USC Subchapter I

20 U.S.C. § 5811 Purpose

The purpose of this subchapter is to establish National Education Goals.

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

The Congress declares that the National Education 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 children 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 mental alertness necessary to be prepared to learn, and the number of low-birthweight babies will be significantly reduced through enhanced prenatal health systems. (2) School completion(A) By the year 2000, the high school graduation 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 equivalent; and (ii) the gap in high school graduation rates between American students from minority backgrounds and their non-minority counterparts will be eliminated. (3) Student achievement and citizenship(A) By the year 2000, all students will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter including 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 prepared 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 students 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 substantially; (iii) all students will be involved in activities that promote and demonstrate good citizenship, good health, community service, and personal responsibility; (iv) all students will have access to physical education and health education to ensure 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 development(A) By the year 2000, the Nation’s teaching force will have access to programs for the continued 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 opportunities to acquire additional knowledge and skills needed to teach challenging subject matter and to use emerging new methods, forms of assessment, and technologies; (iii) States and school districts will create integrated strategies to attract, recruit, prepare, retrain, and support the continued professional development of teachers, administrators, and other educators, so that there is a highly talented work force of professional educators to teach challenging subject matter; and (iv) partnerships will be established, whenever possible, among local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, parents, and local labor, business, and professional associations to provide and support programs for the professional development of educators. (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, including the metric system of measurement, will be strengthened throughout the system, especially in the early grades; (ii) the number of teachers with a substantive background in mathematics and science, including the metric system of measurement, will increase by 50 percent; and (iii) the number of United States undergraduate and graduate students, especially women and minorities, who complete degrees in mathematics, science, and engineering 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 responsibilities of citizenship. (B) The objectives for this goal are that—(i) every major American business will be involved in strengthening the connection between 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 educational, vocational, technical, workplace, or other programs; (iii) the number of quality programs, including 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 students, especially minorities, who enter college, who complete at least two years, and who complete their degree programs will increase 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 comprehensive 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 environment 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 distribution 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 develop a sequential, comprehensive kindergarten through twelfth grade drug and alcohol 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 organized 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 promote 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 assist local schools and local educational agencies 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 disabilities; (ii) every school will actively engage parents and families in a partnership which supports the academic work of children at home and shared educational decisionmaking at school; and (iii) parents and families will help to ensure that schools are adequately supported and will hold schools and teachers to high standards of accountability.