Positions of the U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Regarding the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) wholeheartedly supports the education reforms of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and its expectation that all students reach proficiency by 2014. In order to sustain these reforms and to strengthen the Act, the Chamber proposes addressing the following five goals in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

GOAL I

All students in America must graduate high school academically prepared for a postsecondary education and the workplace. Throughout the states, there should be clear and measurable standards that are set by the state and based on evidence of predictive validity of what it means to be ready for a postsecondary education and the workplace. These standards must be consistent with the requirements of businesses and institutions of higher education. A number of states have already begun similar initiatives with nearly two dozen that have set such standards under the banner of the American Diploma Project.

The states that choose to participate in this goal would set explicit, rigorous academic achievement standards and assessments for high school graduates based on the demands of institutions of higher education and the workplace. Further, expectations would be set for earlier grades that will assure that all students are on track to graduate high school ready for a postsecondary education and the workplace. Participating states would receive federal support for setting these standards, developing assessments, and other implementation costs. Further, these states would be eligible to receive the substantial additional funds described in goals II and III to strengthen secondary schools to better prepare students, notably at-risk students, for postsecondary education/workplace readiness.

GOAL II

All students must enter high school proficient in reading (able to read high school content) and math (proficient in, or able to study, algebra). Greater rigor and high expectations must be established throughout the elementary and middle grades. Student performance falls off between the fourth grade and the eighth grade, with students generally entering high school well below proficiency levels that would predict graduation and subsequent success.

The federal government would implement the Math Now and Striving Readers Programs, first proposed by the President, to assist the states and districts that set the new postsecondary education/workplace readiness standards in preparing all students entering high school to be ready for more rigorous coursework.

GOAL III

High schools must be held accountable through the rigorous assessment(s) and greater transparency of results for advancing students year by year towards readiness at graduation for a postsecondary education and the workplace. Unfortunately, too many of our high school students either drop out; finish high school but do not pursue a higher education or a good job, or begin a postsecondary education but later fall away due too often to poor preparation.

High schools would be restructured to ensure that all students achieve proficiency and graduate academically prepared for a postsecondary education and the workplace. States and school districts that increase academic standards and assessments under goal I would be eligible for new funding specifically designated for educational programs in high schools that reflect and teach to the new standards.

GOAL IV

All students in America’s classrooms must have highly effective teachers. Current law provisions requiring that all students have a highly qualified teacher should be retained and implemented fully. But, beyond teacher credentials, the substantial NCLB dollars spent on teacher quality should leverage improved effectiveness of teachers in our classrooms.

To be eligible for title II funds, states would develop rigorous, research-based plans to improve teaching in their states that would include: (1) teacher evaluation methods based principally on student achievement; (2) professional development programs that will improve teacher effectiveness and increase student achievement; (3) implementation of policies to remove teachers who are evaluated as ineffective even after receiving high quality professional development and other technical assistance; and (4) greater coordination with institutions of higher education to help transform and improve teacher preparation programs.
In addition, states with approved title II applications could apply for funds to support state programs that reward teachers who increase student achievement and encourage graduates with majors and /or proven experience in critical content areas to enter the teaching profession.

GOAL V

The education reform elements of NCLB must be retained, strengthened and improved. Requiring that schools, districts, and states make AYP is the backbone of NCLB. While it must be protected, we believe that AYP should work better to help differentiate between schools that only require better planning or targeted improvement as compared to schools that require wholesale changes to ensure that students reach proficiency.

Each state would identify the most pervasively poor performing schools not making AYP for more significant consequences. These consequences would include applying public school choice and restructuring provisions only to these pervasively poor performing schools not making AYP, with the assurance from the state that choice options would be fully, universally, and genuinely offered. If the school district could not provide the choice of another school in the district, the district would provide additional support to another public school district or public charter school to encourage placing the student in a school making AYP.
States would be required to oversee and guide the restructuring of these schools. Further, states and school districts would use federal funds currently dedicated to supporting school improvement activities instead to pay for strengthened restructuring provisions for these pervasively poor performing schools. Additionally, comprehensive centers and the regional educational labs should be required to assist these schools in their improvement efforts.
Other refinements to help strengthen current NCLB reform efforts include: (1) appropriate limitations on the use of techniques such as N-size and confidence intervals to help preserve the integrity of accountability requirements; (2) the flexibility to offer supplemental educational services (SES) either before, or concurrent with, public school choice; (3) the inclusion of science assessments in AYP; (4) the identification and utilization of valid and reliable assessments for special education and limited English proficiency students; and (5) support for data systems development to ensure quality data collection practices and to maximize the classroom instructional benefit of this data.

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