Finding and Assessing National, State, and Local School District Goals

It is critical for teachers, both new and experienced, to be well informed about national, state, and local educational goals and how these goals will affect their work in the classroom. To this end, you can review the eight national goals at http://www.ed.gov/pubs/PrisonersOfTime/Goals.html. You can ask yourself, How worthy are these as "national goals" at the beginning of the twenty-first century? Are there any goals you would add? Examine the most recent "National Education Goals Panel Report" (1998) at http://www.ed.gov/MailingLists/EDInfo/Archive/msg00410.html. In your opinion, what progress has been made in meeting the national goals?

For state goals, you can visit your state department of education Web site (at http://www.nasbe.org) and click on "State Education Agencies." How are state-level outcomes and goals different from the national goals? For example, you might visit the state of Maryland goals at http://12.org/practices/support_success/index.html. How do "Maryland School Performance and Assessment Program" (MSPAP) outcomes and learning goals for grades 3, 5, and 8 differ from the national goals?

It is also important to find out whether your state department of education Web site makes reference to technology standards for students and teachers. What technology knowledge and skills do you believe students and teachers should have in this fast-paced, changing world? Examine the "National Educational Technology Standards for Students" (NETS) at http://cnets.iste.org/index2.html and click on "Standards for Students." How helpful are these six standards as guidelines for planning technology-based activities in the classroom? Also click on "Performance Profiles for Teachers." How do these standards differ from the "Standards for Students"? For additional information on technology standards for teachers, you can click on "Standards Projects" and "NCATE Standards" at http://www.iste.org/standards/index.html.



You can also use the web to explore content standards. Many sites are available for learning more about standards in various content areas and geographical areas, including the following:

McREL Standards Database
This is a collection of content standards gathered by the Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory. Browse by subject or look for suggestions for activities or unit designs.

State Standards
A web site with links to the content standards of each state and suggestions for lesson plans that support the standards.