I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 452 

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to clarify 

when certain academic assessments shall be administered. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 21, 2015 

Mr. GIBSON (for himself, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. JOYCE, Mr. MEEHAN, Mrs. 

NAPOLITANO, Mr. SIRES, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. UPTON, 

Ms. TITUS, Mr. VALADAO, Mr. NOLAN, Mr. KATKO, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. 

THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. REED, and Mr. SIMPSON) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 

the Workforce 

A BILL 

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 

of 1965 to clarify when certain academic assessments 

shall be administered. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Student Testing Im5 provement and Accountability Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

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1 (1) The Elementary and Secondary Education 

2 Act supports programs to level the playing field for 

3 the most vulnerable, including children of poverty, 

4 students with disabilities, and English-language 

5 learners. 

6 (2) Prior to 2001, Federal law required States 

7 only to test students once per grade span. 

8 (3) Following the enactment of the No Child 

9 Left Behind Act of 2001, which amended the Ele10 mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 

11 Federal education policy has placed an increased 

12 emphasis on testing assessments, requiring students 

13 to undergo standardized testing every year in grades 

14 3 through 8. 

15 (4) Annual Federal testing required by the Ele16 mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 has 

17 failed to deliver increased student achievement. 

18 (5) Reducing the frequency of federally required 

19 testing will allow more time for student learning and 

20 inspire their natural curiosity and creativity. 

21 (6) Students will have more time to receive one22 on-one instruction and develop critical thinking and 

23 problem-solving skills through a well-rounded edu24 cation and curriculum. 

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1 (7) Moving away from the practice of annually 

2 ‘‘teaching to the test’’ will empower educators to 

3 provide instruction in a way that best inspires and 

4 prepares our country’s next generation of leaders. 

5 (8) With grade span testing, our educators will 

6 be more able to focus on those students who are 

7 most in need but who also lose the most class time 

8 preparing for annual tests. 

9 (9) Grade span testing will allows states the 

10 flexibility to develop more meaningful, tailored as11 sessment systems that provide valid, reliable data. 

12 (10) The yearly testing currently required by 

13 Federal law should be replaced with grade span test14 ing. 

15 SEC. 3. ACADEMIC ASSESSMENTS. 

16 Section 1111(b)(3)(C) of the Elementary and Sec17 ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(3)(C)) 

18 is amended— 

19 (1) in clause (v)(I)— 

20 (A) by striking ‘‘except as otherwise pro21 vided for grades 3 through 8 under clause vii,’’; 

22 and 

23 (B) by inserting ‘‘and the achievement of 

24 students against the challenging State academic 

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1 content and student academic achievement 

2 standards’’ after ‘‘proficiency of students’’; 

3 (2) by striking clause (vii); and 

4 (3) in clause (viii), by striking ‘‘, (vi), (vii)’’ and 

5 inserting ‘‘and (vi)’’. 

Æ 

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