20 U.S.C. § 5812 — National Education Goals

Page 1292 TITLE 20—EDUCATION § 5811 AMENDMENTS 2004—Subsec. (a)(9). Pub. L. 108–446 substituted ‘‘sec- tion 1401’’ for ‘‘section 1401(a)(17)’’. 1996—Subsec. (a)(7) to (14). Pub. L. 104–134 redesig- nated pars. (8) to (14) as (7) to (13), respectively, and struck out former par. (7) which read as follows: ‘‘the term ‘opportunity-to-learn standards’ means the cri- teria for, and the basis of, assessing the sufficiency or quality of the resources, practices, and conditions nec- essary at each level of the education system (schools, local educational agencies, and States) to provide all students with an opportunity to learn the material in voluntary national content standards or State content standards;’’. 1994—Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 103–382, § 394(f)(1)(A)(i), substituted ‘‘section 8801’’ for ‘‘section 2891’’. Subsec. (a)(10). Pub. L. 103–382, § 394(f)(1)(A)(ii), sub- stituted ‘‘section 1401(a)(17)’’ for ‘‘section 1401’’. Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 103–382, § 394(f)(1)(B), sub- stituted ‘‘section 8801’’ for ‘‘section 2891’’. SUBCHAPTER I—NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS § 5811. Purpose The purpose of this subchapter is to establish National Education Goals. (Pub. L. 103–227, title I, § 101, Mar. 31, 1994, 108 Stat. 130.) § 5812. National Education Goals The Congress declares that the National Edu- cation Goals are the following: (1) School readiness (A) By the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn. (B) The objectives for this goal are that— (i) all children will have access to high- quality and developmentally appropriate preschool programs that help prepare chil- dren for school; (ii) every parent in the United States will be a child’s first teacher and devote time each day to helping such parent’s preschool child learn, and parents will have access to the training and support parents need; and (iii) children will receive the nutrition, physical activity experiences, and health care needed to arrive at school with healthy minds and bodies, and to maintain the men- tal alertness necessary to be prepared to learn, and the number of low-birthweight ba- bies will be significantly reduced through enhanced prenatal health systems. (2) School completion (A) By the year 2000, the high school gradua- tion rate will increase to at least 90 percent. (B) The objectives for this goal are that— (i) the Nation must dramatically reduce its school dropout rate, and 75 percent of the students who do drop out will successfully complete a high school degree or its equiva- lent; and (ii) the gap in high school graduation rates between American students from minority backgrounds and their non-minority coun- terparts will be eliminated. (3) Student achievement and citizenship (A) By the year 2000, all students will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having demonstrated com- petency over challenging subject matter in- cluding English, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography, and every school in America will ensure that all students learn to use their minds well, so they may be pre- pared for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment in our Nation’s modern economy. (B) The objectives for this goal are that— (i) the academic performance of all stu- dents at the elementary and secondary level will increase significantly in every quartile, and the distribution of minority students in each quartile will more closely reflect the student population as a whole; (ii) the percentage of all students who demonstrate the ability to reason, solve problems, apply knowledge, and write and communicate effectively will increase sub- stantially; (iii) all students will be involved in activi- ties that promote and demonstrate good citizenship, good health, community service, and personal responsibility; (iv) all students will have access to phys- ical education and health education to en- sure they are healthy and fit; (v) the percentage of all students who are competent in more than one language will substantially increase; and (vi) all students will be knowledgeable about the diverse cultural heritage of this Nation and about the world community. (4) Teacher education and professional devel- opment (A) By the year 2000, the Nation’s teaching force will have access to programs for the con- tinued improvement of their professional skills and the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to instruct and prepare all American students for the next century. (B) The objectives for this goal are that— (i) all teachers will have access to preservice teacher education and continuing professional development activities that will provide such teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to teach to an increasingly diverse student population with a variety of educational, social, and health needs; (ii) all teachers will have continuing op- portunities to acquire additional knowledge and skills needed to teach challenging sub- ject matter and to use emerging new meth- ods, forms of assessment, and technologies; (iii) States and school districts will create integrated strategies to attract, recruit, pre- pare, retrain, and support the continued pro- fessional development of teachers, adminis- trators, and other educators, so that there is a highly talented work force of professional educators to teach challenging subject mat- ter; and (iv) partnerships will be established, when- ever possible, among local educational agen- cies, institutions of higher education, par- ents, and local labor, business, and profes- sional associations to provide and support programs for the professional development of educators. Page 1293 TITLE 20—EDUCATION §§ 5821 