child to par-ticipate fully and constructivelyin classroom activities by tak-ing turns, following directions,

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working independently and as agroup member, and developingfriendships.

Approaches Toward LearningThe qualities of curiosity, cre-

ativity, motivation, indepen-dence, cooperation, interest, andpersistence that enable childrenfrom all cultures to get involvedin and maximize their learning.

Language UsageThe uses of oral and written

language talking, listening,scribbling, composing, and beingread to tha enable childrento communicate effectively withothers and express theirthoughts, feelings, and experi-ences.

Cognition and General KnowledgeThe familiarity with basic

information, including patternsand relationships, causes andeffects, and solving problems ineveryday life.

Suggestions for Local GoalsReport DataThe Goals Panel is eager to ensurethat the information collected con-tributes to local efforts to providemore appropriate services for chil-dren and that the common unin-tended side effect of labeling andtracking any individual child beavoided. In particular, the GoalsPanel suggests that local communi-ties align their efforts with the fourprinciples upon which the Early

Childhood Assessment System willbe built:

Five dimensions and definitionsof readiness;

Collection of data from mored an one source (including parents,teachers, a trained early childhoodprofessional, and the childrenthemselves);

Collection of data at more thanone point in time; and

Avoiding the categorizing ofchildren as simply "ready" or "notread"."

Pre-Kindergarten Measuresof Readiness for School

What are the early indicators thatyoung children will enter schoolready to learn?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelThe 1992 Goals Report containsindicators on children's health andnutrition, preschool participation,and parental activities withpreschoolers, as measures of the"pre-kindergarten" years.

Early Childhood Health andNutrition

How many low-birthweight babiesare born each year?

Goal One

How many mothers receiveadequate prenatal care?

How m..ny children have access toregular health care and receiveproper nutrition? How many havehealth insurance or Medicaid?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelThe 1992 Goals Report containedfive measures to assess the nation'sprogress in the area of early child-hood health. They were: (1) Birth-weight, (2) Prenatal Care, (3) Rou-tine Health Care and Continuity ofHealth Care, (4) Health Insurance,and (5) Nutrition.

BirthweightThe Panel used the World HealthOrganization's international stan-dards for low-birthweight (5.5pounds) and very low-birthweight(3.3 pounds). Both national andstate (1989) data were presented forthree categories in the GoalsReport (pages 62, 63, and statepages): (1) at or above 5.5 pounds,(2) between 5.5 pounds and 3.3pounds, and (3) below 3.3 pounds.These data were compiled by theNational Center for Health Statis-tics (NCHS).

Prenatal CareThe Goals Panel also presented1989 data from the NCHS on pre-natal care. Three categories werepresented in both the national andstate sections of the 1992 GoalsReport (pages 60, 61, and state

1 ,P5

Goal One

pages): (1) the percentage of moth-ers who received prenatal care dur-ing the first trimester of pregnancy;(2) the percentage of mothers whoreceived prenatal care during thesecond trimester; and (3) the per-centage of mothers who receivedprenatal care during the thirdtrimester of pregnancy, or whonever received care.

Health CareIn the 1992 Goals Report, the GoalsPanel presented five health indica-tors from NCHS (pp. 64-66).These were: (1) the percentagechildren aged 5 and younger whovisited a doctor during the previous12 months for routine checkupsand immunizations (1988); (2) thepercentage of 3- to 5-year-olds whovisited a dentist or dental hygienistduring the previous 12 months(1988); (3) the percentage of chil-dren aged 5 and younger who had aregular source of health care, suchas a regular provider of care, or aregular place for routine care(1988); (4) the percentage of chil-dren aged 5 and younger who werecovered by private health insuranceplans or Medicaid during the previ-ous 12 months (1988); and (5) thepercentage of children who com-pleted their basic immunizationseries by the age of 2, and by schoolentry (1985).

Child NutritionThe Goals Panel reported data fromthe U.S. Department of Agricul-ture's 1986 Nationwide Food Con-

6 19

sumption Survey to measure thequality of nutrition of our nation'syoungest children. Data presentedin the Goals Report (p. 67) includedthe percentage of 1- to 5-year-oldswho received the minimum Rec-ommended Dietary Allowance ofprotein, Vitamin C, Vitamin A,calcium, and iron.

Suggestions for Local Gs:.,lsReport Data

Contact your local and/or statepublic health department to findout whether data are collected onsuch health related areas as birth-weight, prenatal care, health care,and nutrition.

Contact the National Gover-nors' Association to request a copyof the pamphlets Benchmarks forEducational Success or Every ChildReady for School to use to reportyour progress toward Goal 1.

Preschool Participation andQuality

How many at-risk childrenparticipate in preschool programs?

How many existing preschoolprograms are high quality?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals Panel

Preschool ParticipationIn the second annual Goals Report,the Goals Panel reported 1991 data(pp. 69 and 70) from the National

Center for Education Statistics'National Household Education Sur-vey on the percentage of 3- to 5-year -olds who attended nurseryschool, pre-kindergarten, or HeadStart programs, and the percentageof 3- to 5- year-olds with disabilitieswho participated in these sametypes of programs. In addition, theGoals Panel presented (p. 69) trenddata (1973 to 1991) from theBureau of the Census' Current Pop-ulation Survey on the percentage of3- to 5-year-olds who enrolled innursery school.

Preschool QualityIn the 1992 Goals Report, the GoalsPanel reported data (pp. 71 and 72)from a U.S. Department of Educa-tion survey on the quality ofpreschool centers and the quality ofhome-based preschool settings.Quality indicators covered in theGoals Report included: staff train-ing, group size, and child/staffratios.

Suggestions for Local GoalsReport Data

Contact your state human ser-vices department and your statedepartment of education's earlychildhood education division forpossible information regarding thequality of preschools and licensingrequirements in your state.

Rate the quality of your localpreschools using the guidelinesestablished by the National Associ-ation for the Education of YoungChildren.

Goal 011O

Contact your local Head Startchapter for information on the per-centage of children who are eligibleto participate in Head Start servicesand who are served by Head Startin your area.

Discuss with your local schooldistrict(s) the possibility of con-ducting a survey of parents as theyenroll their children in schoolwhich includes questions regardingtheir child's participation inpreschool and the quality of thatprogram.

Develop a survey for preschoolsin your area with questions such as:

Sample Questions(For Preschool Centers)

[From the Profile of Child Care Set-tings Study: Early Education andCare in 1990]

What percentage of teachers/caregivers have any:

Child-related training;Teacher training; orChild Development Associate(CDA) credentials?

Does the preschool meet theNational Association for theEducation of Young Children's(NAEYC) standard* for maximumacceptable group size for childrenaged:

0 to 5 months;6 to 11 months;12 to 17 months;18 to 23 months;24 to 29 months;

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Goal One

30 to 35 months;3 years old;4 years old; and5 years old?

Does the preschool meetNAEYC's standard* for maximumacceptable child/staff ratios forchildren aged:

0 to 5 months;6 to 1 I months;12 to 17 months;18 to 23 months;24 to 29 months;30 to 35 months;3 years old;4 years old; and5 years old?

* The maximum acceptable group sizerecommended by the National Associ-ation for the Ech.fration of Young Chil-dren is 8 for infants, 12 for 1- to 2-year-olds , and 20 for 3- to 5- year-olds. The maximum acceptablechild/staff ratio is 10 children per staffmember for groups containing 3- to 5-year -olds, 6 children per staff memberof groups containing 2-year-olds only,and 4 children per staff member forgroups containing infants and 1 -year-olds only. NAEYC standards includean acceptable range of practice ongroup size and child/staff ratios.

Sample Questions(For Home-Based Preschool Settings)[From the Profile of Child Care Set-tings Study: Early Education andCare in 1990]

What percentage of teachers/caregivers have any:

8

Child-related training;Teacher training; orChild Development Associate(CDA) credentials?

