The Student Success Act () is a bill that was introduced into the United States House of Representatives during the 113th Congress. The bill deals with education policy and would alter parts of both the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act. The Student Success Act passed in a House vote of 221-207 on July 19, 2013.
Background
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 had specific requirements for schools to pass increasingly high standards on state tests. The Obama administration waived some of the requirements of the NCLB. Republicans argued that waivers are only a temporary fix, thus the necessity of a reform bill. They also criticized these waivers, arguing that the Obama Administration was using them to control the states. It was sponsored by House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-Minn.) and Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Chairman Todd Rokita (R-Ind.).
Provisions of the bill
The Student Success Act would "end more than 70 federal education programs and the federal government's metrics for measuring school performance."
The bill gives individual states more control over their own education systems. The bill promotes charter schools. An amendment to the bill, adopted on July 18, 2013 by a vote of 239-187, would forbid the federal government from imposing additional requirements on the states unless those requirements are specifically authorized by law. Elimination of federal mandated actions and interventions currently required of poor performing schools. Allow Title I schools to receive funds to promote the academic achievement of students in need. The bill waives State rights for any state approving the grant program. The state must comply with any requirement. This nullifies school board and parental rights as well.
Procedural history
House
The Student Success Act was introduced into the House of Representatives on June 6, 2013 by Rep. John Kline (R-MN). It was referred to both the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the United States House Committee on Financial Services. On June 19, 2013, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce ordered the bill to be reported (amended) by a vote of 23-16. Both committees discharged the bill on July 11, 2013 and it was placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 108.
A rule about the bill from the United States House Committee on Rules allows 26 different amendments to be discussed – 15 are from Republicans, seven are from Democrats, and the remaining four are considered to be bipartisan. The House passed this bill 230-190, with only three Democrats voting in favor of the rule.
On July 19, 2013, the House voted to pass the Student Success Act in Roll Call 374 221-207. All of the Democrats and 12 of the Republicans voted against the bill.
House Report 113-150 part 1
The Student Success Act was reported on July 11, 2013 alongside House Report 113-150 pt 1. This 973 page long report contains the full text of the bill (the first 133 pages), followed by information about the purpose of the bill, a history of committee hearings on the subject (dating back to September 2003), information about amendments that were adopted, and so forth. According to the report, the purpose of the bill is: "H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to support state and local accountability for public education, provide important information to parents on their schools’ and students’ performance, enhance local flexibility, protect taxpayers’ investments in education, strengthen state and local autonomy, support more effective teachers in the classroom, and provide state and local leaders with the freedom to direct federal resources to the programs that best serve their student populations. The Student Success Act reflects the four principles for reform outlined by the Committee on Education and the Workforce: reducing the federal footprint, restoring local control, supporting effective teachers, and empowering parents." A summary of the bill is found from page 169 to page 1798.
Senate
The United States Senate was expected to ignore the bill, instead working on its own bill about education reform.
Presidential reaction
The White House said that President of the United States Barack Obama would veto the bill.
Congressional Budget office report
This summary is primarily taken from a report published by the Congressional Budget Office on July 19, 2013, a public domain source.