to 5827 (5) Mathematics and science (A) By the year 2000, United States students will be first in the world in mathematics and science achievement. (B) The objectives for this goal are that— (i) mathematics and science education, in- cluding the metric system of measurement, will be strengthened throughout the system, especially in the early grades; (ii) the number of teachers with a sub- stantive background in mathematics and science, including the metric system of measurement, will increase by 50 percent; and (iii) the number of United States under- graduate and graduate students, especially women and minorities, who complete de- grees in mathematics, science, and engineer- ing will increase significantly. (6) Adult literacy and lifelong learning (A) By the year 2000, every adult American will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise the rights and respon- sibilities of citizenship. (B) The objectives for this goal are that— (i) every major American business will be involved in strengthening the connection be- tween education and work; (ii) all workers will have the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills, from basic to highly technical, needed to adapt to emerging new technologies, work methods, and markets through public and private edu- cational, vocational, technical, workplace, or other programs; (iii) the number of quality programs, in- cluding those at libraries, that are designed to serve more effectively the needs of the growing number of part-time and midcareer students will increase substantially; (iv) the proportion of the qualified stu- dents, especially minorities, who enter col- lege, who complete at least two years, and who complete their degree programs will in- crease substantially; (v) the proportion of college graduates who demonstrate an advanced ability to think critically, communicate effectively, and solve problems will increase substantially; and (vi) schools, in implementing comprehen- sive parent involvement programs, will offer more adult literacy, parent training and life- long learning opportunities to improve the ties between home and school, and enhance parents’ work and home lives. (7) Safe, disciplined, and alcohol- and drug-free schools (A) By the year 2000, every school in the United States will be free of drugs, violence, and the unauthorized presence of firearms and alcohol and will offer a disciplined environ- ment conducive to learning. (B) The objectives for this goal are that— (i) every school will implement a firm and fair policy on use, possession, and distribu- tion of drugs and alcohol; (ii) parents, businesses, governmental and community organizations will work together to ensure the rights of students to study in a safe and secure environment that is free of drugs and crime, and that schools provide a healthy environment and are a safe haven for all children; (iii) every local educational agency will develop and implement a policy to ensure that all schools are free of violence and the unauthorized presence of weapons; (iv) every local educational agency will de- velop a sequential, comprehensive kinder- garten through twelfth grade drug and alco- hol prevention education program; (v) drug and alcohol curriculum should be taught as an integral part of sequential, comprehensive health education; (vi) community-based teams should be or- ganized to provide students and teachers with needed support; and (vii) every school should work to eliminate sexual harassment. (8) Parental participation (A) By the year 2000, every school will pro- mote partnerships that will increase parental involvement and participation in promoting the social, emotional, and academic growth of children. (B) The objectives for this Goal are that— (i) every State will develop policies to as- sist local schools and local educational agen- cies to establish programs for increasing partnerships that respond to the varying needs of parents and the home, including parents of children who are disadvantaged or bilingual, or parents of children with disabil- ities; (ii) every school will actively engage par- ents and families in a partnership which sup- ports the academic work of children at home and shared educational decisionmaking at school; and (iii) parents and families will help to en- sure that schools are adequately supported and will hold schools and teachers to high standards of accountability. (Pub. L. 103–227, title I, § 102, Mar. 31, 1994, 108 Stat. 130.) SUBCHAPTER II—NATIONAL EDUCATION REFORM LEADERSHIP, STANDARDS, AND ASSESSMENTS PART A—NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL §§ 5821 to 5827. Repealed. Pub. L. 107–110, title X, § 1011(4)(A), Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1986 Section 5821, Pub. L. 103–227, title II, § 201, Mar. 31, 1994, 108 Stat. 133; Pub. L. 104–134, title I, § 101(d) [title VII, § 703(a)(4)], Apr. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 1321–211, 1321–252; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 104–140, § 1(a), May 2, 1996, 110 Stat. 1327, set forth purpose of part. Section 5822, Pub. L. 103–227, title II, § 202, Mar. 31, 1994, 108 Stat. 134; Pub. L. 104–134, title I, § 101(d) [title VII, § 703(a)(5)], Apr. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 1321–211, 1321–252; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 104–140, § 1(a), May 2, 1996, 110 Stat. 1327, established National Education Goals Panel. Section 5823, Pub. L. 103–227, title II, § 203, Mar. 31, 1994, 108 Stat. 136; Pub. L. 104–134, title I, § 101(d) [title VII, § 703(a)(6)], Apr. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 1321–211, 1321–252; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 104–140, § 1(a), May 2, 1996, 110 Stat. 1327, set forth duties of Panel.