What percentage of regulatedhome-based preschool settingsmeet the standard* for group F izefor children:

of mixed ages within a group;all under age 2 within a group;andall aged 2 and above withina group?

* The recommended standard forgroup size for regulated family daycareproviders without helpers who care forchildren who are all under age 2 withina group is 3. The group size standardfor all children aged 2 and above with-in a group is 6, and the standard for agroup of children of mixed ages withina group is 5 (Health, Education andWelfare Day Care Requirements).

Parental Activities withPreschooiers

How much time do familymembers regularly spend with theirpreschool children on activitieswhich will help their childrenlearn and grow?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelIn the 1992 Goals Report, the Panelreported 1991 data (pp. 67 and 68)from the National Center for Edu-cation Statistics' National House-hold Education Survey, on the fre-

quency of literacy, arts, and otheractivities that 3- to 5-year-oldsshared with their parents. Informa-tion presented included the per-centage of children whose parents(or other family members) readdaily to them, recently visited alibrary, and recently went to a parkor playground with them.


Using the questions below as aframework, develop your own com-munity irvey collecting informa-tion lil.e that reported in the GoalsReport for measuring parent-childactivities. Because you must surveya representative sample of parentsin your community in order for thesurvey to be valid and ..liable, con-tact experts in survey design (localor state departments of education,institutions of higher education,etc.) for guidance in the survey'sdevelopment and disseminationprocess. Sponsorship of such a sur-vey could be provided by your localdistrict(s), PTA chapters, or areabusinesses.

Goal One

Sample Questions[From the National Household Edu-cation Survey, 19911

Do you or does someone in yourfamily read daily to your child(children)?

In the previous week, have youor has someone in your family donethe following with your child(children):

Told a story;Taught songs or music;Engaged in arts and crafts?

In the previous month, haveyou or has someone in yourfamily done the followingwith your child (children):

Gore to a play, live show, artgallery, museum, historicalsite, zoo, or aquarium;Gone to a park or playground?

9

Goal One


Early Childhood AssessmentSystemNational Education Goals Panel1850 M Street, NWSuite 270Washington, DC 20036

Source: Goal 1 Technical PlanningSubgroup Report on SchoolReadiness, 1991

Indicators for Goal 1National Governors' AssociationHall of the States444 N. Capitol Street, NWSuite 250Washington, DC 20001

Source: Every Child Ready forSchool, 1992; Benchmarks forEducational Success, 1992

steadiness for SchoolOffice of Educational Researchand Improvement555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208

Source: Helping Your Child GetReady for School, 1992

Birthweight/Prenatal CareNational Center for HealthStatistics6525 Belcrest RoadRoom 840Hyattsville, MD 20782

Source: Health, United States, 1991,and Prevention Profile

10

ImmunizationsNational Center for HealthStatistics6525 Belcrest RoadRoom 840Hyattsville, MD 20782

Source: Health, United States, 1991,and Prevention Profile

Health CareNational Center for HealthStatistics6525 Belcrest RoadRoom 860Hyattsville, MD 20782

Source: The 1988 National HealthInterview Survey on Child Health

Child NutritionHuman Nutrition InformationService6505 Belcrest RoadRoom 367Hyattsville, MD 20782

Source: Nationwide FoodConsumption Survey, 1986

Preschool ParticipationNational Center for EducationStatistics555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208

Source: National HouseholdEducation Survey, 1991

Trends in Nursery SchoolEnrollmentU.S. Department of CommerceBureau of the CensusPopulation DivisionWashington, DC 20233

Source: Current Population Surveys,1973 to 1991

Preschool QualityU.S. Department of Education400 Maryland Avenue, SWRoom 3127Washington, DC 20202

Source: Profile of Child Care SettingsStudy: Early Education and Care in1990

National Association for theEducation of Young Children(NAEYC)1834 Connecticut Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20009

Goal One

Parental Activities withPreschoolersNational Center for EducationStatistics555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208


Indicators for Children withLearning DisabilitiesNational Center on EducationalOutcomesUniversity of Minnesota350 Elliott Hall75 East River RoadMinneapolis, MN 55455

Source: Starting School Ready toLearn, 1992

11

e".

Goal TwoHigh School Completion

"By the year 2000, the high school graduation rate willincrease to at least 90 percent."

Objectives

The nation must dramatically reduce its dropout rate, and 75 percent ofthose students who do drop out will successfully complete a high schooldegree or its equivalent.

The gap in high school graduation rates between American studentsfrom minority backgrounds and their non-minority counterparts will beeliminated.

12

Questions to Ask

School Completers

What is the current high schoolgraduation rate?

Once a person drops out, howlikely is he or she to complete therequirements for a high schooldiploma or its equivalent?

School Dropouts

Goal Two

How has the dropout rate changedover time?

In particular, has the gap in ratesnarrowed for minority students andtheir non-minority counterparts?

What factors appear to increasethe likelihood of dropping out?

What specific reasons do studentscite for dropping out of school?

What conditions might encourageWhat is the dropout rate? their return to school?

13

Goal,Two

Measures to Use

School Cornpleters

What is the current high schoolgraduation rate?

Once a person drops out, howlikely is he or she to complete therequirements for a high schooldiploma or its equivalent?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelThe 1992 Goals Report includeddata (pp. 22 and 23) from the Cen-sus Bureau's Current Population Sur-vey on high school completionrates in the United States. Infor-mation presented in the GoalsReport included the percentage of19- to 20-year-olds and 23- to 24-year -olds who received a highschool credential in 1991. Infor-mation w,s also presented in theGoals Report (p. 23) from theNational Center for Education Sta-tistics' High School and Beyond Sur-vey on the percentage of 1980sophomores who dropped out, butthen returned and completed highschool within the following sixyears.

The 1992 Goals Report also includesuniform and comparable state dataon high school completion anddropout rates from the 1990 Cen-sus. However, because these datacannot be updated until the nextadministration of the Census in theyear 2000, the Goals Panel hasendorsed the creation of a Volun-14

2 7

tary State/Local Student RecordSystem that would use comparabledefir itions of "high school com-pleter" and "school dropout"(established by the Council ofChief State School Officers and theNation, ' Center for Education Sta-tistics), and would eventually per-mit the reporting of these data on aregular basis.


Propose to your district(s) that itproduze a completion statisticusing consistent definitions of stu-dent completion in the followingcategories*: (1) regular diplomarecipients, (2) other diploma recip-ients, (3) other completers, and (4)high school equivalency recipients.

( I ) Regular Diploma P..,.ipientsCount of graduates who receive aregular high school diploma uponcompletion of the performancerequirements in a traditional highschool program during the previousschool year and subsequent summerschool. Included in this categoryare those students completing sec-ondary programs in magnet or gift-ed programs (which may be called"alternative programs"). Do notinclude in this category persons innon-traditional programs, com-pleters who receive a diploma afterpassing the General EducationalDevelopment (GED) Test, or per-sons completing Special Educationprograms that do not have the samerequirements as regular high schooleducation programs.

MR%

(2) Other Diploma RecipientsCount of graduates who receive ahigh school diploma upon comple-tion of the performance require-ments of the state through a non-traditional or alternative schoolprogram. Examples of these typesof programs are Adult High SchoolDiploma Programs, External HighSchool Diploma Programs, andHome Study Programs. Include inthis category only persons aged 19or younger. Do not include in thiscategory completers who receive adiploma after passing the GED Testor persons completing Special Edu-cation programs that do not havethe same requirements as regularhigh school education programs.

(3) Other CompletersCount of persons receiving an exit-ing credential certifying highschool attendance or completion ofa schooling program without hav-ing completed all requirements fora regular high school diploma.Include in this category personscompleting Special Education pro-grams that do not have the samerequirements as regular high schooleducation programs, even if the cre-dential they receive is called adiploma. Do not include in thiscategory completers who receive adiploma after passing the GED Test.

