Senate will consider companion to Gibson testing bill
Washington, Apr 23 – The Senate will consider a companion to a bill authored by Congressman Chris Gibson (NY-19) that would empower state and local school systems by reducing the frequency of federally-mandated assessments.
The Senate bill was introduced this week by Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), a former teacher.
“Families and educators across the nation agree the federal government’s testing regime is onerous and unfair, shifting classroom focus away from teaching and learning to testing,” said Congressman Gibson. “As thousands of New York parents opt to have their children sit out of these assessments, and as the Senate prepares to vote on updating our main federal education law, I am extremely grateful to Senator Tester for taking action. Our bill in the House continues to gain bipartisan support, and I am hopeful our efforts will finally put an end to the one-size-fits-all approach to testing.”
Congressman Gibson, whose military career included several years of teaching at West Point, re-introduced the Student Testing Improvement & Accountability Act in January with Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-9).
“The way to ensure good jobs and a strong economy is through an education system designed to teach students the skills they need to fill the jobs of the future,” said Congresswoman Sinema. “Teachers should focus on the content their students need to master—not simply material for an upcoming standardized test. This common-sense legislation puts the focus back on learning and ensures students are ready to step right into the jobs we’re working hard to create.”
The House legislation currently has 32 bipartisan co-sponsors representing 19 states, including New York Congressmen John Katko (NY-24), Tom Reed (NY-23), Lee Zeldin (NY-1), and Chris Collins (NY-27) and Congressman Fred Upton (MI-6), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
“As a co-sponsor of the Student Testing Improvement & Accountability Act, I want to thank Senator Tester for offering a companion bill in the Senate,” said Congressman Zeldin. “This legislation will roll back federally mandated testing in our Long Island schools. I believe in higher standards, but we need to stop the over testing in our schools. Challenging our students is important, but they aren’t guinea pigs. This is an important next step to shift the focus in our classrooms from testing to teaching and ensuring our children never lose their love of learning. I strongly urge Congress to pass this bill.”
The Student Testing Improvement & Accountability Act replaces current annual testing requirements for math and language arts with the exact same grade-span testing requirements in current law for science classes.
This returns federal testing requirements to the once-per-grade-span standards in place before No Child Left Behind, when math and reading assessments were conducted once in grades 3-5, once in grades 6-9, and once in grades 10-12.
The National Education Association (NEA), which represents three million educators across the country, announced its support for Congressman Gibson’s bill and the companion legislation introduced by Senator Tester this week as the Senate prepares to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Congressman Gibson introduces bill to shift classroom emphasis from testing to teaching
“Student Testing Improvement & Accountability Act” empowers state and local school systems
Washington, Mar 12, 2014 – Congressman Chris Gibson (NY-19) announced the introduction of H.R. 4172, the “Student Testing Improvement & Accountability Act,” which makes common-sense reforms to the No Child Left Behind Act by reducing the frequency of federally-mandated assessments in U.S. schools.
Congressman Gibson introduced the bipartisan legislation March 6 with Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-9).
“My constituents have overwhelmingly expressed their concerns with the recent shift in education policy from a focus on teaching to a focus on testing,” said Congressman Gibson. “Parents and educators across Upstate New York know that maintaining this approach will continue to hamstring our teachers and students.”
“Working in Arizona schools for nearly a decade taught me the importance of empowering teachers to teach to the content they want their students to master—not simply to teach the material needed to know the next upcoming standardized test,” said Congresswoman Sinema.
H.R. 4172 replaces current annual testing requirements for math and language arts with the exact same grade-span testing requirements in current law for science classes. This returns federal testing requirements to the once-per-grade-span standards established before 2001, when math and reading assessments were typically conducted once in grades 3-5, once in grades 6-9, and once in grades 10-12.
Under H.R. 4172, the states would retain the ability to exceed federal testing requirements if they seek to do so.
“I have lived a life of accountability, and I understand the need for a means to accurately gauge school performance, but I reject the notion that the only way to achieve this is through burdensome over-testing,” said Congressman Gibson.
The National Education Association (NEA), which represents 3 million educators across the country, announced its support for the bill.
“The over-emphasis on standardized testing has caused considerable collateral damage in too many schools, including narrowing the curriculum, teaching to the test, reducing love of learning, pushing students out of school and driving teachers out of the profession,” said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. “This bill by Rep. Gibson and Rep. Sinema would help put a stop to these negative consequences and help ensure that all students succeed.”
