On the recordFebruary 26, 2015
I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding and for offering this important amendment. Mr. Chairman, under No Child Left Behind, schools were punished if all students did not reach a static proficiency target. It did not matter how many gains students made or how close students were to reaching proficiency. The system under No Child Left Behind was unworkable and damaging. This reauthorization should recognize the tremendous gains most students make each year, and it should provide an incentive for schools to provide differentiated instruction to all students, including those performing above and below any proficiency benchmark. It is time to replace the No Child Left Behind-style accountability systems that label schools as failing, even when students make tremendous growth. This amendment is an important step in the right direction, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