(4) High SchoolEquivalency Recipients

Count of persons aged 19 or youngerwho receive a high school diplomaor certificate upon completion ofthe GED Testing Requirements and

2S

Goal Two

any other state requirements forhigh school equivalency. All GEDTest passers who receive credentialsshould be included in this category.

* These four categories are recom-mended by the Council of Chief StateSchool Officers and the National Cen-ter for Education Statistics.

Contact your local district(s)about the existence of a studenttracking system that can determinethe percentage of an incomingclass that goes on to complete highschool (using the four categoriespreviously described) within aspecified time period (for instance,four years). If no such tracking sys-tem exists, a completion rate canbe estimated using the followingprocedure:

Count the number of studentscompleting high school in thepast year (by the four completioncategories, if possible) and thenumber of first-time ninthgraders four years earlier. Thenumber of first-time ninthgraders would be your denomina-tor and the number of twelfthgraders (four years later) wouldbe your numerator. This statisticwill be fairly accurate if your sys-tem has relatively few transfersinto and out of your system.

Contact the U.S. Census Bureauto examine 1990 Census data:specifically, data on the percentageof adults in your community whohave a high school credential.

15

Goal Two

School Dropouts

What is the dropout rate?

How has the dropout rate changedover time?

In particular, has the gap in ratesnarrowed for minority students andtheir non-minority counterparts?

What factors appear to increasethe likelihood of dropping out?

What specific reasons do studentscite for dropping out of school?What conditions might encouragetheir return to school?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelIn the 1992 Goals Report, the Panelreported a dropout rate (p. 76) ofyoung adults aged 16 to 24 from theCensus Bureau's Current PopulationSurvey, and data (p. 77) from theNational Center for Education Sta-tistics' High School and Beyond Sur-vey on characteristics which appearto increase the likelihood that stu-dents will drop out. The GoalsPanel also presented information(p. 77) from the Census Bureau'sCurrent Population Survey onplace of b.rth and its effects on stu-dent dropout rates (especially forHispanics). Data (pp. 78-81) werealso presented from the NationalCenter for Education Statistics'National Education LongitudinalStudy of 1988: First Follow-up onreasons cited for dropping out andfactors that would influence16

29

dropouts to eventually return toschool.


Contact your local district(s)about dropout statistics that youcan use in your local report.

Propose that your local dis-trict(s) compute its own dropoutstatistic using the following defini-tion and procedure*:

A dropout is an individual who:(1) was enrolled in school at

some time during the previousschool year;

(2) was not enrolled at thebeginning of the current schoolyear;

(3) has not graduated from highschool or completed a state- or dis-trict-approved educational pro-gram; and

(4) does not meet any of the fol-lowing exclusionary conditions:

a. transfer to another publicschool district, private school,state, or district-approvededucation program;b. temporary absence due tosuspension or school-approvedillness; orc. death.

* Developed by the National Centerfor Education Statistics.

It is suggested that the dropout ratehe computed for the ninth, tenth,eleventh, and twelfth grades.Count the number of ninth graders

enrolled on or about October 1,1991. Follow these children untilthe end of September of 1992, andcount the enrollment again. Useyour enrollment figures for 1991 asthe denominator and the Septem-ber figure as the numerator. Calcu-late a dropout rate for that class. Dothis for the other three grades. Fortwelfth grade, count those who didnot graduate in spring or summer orthose whi did not return to schoolin the fall of 1992. Average the foursingle-year dropout rates. When allfour single-year rates have beenaveraged, that is your dropout ratefor the 1991-92 school year.

Develop a survey for those stu-dents who dropped out between the8tti and 10th grades about whyhe/she had dropped out and whatwould encourage his/her return toschool. Use the following ques-tions as a guide:

Sample Questions[From the National Education Longi-tudinal Study of 1988: First Follow -up Survey, 19901

Why did you drop out of school?School-related Reasons

Did not like school;Felt I did not belong;

Goal Two

Could not keep up withschoolwork;Was failing school; orDid not feel safe at school.

Family /Job - related ReasonsCould not work and goto school at the same time;Had to support a family;Was pregnant; orBecame a parent.

Would you return to school:School-related Reasons

If you felt sure you could get agood job after graduation;If you could participate insports or other activities;If you felt you could graduate;If you felt sure you could gettutoring help; orIf there were no gangsat school?

Family /Job - related ReasonsIf you could attend classes atnight or on weekends;If you didn't have to supportself or family; orIf child care were available atschool?

3')17

Goal Two


School Completers andSchool DropoutsNational Center for EducationStatistics555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208

Source: Current Population Survey,1991; High School and BeyondSurvey, 1989; National EducationLongitudinal Study of 1988: FirstFollow-up Survey, 1990; and 1990Census

Council of Chief StateSchcz.4 OfficersState Educatio.. AssessmentCenterOne Massachusetts Avenue, NWSuite 700Washington, DC 20001-1431

Source: Student Handbook, 1992

18

3

Comprehensive StudentRecord SystemsNational Education Goals Panel1850 M Street, NWSuite 270Washington, DC 20036

Source: Current Status and FutureTrends Toward ComprehensiveStudent Record Systems, 1992

Indicators for Children withLearning DisabilitiesNational Center on EducationalOutcomesUniversity of .nnesota350 Elliott Hall75 East River RoadMinneapolis, MN 55455

Source: Increasing the High SchoolGraduation Rate, 1992

Goal ThreeStudent Achievement and Citizenship

"By the year 2000, American students will leave gradesfour, eight, and twelve having demonstrated competencyin challenging subject matter, including English,mathematics, science, history. and geography; and everyschool in America will ensure that all students learn to usetheir minds well, so they may be prepared for responsiblecitizenship, further learning, and productive employmentin our modern economy."

Objectives

The academic performance of elementary and secondary students willincrease significantly in every quartile, and the distribution of minoritystudents in each level will more closely reflect the student population as awhole.

The percentage of students who demonstrate the ability to reason, solveproblems, apply knowledge, and write and communicate effectively willincrease substantially.

All students will he involved in activities that promote and demon-strate good citizenship, community service, and personal responsibility.

The percentage of students who are competent in more than one lan-guage will substantially increase.

All students will be knowledgeable about the diverse cultural heritageof this nation and about the world community.

20 3 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE

Questions to Ask

Academic Performance

What percentage of students atdifferent grades have demonstratedcompetency in selected subjectareas such as English, mathematics,science, history, geography, foreignlanguages, and the fine arts?

How does the percentage ofminority students who arecompetent in different subjectareas compare to all students?

What percentage of students arecompetent in more than onelanguage?

Goal Three

What percentage of students areknowledgeable about the world'sdiverse cultural history?

Enrollment in ChallengingSubject Matter

What percentage of high schoolstudents enroll in and masterchallenging courses in English,mathematics, science, history,geography, foreign languages, thefine arts, and other subject areas?

Citizenship

To what degree do studentsdemonstrate responsiblecitizenship?

21

Goal Three

Measures to Use

Academic Performance

What percentage of students atdifferent grades have demonstratedcompetency in selected subjectareas such as English, mathematics,science, history, geography, foreignlanguages, and the fine arts?

How does the percentage ofminority students who arecompetent in different subjectareas compare to all students?

What percentages of students arecompetent in more than onelanguage?

What percentage of students areknowledgeable about the world'sdiverse cultural history?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelNothing is more central to thework of the National EducationGoals Panel than the developmentof world-class standards of studentachievement and a system of volun-tary assessments that is aligned tothem. To improve education inAmerica, we must set ambitiousstandards of achievement thatexplicitly define what we expect allour students to know and be able todo at different stages in their acade-mic careers.

