WHEREAS, the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110), signed by President Bush on January 8, 2002, is the most sweeping reform of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act since its enactment in 1965, according to the U.S. Department of Education; and

WHEREAS, the No Child Left Behind Act redefines the federal role in K-12 education and is intended to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their peers; and

WHEREAS, the No Child Left Behind Act is based on four basic principles: stronger accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that have been proven to work; and

WHEREAS, the No Child Left Behind Act requires states to implement statewide accountability systems covering all public schools and students; and

WHEREAS, these systems must be based on challenging state standards in reading and mathematics, annual testing for all students in grades 3-8, and annual statewide progress objectives to ensure that all groups of students reach proficiency within 12 years; and

WHEREAS, under the No Child Left Behind Act, each state is required to formulate its own testing standards and performance assessment tools to measure what children know and learn in reading and math; and

WHEREAS, testing and test results should measure achievement and serve as a diagnostic tool and to identify areas of needed improvement, but tests should not be used in a punitive manner; and

WHEREAS, the temptation and the danger with achievement tests in general is that teachers may "teach to the test", so that classroom instruction unintentionally emphasizes scoring high on the test rather than on learning and thinking; and

WHEREAS, the No Child Left Behind Act should not be utilized as an excuse to teach to the test, so that teachers feel compelled to teach for the purpose of ensuring that their students will score high on the test; and

WHEREAS, there is more to education than tests and test results; and

WHEREAS, test results should also serve as a diagnostic tool to point out to teachers those areas of instruction they need to emphasize; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that the Board of Education is requested to utilize the testing mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act as a diagnostic tool and as a student learning benchmark; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Education ensure that its teachers do not "teach to the test" as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Education refrain from pressuring its teachers to obtain high scores on any statewide achievement test which may be used as a benchmark for compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, and the Governor.

Report Title:

No Child Left Behind Act; Testing