[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1025 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1025

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to clarify 
        when certain academic assessments shall be administered.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 21, 2015

  Mr. Tester introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to clarify 
        when certain academic assessments shall be administered.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Student Testing Improvement and 
Accountability Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
        supports programs to level the playing field for the most 
        vulnerable, including children of poverty, students with 
        disabilities, and English language learners.
            (2) Prior to 2001, Federal law required States only to test 
        students once per grade span.
            (3) Following the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act 
        of 2001 (Public Law 107-110), which amended the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), 
        Federal education policy has placed an increased emphasis on 
        testing assessments, requiring students to undergo standardized 
        testing every year in grades 3 through 8.
            (4) Reducing the frequency of federally required testing 
        will allow more time for student learning and inspire their 
        natural curiosity and creativity.
            (5) Students will have more time to receive one-on-one 
        instruction and develop critical thinking and problem-solving 
        skills through a well-rounded education and curriculum.
            (6) Moving away from the practice of annually ``teaching to 
        the test'' will empower educators to provide instruction in a 
        way that best inspires and prepares our Nation's next 
        generation of leaders.
            (7) With grade span testing, our educators will be more 
        able to focus on those students who are most in need but who 
        also lose the most class time preparing for annual tests.
            (8) Grade span testing will allow States the flexibility to 
        develop more meaningful, tailored assessment systems that 
        provide valid, reliable data.
            (9) The yearly testing currently required by Federal law 
        should be replaced with grade span testing.

SEC. 3. ACADEMIC ASSESSMENTS.

    Section 1111(b)(3)(C) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(3)(C)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (v)(I)--
                    (A) by striking ``except as otherwise provided for 
                grades 3 through 8 under clause vii,''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``and the achievement of students 
                against the challenging State academic content and 
                student academic achievement standards'' after 
                ``proficiency of students'';
            (2) by striking clause (vii); and
            (3) in clause (viii), by striking ``, (vi), (vii)'' and 
        inserting ``and (vi)''.
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