The National Assessment Govern-ing Board (NAGB) defined suchexpectations for the first time using

22 v a0A

the 1990 National Assessment ofEducational Progress (NAEP)Mathematics Assessment. TheNAGB defined three levels of stu-dent proficiency on the NAEP test:

Basic (partial mastery offundamental knowledge andskills);

Proficient (solid grade-levelperformance that demonstratescompetency in challengingsubject matter); and

Advanced (superiorperformance).

The data reported in the 1992Goals Report for mathematics wereestimates of the percentages of 4th,8th, and 12th grade students whoperformed at each of those levels(pp. 27, 28, 85 and state pages).The Panel considered only thosestudents scoring "Proficient andAbove" as competent, since thislevel best reflected the concept of"demonstrated competency inchallenging subject matter" out-lined in the Goal.

It is important to note that,although the findings on studentcompetency are the best measuresthat are currently available, thesedata may not be entirely accurate.Evaluations conducted since thedata were first released suggest thatthe method used for arriving at theachievement levels may have beenflawed. The National EducationGoals Panel is committed to

reviewing the technical merits offuture levels set by the NAGB formeasuring progress in Goal 3, and ithopes to be able to report improvedmeasures of achievement in futurereports.

The 1992 Goals Report also includ-ed recent NAEP scores in reading,writing, and science (pp. 9: and93). Unlike those in mathematics,these scores describe achievementtrends over time, but make nojudgements about what studentsshould know or be able to do.

Information was also presented inthe Goals Report from the NationalCenter for Education Statistics'National Education LongitudinalStudy of 1988: First Follow-up onthe percentages of 8th graders whohad mastered everyday, fundamen-tal, and complex concepts in read-ing, mathematics, and science bythe 10th grade (pp. 86-91).

Suggestions for Local GoalsReport DataAlthough there is an abundance ofavailable data sources on studentachievement for students in yourcommunity, such as various state-mandated tests, exit examinations,etc., the Panel urges all local com-munities to measure students'achievement using high-perfor-mance standards. Available testsrarely employ such standards. Infact, using data from some state-mandated tests and exit examina-tions may lead the community to

Goal Three

believe that students are makingprogress when they are not.

Contact your student testing andassessment staffs at your local andstate education agencies and askwhether there are tests in any of thepertinent subject areas that mea-sure student achievement againsthigh standards of performance.

Ask those officials what theirlong-term plans are to developassessments that measure perfor-mance against such standards.

Enrollment in ChallengingSubject Matter

What percentage of high schoolstudents enroll in and masterchallenging courses in English,mathematics, science, history,geography, foreign languages, thefine arts, and other subject areas?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelData used by the Goals Panel tomeasure student enrollment inchallenging subject matter wereAdvanced Placement examina-tions and High School CourseCompletion.

Advanced PlacementExaminations

The Advanced Placement (AP)program, sponsored by the CollegeBoard, provides a way for highschools to offer college-levelcoursework to students. At present,

r.(.7

23

Goal Three

one or more course descriptions,examinations, and sets of curricularmaterials are available in varioussubject areas. Advanced Place-ment examinations, which aregiven in May, are graded on a five-point scale (5 being "extremely wellqualified" to 1 being "no recom-mendation"). Scores of three orabove are generally accepted forcollege credit.

In the 1992 Goals Report, the GoalsPanel used 1992 data from the Col-lege Board on the numbers of stu-dents taking AP examinations inEnglish, mathematics, science, his-tory, foreign languages and the finearts, as well as the numbers of stu-dents who scored a three or above(pp. 29, 30, 94, 95, and state pages).

High School Course CompletionIn the 1992 Goals Report, the Panelreported information (pp. 96-98)on High School Course Comple-tion from the National Center forEducation Statistics' High SchoolTranscript Study. Data were pre-sented on the percentages of stu-dents who had completed variouscourses, and sequences of courses,in the five core subject areas.


With the assistance of your localschool district(s), survey the num-ber of students and the percentageof an entire grade level who havebeen exposed to and completedcourses in challenging subject mat-ter, counting the number of high24 "`000

school students who take theAdvanced Placement examina-tions, as well as those who scored athree or above.

For your information, the -GoalsPanel classified AP exams in thefollowing way:

English - Included thecombination of Language &Composition and Literature &Composition.

Mathemajcs - Included thecombination of Calculus ABand Calculus BC.

Science - Included thecombination of Biology,Chemistry, Physics B, Physics C- Electricity and Magnetism, andPhysics C - Mechanics.

History - Included thecombination of U.S. History andEuropean History.

Foreign Languages - Includedthe combination of FrenchLanguage, French Literature,Spanish Language, SpanishLiterature, and German.

Fine Arts - Included thecombination of Art History,Studio Art (Drawing andGeneral) and Music Theory.(The 1992 administration of theAP exams did not include theMusic Listening and Literatureexam.)

Survey, with the assistance ofyour local school district(s), thepercentages of your high schoolgraduates who complete the follow-ing courses [from the High SchoolTranscript Study, 1982 and 1987]:

Four years of English;Algebra I, Algebra II,and Geometry;Calculus;Biology, Chemistry,and Physics;U.S. History and WorldHistory;Geography;Foreign Languages;Visual and Performing Arts.

Citizenship

To what degree do students'Llonstrate responsible

citizenship?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelTo measure whether students areprepared to become responsible cit-izens, the Goals Panel includeddata in the 1992 Goals Report onVoter Registration, Voting, Knowl-edge of Civics, and CommunityService.

Voter Registration and VotingUsing data from the Bureau of theCensus' Current Population Survey,the Goals Panel presented informa-tion on the percentage of youngpeople aged 18 to 20 who were reg-istered to vote, and who voted in

Goal Three

the 1988 Presidential election (pp.34 and 35).

Knowledge of CivicsUsing data from the NationalAssessment for Educational Pro-gress' Civics Achievement Test, thePanel reported on the percentagesof 4th, 8th, and 12th graders whoscored at or above various levels ofcivics proficiency (p. 31).

Community ServiceThe Goals Panel presented 1990data from the National Center forEducation Statistics' National Edu-cation Longitudinal Study First Fol-low-up, on the percentage of 10thgraders who reported that they per-formed community service regular-ly, occasionally, or rarely (pp. 32and 33).


Contact your local electionboard office and check to seewhether there is a statistic on thenumber or percentage of 18-year-olds iri your community who areregistered to vote, or who voted inthe last election. If there are nolocal statistics available, conduct asurvey through your local schooldistrict(s) of 18-year-olds in yourcommunity to see whether they areregistered to vote, or voted in themost recent election.

Contact your local and stateeducation agencies and inquire as

't3 I25

Goal Three

to whether or not there is a civicstest that measures student achieve-ment against high standards of per-formance. If not, are there plans fordevelopment of such an assess-ment?

Survey local businesses, schools,and civic organizations to deter-mine the percentage offering

26

opportunities for community ser-vice and the extent of participationin such activities.

Survey your local school dis-trict(s) to determine whether com-munity service credits are offeredand/or required, and the number ofstudents taking advantage of them.

.40


Mathematics Standards Used inThe 1992 Goals ReportNational Assessment GoverningBoard800 North Capitol Street, NWSuite 825Washington, DC 20002-4233

National Assessment ofEducational ProgressNational Center for EducationStatistics555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208

Achievement GrowthNational Center for EducationStatistics555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208

Source: National EducationLongitudinal Study of 1988: FirstFollow-up Survey, 1990

Advanced PlacementExaminationsThe College Board1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NWSuite 404Washington, DC 20036

High School Course CompletionNational Center for EducationStatistics555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208

Source: High School TranscriptStudy, 1982 and 1987

Goal Three

Voter Registration and VotingU.S. Department of CommerceBureau of the CensusRoom 2343; Population DivisionWashington, DC 20233

Source: Current Population Survey,1988

Community ServiceNational Center for EducationStatistics555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208

Source: National EducationLongitudinal Study of 1988: FirstFollow-up Survey, 1990

National Education StandardsNational Education Goals Panel1850 M Street, NWSuite 270Washington, DC 20036

Office of Educational Research andImprovement555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208


Source: Improving StudentAchievement and Citizenship, 1992

3 27

Olt

Goal FourScience and Mathematics

"By the year 2000, U.S. students will be first in the world inscience and mathematics achievement."

