Dear Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate,

 

We write today to encourage you to vote against any amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization that would weaken test participation requirements.

 

Weakening these requirements would undermine accountability provisions designed to ensure that all children – no matter their background or school – receive the education they deserve. In particular, if students who opt out of statewide annual assessments are removed from the calculation of test participation rates, it could destroy the ability to use information on student outcomes to better focus our efforts on children who need the most help. This is unacceptable.

 

Our groups stand together in support of high quality state standards and assessments for all children because we are committed to knowing how they are progressing through the education system. Without the information these tests provide, parents and the public would have no way to judge whether students are learning what they need know in order to succeed in higher education and the workplace. Furthermore, schools themselves would not have the information they need to improve and provide the best education for their students.

 

If any such amendment were adopted, struggling students – especially low-income students, students of color, English language learners and students with disabilities – are likely, over time, to be excluded from an accountability system that is designed to address their needs. If only certain students are tested, it could very well mask the real performance of our public schools. Failing to include all students in the assessment system would mean that some learners would not be counted. As a result, the needs of all students would not be known and their interests not served.

 

Again, we strongly urge a vote of “NO” on any amendment that undermines school accountability provisions.

 

Business Roundtable

The Education Trust

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

Council of Chief State School Officers

Knowledge Alliance

National Council of La Raza

The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc.

National Association of School Psychologists

Teach for America

U.S. Chamber of Commerce