From the Nov. 20, 1996 Daily Report Card:
-> *4   SOME IMPROVEMENT, BUT NOT ENOUGH:  NEGP REPORTS ON GOALS
->    Despite "encouraging progress in the states," overall
-> national performance toward reaching the national education goals is
-> "virtually static," writes the National Education Goals Panel in a
-> release announcing its sixth annual report (11/19).
->    The NEGP report assessed overall national performance by
-> examining 25 indicators selected to measure progress toward the eight
-> national education goals.  According to the findings,
-> performance has improved in five areas, it has declined in eight and
-> has remained unchanged in the other areas.
->    For example, national performance has improved in the
-> following five areas:  infant health; family reading; math
-> achievement in grades 4 and 8; degrees earned in mathematics and
-> science by all students and by females; and threats and injuries to
-> students at school.  However, performance fell in areas such as
-> 12th-grade reading achievement; teacher preparation;
-> participation in adult education and in closing the gap in
-> college completion rates between whites and Hispanics.
->    Student drug abuse and violence are major obstacles in
-> reading the national education goals, writes the report, with
-> both on the rise in the nation's schools.  "These rising trends are
-> disturbing not only because they pose health and safety
-> dangers to teachers and students, but also because drug use and
-> discipline issues clearly inhibit learning," said Ken Nelson,
-> NEGP executive director.
->    Standards and assessments also are featured in the 1996
-> report.  The report contains a discussion and question and answer
-> section designed to help readers understand the significance of
-> standards and the assessments needed to measure whether students have
-> mastered challenging subject matter.  "There is no way we
-> can be assured of annual progress toward reaching the goals until
-> states and communities develop and use rigorous standards and
-> design new forms of assessments," said Gov Roy Romer (D-Colo.), NEGP
-> chairman for 1997.
->    "The panel is encouraged by the increasing number of states
-> that are creating new standards and assessments, and we hope that our
-> 1996 report will assist them as they go about their work,"
-> added Romer.  According to the report, 32 states have developed state
-> standards, and an additional 14 states are reportedly
-> developing standards.  Forty-five states have statewide
-> assessment systems.
->    A state-by-state review of progress toward the goals also is
-> included in the report, "Goals Report:  Building a Nation of
-> Learners."  NEGP uses 21 state core indicators selected to
-> measure progress toward the goals.
->    Findings from the state-by-state section include:  Twelve
-> states -- Ala., Ariz., Md., Miss., Nev., N.., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Pa.,
-> S.C., and Vt. -- have made significant improvement in five of the key
-> performance areas;  six states -- Calif., Colo., Conn, Iowa., Ky.,
-> and Texas -- have made significant improvement in six or more
-> performance areas; twenty states have achieved the 90% or higher high
-> school graduation rate called for by goal 2 --
-> Alaska, Conn., Dela., Hi., Iowa, Kan, Maine, Md., Mass., Minn., Mo.,
-> Mont., Neb., N.J., N.D., Pa., S.D., Utah, Wis., and Wy.
->    The report also found that 46 states have increased the
-> percentage of mathematics and science degrees awarded to all
-> students, while 30 states have increased the percentage of math and
-> science degrees awarded to minorities and 48 for female
-> students.
->    U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), whose state fared
-> poorly in the NEGP report, pointed to "three concrete and
-> achievable steps" that he is working on to help N.M. make
-> progress toward achieving the national education goals.  Those
-> areas include:  assisting states develop world-class standards
-> and assessments; beginning to address the gap in school
-> completion rates; and working to expand access to the Advanced
-> Placement program.
->    Copies of the 1996 National Education Goals Report and
-> Executive Summary are available free-of-charge from the NEGP by
-> faxing a request to the panel at 202/632-0957; by sending an e- mail
-> message to NEGP@goalline.org; or by visiting the panel's
-> website at http:\\www.negp.gov.
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