Feingold, Jeffords Introduce the Student Testing Flexibility Act of 2003 Bill Increases Local Control for School Districts and States Facing New Standardized Testing Requirements April 30, 2003 Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Jim Jeffords (I-VT) today introduced the Student Testing Flexibility Act of 2003. This legislation will give states and local school districts that have demonstrated academic success the flexibility to seek a waiver of the new annual standardized testing requirements in the No Child Left Behind Act. "I strongly support maintaining local control over decisions affecting our children's day-to-day classroom experiences," Feingold said. " I also believe that the federal government has an important role to play in supporting our state educational agencies and local school districts as they carry out their most important responsibility – the education of our children. But I don't think more federally-mandated tests are the best way to achieve that goal." "This bill will ensure that states that already have effective accountability systems in place and are demonstrating improvements in student achievement do not have to abandon those efforts," Jeffords said. The No Child Left Behind Act, signed into law in January 2002, added new standardized testing requirements on top of the many tests that students around the country already take. The Student Testing Flexibility Act would allow states and local school districts to apply for a waiver if they can show they are closing the achievement gap or are meeting yearly goals. The waiver, which would apply to new annual reading and math tests for students in grades 3-8, would be good for a period of three years, at which point it could be renewed. This legislation is supported by the American Association of School Administrators, the National PTA, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the School Social Work Association of America.

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