Setting Goals in Groups: Worthwhile or Waste of Time?

So I think I'm finding that we can encourage students to set goals all we want, but maybe it doesn't really matter. Two recent things have made me think this might be true.

Here's the first:
Today, I asked this year's 8th graders to set a class goal for achievement on the upcoming state tests. I showed them their group performance last year, and then I showed them last year 8th graders' overall group performance. All of this information is available to the world online.

My thinking was that if they set a goal as a group, their accountability to each other might spur on individual improvements in the pressure-filled 8th grade tests.

Then I turned it over to them: "What should our group goal be?"

Cue the audio of a long range missile descending loudly and then exploding.

Total waste of time.

About half the class cared enough to share ideas and vote and listen to one another. About six of them only wanted to be able to have their own conversations about things unrelated to tests, goal setting, or the like. Several of them didn't get involved at all. I dropped out of trying to lead the discussion and left it up to them. It went no further.

Group goal setting as a tool for improving achievement in our American education system?

Good luck.

I passed out the practice test packets and over half the class suddenly had to go to the bathroom.

Go figure.

Here's the second thing:
Maybe I'm getting worried over nothing. Maybe my students already saw this TED lecture , and they were just keeping their goals to themselves as a means to actually achieving them. Riiiight.

So what do you think? Should I bother with this? What does everyone else do out there to get students in the mindset of showing their best abilities on these tests?

High stakes tests...friend or foe? Goal setting for high stakes tests? Like them or not, they are a very real part of student data gathering, teacher evaluation, and school performance assessment. What's a teacher to do?

I welcome a conversation on these questions or if anyone knows how to help 8th graders carry on group discussions in a civilized manner (just please, please, please, don't suggest the "talking ball").