Courier Press - U.S. Congress Looks to Rework Major Education Law, Ritz Wants Flexibility On

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by Chelsea Schneider

Congress is once again giving consideration to reworking a major education law, known as No Child Left Behind, this year -- as state leaders ask for more flexibility from the decade-old law that ushered in many of the accountability and testing requirements schools now face.

The House is taking up legislation mirroring what the chamber passed in 2013 called the Student Success Act, which shifts more education choices back to local control and ends a key tenant of the law that required all students to perform at grade level in math and English by 2014. However, further talk on changing the law was pushed back as the chamber turned its attention to clashes over funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita, a Republican who represents Indiana's 4th Congressional District, drafted the legislation that passed the House in 2013 and said he expects it to come back on the floor.

Rokita said the legislation maintains accountability requirements for schools, but allows state and local education leaders to determine what success looks like. The legislation also allows states to determine the type of standardized tests they offer students.

"Instead of a one-size, fits all, top-down mechanism that requires every child to be at the same level, it recognizes again and trusts our parents and teachers to know how to educate our kids and that every kid is different. We offer that flexibility," Rokita said in speaking with the Courier & Press last week.

States were allowed to request waivers from many requirements of No Child Left Behind beginning in 2012, and Indiana is working to renew its waiver after receiving a one-year extension last year.

Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz has repeatedly stressed it's time for Congress to reauthorize and make changes to the law. She's planning a couple of trips to Washington, D.C. this month where she'll have the opportunity to meet with lawmakers regarding efforts on No Child Left Behind.

"I would like to see the federal government leave the type of test up to the states," Ritz said. "Currently all states are required to give a pass/fail approach to a test that we are giving with our ISTEP. All kids have to see the same questions, at the same grade level, at the same time period, and quite frankly a pass/fail test where you are looking at how kids met grade level standards, our teachers can tell you who can do that before we spend millions of dollars on giving that type of test."

Ritz said she hopes any new law will allow states to determine their own assessments, and allow Indiana to embrace a system where teachers can better gauge the academic growth of students during a school year.

Ritz said she believes Congress is looking to renew the law now because of heightened conversations over high-stakes testing.

"I think that it's prime time to look at all of that and get some traction for it. I'm really hoping it goes through. I can tell you it's a huge conversation among education communities in the states that we get this reauthorized this time," Ritz said.

Rokita said he feels the legislation reaches a "sweet spot," noting the heavy support it received in 2013 by House Republicans, which control the chamber and now the Senate.

"Education is a hard thing to do, even when you're trying to get the federal government out of it like this bill does to a significant degree. It's difficult to get the votes especially among the liberals and moderates. Many of them believe Washington should be to varying degrees telling us what to do." Rokita said.

U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon, a Newburgh Republican representing the 8th Congressional District, said the make-up of Congress since the law originally came up for reauthorization in 2007 has not provided enough votes to move legislation through. Bucshon said the U.S. Department of Education allowing states to apply for waivers from some of the most onerous parts of the law reduced a sense of urgency for action by Congress.

Absent of movement on the law, Bucshon argued U.S. President Barack Obama's administration has used other programs, such as the Race to the Top competitive grant for states, as a way to set education policy.

"I think people on both sides of the aisle know we need to reauthorize No Child Left Behind…and Congress on both sides of the aisle thinks Congress should be the one setting and passing the laws on education policy and working alongside the White House to move that forward," Buchson said.

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