Objectives

Math and science education will be strengthened throughout the sys-tem, especially in the early grades.

The number of teachers with a substantive background in mathematicsand science will increase to 50 percent.

The number of U.S. undergraduate and graduate students, especiallywomen and minorities, who complete degrees in mathematics, science,and engineering will increase significantly.

4028

Questions to Ask

International Assessment

How do U.S. students compare ininternational assessments ofscience and mathematicsachievement?

How do U.S. students compare ininternational comparisons ofschool, home, and studentcharacteristics?

Instructional Practices

How many science andmathematics teachers have thecapability to use effectiveinstructional practices in theirclassrooms?

How many science andmathematics teachers use effectivepractices in their classrooms on aregular basis?

Goal Four

Student and SchoolAttitudes Toward Scienceand Mathematics

Do students have positive attitudestoward science and mathematics?

Do schools specify mathematicsand science as priorities?

Teacher Preparation

How many science and mathe-matics teachers hold degrees in thesubject areas which they areassigned to teach?

Degrees Awarded

How many undergraduate andgraduate science and mathematicsdegrees are awarded to U.S.citizens?

4'29

It.

Goal Four

Measures to Use

International Assessment

How do U.S. students compare ininternational assessments ofscience and mathematicsachievement?

How do U.S. students compare ininternational comparisons ofschool, home, and studentcharacteristics?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelIn the 1992 Goals Report, the GoalsPanel used the most recent (1991)data available from the Interna-tional Assessment of EducationalProgress (IAEP) to examine theperformance of U.S. students inmathematics and science in rela-tion to students in other countries.The Goals P..nel compared U.S.achievement to students in fivecountries: France, Hungary, Korea,Switzerland, and Taiwan (p. 38).

The Goals Panel also used the 1991IAEP data to measure differences ineducational environments withinthe five countries. These data cov-ered such topics as: amount of timespent on homework, number ofbooks in the home, number ofhours spent watching television,and the use of computers forschoolwork or homework (pp. 102and 103).

30


At the present time, there are notests that provide a communitywith a score that can be comparedwith international achievementlevels. However, in the future, thePanel would like to see internation-al tests which could be directlylinked to a local community'sassessment in the areas of mathe-matics and science.

Instructional Practices

How many science andmathematics teachers have theresources necessary to use effectiveinstructional practices in theirclassrooms?

How many science andmathematics teachers use effectivepractices in their classrooms on aregular basis?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelIn the 1992 Goals Report, the Panelreported data (pp. 106, 107, andstate pages) on mathematicsinstructional practices from the1990 National Assessment of Edu-cational Progress' (NAEP) Mathe-matics Assessment, and presenteddata (pp. 104 and 105) on scienceinstructional practices from the1990 NAEP Science Report Card. Inorder to estimate how many teach-ers have the resources necessary touse effective practices, and how

many actually employ such prac-tices, the Goals Report includedinformation on: the adequacy ofteaching facilities, the frequency ofexperiments and oral and writtenreports in the classroom, theemphasis on problem-solving skills,and the reliance on textbooks todetermine what to teach.


Develop a teacher and studentsurvey on instructional practices,with assistance from your localschool district(s), local and stateeducation agencies, and localteacher representatives, using thefollowing questions as a guide.

Sample Questions (Science)[From the 1990 NAEP ScienceReport Card]

TeachersAre your facilities for teaching

laboratory science adequate?

Are you well supplied withinstructional materials andresources?

Do you rely primarily ontextbooks to determine what youteach?(Choices are:

Strongly AgreeAgreeNo OpinionDisagreeStrongly Disagree)

Goal Four

How much emphasis do yougive to:

Developing problem-solvingskills;Communicating ideas inscience effectively;Developing skills inlaboratory techniques?

(Choices are:Heavy emphasisModerate emphasisLittle emphasisNo emphasis)

StudentsWhen you study science, how

often do you:Give an oral or writtenscience report;Do science experiments?

(Choices are:About once a week or moreLess than once a weekNever)

In science class, how often doesyour teacher:

Ask you to writ,. up anexperiment;Ask you to use computers?

(Choices are:Several times a week or moreAbout once a week or lessNever)

31

Goal Four

Sample Questions (Mathematics)[From the 1990 NA F.2 MathematicsAssessment]

TeachersHow much emphasis do you

give to:Algebra and Functions;Developing reasoning andanalytical skills;Learning how tocommunicate math ideas?

(Choices are:Heavy emphasisModerate emphasisLittle emphasisNo emphasis)

About how often do students inyour class(es) use calculators?(Choices are:

At least several times a weekWeekly or lessNever)

How accessible are computersfor student use?(Choices are:

Available in classroomDifficult to accessNot available)

About how often do students inyour class(es) do the followingtypes of activities for mathematicsclass:

Work in small groups;Work with rulers, countingblocks, or geometric shapes;Write reports or do mathprojects?

32

(Choices are:At least several times a weekWeekly or lessNever)

Other questions asked in the IAEPto compare the educational envi-ronments of U.S. students withthose in other countries include:

Do you spend 4 hours or moreon mathematics/science homeworkeach week?

Do you do experiments duringclass?

Do you use calculators inschool?

Do you use computers forschoolwork or homework?

Do you have 25 books or morein your home?

Do you spend 2 hours or moreon all homework every day?

Do you watch television 5 hoursor more every day?

Student and SchoolAttitudes Toward Scienceand Mathematics

Do students have positive attitudestoward science and mathematics?

Do schools specify mathematicsand science as priorities?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals Panel

measure student and school atti-tues toward math and science inthe 1992 Goals Report, the GoalsPanel chose 1990 data (p. 108)from the National Assessment ofEducational Progress' most recentMathematics and Science Reports.The Goals Panel also presented1992 data (pp. 109-112) on thenumber of students takingAdvanced Placement examina-tions in mathematics and science.


Survey the number of studentswho have taken Advanced Place-ment exams in: Biology, Chemistry,Physics B, Physics C - Electricityand Magnetism, Physics C - Me-chanics, Calculus AB, and CalculusBC.

Develop a student and adminis-trative survey about attitudestoward mathematics and science.Sample questions could include[from the 1990 NAEP ScienceReport Card]:

Do you like science?(Choices are:

Yes

No)

[From the 1990 NAEP MathematicsAssessment]

Do you agree or disagree withthe following statement: I likemathematics.

Goal Four

(Choices are:Strongly agreeAgreeDisagreeStrongly disagree)

Have science and mathematicsbeen identified as priorities in yourschool?

a Teacher Preparation

How many science and mathe-matics teachers hold degrees in thesubject areas which they areassigned to teach?

Data Reported By the NationalEducation Goals PanelIn the 1992 Goals Report, the GoalsPanel used 1991 data from theNational Center for Education Sta-tistics' Schools and Staffing Survey tomeasure how well our nation'smathematics and science teachersare prepared to teach these sub-jects. Information included thepercentage of mathematics and sci-ence teachers who have a degree(mathematics or mathematics edu-cation/science or science educa-tion) in the field in which they areassigned to teach (page 117, andstate pages).

d


Contact your local school dis-trict(s) and/or education agency fora count of teachers who havedegrees in science, science educa-tion, mathematics, or mathematicseducation and for a count of the

33

Goal Four

number of teachers who are teach-ing class in those specific subjectareas.

