Congressman Pushes to Halt No Child Left Behind Testing Provisions

A day after Walnut Unified’s schools were ranked among the top performing schools in the state, Congressman Joe Baca introduced legislation in the House of Representatives that could place a moratorium on the testing provisions in the No Child Left Behind Act that governs the school assessment standards across the country.

The Save Our Schools Act or S.O.S., would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to remove all mandated testing provisions, according to news release. Baca (R-Rialto) said he hopes to free school districts and teachers from the “teaching to the test culture” and ending an inequitable system that punishes, instead of assists, those schools and students in the most dire need.

“Since its enactment in 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act has been a complete and utter failure,” Baca said. “Instead of ensuring all of America’s children have access to a quality education, the legislation has tied the hands of teachers and school administrators, forced students to learn inane testing strategies instead of real-life skills, and made billions in profits for standardized testing companies. I am proud to introduce this long overdue legislation, which can finally put America’s education policy back in the hands of local officials, teachers and parents, and remove the influence of big corporations and Washington bureaucrats.”

No Child Left Behind Act was supposed to serve as a way to hold educators to the highest standards of accountability possible. But Baca, who serves the current 43^rd district, said the measure has had the opposite effect.

On Tuesday, a day before Baca introduced his measure, U.S. News and World Report released a list that ranked 21,776 high schools nationwide, 577 in California. Schools must get a gold or silver medal to be ranked. And the local high schools had a strong showing.

Diamond Bar High School ranked 61st in the state 316th in the United States, according to usnews.com. Walnut High School is ranked 65th in the state and 348th nationally. Both schools earned the gold award. Diamond Ranch High School in the Pomona Unified School District ranked 258th in the state and 1,257th nationally and eared a silver award.

“We are very proud to receive national recognition of our accomplishments. Our school culture is founded on the 4 A’s: Academics, Activities, the Arts and Athletics. Combine this culture with an excellent staff, dedicated students and supportive parents and you get a positive learning community where students are provided a balanced and healthy approach to success,” Diamond Bar High School Principal Catherine Real said through a written statement. “We are beaming with pride at our school’s accomplishments!”

Despite many achievements, some educators insist problems persist. No Child Left Behind's requirement is that it over-emphasizes standardized testing, Baca said. It forces teachers to teach to the test, narrowing curriculum, use sanctions that do not help improve schools, excluding low-scoring children in order to boost test results, and failing to come up with successful measures of assessment for students with limited English skills and special needs students, he said.

“No Child Left Behind prescribes a failed one-size-fits all approach to the development of America’s youth,” Baca said. “The S.O.S. Act is responsible legislation which can eliminate the misguided testing requirements that are currently in place, and instead return education policy to where it belongs, in the hands of our states and local governments.”