Minnesota Legislature
SF 358
as introduced - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 02:12am
KEY: stricken = removed, old language.
underscored = added, new language.
Current Version - as introduced
1.1A resolution
1.2memorializing the Congress of the United States not to reauthorize the No Child Left
1.3Behind Act in its current form.
1.4WHEREAS, in 2002 the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act was enacted on a bipartisan
1.5basis, which has as its purpose bringing academic achievement in language arts, mathematics, and
1.6science to students who are not presently achieving at acceptable levels; and
1.7WHEREAS, the current reauthorization process for NCLB is an opportunity to reform the
1.8act to ensure that no child is left behind in this federal, state, and school partnership; and
1.9WHEREAS, Congress has not met its promises for funding levels to allow schools to
1.10correct identified inadequacies and, in turn, NCLB imposes significant financial costs on states,
1.11school districts, teachers, and paraprofessionals for staff development, certification upgrades,
1.12coursework, school improvement strategies, choice-related transportation, and private tutoring,
1.13as well as the unavoidable costs and dislocation that would arise in the event of mandatory
1.14school restructuring and staff dismissals; and
1.15WHEREAS, the entire sanctions concept must be revised. The first response to schools not
1.16meeting NCLB-established standards must be to target additional resources to correct recognized
1.17deficiencies; and
1.18WHEREAS, NCLB must be amended to ensure that the act's assumptions and standards are
1.19based on sound research in student achievement and effective teaching; and
1.20WHEREAS, NCLB mandates that every public school make adequate yearly progress
1.21toward the goal of 100 percent student proficiency on tests in mathematics, reading and language
1.22arts, and science by the end of the 2013-2014 school year; and
2.1WHEREAS, NCLB significantly increases the federal government's role in elementary and
2.2secondary education; and
2.3WHEREAS, NCLB has resulted in overreliance on standardized testing to the exclusion of
2.4other recognized indicators of student achievement; and
2.5WHEREAS, the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act is an opportunity to
2.6refine the admirable goals of the act based on five years of experience in implementing the
2.72002 initiative; and
2.8WHEREAS, NCLB sets expectations for all students to be 100 percent proficient by
2.92013-2014, and the expectations are unreasonable for students with disabilities, making it
2.10impossible for Minnesota schools to comply with the law; and
2.11WHEREAS, NCLB only assumes accountability for schools receiving Title I funds; and
2.12WHEREAS, schools need flexibility in a whole range of areas. Special education
2.13implementation, teacher subject area competency, school benchmarks, and student cohort
2.14definitions must not be imposed from Washington, D.C. Local educators and state legislatures
2.15must be allowed to refine these aspects of NCLB to reflect local conditions and needs. Flexibility
2.16and more sophisticated measurements will keep the focus on educating children and not meeting
2.17unrealistic and rigid standards; NOW, THEREFORE,
2.18BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges the Congress
2.19of the United States to repeal the No Child Left Behind Act if the aforementioned concerns
2.20go unaddressed.
2.21BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges the
2.22Congress of the United States, if it reauthorizes the No Child Left Behind Act, to amend it from
2.23its current form so that states such as Minnesota be allowed to continue to work toward the goal
2.24of closing the achievement gap without the coercion of losing federal funds.
2.25BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges
2.26the Congress of the United States, if it reauthorizes the No Child Left Behind Act, to do so in
2.27a timely fashion so that the State of Minnesota can proceed with the noble goal of closing the
2.28achievement gap as it best sees fit for the students of the state.
2.29BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota is
2.30directed to prepare copies of this memorial and transmit them to the President and the Secretary of
2.31the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives,
3.1and Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in Congress so that they may be apprised of the
3.2sense of the Minnesota Legislature in this matter.
1.2memorializing the Congress of the United States not to reauthorize the No Child Left
1.3Behind Act in its current form.
1.4WHEREAS, in 2002 the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act was enacted on a bipartisan
1.5basis, which has as its purpose bringing academic achievement in language arts, mathematics, and
1.6science to students who are not presently achieving at acceptable levels; and
1.7WHEREAS, the current reauthorization process for NCLB is an opportunity to reform the
1.8act to ensure that no child is left behind in this federal, state, and school partnership; and
1.9WHEREAS, Congress has not met its promises for funding levels to allow schools to
1.10correct identified inadequacies and, in turn, NCLB imposes significant financial costs on states,
1.11school districts, teachers, and paraprofessionals for staff development, certification upgrades,
1.12coursework, school improvement strategies, choice-related transportation, and private tutoring,
1.13as well as the unavoidable costs and dislocation that would arise in the event of mandatory
1.14school restructuring and staff dismissals; and
1.15WHEREAS, the entire sanctions concept must be revised. The first response to schools not
1.16meeting NCLB-established standards must be to target additional resources to correct recognized
1.17deficiencies; and
1.18WHEREAS, NCLB must be amended to ensure that the act's assumptions and standards are
1.19based on sound research in student achievement and effective teaching; and
1.20WHEREAS, NCLB mandates that every public school make adequate yearly progress
1.21toward the goal of 100 percent student proficiency on tests in mathematics, reading and language
1.22arts, and science by the end of the 2013-2014 school year; and
2.1WHEREAS, NCLB significantly increases the federal government's role in elementary and
2.2secondary education; and
2.3WHEREAS, NCLB has resulted in overreliance on standardized testing to the exclusion of
2.4other recognized indicators of student achievement; and
2.5WHEREAS, the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act is an opportunity to
2.6refine the admirable goals of the act based on five years of experience in implementing the
2.72002 initiative; and
2.8WHEREAS, NCLB sets expectations for all students to be 100 percent proficient by
2.92013-2014, and the expectations are unreasonable for students with disabilities, making it
2.10impossible for Minnesota schools to comply with the law; and
2.11WHEREAS, NCLB only assumes accountability for schools receiving Title I funds; and
2.12WHEREAS, schools need flexibility in a whole range of areas. Special education
2.13implementation, teacher subject area competency, school benchmarks, and student cohort
2.14definitions must not be imposed from Washington, D.C. Local educators and state legislatures
2.15must be allowed to refine these aspects of NCLB to reflect local conditions and needs. Flexibility
2.16and more sophisticated measurements will keep the focus on educating children and not meeting
2.17unrealistic and rigid standards; NOW, THEREFORE,
2.18BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges the Congress
2.19of the United States to repeal the No Child Left Behind Act if the aforementioned concerns
2.20go unaddressed.
2.21BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges the
2.22Congress of the United States, if it reauthorizes the No Child Left Behind Act, to amend it from
2.23its current form so that states such as Minnesota be allowed to continue to work toward the goal
2.24of closing the achievement gap without the coercion of losing federal funds.
2.25BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges
2.26the Congress of the United States, if it reauthorizes the No Child Left Behind Act, to do so in
2.27a timely fashion so that the State of Minnesota can proceed with the noble goal of closing the
2.28achievement gap as it best sees fit for the students of the state.
2.29BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota is
2.30directed to prepare copies of this memorial and transmit them to the President and the Secretary of
2.31the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives,
3.1and Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in Congress so that they may be apprised of the
3.2sense of the Minnesota Legislature in this matter.