Last week, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee introduced a comprehensive draft bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), more popularly known as No Child Left Behind. The bill makes a number of significant changes to current law – particularly in the areas of accountability, low-performing schools, standards and teachers. Specifically, the bill would alter the current accountability system by eliminating Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in favor of state defined measures of continuous improvement in student outcomes; require states to identify the 5 percent of schools with the biggest achievement gaps as well as high school dropout factors and implement a series of federally defined plans to address the problem; require states to set college- and career- ready standards; and direct states to develop teacher and principal evaluation systems based on multiple factors, including student achievement and classroom observations. Senator Harkin has scheduled a mark-up of his bill for October 18.

Earlier this year, Senator Republicans including Lamar Alexander (R–TN), Richard Burr (R–NC), Johnny Isakson (R–GA), and Mark Kirk (R–IL), all members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced a series of bills to overhaul and reauthorize and edit the No Child Left Behind education law. Under their plan, the law would be reauthorized through four separate bills that propose reforms to different aspects of the current law. The Elementary and Secondary Education Amendments Act would institute a national college-and-career readiness goal with accountability measures to be created by states. It eliminates the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) system that was established under the last reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. The Teacher and Principal Improvement Act allows states to develop their own teacher and principal evaluation systems and would remove the “highly qualified teacher" provision in the current law. The Empowering Local Education Decision-Making Act consolidates 59 federal education programs into two block grants. Finally, the Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act expands and provides greater support to successful charter schools. This piecemeal process mirrors the current process in the House.

Link: Senate Democrats Bill Text