MakingtheGrade:TeacherEducation'sRolein

AchievingtheNationalEducationGoals.ERIC
Digest.
The 1989 Charlottesville Education Summit of the nation's governors resulted in the National
Education Goals, which describe six priorities for public schools to achieve by the year
2000. Educators across the country supported the Goals' high aims, yet also
expressed reservations (Voices, 1991). As originally written, the Goals did not include a distinct
role for higher education nor did they acknowledge the importance of teachers to their success
(p. 26, 27).
Policymakers have begun to address the omission and have proposed an additional Goal that
callsfor teachers to "have access to programs for the continued improvement of their professional
skills and the opportunity to acquire such knowledge and skills needed to instruct and prepare all
American students for the next century," by the year 2000 (Taylor, 1993). This Digest highlights
initiatives taken by the teacher education community in support of achieving the Goals.

WHATARETHEIMPLICATIONSFORTEACHER
EDUCATION?
Collegesofeducationrecognizethatnew,collaborativemethodsareneeded
toenableteacherstoreachthestudentsoftomorrowandensureeverychild's
success(Guy,inpress).OrganizationssuchastheNationalBoardfor
ProfessionalTeachingStandardsandtheHolmesGroup,amongothers,are
workingtodesignstandardstoensurecomprehensive,qualityteaching.
FormerOfficeofEducationalResearchandImprovement(OERI)Assistant
SecretaryChristopherT.Crossobserved,"Forstudentlearningtoimprove,
teacherlearningmustalsoimprove"(Cross,1991).TheStateHigher
EducationExecutiveOfficersAssociation(SHEEO)hascalledforfunding
professionaldevelopmentprogramsforteachersatthecollegelevel,
conductingteachereducationinclinicalsettings,andimprovingtheprovision
ofprofessionalenrichmentprograms(SHEEO,1991).Releasetimefor
teachers'professionaldevelopmentanduniversalrecognitionofteachingasa
genuineprofessioncouldalsocontributetosuccessfulattainmentofthe
Goals.

HOWISTEACHEREDUCATIONRESPONDING?

HighereducationinstitutionshaveshapedtheoriginalsixGoalsintoprograms
thatcanhelpprospectiveteachersandtheirfuturestudents.Ina1992survey,
over90%ofmorethan600privatecollegesanduniversitieswereconducting
eightormoreprogramsrelatedtotheNationalEducationGoals(Report,
1993).
TheAmericanAssociationofCollegesforTeacherEducation(AACTE)recast
theGoalstoreflecttheinvolvementofteachereducatorsbyaddingstrategies
forlearningtoaccompanyeachGoal(AACTE,1992,p.13):
GOAL1:ReadinessforSchool
StrategyAllschoolswillbereadyforchildren.
GOAL2:HighSchoolCompletion
StrategySchoolsandteacherswillreceivenecessarysupporttoengageall
childreninlearning,includingdevelopmentofspecialprogramsforthosemost
atrisk.
GOAL3:StudentAchievementandCitizenship
StrategyTeacherswillbeproficientinthesubjectstheyteachandthe
pedagogiestoteachthem.Theywillbeskilledintheuseofassessmentto
diagnosethestrengthsandweaknessesofindividuallearners.
GOAL4:ScienceandMathematics
StrategyU.S.citizenswillbefirstintheworldinthinkingskillsandproblem
solving.
GOAL5:AdultLiteracyandLifelongLearning
StrategySchoolsandbusinesseswilljointogethertoenhanceworkers'
abilities,bothintheclassroomandbeyond.
GOAL6:Safe,Disciplined,andDrugfreeSchools

StrategyAllchildrenwillbeguaranteedasafelearningenvironment.Tothat
end,everychildinAmericawillbetaughtbyafullyqualified,licensed,
professionalteacher.

ARENEWAPPROACHESBEINGTRIED?
Teachereducatorsmustpreparequalifiedteachersforanewkindof
classroom.Followingaredescriptionsofprojectsundertakenbyschools,
colleges,anddepartmentsofeducationtomeettheNationalEducationGoals
(AACTE,1992).
GOAL1:Collegesofeducationarefosteringearlyliteracy,developing
collaborativeservices,providinginterventionprograms,andbuildingteachers'
skillsinworkingwithchildrenfromdisadvantagedfamilies.
PeabodyCollege,VanderbiltUniversity,sponsorsatherapeuticpreschool
classroomforabusedorneglectedchildren,includingindividualized
instructionemphasizingschoolreadinessskills.Amentalhealthprofessional
providesthechildrenwithdailycounseling.PeabodyCollegealsoadministers
theTennesseeOutreachTrainingProject,whichoffersinformationto
programsservingyoungchildrenwithdisabilitiesonbestpractices.
TheDepartmentofTeacherEducationatBradleyUniversity(IL)helpsoperate
aprogramwhereatriskchildrenattendpreschoolfourdaysperweek.Onthe
fifthday,teachersreceiveinservicetrainingattheuniversityorconducthome
visits.Classroomsserveasfieldsitesforearlychildhoodeducationmajors
andforteachersrequiringinservicetraining.
GOAL2:Teachereducatorshaveestablishedlinkageswithsecondary
schoolsandotherpartners,enablingacademicallytroubledhighschool
studentstoattendcollegeorvocationalprogramsandexposingteacher
educationstudentstoexperiencesthatwillariseintheirclassrooms.
Tohelpruraldisadvantagedstudents,theCollegeofEducationatEastern
KentuckyUniversityprovidestutorialstoatrisk9thand10thgradestudents
tobuildmath,languagearts,andstudyskills.MarianCollege(WI)sponsorsa
mentoringprogramwhereeducationstudentsworkwithelementarygrade
studentshavingproblems.

