The Every Student Succeeds Act vs. No Child Left Behind

Every Student Succeeds Act: The new law tries to preserve the spirit of No Child Left Behind, while fixing what were widely perceived as its one ... TheEveryStudentSucceedsActvs.NoChildLeftBehind:What'schanged?GregoryKorteUSATODAYViewCommentsWASHINGTON—PresidentObamasignedtheEveryStudentSucceedsActintolawThursday,largelyreplacingtheNoChildLeftBehindActthatwasahallmarkofhispredecessor'sdomesticagenda.Lawmakershavetoutedthenewlawasamoreflexibleapproachtostudenttestingandschoolaccountability,onceagainmakingstatesresponsibleforfixingunder-performingschools.Here'swhat'schangedinthetwolaws:TheProblemNoChildLeftBehind:TheElementaryandSecondaryEducationActof1965,signedbyPresidentLyndonJohnson,wasacivilrightslawthatprovidededucationfundingtostatesandattemptedtoensurethateverystudenthadaccesstoaneducation.Thelawwouldexpireeverythreetofiveyears,requiringCongresstoreauthorizeit.In2001,DemocratsandRepublicansinCongressbecameincreasinglyconcernedbythegrowingachievementgapsthatleftpoorandminoritystudentsinfailingschools,anddevisedasystemoftestingandaccountabilitytofixit."Thefundamentalprincipleofthisbillisthateverychildcanlearn,weexpecteverychildtolearn,andyoumustshowuswhetherornoteverychildislearning,"PresidentGeorgeW.BushsaidintheJan.8,2002,signingceremony.EveryStudentSucceedsAct:ThenewlawtriestopreservethespiritofNoChildLeftBehind,whilefixingwhatwerewidelyperceivedasitsone-size-fits-allapproach."ThegoalsofNoChildLeftBehind,thepredecessorofthislaw,weretherightones:Highstandards.Accountability.Closingtheachievementgap,"ObamasaidThursday."Butinpractice,itoftenfellshort.Itdidn'talwaysconsiderthespecificneedsofeachcommunity.Itledtotoomuchtestingduringclassroomtime.Itoftenforcedschoolsandschooldistrictsintocookie-cutterreformsthatdidn'talwaysproducethekindsofresultsthatwewantedtosee."TestingNoChildLeftBehind:ThelawrequiredstatestoteststudentsonmathandEnglisheveryyearinthethirdthrougheighthgrades,andthenagainonceinhighschool.Italsorequiredatleastonesciencetestinelementary,middleandhighschool.EveryStudentSucceedsAct:Statesmuststillteststudentsinthesamegradesbutwillnowhaveflexibilityinhowandwhentheyadministerthosetests.Forexample,asingleannualassessmentcanbebrokendownintoaseriesofsmallertests.There'salsoanemphasisonfindingdifferentkindsofteststhatmoreaccuratelymeasurewhatstudentsarelearning.CommonCoreNoChildLeftBehind:The2002lawdidnotaddresstheCommonCorestandardsspecifically,sincetheydidn'temergeuntillaterthatdecade.Andtheyemergednotfromthefederalgovernment,butfromastate-ledefforttodefinewhatthestatesshouldbeteachingandhowitshouldbetaught.ButtheObamaadministrationdidplayaroleinexpandingCommonCorethroughwaiverstoNoChildLeftBehindrequirementsthatencouragedstatestoadoptthestandards.EveryStudentSucceedsAct:ThenewlawallowsstatestoadoptCommonCorebutdoesnotrequireit.Infact,itrequirestheEducationDepartmenttoremainneutral:"TheSecretaryshallnotattempttoinfluence,incentivize,orcoerceStateadoptionoftheCommonCoreStateStandardsdevelopedundertheCommonCoreStateStandardsInitiativeoranyotheracademicstandardscommontoasignificantnumberofStates,orassessmentstiedtosuchstandard."AccountabilityNoChildLeftBehind:Oneofthefundamentalprinciplesofthe2002law—indeed,theprinciplethatgavethelawitsname—wasthatschoolshadtoimprovetheperformanceofallstudents.Todothat,itrequiredschooldistrictstobreakouttestscoresandothermeasuresforminoritysubgroupstomakesuretheyweremakingprogresseachyear.Inpractice,manystatesfoundthatgoaltobeunrealisticandgotaroundthembyeithercreating"supersubgroups"thatlumpedalldisadvantagedstudentstogether,orchangingtomoresubjectivemeasureslikeparent/teacherinvolvement.EveryStudentSucceedsAct:Thenewlawleavesaccountabilitygoalsalmostentirelyuptothestates.StatesmustsubmittheiraccountabilityplanstotheDepartmentofEducation,whichstillhasalimitedoversightrole.Andthereare"guardrails"definingbroadlywhattheaccountabilitygoalsneedtoinclude,andtestscoresandgraduationratesmustbegiven"muchgreaterweight"thanthemoresubjectivemeasures.RemediesNoChildLeftBehind:Statesthatwantedtheirfairshareoffederalfundingwererequiredtofixschoolsthatfailedtoimprovetestscoresadequately.Those"interventions"startedoutwithsoftermeasures,butafterfiveyearstheschoolhadalimitednumberofdirechoices:firetheprincipalandmostofthestaff,converttoacharterschool,lengthentheschooldayoryear,orclosedowntheschoolentirely.EveryStudentSucceedsAct:Thenewlawismuchmorespecificaboutwhichschoolsneedinterventionbutmuchlessspecificonwhatthoseinterventionsshouldbe.Schoolsatthebottom5%ofassessmentscores(asdefinedbythestate),highschoolsthatgraduatelessthan67%ofstudents,orschoolswheresubgroupsareconsistentlyunderperformingwouldbeconsideredfailingandcouldbesubjecttostatetakeover—althoughthelawdoesn'tsaywhatthestateneedstodo.SpendingNoChildLeftBehind:Theeducationlawsetspolicy,anddoesnotspendmoneydirectly—that'sdonethroughannualspendingbills.Theoriginallawauthorizedupto$32billioninspendingin2002dollars,butCongressneverspentanywhereclosetothat,appropriatingjust$23billionin2015.EveryStudentSucceedsAct:Thelawauthorizesthespendingof$24.9billionin2016,againsubjecttothespendingbillnowbeingfinalizedbyCongress.AccordingtotheCongressionalBudgetOffice,thatcostwouldgrowto$25.8billionin2020.BipartisanshipNoChildLeftBehind:Thearchitectsofthe2002lawwereonoppositesidesoftheCapitolandonoppositeendsofthepoliticalspectrum:Rep.JohnBoehner,R-Ohio(latertheHousespeaker),andSen.TedKennedy,D-Mass.Thevoteonfinalpassagewas381-41intheHouseand87-10intheSenate.BushsignedthebillintolawatahighschoolinBoehner'scongressionaldistrict.EveryStudentSucceedsAct:TheleadsponsorsintheSenatewereSens.LamarAlexander,R-Tenn.,andPattyMurray,D-Wash,andintheHousewereReps.JohnKline,R-Minn.,andBobbyScott,D-Va.ItpassedtheHouse359-64andtheSenate85-12.ObamasigneditintolawThursdayattheEisenhowerExecutiveOfficeBuilding.Contributing:MaryTroyanViewCommentsFeaturedWeeklyAd