Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and Labor. Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary, and Vocational Education

Publisher:

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13:

This document records the written and oral testimony of witnesses at a hearing on the Goals 2000: Educate America Act. The act has three main components: (1) to provide grants to states and local schools for comprehensive educational reform; (2) to promote the establishment of voluntary national education standards to assist states and local schools in their reform efforts; and (3) to establish a national board bringing together business, labor, and education to promote the development of voluntary occupational skills standards. Witnesses included representatives of education associations, business associations, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Education. Witnesses generally favored the legislation, although they offered differing interpretations and differing scenarios for carrying out parts of the act. Some witnesses stressed the need to create training paths for noncollege-bound students, and others asked that it be determined exactly what students in other countries are learning that U.S. students are not in order to improve standards of education. Witnesses stressed the need to improve mathematics skills and computer skills for all graduates. They also asked the question, "Training for what?" in that job training must be predicated on learning what skills employers want and training students in such skills. (KC)