GOAL3:Teachereducatorshaveinitiatedprogramstobuildskillsin
multiculturalareasaswellasinrigorousacademicsubjectssothatnew
teacherscanchallengetheirstudentstoreachtheirfullpotential.
NortheasternStateUniversity(OK)startedapilotprogramtoaidinthe
transitionofatriskstudentsfromruralschoolsintomiddleschools.Coursesin
theEducationDepartmentattheCollegeofSt.Elizabeth(NJ)emphasize
livingandteachinginapluralisticsocietyandfeaturepreserviceopportunities
toworkwithchildrenofdiversebackgrounds.FloridaStateUniversity's
CollegeofEducationdevelopednewstrategiestoprepareteachersof
childrenwithlimitedproficiencyinEnglish.
GOAL 4: Teacher educators have established partnerships with businesses, schools, and
representatives from other academic disciplines to help foster student interest in science
and mathematics from a very young age. Increasing the number of women and people of color
entering mathematics and science careers is also a priority. Efforts include improving teachers'
skills in the use of technology in the classroom, linking them with industry, and designing
inservice programs to strengthen their math and science knowledge.

Since1976,WesleyanCollege(GA),hassponsored"ExpandingYour
HorizonsinScienceandMathematics"conferencesformiddleandhigh
schoolgirlsandrunsamathandsciencesummercampformiddleschool
girls.
TheDaytonScienceProjectoftheUniversityofDayton'sCollegeofEducation
(OH)linkspublicschools,professionalassociations,amuseum,software
publishers,researchinstitutes,andlocalindustrytoredesigntheK12science
curriculum;developacommunicationstechnologynetworkbetweenscience
andmathteachersandstudents,industryleaders,andgovernmentstaff;and
createsciencecontentandpedagogyworkshopsforteachers.
GOAL5:Highereducationinstitutionshavemovedintotheworkplaceand
othercommunityareastopromoteliteracyandlifelonglearning.Projects
includetutoringprogramsthatpairprospectiveteachers
withelementarystudentsandonsiteclassesforworkersfeaturingcomputer
technology.
TheUniversityofMiamiStudentLiteracyProjectincludesundergraduate
educationmajorswhotutoratriskelementaryschoolstudents.Aprogramto
improvetheliteracyskillsofSaraLeeemployeesisoperatingwitha

partnershipamongNorthCarolinaStateUniversityRaleigh,the
U.S.DepartmentofEducation,thecorporation,andForsythCommunity
College.Basicandjobrelatedskillsareemphasizedinaninplant
instructionalprogram;employeesaregrantedreleasetimetoattendclasses.
Asupervisedlearninglabiscomputerequipped.
GOAL6:Collegesofeducationaretryingtoprovideteacherswiththeskillsto
dealwiththesocialproblemstheyfaceintheclassroom.Drugawareness
programs,counselingskills,andresourcesareafewoftheservicesofferedin
partnershipwithparents,administrators,andothers.
JuniorandsenioreducationundergraduatesattheUniversityofWestFlorida
participatedinthreepilotmodulesondrugpreventionclassificationsofdrugs
andwaystoidentifyusers;drugusehistory;andproblemsinmonitoring
schoolpolicyandintroducingdrugpreventioneducationintothecurriculum.

CONCLUSION
AchievingtheNationalEducationGoalswilldependonteachers'abilitiesto
meetgreatchallenges,deviseanduseeffectivelearningstrategies,andwork
withmanypartnerstoenableallchildrentomeettheirfullpotential.Teacher
educatorsareworkingtoprovidetheirstudentswiththenecessaryskillsto
meetthedemandsoftomorrow'sclassrooms.

REFERENCES
ReferencesidentifiedwithanEDnumber(documents)areintheERIC
database.DocumentsareavailableinERICmicrofichecollectionsatmore
than700locations.DocumentscanalsobeorderedthroughtheERIC
DocumentReproductionService:(800)443ERIC.Formoreinformation,
contacttheERICClearinghouseonTeacherEducation.
AmericanAssociationofCollegesforTeacherEducation[AACTE].(1992).
TheNationalEducationGoals:TheAACTEmemberresponse.Washington,
DC:Author.ED347144
Cross,C.T.(1991,February27).Educationresearchanddevelopmentfor
teacherlearning:Leadershiproles.SpeechpresentedattheAnnualMeeting

oftheAmericanAssociationofCollegesforTeacherEducation,Atlanta,GA.
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Guy,M.(Ed.).(inpress).Teachersandteachereducation:Essaysonthe
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Reportlooksatnationaledgoalprograms.(1993,April5).ACEHigher
Education&NationalAffairs,p.4.
StateHigherEducationExecutiveOfficersAssociation[SHEEO].(1991,
August).Highereducationandschoolreform:Creatingthepartnership.
Denver,CO:Author.ED337110
Taylor,T.A.(1993,May24).CongressconfrontsGoals2000,national
service.AACTEBriefs,p.1.
Voicesfromthefield:30expertopinionsonAmerica2000,TheBush
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