Proceedings of a symposium of educators, administrators, researchers, and legislators concerned with the education of minority students are presented. The meeting's objectives were: (1) to raise issues of language and culture that must be taken into consideration in the process of setting, achieving, and assessing high educational standards, and (2) to recommend policies and strategies that will ensure that students of language and cultural minority backgrounds will not be left behind in the race to achieve world-class standards. These issues were considered in the context of Goal 3 of the National Education Goals, which states that "By the year 2000, American students will leave grades four, eight, and twelve having demonstrated competency in challenging subject matter including English, mathematics, science, history, and geography; and every school in America will ensure that all students learn to use their minds well, so they may be prepared for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment in our modern economy." Papers are as follows: "Overview: Diversity and Education Reform" (Donna Christian); "Raising Standards and Measuring Performance Equitably: Challenges for the National Education Goals Panel and State Assessment Systems" (Cynthia D. Prince and Pascal D. Forgione, Jr.); "Language, Learning, and National Goals: A Native American View" (William G. Demmert, Jr.); "The Education of Hispanic Americans" (Ramon L. Santiago); "The National Education Goals: Implications for African Americans and Other Minorities" (Warren Simmons); "Asian American Education and the National Education Goals" (Sau-Lim Tsang); and "Current Research Issues in Minority Student Education" (Donna Christian). Thirty-one policy and strategy recommendations are included in the areas of instructional programs, methods, and materials; teacher training and certification; and assessment policies and strategies. A resource list is appended, citing materials related to multicultural education, teacher training, teacher certification, and testing and standards. (LB)