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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Student Testing Im-
provement and Accountability Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act supports programs to level the playing field for 
the most vulnerable, including children of poverty, 
students with disabilities, and English-language 
learners. 
(2) Prior to 2001, Federal law required States 
only to test students once per grade span. 
(3) Following the enactment of the No Child 
Left Behind Act of 2001, which amended the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 
Federal education policy has placed an increased 
emphasis on testing assessments, requiring students 
to undergo standardized testing every year in grades 
3 through 8. 
(4) Annual Federal testing required by the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 has 
failed to deliver increased student achievement. 
(5) Reducing the frequency of federally required 
testing will allow more time for student learning and 
inspire their natural curiosity and creativity. 
(6) Students will have more time to receive one- 
on-one instruction and develop critical thinking and 
problem-solving skills through a well-rounded edu-
cation and curriculum. 
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(7) Moving away from the practice of annually 
‘‘teaching to the test’’ will empower educators to 
provide instruction in a way that best inspires and 
prepares our country’s next generation of leaders. 
(8) With grade span testing, our educators will 
be more able to focus on those students who are 
most in need but who also lose the most class time 
preparing for annual tests. 
(9) Grade span testing will allows states the 
flexibility to develop more meaningful, tailored as-
sessment systems that provide valid, reliable data. 
(10) The yearly testing currently required by 
Federal law should be replaced with grade span test-
ing. 
SEC. 3. ACADEMIC ASSESSMENTS. 
Section 1111(b)(3)(C) of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(3)(C)) 
is amended— 
(1) in clause (v)(I)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘except as otherwise pro-
vided for grades 3 through 8 under clause vii,’’; 
and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘and the achievement of 
students against the challenging State academic 
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content and student academic achievement 
standards’’ after ‘‘proficiency of students’’; 
(2) by striking clause (vii); and 
(3) in clause (viii), by striking ‘‘, (vi), (vii)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘and (vi)’’. 
Æ 
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