The Senate approved the first major overhaul of the nation’s education policy in 35 years as it voted overwhelmingly yesterday in favor of President Bush’s far-reaching plan to use federal aid as leverage to force improvements in academic achievement.
The Senate approved the first major overhaul of the nation’s education policy in 35 years as it voted overwhelmingly yesterday in favor of President Bush’s far-reaching plan to use federal aid as leverage to force improvements in academic achievement.
The bill, approved 91 to 8 after more than a month of debate, calls for annual testing of students in reading and mathematics, and requires schools to demonstrate progress in eliminating achievement gaps. Failing schools would receive aid to improve but would face the loss of funds and other penalties if they fail to make adequate progress. Students in those schools would receive special assistance, including funds for tutoring.
To encourage improvement and innovation, local school officials would be given more flexibility in how they spend federal funds — which now account for 7 percent of public education funds. A small number of states and school districts could experiment with even more freedom from federal controls in exchange for meeting higher standards.
In his only major failure, Bush was rebuffed by both the Senate and the House in his bid to win approval of vouchers designed to help low-income children escape failing public schools by enrolling in private schools.
The bill now goes to a House-Senate conference. Eventual passage of the legislation is virtually assured because a similar bill was approved last month by the House. But a major struggle remains over the estimated $15 billion difference between what Bush and Democrats want to spend to implement the bill’s anticipated reforms.
Eleonora Panto
Dario Zucchini