When you finish studying this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Describe why educational goals reflect changes in society.
2. Distinguish between educational goals and objectives.
3. Describe the changes in educational goals that have taken place since 1894 and explain the causes for these changes.
4. Analyze the reasons for reports on excellence that have been published since the 1980s.
5. Describe criticisms of the various national reports.
6. Explain why educational goals seem to be constantly changing.

Focus and Refocus Questions:

When you finish studying this chapter, you should be able to answer the following questions from your textbook:

Focus Questions

• How do social forces combine with philosophies of education to shape our educational purposes?
• How are our goals and objectives formulated?
• What groups of students have been targeted for special treatment in recent decades?
• What are the major themes of recent policy reports on education?
• What goals will be most important in the future?

Refocus Questions

• What are some current examples of changes in society, knowledge, or beliefs about the nature of learners that you believe will have an effect on your goals as a teacher?
• How will you find out about the goals of your state and school district when you, as a teacher, plan your classroom goals and lesson objectives?
• Over the decades, educational goals have targeted different groups of students, such as the academically talented or at-risk students. Which group of students now seems to be the target of most educational goals?
• The national reports emphasized core curriculum subjects, tougher standards, and accountability. Which of these do you believe has most affected your career as a student? Which will be of most importance to you as a teacher?
• What is your top goal as a teacher? Ask this same question of several other educators and prospective educators. Compare and contrast your answer with theirs.