In this year's report the United States received:

	10 arrows pointing upward for significant improvement;
	10 horizontal arrows indicating where there has been no significant change in performance; and
	8 arrows pointing downward for significant declines in performance.

The 10 arrows that were awarded for significant improvement are associated with Goals 1, 3, 5, and 7:

Goal 1: Ready to Learn

	The proportion of infants born with one or more of four health risks has decreased.
	The percentage of 2-year-olds who have been fully immunized against preventable childhood diseases has increased.
	The percentage of families who are reading and telling stories to their children on a regular basis has increased.

Goal 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship

The percentages of students who are proficient in mathematics have risen in:

	Grade 4;
	Grade 8; and
	Grade 12.

Goal 5: Mathematics and Science

The proportion of college degrees awarded in mathematics and science has increased. This is true for:

	all students;
	minority students; and
	female students.

Goal 7: Safe, Disciplined, and Alcohol- and Drug-free Schools

The percentage of students who report that they have been threatened or injured at school has decreased.

The 8 arrows that were awarded for significant declines in national performance are associated with Goals 3, 4, 6, and 7:

Goal 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship

The percentage of students who are proficient in reading has declined at Grade 12 (but the percentages have not changed significantly at Grades 4 and 8).

Goal 4: Teacher Education and Professional Development

The percentage of secondary school teachers who hold a degree in their main teaching assignment has decreased.

Goal 6: Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning

	Fewer adults with a high school diploma or less (who need additional training the most) are participating in adult education, compared to those who have postsecondary education.
	The gap between the percentages of White and Black high school graduates who complete a college degree has grown larger.

Goal 7: Safe, Disciplined, and Alcohol- and Drug-free Schools

	Student drug use has become more widespread.
	The percentage of students reporting that someone offered to sell or give them drugs at school has increased.
	The percentage of public school teachers reporting that they were threatened or injured at school has increased.
	A higher percentage of secondary school teachers report that student disruptions in their classrooms interfere with their teaching.

In this year's report 18 states received 10 or more arrows pointing upward for significant improvement during the 1990s. North Carolina led the states, with significant improvement on 14 measures, followed by South Carolina with 13, and California, Colorado, and Texas with 12.

Key improvements made by states during the 1990s are as follows:

Goal 1: Ready to Learn

	35 states reduced the percentage of infants born with one or more of four health risks.
	50 states increased the percentage of mothers receiving early prenatal care.
	47 states increased the proportion of children with disabilities participating in preschool.

Goal 2: School Completion

10 states increased the high school completion rate among young adults.

Goal 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship

	27 states increased the percentage of 8th graders who are proficient in mathematics.
	50 states increased the proportion of scores on Advanced Placement examinations that were high enough to qualify for college credit.

Goal 4: Teacher Education and Professional Development

17 states increased the percentage of public school teachers who received support from a master or mentor teacher during their first year of teaching.

Goal 5: Mathematics and Science

	47 states increased the percentage of degrees earned by all students that were awarded in mathematics or science.
	33 states increased the percentage of degrees earned by minority students that were awarded in mathematics or science.
	42 states increased the percentage of degrees earned by female students that were awarded in mathematics or science.

Goal 6: Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning

	10 states increased voter registration.
	39 states increased the percentage of high school graduates who immediately enrolled in college.

Goal 8: Parental Participation

17 states increased the influence of parent associations on public school policies.

Areas in which large numbers of states showed significant declines in performance during the 1990s are as follows:

Goal 1: Ready to Learn

In 32 states, the percentage of infants born at low birthweight has increased.

Goal 2: School Completion

In 10 states, the high school dropout rate has increased.

Goal 5: Mathematics and Science

In 15 states, the percentage of degrees awarded to minority students that were in mathematics or science has decreased.

Goal 6: Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning

In 11 states, lower percentages of students are enrolling in college immediately after high school.

Goal 7: Safe, Disciplined, and Alcohol- and Drug-free Schools

	In 16 states, student marijuana use has become more widespread.
	In 15 states, higher percentages of students report that drugs are available on school property.
	In 37 states, higher percentages of public school teachers report that student disruptions in class interfere with their teaching.

The states that were most frequently among the top performers on measures of progress toward the National Education Goals were Maine (21 times), Connecticut (20 times), and North Dakota (17 times). States that are doing particularly well in each of the Goal areas, relative to others, are as follows:

Goal 1: Ready to Learn

States in New England are consistently among the highest-performing states on the health and preschool measures of progress toward Goal 1. Vermont placed among the highest-performing states on 2 out of 5 indicators; Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island placed among the highest-performing states on 3 out of 5 indicators; and Maine and New Hampshire placed among the highest-performing states on 4 out of 5 indicators.

