[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 179 (Thursday, December 10, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                S. 1177, THE EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT

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                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 10, 2015

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Conference 
Report for S. 1177, the Every Student Succeeds Act, a bill which 
reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) through 
2020 and replaces the misguided No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy.
  This bill makes important changes to ESEA by including student and 
school supports in state accountability plans, supporting responsible 
efforts to reduce over-testing, and requiring states to provide the 
public with information on school discipline and expulsion rates, which 
we know disproportionately impacts students of color. S. 1177 also 
maintains critical provisions about overall student performance by 
setting clear goals for achievement and graduation rates, targeting 
funds to at-risk children such as English Language Learners, and 
helping states to increase teacher quality by providing on-going 
professional development.
  Yet I am concerned that this bill shifts the majority of power and 
oversight from the federal government to the states and does not do 
enough to protect disadvantaged, minority, LGBT, low-income, and 
migrant students. A strong Federal role is critical to ensuring that 
minority and underserved students get the support they need to succeed. 
And as a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I 
am concerned that this bill fails to include a requirement to 
disaggregate data within groups of Asian American Pacific Islander 
(AAPI) students. This is critical to ensuring that AAPI students 
receive the support they need. Moreover, S. 1177 fails to include 
strong accountability measures to ensure that schools address resource 
equity gaps.
  As Members of Congress, we have a shared obligation to ensure that 
our education system provides equity and excellence for all students, 
closes the achievement gap, and prepares our students for a 21st 
century workforce.

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