Impact A systematic assessment of progress toward
the goals occurred every two years. In a report re-
leased in 1999 by the U.S. Department of Education,
titled “Federal Education Legislation Enacted in
1994,” several indicators of success were examined.
According to the report, states were making prog-
ress in implementing educational reforms and de-
veloping content standards. Educational outcomes
were beginning to improve, though states were hav-
ing difficulty developing performance standards
and assessments.
While funding for the Educate America Act was
officially diminished at the beginning of the twenty-
first century, standards-driven reforms and a focus
on educational outcomes had become a defining el-
ement in federal education policies. Thus, the Edu-
cate America Act helped to set the stage for later ed-
ucational initiatives, such as the No Child Left
Behind Act of 2001.
Further Reading
Stedman, James B.Goals 2000: Overview and Analysis.
Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Ser-
vice, Library of Congress, 1994.
U.S. Department of Education. H.R. 1804 Goals
2000: Educate America Act.http://www.ed.gov/
legislation/GOALS2000/TheAct/index.html.
U.S. Department of Education. Office of the Under
Secretary. Planning and Evaluation Service.Fed-
eral Education Legislation Enacted in 1994: An Evalu-
ation of Implementation and Impact. Washington,
D.C.: Author, 1999.
Amy J. Orr
See also Clinton, Bill; Education in the United
States; Homeschooling; School violence.
Education in Canada
Definition Policies, practices, and cultural trends
affecting academic instruction in Canada, from
elementary through graduate and professional
schools
The 1990’s saw increased numbers of Canadians graduat-
ing from higher education institutions. Minorities made
significant gains; by the end of the decade, women outnum-
bered men at colleges and universities.
Canada has one of the highest literacy rates among
industrialized nations; 99 percent of the population
fifteen years of age or older have at least a ninth-grade
education. Section 98 of the British North America
Act (1867) gave exclusive jurisdiction for education
to the provinces. The federal government is respon-
sible for the three territories. Pre-primary education
for students at age four became a hallmark of provin-
cial educational initiatives. Elementary and second-
ary education is coeducational and free, with most
students enrolled between the ages of six and six-
teen. Homeschooling is now permitted with the ap-
proval of provincial educational authorities because
of the vast distances and widely dispersed popula-
tion within the Canadian nation. Secondary edu-
cation has two tracks, university and general. In
Canada, the term “college” refers to community,
technical, agricultural, nursing, and arts colleges
that offer two-year programs of study for earning
diplomas or certificates. There are 150 two-year col-
leges. Canada has 92 universities offering four-year
programs of study leading to bachelor’s degrees.1996 Census Canada’s 1996 census indicated that
more Canadians were achieving higher levels of edu-
cation than in the previous decade. There were 9
million graduates from universities or other postsec-
ondary institutions, representing 40 percent of the
population age fifteen and over. This was a 29 per-
cent increase from 1981. Also, 35 percent of the pop-
ulation over fifteen years of age had not completed
high school, a decline from 48 percent in 1981. Of
the postsecondary graduates, 3.5 million were uni-
versity graduates age fifteen or older, 16 percent of
the population. This was an increase from 10 per-
cent in 1981. The remaining 5.5 million held certifi-
cates or degrees from community colleges, technical
schools, or trade schools. The percentage of women
attaining a university education increased from 11 per-
cent in 1981 to 21 percent; the increase was lower for
men, from 12 percent in 1981 to 16 percent. The
percentage of men who had not completed high
school was 21 percent in 1996, down from 31 per-
cent in 1981. The percentage of women with less
than a high school degree decreased from 28 per-
cent in 1981 to 12 percent. In 1996, one-third of per-
sons between twenty and twenty-nine years of age
were enrolled in degree programs.
Noticeable educational trends in Canadian edu-
cation indicated increases in school attendanceThe Nineties in America Education in Canada 285