This document contains four papers (and an introduction by William Wilhelm) on teaching "soft" skills in business education programs. "The Skill Building Challenge: Preparing a Bridge for the Workforce Skills Gap" (Sheila M. Smith) examines the following topics: the workforce skills gap; the importance of academic and…

Based on research on the features that are found in effective school-wide bilingual education programs, assessment strategies for such programs are offered. The features are in three groups: indicators relating to school context (ethos, management, and resources that affect the attitudes of school staff, students, and parents in language minority…

Results of a 1994 survey of state directors of special education are presented for 47 states, 7 protectorates, and the District of Columbia. Four major issues were surveyed: the effects of activities outlined in Goals 2000 on state special education service delivery systems; efforts that states are making to develop learner goals and related…

Noting that many communities in the United States have set the ambitious goal of enhancing school readiness, this report is intended to help communities invest wisely in school readiness initiatives. Part 1 of the report summarizes recommendations from the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) for defining and assessing school readiness. The core…

Asserts that the National Geography Standards identify what students should know and be able to do as a result of geography instruction. Identifies the action verbs used in the Standards' activity statements. Discusses these verbs in the context of Blooms cognitive taxonomy. (CFR)

Discusses the historical and contemporary relationships between global competition and education. Compares similarities between educational initiatives following the launch of Sputnik and those of the Goals 2000 program. Provides examples to encourage students to think about the new world order in social studies classrooms. (CFR)

The Odyssey Project is named for the Greek hero, Odysseus, who for 10 years, sought the purpose of life. The Project is based on the philosophy that a new generation of American schools must be viewed as a lifelong quest for excellence. The project is one of 11 designs for schools funded by the New American Schools Development Corporation, a…

Asserts that the current focus on voluntary national standards has catapulted arts education into a new prominence. Discusses the background and tactics of current educational reform efforts. Concludes that, without empirical research and assessment, the proposed curricular standards will remain an educational fad. (CFR)

Reports on an interview with the president, past president, and president elect of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) about the impact of the national standards movement and the future of social studies education. Discusses the Goals 2000 national standards projects and their relationship to NCSS Social Studies Standards efforts.…

Overviews a bilingual program serving urban schoolchildren who come from Arabic-speaking homes. The article describes the mission of the program as the preparation of students, in close cooperation with their families, to become contributing citizens in a changing society by providing a challenging curriculum to develop knowledge and a sense of…

This paper presents recommendations designed to ensure that limited-English-proficient (LEP) children are included in proposals embodied in "Goals 2000." These are as follows: persons knowledgeable about the education of LEP students should be included in national, state and local panels; all educational reform activities should address…

This issue paper summarizes key program elements in the Goals 2000: Educate America Act (P.L. 103-227), signed into law on March 31, 1994. The legislation, designed to codify the eight National Education Goals, authorizes funds for K-12 school improvement and establishes a framework to encourage state and local educational agencies to develop…

Consistent with education reform efforts, the U.S. Department of Education, in November 1993, invited a group of 119 outstanding public and private school teachers to the Goals 2000 Teacher Forum in Washington, D.C. to hear their thoughts and explore ways in which the federal government might work in partnership with teachers to achieve the…

Traces the origins and development of the National Standards for Arts Education. Discusses the long-term effects the national standards might have on preservice and inservice teacher education. Questions whether national standards might lead to a standardization in arts education that would hamper teacher and student creativity. (CFR)

Work-based education (WBE), including traditional vocational education and other career-focused programs, was an important curricular component in American schools for most of the 20th century. The 1990s was a period of substantial change for work-based education (WBE). Spurred on by a concern about the international competitiveness of the…