Survey colleges, universities, andschools of education in your areasto estimate the number of educa-tion majors, teacher trainees, etc.,who have mathematics or sciencebackgrounds and who intend tobecome classroom teachers. Thiswill provide an estimate of thefuture pool of instructors in thesespecific subject areas.

Degrees Awarded

How many undergraduate andgraduate science and mathematicsdegrees are awarded to U.S.citizens?

34

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelTo estimate the total number of sci-ence and mathematics degreesawarded to U.S. citizens, the 1992Goals Report included 1990 datafrom the National Science Founda-tion and National Research Coun-cil. Data presented included thenumber of degrees awarded in bothmath and science to males, females,and the different racial/ethnicgroups, and the number of degreesawarded per 1,000 22-year-olds (pp.113-116).


Contact the admissions staff athigher education institutions inyour area and ask how many stu-dents from your community arepursuing degrees in mathematicsand science.


International Assessment ofEducational ProgressNational Center for EducationStatistics555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208

Science Instructional PracticesNational Assessment ofEducational Progress (NAEP)National Center for EducationStatistics555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208

Source: NAEP 1990 Science ReportCard

Mathematics InstructionalPracticesNational Assessment ofEducational Progress (NAEP)National Center for EducationStatistics555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208

Source: NAEP 1990 MathematicsAssessment

Advanced PlacementExaminationsThe College Board1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NWSuite 404Washington, DC 20036

Goal Four

School and Student AttitudesToward Science and MathematicsNational Assessment ofEducational Progress555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208

Teacher PreparationNational Center for EducationStatistics555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208

Source: Schools and Staffing Survey,1991

Degrees AwardedNational Science Foundation1800 G Street, NWWashington, DC 20550

National Research Council2101 Constitution Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20418


Source: Being First in the World inScience and Mathematics, 1992

35

Goal FiveAdult Literacy and Lifelong Learning

"By the year 2000, every adult American will be literateand will possess the knowledge and skills necessary tocompete in a global economy and exercise the rights andresponsibilities of citizenship."

Or3jeCtives

Every major American business will be involved in strengthening theconnection between education and work.

All workers will have the opportunity to acquire the knowledge andskills, from basic to highly technical, needed to adapt to emerging newtechnologies, work methods, and markets through public and privateeducational, vocational, technical, workplace, or other programs.

The number of quality programs, including those at libraries, that aredesigned to serve more effectively the needs of the growing number ofpart-time and mid-career students will increase substantially.

The proportion of those qualified students (especially minorities) whoenter college, who complete at least two years, and who complete theirdegree programs will increase substantially.

The proportion of college graduates who demonstrate an advancedability to think critically, communicate effectively, and solve problemswill increase substantially.

36 Qv

Questions to Use

Adult Literacy

How many adults are literate?

How do literacy rates vary amongracial/ethnic groups and amongadults with different educationlevels?

Internationa: WorkforceAttitudes

How do U.S. workers perceive theusefulness of their present job skillsin the future, compared to workersin other countries?

How do U.S. workers perceivetheir responsibility for improvingjob performance, compared toworkers in other countries?

Adult Education andWorker Training

How many adults are enrolled inadult education courses?

How many U.S. workers taketraining to improve their currentjob skills?

Goal Five

How many adults believe that theywere unable to take, or did nothave employer support for, thekind of adult education andtraining experiences which wouldeffectivet meet their needs?

How involved are businesses instrengthening the education andskills of their workforce?

Citizenship

To what degree do Americanadults exercise the rights andresponsibilities of citizenship?

College Enrollment,Completion, and Preparation

What proportion of students whoenter college complete at least twoyears? At least four years?

What proportion of studentscomplete their degree programs?

In particular, how do the rates ofcollege completion compare forminority and non-minoritystudents?

How prepared are college graduatesto become productive citizens asthey enter the community andworkforce?

37

Goal Five

Measures to Use

Adult Literacy

How many adults are literate?

How do literacy rates vary amongracia' /ethnic groups and amongadults with different educationlevels?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelTo measure the literacy level of ournation's adults, the 1992 GoalsReport included data from the 1985Young Adult Literacy Survey (YALS)on the percentages of young adultsaged 21 to 25 years old who scoredabove certain literacy proficiencylevels in Prose, Document, andQuantitative literacy. The types oftasks that were measured included:reading and using information intexts such as newspapers and pam-phlets; locating information inmaterials such as charts and maps;and performing arithmetic prob-lems using numbers printed inmaterials found in everyday situa-tions (pp. 42 and 43).

The Goals Panel also presentedinformation from a Department ofLabor survey on the literacy skills ofparticipants in the Job TrainingPartnership Act (JTPA) andEmployment Service/Unemploy-ment Insurance (ES/UI) programs.The Panel reported the percentageof adult job seekers in the JTPA andES/UI programs who scored at the

38

50

three highest levels of literacy. Asin the YALS, the same types of liter-acy tasks were assessed (p. 120).


Contact your local literacycouncils and/or your local or statedepartment of education's adulteducation division for informationon possible literacy rates in yourarea.

Survey local literacy councils,local school districts, local highereducation institutions, locai may-ors' offices (especially for largercities), and local public libraries forinformation on types of local litera-cy programs available in your com-munity and the amount of partici-pation in them.

International WorkforceAttitudes

How do U.S. workers perceive theusefulness of their present job skillsin the future, compared to workersin other countries?

How do U.S. workers perceivetheir responsibility for improvingjob performance, compared toworkers in other countries?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelTo measure workers' attitudes inthis country compared to those ofworkers in other countries, the1992 Goals Report presented data

(1989-91) from an internationalstudy done at Cornell University.The countries that participated inthe survey were: Flanders (Bel-gium), West Germany, and Japan.The Goals Report described the per-centage of adult workers in eachcountry who reported that theirpresent job skills would be very use-fat in five years, and the percentagewho strongly agreed that workersshould be expected to think up bet-ter ways to do their jobs (pp. 121and 122).


In conjunction with your localChamber of Commerce, otherbusiness or governmental organiza-tions, or your local higher educa-tion institution, create an employ-ee survey to assess some of theattitudes of your local workforce.Use the following questions as aguide:

Sample Questions[From Cornell University Study]

-- In five years, how useful willyour present job skills be for youremployment?(Choices are:

Not usefulSomewhat usefulUsefulVery useful)

A worker should be expected tothink up better ways to do his orher job.

Goal Five

(Choices are:Strongly disagreeDisagreeAgreeStrongly agree)

Adult Education andWorker Training

How many adults are enrolled inadult education courses?

How many U.S. workers taketraining to improve their currentjob skills?

How many adults believe that theywere unable to take, or did nothave employer support for, thekind of adult education andtraining experiences which wouldeffectively meet their needs?

How involved are businesses instrengthening the education andskills of their workforce?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelThe 1992 Goals Report includeddata on adult education from theNational Center for Education Sta-tistics' National Household Educa-tion Survey. Data presented in theReport included: the percentage ofadults involved in continuing edu-cation courses over the last year;the type of occupation represented;reasons for taking the course(s); thetype of business/organization pro-viding the instruction; the kind ofsupport received; and issues that

39

Goal Five

kept adults from participating ineducation courses (pp. 123-127).

The Goals Panel also presentedtrend information on worker train-ing from a 1983 and 1991 Depart-ment of labor supplement to theCurrent Population Survey (p. 128).


Contact your local school dis-tricts) to inquire whether commu-nity adult education courses arebeing offered by the district and, ifso, the number of participants.

Contact your local Chamber ofCommerce chapters and other ser-vice organizations for informationand possible data on the extent oflocal business involvement in edu-cation, ways to report theextent of this kind of activity in thecommunity.