Goal 2: School Completion

Fifteen states have already met Goal 2. In 1996, the high school completion rate of the 18- to 24-year-olds in each of these states was already at or above 90%:

1. Connecticut

2. Hawaii

3. Kansas

4. Maine

5. Maryland

6. Massachusetts

7. Michigan

8. Minnesota

9. Nebraska

10. New Hampshire

11. New York

12. Utah

13. Virginia

14. West Virginia

15. Wisconsin

Goal 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship

As a general rule, states in the upper Midwest and in New England have the highest percentages of students who are proficient in reading, mathematics, and science. Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin were among the highest-performing states 3 out of 4 times in these subjects at Grades 4 and 8. Connecticut and Maine placed among the highest performers 4 out of 4 times.

Goal 4: Teacher Education and Professional Development

In Florida and Oklahoma, nearly half of all public school teachers report that they received support from a master or mentor teacher during their first year of teaching.

In North Dakota and Rhode Island, 100% of the public secondary school teachers hold teaching certificates in their main teaching assignments.

Goal 5: Mathematics and Science

In 8th grade science, 14 states would be expected to perform as well as, or better than, 40 out of 41 nations, including Canada, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and the Russian Federation. Only Singapore would be expected to outperform these states:

1. Colorado

2. Connecticut

3. Iowa

4. Maine

5. Massachusetts

6. Minnesota

7. Montana

8. Nebraska

9. North Dakota

10. Oregon

11. Utah

12. Vermont

13. Wisconsin

14. Wyoming

Goal 6: Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning

Nearly 6 out of 10 adults in Indiana and nearly 7 out of 10 adults in Washington scored at the three highest levels of proficiency on a 1992 adult literacy assessment.

Goal 7: Safe, Disciplined, and Alcohol- and Drug-free Schools

South Dakota presents the most favorable conditions regarding school safety, discipline, and student drug and alcohol use. South Dakota placed among the highest-performing states 5 out of 9 times on measures of progress toward Goal 7.

Goal 8: Parental Participation

Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Vermont each ranked among the highest-performing states on 2 out of 3 measures of progress toward Goal 8.

The states that ranked among the most-improved states the greatest number of times on measures of progress toward the National Education Goals were the District of Columbia and North Carolina (7 times each), followed by South Carolina and West Virginia (6 times each), and New York and Connecticut (5 times each).

Some of the largest percentage-point increases made at the state level during the 1990s are as follows:

Goal 1: Ready to Learn

In 1990, nearly half of the infants in the District of Columbia were born with one or more of four health risks that can adversely affect their later health, behavior, and academic achievement. In six years' time, the District of Columbia reduced the proportion of infants born with these health risks by 11 percentage points, from 48% to 37%.

In 1994, no state had a lower immunization rate for 2-year-olds than Michigan (61%). In three years' time, Michigan increased its immunization rate by 16 percentage points. Nearly 8 in 10 Michigan 2-year-olds are now fully immunized against preventable childhood diseases.

In 1990, the percentage of mothers in New Mexico who received early prenatal care was 57%, a rate that was 30 percentage points lower than the highest-performing state and among the lowest in the nation. In six years' time, New Mexico increased the percentage of mothers receiving early prenatal care by 12 percentage points. Seven out of ten New Mexican mothers now receive early prenatal care.

Goal 2: School Completion

In 1990, no state had a lower high school completion rate than Tennessee (77%). Over a six-year period, Tennessee increased its high school completion rate significantly, to 84%.

Goal 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship

Over a six-year period, North Carolina more than doubled the proportion of its 8th graders who are proficient in mathematics, from 9% to 20%.

In addition, Minnesota and Michigan increased the proportions of their 8th graders who are proficient in mathematics by 11 and 12 percentage points, respectively. Texas increased its proportion of proficient 4th graders by 10 percentage points.

Goal 4: Teacher Education and Professional Development

In 1991, approximately one-fifth of the public school teachers in Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia had received support from a master or mentor teacher during their first year of teaching. Three years later, nearly one-third of the teachers in these states had received this kind of support. In North Carolina and Kentucky, the proportions increased from approximately one-fourth to more than one-third.

Goal 5: Mathematics and Science

Between 1991 and 1995, the proportion of college degrees earned by female students in Connecticut that were awarded in mathematics and science rose from 37% to 47%.

Goal 6: Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning

In 1992, only 33% of the high school graduates in the District of Columbia immediately went on to attend a 2-year or 4-year college. By 1996, that figure had jumped 25 percentage points, to 58%.

Goal 7: Safe, Disciplined, and Alcohol- and Drug-free Schools

During the 1990s, three states and one territory significantly reduced the percentage of public high school students reporting that they carried a weapon on school property: North Carolina, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and American Samoa. In 1997, no state had a lower percentage of students who reported carrying weapons on school property than Wisconsin (5%).

Goal 8: Parental Participation

In three years' time, California, Colorado, and Indiana reduced the proportions of public school principals reporting that lack of parental involvement in their schools was a serious problem by nearly half, from approximately 1 out of 5 principals to approximately 1 out of 10.

The percentages of public school principals reporting that the parent associations in their schools have influence on school policy has nearly doubled in Colorado, New York, and Utah. The percentages have more than doubled in Kentucky and Pennsylvania, and the percentage has tripled in Vermont.