Senate HELP Committee Passes NCLB Overhaul

The AP (10/21, Hefling) reports that the No Child Left Behind reauthorization bill introduced by Senate HELP Chairman Tom Harkin and ranking GOP member Mike Enzi, which "would give states more control over accountability in schools and alter some of the law's proficiency requirements," has passed out of committee and will be considered by the full Senate. Harkin, the AP notes, said that the bill "would essentially do away with the unpopular law." Noting that the measure comes just a month after President Obama directed Education Secretary Arne Duncan to offer states waivers to the law, the AP stresses both the bipartisan nature of the legislation and the friction which has surrounded its progress.

The Washington Times (10/21, Wolfgang, 77K) also highlights the "bipartisan support" that the bill enjoys, even though its progress "was nearly derailed Wednesday" by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R). The Times notes that Paul withdrew his procedural block on the committee's work after Harkin agreed to hold a November 8 hearing on the bill, in advance of full Senate floor action. Despite Paul's objections, some Republicans on the panel "joined with Democrats and approved the proposal, which replaces many parts of NCLB such as the 'adequate yearly progress' federal assessment system and limits federal intervention to the lowest-performing 5 percent of schools in a state and the 5 percent with the highest achievement gaps between ethnic groups."

 

Noting that Harkin and Enzi "garnered support from all of the committee's Democrats and three Republicans," Education Week (10/21, Klein, 39K) reports that the bill "is certain to encounter further debate on the Senate floor." Harkin "hopes to move the bill to the floor of the Senate before Thanksgiving, and he believes it's 'possible' that Congress could approve a rewritten version of the nation's main education law before Christmas-in time to negate the need for the Obama administration's waiver plan." Education Week includes a comprehensive list of the amendments that the committee approved before passing the measure.

 

"Quiet Changes" Increase Role Of Research In Federal Policy.Education Week (10/21, Sparks, 39K) reports, "A slew of quiet changes" in the bill "would substantially increase the role of research in federal education programs," noting that in contrast with the controversial measures regarding the Federal role in education and the lessening of accountability systems in the bill, its "research-related provisions seemed to be flying under the radar." Under the measure, more funds would be "devoted to evaluation and technical assistance," and ED's Institute of Education Sciences would be "the lead agency to evaluate federal education programs and require IES to help federal programs establish criteria for program effectiveness."