In Historic Vote, Senate Passes Reauthorized ESEA

For the first time in 14 years, the Senate voted today to approve the new federal K-12 education law. This new landmark legislation, the Every Child Achieves Act (ECAA), would replace No Child Left Behind if signed into law.

We applaud the Senate for taking a bi-partisan approach and historic major step forward toward improving K-12 education in the USA. We strongly urge both parties on both sides of the Capitol to do the remaining work to perfect the ECAA and get it to the White House.

The ECAA would provide needed flexibility for states and districts to focus on improving student and achievement and enabling more innovative, personalized learning approaches.

The Every Child Achieves Act (ECAA), which passed by a margin of 81-17,reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Congress last rewrote ESEA in 2001 with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Because NCLB’s authorization expired in 2007, today’s vote is historic and long overdue.

HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander and Ranking Member Patty Murray are regarded highly for putting politics aside to successfully move this bipartisan proposal through the Senate.

iNACOL will be working in the coming days and weeks to provide detailed policy analysis, recommendations and technical assistance. The revised bill was passed with approximately 60 amendments.

ECAA now heads to a conference committee that will reconcile it with the House bill that was passed. iNACOL urges the conferees to craft a final bill that provides sufficient flexibility for innovation, while safeguarding equity for all students.