[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 65 (Thursday, May 6, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E888-E889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             INTRODUCTION OF THE SCHOOL QUALITY COUNTS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 6, 1999

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing 
legislation to make the academic performance of all students the top 
priority of federal education programs.
  This legislation would achieve that goal by taking four clear steps: 
strengthening accountability for student achievement; raising standards 
for teachers; rewarding successful schools and teachers; and providing 
better information to parents.
  For far too long, the educational system in this country has operated 
under a policy of ``acceptable losses.'' Too many children have simply 
been written off. They leave school--in many cases with a diploma--only 
to find out that they have not received the high-quality education that 
they need and to which every child in this country ought to be 
entitled. We must increase the opportunities for success.
  We can do better. In fact, there are successful schools all over the 
country, in every type of community, that are living proof that all 
children have the ability to achieve beyond our wildest expectations, 
no matter what their economic or social background.
  For example, according to data released recently by the Kentucky 
Association of School Councils, some of the schools achieving the 
highest scores on state exams in 1998 were high-poverty schools. In 
fact: five of the twenty elementary schools with the highest reading 
scores in the state were high-poverty schools; six of the twenty 
elementary schools with the highest mathematics scores in the state 
were high poverty; and thirteen of the twenty elementary schools with 
the highest writing scores in the state were high poverty schools. In 
all of these cases, high poverty schools out-performed much more 
affluent schools in order to reach the top twenty.
  The success in Kentucky is not isolated. There are schools in every 
part of the country doing the same thing everyday. Our job, in this 
Congress, is to help all parents and educators in every community apply 
these lessons and achieve, for their children, the same success that 
these Kentucky schools and other successful schools are achieving.
  The American public is leading the way on this issue. Our citizens 
are currently engaged in an inspiring, unprecedented effort to improve 
our public schools.
  Parents and taxpayers understand that all children need a world-class 
education if they are going to succeed in the global economy, be 
productive members of our society, and participate actively as 
responsible citizens.
  They have come to the conclusion that we, as a nation, have not asked 
enough of our children; that we have not set academic standards high 
enough; that we have not recognized the amazing things that our 
children can, in fact, achieve.
  In California we are seeing great enthusiasm for education reform at 
the local level. Parents are demanding better schools, and they are 
willing to invest the time and money needed to get them.
  At almost an unprecedented rate, education bond issues--that must be 
passed by a two-thirds vote--are passing in California because people 
have decided that they want to reinvest in the public schools.
  We are seeing similar things here at the federal level in support for 
increased education funding.
  This is a pivotal time in education policy. We have an unprecedented 
opportunity to work with parents, educators, and communities in their 
drive to fundamentally improve the quality of education for all 
children. The right way for Congress to help in this effort is to 
provide the necessary resources and set clear and rigorous standards 
for accountability.
  Now is the right time for Congress to act. This year we will be 
taking up the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act, something we do once only every five or so years.
  We come to this reauthorization at a point where the federal 
government has spent roughly $120 billion over the last three decades 
on funding for the largest federal education program--the official 
title of which is ``Helping Disadvantaged Children Meet High 
Standards,'' but which is more widely known as ``Title I''--with uneven 
results.
  To be clear, there have been notable achievements. The achievement 
gap between low-income students and their more advantaged peers 
narrowed significantly from 1970 until the mid-1980's. Independent 
studies suggest the federal effort on Title I and other educational 
equity initiatives have played a key part in this success.
  Closing the achievement gap was a central goal of the title I program 
when it was enacted in 1965 and its accomplishments in this regard have 
been under-rated.
  But in recent years the nationwide trend in narrowing the achievement 
gap has stalled--and in a few cases, we have even lost ground.
  And yet the federal government has continued to send almost $8 
billion a year in Title I funds to states and schools with few 
questions asked and no real demand for higher student achievement.
  As we look to reauthorize the Title I program under the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act for another five years, and invest 
somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 billion or more in the program, we 
need to make a choice.
  We can either learn from states like Kentucky, Texas, and North 
Carolina, and ask that all states, in return for billions in federal 
subsidies, set clear goals for student achievement and then hold them 
accountable for making progress toward those goals. Or we can continue 
writing checks and sending the message that we are happy with the 
status quo.
  We are entitled to ask the same questions and expect the same 
commitment and accountability as a financial partner would in providing 
capital for a loan.
  We don't want to micromanage your enterprise. States and localities 
have the primary responsibility for the day-to-day operation of 
schools.
  But we can, and should, ask that:
  (1) States lay out clear and measurable goals for the academic 
achievement of all students, including their goals for closing gaps in