Develop your own communitysurvey using the questions de-scribed below as a framework.Involve the business community'ssupport, and guidance from officialsof your local/state department ofeducation and literacy councils inboth its development and dissemi-nation process.

Sample Questions[From the National Household Edu-cation Survey, 1991]

Have you been involved incontinuing education courses ornon-credit courses during the la4.

40

12 months? (This does not countfull-time students or part-timecourses taken for credit toward adegree.)

What was your main reason fortaking an adult educationcourse(s):

- Train for a current job;Personal, family, or socialreasons;

- To meet degree/diploma/certificate requirements;

- To train for a new job; orTo improve basic reading,writing, and math skills?

What type of organizationprovided the instruction for theadult education course(s):

A business or industry;4-year college or university;

- Labor/Professionalorganization;Government agency;

- Vocational/Trade/Business/Hospital/Flight school;Library; orOther?

Have any of the followingbarriers kept you from participatingin additional adult educationcourses:

Work schedule;Class cost;Class time;

- Class location;Lack of child care;

- Lack of information;Class of interest notoffered; orOther?

What type of support did youreceive for the adult educationcourse, if any:

- Course was given at placeof work;

- Employer paid some portion;Employer provided course;

- Employer provided timeoff; or

- Other?

Sample Questions[From the Current Population Sur-vey, 1991]

Since you obtained your presentjob did you take any training toimprove your skills?

What kind of training did youtake:

Reading, writing, ormath skills;Computer-related skills;

- Other technical skills specificto your occupation;Managerial or supervisoryskills; orOther?

Did you take the training in:School;

- A formal company trainingprogram;Informal on-the-job; orOther?

Citizenship

To what degree do Americanadults exercise the rights andresponsibilities of citizenship?

Goal Five

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelTo asses the degree to which Amer-ican adults exercise the rights andresponsibilities of citizenship, theGoals Panel chose registration andvoting as indicators. Using datafrom the 1988 Current PopulationSurvey, the 1992 Goals Reportincluded both national and stateinformation on the percentage ofadults aged 18 and older who wereregistered to vote and who voted inthe 1988 Presidential election(page 134, and states pages).


Contact your local electionboard office to obtain a statistic onthe number or percentage of people18 years old and older who are reg-istered to vote and who voted inthe last Presidential and/or Con-gressional election.

Survey local businesses and civicorganizations to determine the per-centage offering opportunities forcommunity service and the extentof participation in such activities.

College Enrollment,Completion, and Preparation

What proportion of students whoenter college complete at least twoyears? At least four years?

What proportion of studentscomplete their degree programs?

5r-1 41

Goal Five

In particular, how do the rates ofcollege completion compare forminority and non-minoritystudents?

How prepared are college graduatesto become productive citizens asthey enter the community andworkforce?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelTo measure the proportion of stu-dents who enter and complete somecollege, the 1992 Goals Reportincluded data from the Bureau ofthe Census' Current Population Sur-vey. Information presented includ-ed the percentage of studentsenrolled in college in the Octoberfollowing their high school gradua-tion, and the percentage of highschool graduates aged 25-29 whocompleted 2 or more, or 4 or moreyears of college (pp. 129-133).

The Panel is still not able to answerthe question of how well collegegraduates are prepared to enter thecommunity and the workforce.However, this past July, the Panelreceived a set of nine specific rec-ommendations from a Task Forceon Collegiate Assessment. Theserecommendations build upon workalready under way in the post-sec-ondary education community andat the National Center for Educa-

42

Lion Statistics. The recommenda-tions include: the adoption of a uni-form format for reporting degreecompletion rates, and; a sample-based collegiate assessment systemlinked to the development ofnational standards for cognitiveskills, higher order thinking skills,and occupation-specific skills forstudents in post-secondary educa-tion programs. In the comingmonths, the Panel will be carefullyreviewing this proposal, solicitingfeedback, and developing actionplans where appropriate.


Contact your local school dis-trict(s) for possible information onthe status of recent high schoolgraduates who have enrolled in col-lege following graduation.

Contact higher education insti-tutions in your area to see if theycollect data on entrants and com-pleters from your community.

Contact your state higher educa-tion agency for information onassessment systems that measurethe knowledge that students haveacquired while enrolled. Contactyour local college officers to see ifsuch a system exists or is beingplanned.


Adult LiteracyEducational Testing ServiceDivision of Cognitive andInstructional ScienceRosedale RoadPrinceton, NJ 08541

Source: Young Adult LiteracySurvey, 1985

U.S. Department of LaborEmployment and TrainingAdministration200 Constitution Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20210

Source: Survey of the literacy skills ofparticipants in the Job TrainingPartnership Act (JTPA) andEmployment Service /UnemploymentInsurance (ES /UI) programs.

Adult Education and TrainingNational Center for EducationStatistics555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208


U.S. Department of LaborBureau of Labor Statistics2 Massachusetts Avenue, NEWashington, DC 20212

Source: Current Population Surveys,1983 and 1991

Goal Five

International Attitudes on theWorkforceCornell UniversitySchool of Industrial and LaborRelationsIthaca, NY 14853-3901

Source: Work-Related AttitudesAmong Workers, 1989-1991

Business Involvement inEducationU.S. Chamber of CommerceCenter for Workforce Preparationand Quality Education1615 H Street, NWWashington, DC 20006

The Business Roundtable1615 L Street, NWWashington, DC 20036

National Alliance of Business1201 New York Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20005

CitizenshipU.S. Department of CommerceBureau of the CensusRoom 2343, Population DivisionWashington, DC 20233

Source: Current Population Survey,1988

rt) 43

Goal Five

College Enrollment, Completion,and PreparationNational Center for EducationStatistics555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208

Source: Current Population Surveys,1990 and 1991

Collegiate AssessmentNational Education Goals Panel1850 M Street, NWSuite 270Washington, DC 20036

Source: Task Force Report inAssessing the National Goals Relatingto Postsecondary Education, 1992

44


Source: Pursuing Adult Literacy andLifelong Learning, 1992

Goal SixSafe, Disciplined, andDrug-Free Schools

"By the year 2000, every school in America will be free ofdrugs and violence and will offer a disciplinedenvironment conducive to learning."

Objectives

Every school will implement a firm and fair policy on use, possession,and distribution of drugs and alcohol.

Parents, businesses, and community organizations will work together to

ensure that schools are a safe haven for all children.

Every school district will develop a comprehensive K-12 drug and alco-

hol prevention education program. Drug and alcohol curriculum shouldbe taught as an integral part of health education. In addition, communi-ty-based teams should be organized to provide students and teachers with

needed support.

46

Questions to Ask

Student Drug Use

How accessible are drugs in schoolsand how common is at-school druguse? How common is drug useamong students when they are noton school grounds?

What types of attitudes do studentspossess toward drugs?

Have schools adopted and properlyimplemented policies on drug use,possession, and distribution? Haveschools developed a comprehen-sive drug education program? Howinvolved are communities withthese efforts?

Goal Six

Victimization andVandalism

How safe are schools, as measuredby incidence of victimization ofstudents and teachers and van-dalism of personal and schoolproperty?

How involved are parents,businesses, and communities inensuring that schools offer a safelearning environment?

Discipline in Schools

How orderly are schools, asmeasured by the existence andenforcement of school policies ondiscipline, truancy, and tardiness?

5847

4

Goal Six

Measures to Use

Student Drug Use

How accessible are drugs in schoolsand how common is at-school druguse? How common is drug useamong students when they are noton school grounds?

What types of attitudes do studentspossess toward drugs?

