,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ajbe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #ba1    
#bjae,mr4 ,tester introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,health1 
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend the ,elementary and   
,secondary ,education ,act of #aife to  
clarify when certain academic           
assessments shall be administered4  #a4 
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,student ,testing ,improvement and  
,accountability ,act 4  #b4 ,findings   
,congress finds the following3  7#a7    
,the ,elementary and ,secondary         
,education ,act of #aife supports       
programs to level the playing field for 
the most vulnerable1 including children 
of poverty1 students with disabilities1 
and ,english language learners4  7#b7   
,prior to #bjja1 ,federal law required  
,states only to test students once per  
grade span4  7#c7 ,following the        
enactment of the ,no ,child ,left       

,behind ,act of #bjja 7,public ,law     
#ajg-aaj71 which amended the ,elementary
 and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife
 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fcja et seq471 ,federal
 education policy has placed an         
increased emphasis on testing           
assessments1 requiring students to      
undergo standardized testing every year 
in grades #c through #h4  7#d7 ,reducing
 the frequency of federally required    
testing will allow more time for student
 learning and inspire their natural     
curiosity and creativity4  7#e7         
,students will have more time to receive
 one-on-one instruction and develop     
critical thinking and problem-solving   
skills through a well-rounded education 
and curriculum4  7#f7 ,moving away from 
the practice of annually teaching to the
 test will empower educators to provide 
instruction in a way that best inspires 
and prepares our ,nation's next         
generation of leaders4  7#g7 ,with grade
 span testing1 our educators will be    
more able to focus on those students who

 are most in need but who also lose the 
most class time preparing for annual    
tests4  7#h7 ,grade span testing will   
allow ,states the flexibility to develop
 more meaningful1 tailored assessment   
systems that provide valid1 reliable    
data4  7#i7 ,the yearly testing         
currently required by ,federal law      
should be replaced with grade span      
testing4  #c4 ,academic assessments     
,section #aaaa7;b77#c77;,c7 of the      
,elementary and ,secondary ,education   
,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4            
#fcaa7;b77#c77;,c77 is amended--  7#a7  
in clause 7v77,i7-- 7,a7 by striking    
except as otherwise provided for grades 
#c through #h under clause vii12 and    
7,b7 by inserting and the achievement of
 students against the challenging ,state
 academic content and student academic  
achievement standards after proficiency 
of students2  7#b7 by striking clause   
7vii72 and  7#c7 in clause 7viii71 by   
striking 1 7vi71 7vii7 and inserting and
 7vi74