By Senator Condos, Dunne, Illuzzi, MacDonald, Ayer, Campbell, Collins, Cummings, Gander, Gossens, Kittell, Lyons, Maynard, Miller, Munt, Sears, Welch and White,
S.R. 23. Senate resolution urging Congress to grant waivers from the No Child Left Behind Act to states whose students perform at a high academic level.
Whereas, Vermont has established high academic standards for its students in the areas of reading, language arts, mathematics, social sciences, science and technology, civics, arts, and health, and
Whereas, Vermont has established and implemented rigorous tests to measure achievement of its standards in reading, language arts, and mathematics and consequences for schools whose students fail to do well on the tests, and
Whereas, as a result of Vermont’s insistence on rigorous standards and testing, Vermont students do very well on national tests; for example, Vermont students scored as follows on the National Assessment of Education Progress tests in 2003: 4th grade math – highest average score in the nation, 4th grade reading – second highest average score in the nation, 8th grade math – 3rd highest average score in the nation, 8th grade reading – 2nd highest average score in the nation, and
Whereas, the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 requires all states to develop high academic standards in reading and math only, and to hold schools accountable for student achievement of only those standards, and
Whereas, Congress has not provided sufficient funds for Vermont schools to successfully implement NCLB, thereby forcing them to direct resources away from Vermont’s system of comprehensive standards and assessments, a system which has resulted in some of the highest test scores in the nation, and
Whereas, NCLB represents a sweeping federal intrusion into state and local control of education, violating the time-honored American principle of balanced federalism and respect for state and local prerogatives, especially in the crucial area of education, now therefore be it
Resolved by the Senate:
That Congress be asked to amend the No Child Left Behind Act immediately to include a mechanism for a waiver from its provisions for school accountability that shall automatically be granted to states whose systems of standards and accountability result in high student achievement, and be it further
Resolved: That such waiver be available to these states so long as they maintain their successful standards and accountability programs, and be it further
Resolved: That the Secretary of the Senate shall transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Vermont Congressional Delegation.
ATTESTED TO:
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David A. Gibson
Secretary of the Senate