Have schools adopted and properlyimplemented policies on drug use,possession, and distribution? Haveschools developed a comprehen-sive drug education program? Howinvolved are communities withthese efforts?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelTo measure the use of drugs by stu-dents, both at-school and overall,the 1992 Goals Report presenteddata from the University of Michi-gan's 1991 Monitoring the FutureSurvey (MtF) on 8th, 10th, and12th graders. Data were also pre-sented from the 1989 School CrimeSupplement from the Bureau of Jus-tice Statistics on the availability ofdrugs at school. Types of data pre-sented included: the percentage of8th, 10th, and 12th graders who usealcohol and other drugs at or nearschool and overall, and the abilityof students to obtain drugs onschool grounds (pp. 46-50).

The Panel also presented informa-tion from the 1991 MtF on stu-48 9 ll

dents' attitudes toward the use ofalcohol and other drugs. Datareported included students' atti-tudes toward marijuana, cocaine,and excessive drinking (p. 138).


Contact your local school dis-trict(s), state department of educa-tion, and local/state alcohol anddrug abuse agencies and inquirewhether any data of this kind areavailable on your community.Many states and communities haveparticipated in drug surveys.Inquire about available data on thesuccess rates and quality of drugeducation programs in your com-munity.

Develop a survey for students inyour community with the assis-tance of your local school district(s)to monitor your community'sprogress in this area, using the fol-lowing questions as a guide:

Sample Questions(For 12th graders)

[From the Monitoring the FutureSurvey, 19911

To what degree are you able toobtain the following drugs at yourschool:

Alcohol;Marijuana;Cocaine;Crack;Uppers/downers; orOther drugs?

(Choices are:EasyHardImpossibleDon't knowDon't know drug)

On how many occasions (ifany) have you had alcohol to drinkduring the last 12 months?*(Choices are:

0 occasions1 or more occasions)

(When applicable) When youused alcohol during the last 12months, how often did you use it atschool?*(Choices are:

Not at allA few timesSome of the timesMost of the timesEvery time)

* Ask the same questions about mari-juana and cocaine use.

During the last 30 days, on howmany occasions (if any) have you:

Consumed alcohol;Used marijuana;Taken any illegal drug; orUsed cocaine?

(Choices are:0 occasionsI or more occasions)

Goal Six

Sample Questions(For 8th and 10th graders)

[From the Monitoring the FutureSurvey, 1991]

During the last 12 months, didyou use alcohol:

At school during the day;Near school; orAt a school dance, game, orother event?

During the last 30 days, on howmany occasions (if any) have you:

Consumed alcohol;Used marijuana;Taken any illegal drug; orUsed cocaine?

(Choices are:0 occasionsI or more occasions)

The Goals Panel did not reportwhether schools have adopted poli-cies on drug use, possession, anddistribution because no nationallyrepresentative data are currentlycollected in these areas. However,your community's Goals reportcould list the policies and informa-tion about implementation in yourlocal district(s).

Victimization andVandalism

How safe are schools, as measuredby incidence of victimization ofstudents and teachers and van-dalism of personal and schoolproperty?

co 49

Godi Six

How involved are parents,businesses, and communities inensuring that schools offer a safelearning environment?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelTo measure the safety of ournation's schools and the levels ofstudent and teacher victimization,the 1992 Goals Report included datafrom the University of Michigan's1991 MtF Survey and informationfrom the National Center for Edu-cation Statistics' Fast Response Sur-vey System. Information includedin the Report were: the percentageof students who are threatened orinjured (with and withoutweapons), the percentage of stu-dents who have property stolen orvandalized, and the percentage ofteachers who feel unsafe at school(pp. 51-54).

Suggestions for Local Goals .

Report DataContact officials from your local

and/or state department of educa-tion and higher education institu-tions' research departments todesign, develop, and disseminate alocal survey (using the questionsbelow) to assess the involvement ofthe community in ensuring thatschools are able to offer a safe learn-ing environment.

50

Sample Questions(For Students)


During the last 12 months, howoften has something of yours beenstolen while you were at school?

During the last 12 months, howoften has someone deliberatelydamaged your property (car,clothing, etc.) while you were atschool?

During the last 12 months, howoften has someone injured youwith a weapon (like a knife, gun, orclub) while you were at school?

During the last 12 months, howoften has someone threatened youwith a weapon, but not actuallyinjured you, while you were atschool?

During the last 12 months, howoften has someone injured you onpurpose without using a weapon,while you were at school?

During the last 12 months, howoften has an unarmed personthreatened you with injury, but notactually injured while you were atschool?(At school was classified as: insideschool, outside school, or on a schoolbus.)

(Choices given for all questionsabove are:

Not at allOnce or more)

Sample Questions(For Teachers)

[From the Fast Response SurveySystem, 1991]

How safe did you feel in theschool building both during schoolhours and after school hours?(Choices are:

SafeModerately safeModerately unsafeUnsafe)

In the last 12 months, has astudent from your school threat-ened to injure you? Physicallyattacked you?

In the last 4 weeks, has astudent from your school verballyabused you?

Discipline in Schools

How orderly are schools, asmeasured by the existence andenforcement of school policies ondiscipline, truancy, and tardiness?

Data Reported by the NationalEducation Goals PanelThe 1992 Goals Report containeddata from both the 1991 Schoolsand Staffing Survey and the 1991Monitoring the Future Survey toreport on teachers' disciplinary

Goal Six

control over their classrooms,teachers' beliefs about the schoolenvironment, and the incidence ofstudents skipping school and classes(pp. 139-141, and state pages).


Contact your local school dis-trict(s) for data on local truancyrates.

Include the following types ofquestions in surveys of teachers andstudents.

Sample Questions(For Teachers)

[From the Schools and Staffing Sur-vey, 1991]

At school, how much controldo you feel you have in yourclassroom over discipliningstudents?(Choices are on a scale from 1 to 6,with I being "no control" and 6 being"complete control.")

Do you agree or disagree witheach of the following statements?

The level of student mis-behavior (e.g., noise,horseplay, or fighting in thehalls, cafeteria, or studentlounge) in this schoolinterferes with my teaching;My principal enforces schoolrules for student conduct andbacks me up when I needit; and

s4. 51

Goal Six

Rules for student behavior areconsistently enforced byteachers in this school, evenfor students who are not intheir classes.

(Choices are:Strongly agreeAgreeDisagreeStrongly disagree)

Sample Questions(For Students)


During the last four weeks, howmany whole days of school haveyou missed because you skipped or"cut" class?

52

6

(Choices are:NoneI day or more)

During the last four weeks, howoften have you gone to school butskipped a class when you weren'tsupposed to?(Choices are:

Not at all1 or more times)


At-School and Overall Drug UseUniversity of MichiganInstitute for Social ResearchRoom 2030Ann Arbor, MI 48106

Source: Monitoring the FutureSurvey, 1991

Centers for Disease ControlDivision of Adolescent and SchoolHealth1600 Clifton RoadMail Stop K33Atlanta, GA 30033

Source: Youth Risk BehaviorSurveillance Survey, 1991

Availability of Illegal DrugsBureau of Justice StatisticsNational BranchWashington, DC 20531

Source: School Crime Supplement tothe National Crime Survey, 1989

School Safety/Victimization andVandalismNational Center for EducationStatistics555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208

Source: Fast Response SurveySystem, 1991

University of MichiganInstitute for Social Research

6 A

Goal Six

Room 2030Ann Arbor, MI 48106


U.S. Departments of Justice andEducationSchool Management and ResourceTeam (SMART) Program3770 Torrey Pines BoulevardSarasota, FL 34238

Discipline in SchoolsNational Center for EducationStatistics555 New Jersey Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20208

Source: School:- and Staffing Survey,1991

TruancyUniversity of MichiganInstitute for Social ResearchRoom 2030Ann Arbor, MI 48106



Source: Promoting Safe, Disciplined,and Drug-Free Schools, 1992

53

110

NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL1850 hi STREET. N.W. SUITE 270

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036

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