Improving Student Testing Act of 2007
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (17 Sep 2007): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
What this bill does
S. 2053, the Improving Student Testing Act of 2007, would amend Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (then commonly known as No Child Left Behind) to give states and local school districts more flexibility in how they measure student achievement and hold schools accountable. It would let states choose among status, growth, or hybrid accountability models; adopt alternative assessment schedules (such as testing by grade span rather than every year in grades 3–8); and incorporate multiple types of assessment—such as portfolios, performance-based tests, and locally designed measures—alongside or instead of standardized tests. The bill also sets new privacy protections for statewide student data systems, requires graduation rates to be broken out by student subgroup, revises the peer-review process used to approve state assessment plans, and creates competitive and formula grant programs to help states build better assessments and data systems.
The bill would primarily affect state and local educational agencies, school administrators, teachers, and students, by changing federal requirements and funding tied to standardized testing and accountability under Title I. It would also affect the U.S. Department of Education, which would gain new rulemaking, grant-making, and oversight duties, including issuing privacy regulations and directing periodic Inspector General reviews of the peer-review process.
The bill was introduced in the Senate on September 17, 2007, by Senator Russell Feingold, with Senator Patrick Leahy as a cosponsor, and was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. It did not receive a vote and did not become law.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Improving Student Testing Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow states to use academic indicators other than statewide standardized assessments in determining whether schools need improvement, corrective action, or restructuring. (Currently, such indicators may not be used to reduce the number of schools requiring such interventions.)
Permits states to use growth or hybrid growth and status models in determining whether students are making adequate progress toward state standards. Requires growth models and the growth portion of hybrid models to: (1) use statewide education data systems capable of tracking individual student growth; and (2) assess students annually in grades 3 through 8, and once in grades 9 through 12.
Allows states to alter their current assessment systems by: (1) conducting statewide assessments less frequently, but at least once in grades 3 through 5, 6 through 9, and 10 through 12; or (2) using multiple measures of assessments instead of, or in addition to, statewide standardized assessments.
Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to states to implement certain privacy protection measures for statewide education data systems.
Waives the requirement that all students meet state academic proficiency standards by the end of the 2013-2014 school year if, for each of FY2008-FY2015, school improvement funds appropriated do not match those authorized.
Makes changes to the state education improvement plan peer review process that involve the composition of peer review panels, the feedback they provide, and the consistency of their decisions from state to state.
Requires states to disaggregate high school graduation rates by student subgroups. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to states to disaggregate and report student graduation and performance data.
Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive grants to: (1) states to develop multiple measures of assessment, rather than one standardized test; and (2) states and local educational agencies to improve their capacity to implement alternative accountability and assessment systems and meet school improvement requirements.
Timeline
17 Sep 2007
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Common questions
- What does S. 2053 do?
- S. 2053, the Improving Student Testing Act of 2007, would amend Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (then commonly known as No Child Left Behind) to give states and local school districts more flexibility in how they measure student achievement and hold schools accountable. It would let states choose among status, growth, or hybrid accountability models; adopt alternative assessment schedules (such as testing by grade span rather than every year in grades 3–8); and incorporate multiple types of assessment—such as portfolios, performance-based tests, and locally designed measures—alongside or instead of standardized tests. The bill also sets new privacy protections for statewide student data systems, requires graduation rates to be broken out by student subgroup, revises the peer-review process used to approve state assessment plans, and creates competitive and formula grant programs to help states build better assessments and data systems. The bill would primarily affect state and local educational agencies, school administrators, teachers, and students, by changing federal requirements and funding tied to standardized testing and accountability under Title I. It would also affect the U.S. Department of Education, which would gain new rulemaking, grant-making, and oversight duties, including issuing privacy regulations and directing periodic Inspector General reviews of the peer-review process. The bill was introduced in the Senate on September 17, 2007, by Senator Russell Feingold, with Senator Patrick Leahy as a cosponsor, and was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. It did not receive a vote and did not become law.
- Has S. 2053 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for S. 2053. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored S. 2053?
- S. 2053 was sponsored by Sen. Feingold, Russell D. [D-WI] (D-WI), with 4 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on S. 2053?
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (17 Sep 2007).
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More bills from Sen. Feingold, Russell D. [D-WI]
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Federal Agency Data Mining Reporting Act of 2007
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