S 1231 IS
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1231
To create or adopt, and implement, rigorous and voluntary American education content standards in mathematics and science covering kindergarten through grade 12, to provide for the assessment of student proficiency benchmarked against such standards, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 10, 2009
Mr. DODD introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
A BILL
To create or adopt, and implement, rigorous and voluntary American education content standards in mathematics and science covering kindergarten through grade 12, to provide for the assessment of student proficiency benchmarked against such standards, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title- This Act may be cited as the ‘Standards to Provide Educational Achievement for Kids Act’ or the ‘SPEAK Act’.
(b) Table of Contents- The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Assessing science in the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Sec. 4. Definitions.
Sec. 5. Voluntary American education content standards; American Standards Incentive Fund.
Sec. 6. Authorization of appropriations.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Throughout the years, educators and policymakers have consistently embraced standards as the mechanism to ensure that every student, no matter what school the student attends, masters the skills and develops the knowledge needed to participate in a global economy.
(2) Recent international comparisons make clear that students in the United States have significant shortcomings in mathematics and science, yet a high level of scientific and mathematics literacy is essential to societal innovations and advancements.
(3) With more than 50 different sets of academic content standards, 50 State academic assessments, and 50 definitions of proficiency under section 1111(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)), there is great variability in the measures, standards, and benchmarks for academic achievement in mathematics and science.
(4) Variation in State standards and the accompanying measures of proficiency make it difficult for parents and teachers to meaningfully gauge how well their children are learning mathematics and science in comparison to their peers internationally or here at home.
(5) The disparity in the rigor of standards across States yields test results that tell the public little about how schools are performing and progressing, as States with low standards or low proficiency requirements may appear to be doing much better than States with more rigorous standards or higher requirements for proficiency.
(6) As a result, the United States highly mobile student-aged population moves through the Nation’s schools gaining widely varying levels of knowledge, skills, and preparedness.
(7) In order for the United States to compete in a global economy, the country needs to strengthen its educational expectations for all children.
(8) To compete, the people of the United States must compare themselves against international benchmarks.
(9) Grounded in a real world analysis and international comparisons of what students need to succeed in work and college, rigorous and voluntary core American education content standards will keep the United States economically competitive and ensure that the children of the United States are given the same opportunity to learn to a high standard no matter where they reside.
(10) Rigorous and voluntary core American education content standards in mathematics and science will enable students to succeed in academic settings across States while ensuring an American edge in the global marketplace.
SEC. 3. ASSESSING SCIENCE IN THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS.
(a) National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act- Section 303 of the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9622) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘, State assessments,’ and inserting ‘and State assessments in reading, mathematics, and science’;
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘science,’ after ‘mathematics,’;
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘reading and mathematics’ and inserting ‘reading, mathematics, and science’;
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘reading and mathematics’ and inserting ‘reading, mathematics, and science’;
(iii) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘science,’; and
(iv) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘reading and mathematics’ and inserting ‘reading, mathematics, and science’;
(C) in paragraph (3)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘reading and mathematics’ each place the term occurs and inserting ‘reading, mathematics, and science’; and
(ii) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking ‘reading and mathematics’ and inserting ‘reading, mathematics, and science’; and
(D) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking ‘, require, or influence’ and inserting ‘or require’;
(3) in subsection (d)(3), by striking ‘reading and mathematics’ each place the term occurs and inserting ‘reading, mathematics, and science’; and
(4) in subsection (f)(1)(B)(v), by striking ‘and mathematical knowledge’ and inserting ‘, mathematical knowledge, and science knowledge’.
(b) Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965- Subpart 1 of part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 1111(c)(2) (20 U.S.C. 6311(c)(2))--
(A) by inserting ‘(and, for science, beginning with the 2010-2011 school year)’ after ‘2002-2003’; and
(B) by striking ‘reading and mathematics’ and inserting ‘reading, mathematics, and science’; and
(2) in section 1112(b)(1)(F) (20 U.S.C. 6312(b)(1)(F)), by striking ‘reading and mathematics’ and inserting ‘reading, mathematics, and science’.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
Section 304 of the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9623) is amended--
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘In this title:’ and inserting ‘Except as otherwise provided, in this title:’;
(2) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
‘(2) SECRETARY- The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of Education.’.
SEC. 5. VOLUNTARY AMERICAN EDUCATION CONTENT STANDARDS; AMERICAN STANDARDS INCENTIVE FUND.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9621 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating sections 304 (as amended by section 4) and 305 as sections 306 and 307, respectively; and
(2) by inserting after section 303 the following:
‘SEC. 304. CREATION OR ADOPTION OF VOLUNTARY AMERICAN EDUCATION CONTENT STANDARDS.
Full Text of Legislation