Dianne Feinstein: “the bipartisan bill that the Senate has developed over the last 2 months makes major reforms in education policy by…”

“the bipartisan bill that the Senate has developed over the last 2 months makes major reforms in education policy by focusing on student achievement and by making schools accountable for results. California's public schools should be strengthened by this bill. This bill includes several important reforms. The bill extends the current requirement that states must have academic standards for reading and math and also requires states to establish standards for science and history. Students must reach a proficient level within ten years by making continuous and substantial academic improvement. To ensure that students are learning, states are required to test every student in grades 3-8 annually in reading and math based on state standards. To ensure accountability, schools that fail for two consecutive years to make adequate yearly progress must be identified for improvement and also must identify specific steps to improve student performance. Local school districts must correct failing schools and states must correct failing districts either through new curriculum, restructuring the school, or reconstituting the school staff. In order to improve teacher quality, this bill authorizes grants to states for teacher certification, recruitment, and retention services. The bill enhances programs for limited English proficient children by providing teacher training and funds for programs to improve the English proficiency of these students.”