Comprehensive Plans Developed Under the Goals 2000]
June 5, 1995
Over the last 25 years, States, communities, and schools in the U.S. have engaged in numerous efforts to reform teaching and learning. These efforts have taught us that meaningful improvement in student achievement requires several crucial elements: high expectations for all children; active participation by parents, educators and communities; safe learning environments; meaningful and ongoing teacher education and professional development; the effective use of technology in teaching and learning; an engaging and challenging curriculum; and flexibility for innovation in return for accountability for results.
While these individual efforts have achieved some important successes, gains have too often been limited to individual schools or a single part of the system. If lasting, across-the- board improvement in student performance is to occur -- and if we are to achieve the National Education Goals -- we must find ways to encourage tens of thousands of schools and classrooms to upgrade their teaching and learning and build educator-parent- community partnerships to support such improvement efforts. Also, States and communities must evaluate and improve their support systems for local schools and classrooms, through such means as better teacher and administrator preparation programs, assessment systems tied to high standards, easy access to quality technology, applied learning opportunities in the community, and a reduction in paperwork and red-tape. Any effort to improve teaching and learning requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach.
At the heart of comprehensive education reform is the understanding that all students can learn to challenging standards. Therefore, the Goals 2000: Educate America Act (Goals 2000) is predicated on this principle: all elements of the education system should support the achievement of challenging academic standards by all children.
The Goals 2000 Act provides States and communities with a voluntary opportunity to strengthen and broaden their reform efforts by developing coordinated, flexible, grassroots-based education plans to enable all children to achieve challenging academic standards. In assembling plans under the Act, each State should use the strategies best suited for pursuing its own approach to better teaching and learning. In addition, the Act makes waivers available for certain statutory and regulatory provisions that impede reform.
Many States are currently using Goals 2000 funds to develop a comprehensive State improvement plan and to build widespread support for education reform. States are also using funds to provide subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to assist them in implementing local reforms geared to high standards and to upgrade teacher professional development. In addition, States are using available funds to develop technology plans that are to be integral to the State improvement plans. In time, school districts and schools will be using Goals 2000 funds to build local partnerships and start up or expand local education improvement efforts.
Once the State improvement plan is approved, the State will receive further funding to help implement its plan and continue awarding subgrants. However, the intent is not to create another separate federal categorical program, but for the funding to serve as a catalyst for effective change, and glue to hold together comprehensive, sustained improvement efforts that are funded by a variety of sources.
This guidance is intended to establish the basis upon which comprehensive education improvement plans will be evaluated. A plan should demonstrate a clear understanding of the educational needs and goals in the State and the context in which the plan will be implemented, present a comprehensive vision of the education system the State believes is necessary to help all children learn to challenging standards, and describe a coherent, step-by-step set of strategies for accomplishing the State's vision over several years.
The guidance is organized around three criteria drawn from Section 306(n) of the Goals 2000 Act:
To be approved, a State improvement plan must meet the three criteria listed above -- reasonable promise of helping all children, widespread commitment, and flexibility -- as well as the specific requirements of Section 306 of the Act. To emphasize the need for an integrated plan, this guidance has incorporated the specific Section 306 requirements as elements within the other three criteria.
Each of the criteria contains a number of elements that must be addressed in the plan (e.g. "development of standards"). Within each element are one or more questions that must be effectively addressed for the plan to be approved (e.g. "will the standards developed through this process be challenging academically?"). A strong State improvement plan will not answer these questions independently of one another; instead, the objective is an integrated, statewide plan for continuous improvement of teaching and learning. Indeed, evidence of an effective response to many of these questions will likely appear in more than one location within the plan. The format of a State's plan will reflect a State's own approach to reform. A State may choose, however, to assist reviewers by relating its plan to this guidance.
The peer review questions are followed by boxes that contain examples illustrating possible ways the plan might satisfy the requirements of the Act (e.g. "a description of the process for the selection of core academic subjects and development of content standards"). Plans need not contain all the examples suggested in each box, nor should the lists be construed as exhaustive. A plan should first and foremost contain strategies that best fit the unique circumstances of the State. Moreover, in order to generate long-term improvement in student achievement, a plan should not be viewed as a completed work, but rather as one subject to review and revision in light of experience concerning what is and is not working.
When a State submits its plan for approval, the Department will select a review panel from a diverse, broad-based pool of classroom teachers, parents, educators, related services personnel, experts on educational innovation, advocates, State and local policymakers,and other appropriate individuals, as provided for under Section 306(n). To better ensure that peer reviewers will have a firm understanding of the State's reform plan, the State will be asked to recommend reviewers who are familiar with its reform efforts. We will make an effort to include at least one reviewer on each panel from among the State's nominations.
Using this guidance, reviewers will first meet and discuss the plan, while identifying areas for further clarification. After communicating those areas for clarification to the State, the panel will conduct a site visit, and meet with a variety of State and community officials and citizens, including those involved in designing the State plan. The site visit will give peer reviewers an opportunity to better understand how the plan will work and to gauge support for the plan. Following the site visit, the review panel will make a recommendation to the Secretary as to whether the plan should be approved. (See Appendix A for information on the review of pre-existing plans.)
The Goals 2000 Act places a strong emphasis on improving teaching and learning through the use of educational technology. Therefore, States applying for first-year planning funds also received a separate technology planning grant under Section 317 to develop, and integrate into the State improvement plan, a plan for the use of educational technology. Peer reviewers will provide feedback to the State on the use of technology in the State's reform efforts. Approval of the State improvement plan, however, is not contingent on approval of the technology components of the plan. If a State desires to use some of its technology planning funds for implementing its technology plan, it should request the Secretary's approval of the technology portion of its State improvement plan.
Peer reviewers may find it helpful to know that Title XIV of the new Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provides States with the opportunity to submit a single consolidated plan instead of separate plans for most of the major federal education programs, including the Goals 2000 Act, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, the Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act, and many programs within ESEA. (Footnote: Under a consolidated plan may include planning activities under the School-to-Work Opportunities Act. If a competitive grant has been awarded, it may also include implementation activities.) This option provides States with significant additional support for comprehensive and coordinated reforms. Under Title XIV, the Secretary has the authority to establish procedures and criteria for accepting such plans. The Department published proposed procedures and criteria for consolidated plans and provided this information to the States and school districts. Interested States and school districts should take this new authority into account as they work on their reform plans, and are encouraged to contact the Department to discuss how such a plan might fit together.
Reviewers may find that some plans contain requests for waivers from certain statutory and regulatory provisions of selected federal education programs, as provided under Section 311 of the Act. The Secretary is authorized to waive such requirements if he determines, among other things, that the federal requirement impedes the ability of a State, local educational agency, or school to carry out State or local school improvement plans. Requests for waivers may be submitted with the State improvement plan or at a later date, but waivers will be granted through a separate review process. Detailed guidance regarding waiver requests was recently sent to the States and schools districts.
Likewise, some State plans may contain requests to participate in the Educational Flexibility Demonstration Partnership Program (Ed-Flex). Under Ed-Flex, the Secretary may grant up to six States with approved State plans the authority to waive the same Federal requirements described above. The Department recently published and provided to the States an invitation for applications under this program. These applications will also be considered through a separate review process.
A copy of Title III of the Goals 2000 Act is enclosed with this guidance.
[Part II of Guidance for Reviewers for Reviewing
Comprehensive Plans Developed Under the Goals 2000]