U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) applauded Senate passage on Thursday of the Every Child Achieves Act (ECAA), bipartisan legislation aimed at reforming some of the perceived flaws of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law.
The bill includes two items that Kirk introduced: the All-Year School Study Act and the Expanding Opportunities Through Quality Charter Schools Act.
“Families and educators have struggled with flawed education policy for too long,” Kirk said. “Today’s overwhelming bipartisan vote is a first step toward preparing our kids for the 21st century. I look forward to sending a final bill to the president that reduces federal overreach into the classroom and maintains important Illinois priorities like charter and year-round schools.”
The Every Child Achieves Act includes improvements to the nation's education system overlooked by NCLB. For instance, the bill repeals the annual yearly progress (AYP) requirement. In addition, student and school success metrics are included to help states identify and address the needs of the most vulnerable students. Also, the bill incentivizes the coordination of statewide pre-K programs to address calls for more early childhood education.
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