[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 345 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 345

 Strongly supporting the restoration and protection of State authority 
   and flexibility in establishing and defining challenging student 
    academic standards and assessments, and strongly denouncing the 
  President's coercion of States into adopting the Common Core State 
 Standards by conferring preferences in Federal grants and flexibility 
                                waivers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 6, 2014

Mr. Graham (for himself, Mr. Lee, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Scott, Mr. Inhofe, 
    Mr. Cochran, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Wicker, and Mr. Enzi) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Strongly supporting the restoration and protection of State authority 
   and flexibility in establishing and defining challenging student 
    academic standards and assessments, and strongly denouncing the 
  President's coercion of States into adopting the Common Core State 
 Standards by conferring preferences in Federal grants and flexibility 
                                waivers.

Whereas education belongs in the hands of our parents, local officials, local 
        educational agencies, and States;
Whereas the development of the common education standards known as the Common 
        Core State Standards was originally led by national organizations, but 
        has transformed into an incentives-based mandate from the Federal 
        Government;
Whereas in 2009, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices 
        (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), 
        both of which are private trade associations, began developing common 
        education standards for kindergarten through grade 12 (referred to in 
        this preamble as the ``Common Core State Standards'');
Whereas sections 9527, 9529, 9530, and 9531 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7907, 7909, 7910, and 7911) prohibit 
        the establishment of a national curriculum, national testing, mandatory 
        national teacher certification, and a national student database;
Whereas Federal law makes clear that the Department of Education may not be 
        involved in setting specific content standards or determining the 
        content of State assessments in elementary and secondary education;
Whereas President Barack Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced 
        competitive grants through the Race to the Top program under sections 
        14005 and 14006 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 
        (Public Law 111-5; 123 Stat. 282) (referred to in this preamble as the 
        ``Race to the Top program'') in July 2009;
Whereas, on July 24, 2009, Secretary Duncan stated, ``The $4,350,000,000 Race to 
        the Top program that we are unveiling today is a once-in-a-lifetime 
        opportunity for the Federal Government to create incentives for far-
        reaching improvement in our Nation's schools.'';
Whereas, on July 24, 2009, Secretary Duncan also stated, ``But I want to be 
        clear that Race to the Top is also a reform competition, one where 
        States can increase or decrease their odds of winning Federal 
        support.'';
Whereas, under the Race to the Top program guidelines, States seeking funds were 
        pressed to implement 4 core, interconnected reforms, and the first of 
        these reforms was to adopt ``internationally benchmarked standards and 
        assessments that prepare students for success in college and the 
        workplace'';
Whereas, on July 24, 2009, President Obama outlined the connection between 
        common education standards and Race to the Top program funds, stating, 
        ``I am issuing a challenge to our [N]ation's governors and school 
        boards, principals and teachers, businesses and non-profits, parents and 
        students: if you set and enforce rigorous and challenging standards and 
        assessments; if you put outstanding teachers at the front of the 
        classroom; if you turn around failing schools--your State can win a Race 
        to the Top grant that will not only help students outcompete workers 
        around the world, but let them fulfill their God-given potential.'';
Whereas the selection criteria designed by the Department of Education for the 
        Race to the Top program provided that for a State to have any chance to 
        compete for funding, it must commit to adopting a ``common set of K-12 
        standards'';
Whereas Common Core State Standards establish a single set of education 
        standards for kindergarten through grade 12 in English language arts and 
        mathematics that States adopt;
Whereas Common Core State Standards were, during the initial application period 
        for the Race to the Top program, and remain, as of the date of the 
        adoption of this resolution, the only common set of kindergarten through 
        grade 12 standards in the United States;
Whereas, on July 24, 2009, Secretary Duncan stated, ``To speed this process, the 
        Race to the Top program is going to set aside $350,000,000 to 
        competitively fund the development of rigorous, common State 
        assessments.'';
Whereas, since the Race to the Top program's inception, States have been 
        incentivized by Federal money to adopt common education standards;
Whereas States began adopting Common Core State Standards in 2010;
Whereas States that adopted Common Core State Standards before August 2, 2010, 
        were awarded 40 additional points out of 500 points for their Race to 
        the Top program applications;
Whereas 45 States have adopted Common Core State Standards;
Whereas 31 States, of the 45 total, adopted Common Core State Standards before 
        August 2, 2010;
Whereas States that have adopted Common Core State Standards are given 
        preference in the application process for the waivers issued under the 
        authority of section 9401 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
        of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7861) that provide flexibility with respect to 
        certain requirements of such Act;
Whereas States that have adopted Common Core State Standards are currently 
        collaborating to develop common assessments that will be aligned to the 
        Common Core State Standards and replace existing end-of-the-year State 
        assessments;
Whereas these assessments will be available in the 2014-2015 school year;
Whereas 2 consortia of States are developing common assessments: the Partnership 
        for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and the 
        Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC);
Whereas national standards lead to national assessments and national assessments 
        lead to a national curriculum;
Whereas education standards help teachers ensure their students have the skills 
        and knowledge they need to be successful by providing clear goals for 
        student learning;
Whereas challenging academic standards are vital to ensuring students are 
        college and career ready;
Whereas blanket education standards should not be a prerequisite for Federal 
        funding;
Whereas States are incentivized to adopt Common Core State Standards by the 
        explicit correlation between the adoption of the Common Core State 
        Standards by the State and the preference provided to such States 
        through the Race to the Top program and the flexibility waivers issued 
        under the authority of section 9401 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7861);
Whereas the Secretary of Education has created a system of grants and waivers 
        that influence, incentivize, and coerce State educational agencies, 
        commissions, and boards into implementing common elementary and 
        secondary school standards and assessments endorsed by the Secretary;
Whereas when Federal funds are linked to the adoption of common education 
        standards, the end result is increased Federal control over education 
        and a decreased ability of schools to meet the individual needs of the 
        students in their schools;
Whereas the implementation of Common Core State Standards will eventually impact 
        home school and private school students when institutions of higher 
        education are pressured to align their admission and readiness standards 
        with curricula based on the Common Core State Standards;
Whereas the 10th amendment of the Constitution of the United States reads, ``The 
        powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor 
        prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, 
        or to the people''; and
Whereas, throughout the course of United States history, States have maintained 
        the responsibility of education based on the 10th amendment because the 
        explicit power of educating children was not delegated to the United 
        States by the Constitution: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, that it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) States and local educational agencies should maintain 
        the right and responsibility of determining educational 
        curricula, programs of instruction, and assessments for 
        elementary and secondary education;
            (2) the Federal Government should not incentivize the 
        adoption of common education standards or the creation of a 
        national assessment to align with such standards; and
            (3) no application process for any Federal grant funds, or 
        for waivers issued by the Secretary under the authority of 
        section 9401 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 7861), that occurs after the date of adoption 
        of this resolution should award any additional points, or 
        provide any preference, for the adoption of the Common Core 
        State Standards or any other national common education 
        standards.
                                 <all>