A number of documents were written in 1983 by groups seeking to improve American education. This digest was developed to review and examine some of the common themes (as they pertain to science education) from these documents. They are: (1) "A Nation at Risk"; (2) "Educating Our Citizens: The Search for Excellence"; (3) "Action for Excellence"; (4) "Educating Americans for the 21st Century"; and (5) "Images of Science." The digest includes: (1) a discussion of implications related to standards, time for instruction, and curriculum (noting that all documents urge increased rigor in education); (2) lists of desired science instruction outcomes for grades K-6, for grades 7 and 8, for biology, for chemistry, and for physics; and (3) a discussion of implications for teacher education. (JN)