[[Page E889]]

achievement between student subgroups, such as between economically 
disadvantaged students and their peers;
  (2) Children have access to the resources they need to meet these 
goals, especially high-quality instruction. The single most important 
factor in student achievement is a qualified teacher. Teachers need 
better training and stronger support, particularly in the early years 
of their careers. Aides have a role to play, but they must support, not 
replace, the classroom teacher;
  (3) Schools and teachers that show results should be financially 
rewarded for their success in improving student achievement. Particular 
attention must be paid to high-poverty schools in which students are 
showing academic gains; and,
  (4) Parents should be given better and clearer information about how 
their child is doing in school. And parents and other taxpayers deserve 
public report cards on the quality of their neighborhood schools and 
how they rank with others in their state.
  By taking these steps, my bill will recommit federal education 
programs to their core goal--ensuring that all students have the 
opportunity to achieve, regardless of racial, ethnic, or economic 
background.
  Here is how the bill would work specifically:


         I. Report Cards--Information to Parents and the Public

  Individual Report Cards: The bill requires Title I schools to issue 
report cards to all parents of Title I kids on the academic progress of 
their individual children, as well as their school, the school 
district, and the state overall. The report cards would be tied to the 
standards and the assessments used to evaluate the Title I program, and 
as such would complement report card grades on classwork.
  Statewide Report Cards: The bill also requires public dissemination 
of information on the performance of all Title I schools and districts. 
The reports must emphasize dissaggregation of data (e.g., by race, by 
economic status) to ensure better scrutiny on the progress of all at-
risk groups.


                          II. Teacher Quality

  Parent Right-to-Know: The bill requires school to provide information 
to parents of all Title I kids with regard to the qualifications of 
their child's teacher(s). It would require active notification in those 
cases in which teachers are not fully qualified (including emergency-
certified).
  Qualifications of Title I Instructional Staff: The bill requires all 
Title I instructors to be qualified teachers (pass subject area tests 
or have an academic major and at least a B average in the subjects in 
which they are teaching). It would allow programs two years to ensure 
all Title I instructors are qualified.
  The bill would allow schools to use funds under the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act to create financial incentives to lure 
qualified teachers to teach in high-poverty schools and provide 
training to ``emergency certified'' teachers and teacher aides who are 
good candidates for full certification.


                     III. Strengthen Accountability

  The bill would establish a more stringent definition of what 
constitutes ``adequate yearly progress'' for Title I programs. It would 
take into account the progress of each program in raising the 
performance of all students and set as a goal the closing of the gap 
between minorities and non-minorities and between more and less 
affluent students. It would require the federal Department of Education 
to re-review state plans under these new criteria and to solicit 
revisions from states whose systems do not conform.


                   IV. Rewards for Successful Schools

  The bill would require states to set aside funds to financially 
reward schools and teachers whose students make significant academic 
progress. High-poverty Title I schools, and the teachers within them, 
that make significant progress would get special consideration.
  Over the coming weeks, I also plan to explore additional options to 
complement this legislation, particularly for providing financial 
incentives to teachers who choose to serve in high-need schools.
  It is time for Congress to stop sitting on the sidelines watching 
schools and students underachieve. We have an obligation to students, 
their parents and their teachers to do better.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues on this important 
legislation.

                          ____________________