The National Education Goals, Goals 2000, were signed into law by President Clinton in 1994. From 1989 to 1994 the goals existed in a symbolic context with minimal funding to support them. An unpredictable series of events sustained the National Education Goals through a period of potential obscurity to enactment. The goals appear to be unique in the history of national education policy development for two reasons. First, they are an anomaly when compared to the methods used to establish national policy. Second, the passage of Goals 2000 marks the expansion of the federal government's role in public education. This paper describes the unusual chain of events that led to the legislation of national goals and standards--the period of gestation from 1983 to early 1991, the "America 2000" era from April 1991 through 1992, and the "Goals 2000" era from 1993 to the present. An implication is that although local school boards and school districts will continue to play an important role in policy formation, their choices will be limited to deciding how to implement federal goals. Educators must lobby for those policies at the federal level that best support children. Appendices contain a timeline of eras, key players, and events; a chronological list of events; a glossary; and the National Education Goals. (Contains 104 references.) (LMI)