<div class="xtend"><a id="pl.1.1"></a><var>1.1</var>A resolution<br />
         		<a id="pl.1.2"></a><var>1.2</var>memorializing the Congress of the United States not to reauthorize the No Child Left <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.3"></a><var>1.3</var>Behind Act in its current form.<br />
         		<a id="pl.1.4"></a><var>1.4</var>WHEREAS, in 2002 the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act was enacted on a bipartisan <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.5"></a><var>1.5</var>basis, which has as its purpose bringing academic achievement in language arts, mathematics, and <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.6"></a><var>1.6</var>science to students who are not presently achieving at acceptable levels; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.7"></a><var>1.7</var>WHEREAS, the current reauthorization process for NCLB is an opportunity to reform the <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.8"></a><var>1.8</var>act to ensure that no child is left behind in this federal, state, and school partnership; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.9"></a><var>1.9</var>WHEREAS, Congress has not met its promises for funding levels to allow schools to <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.10"></a><var>1.10</var>correct identified inadequacies and, in turn, NCLB imposes significant financial costs on states, <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.11"></a><var>1.11</var>school districts, teachers, and paraprofessionals for staff development, certification upgrades, <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.12"></a><var>1.12</var>coursework, school improvement strategies, choice-related transportation, and private tutoring, <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.13"></a><var>1.13</var>as well as the unavoidable costs and dislocation that would arise in the event of mandatory <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.14"></a><var>1.14</var>school restructuring and staff dismissals; and<br />
         		<a id="pl.1.15"></a><var>1.15</var>WHEREAS, the entire sanctions concept must be revised. The first response to schools not <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.16"></a><var>1.16</var>meeting NCLB-established standards must be to target additional resources to correct recognized <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.17"></a><var>1.17</var>deficiencies; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.18"></a><var>1.18</var>WHEREAS, NCLB must be amended to ensure that the act's assumptions and standards are <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.19"></a><var>1.19</var>based on sound research in student achievement and effective teaching; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.20"></a><var>1.20</var>WHEREAS, NCLB mandates that every public school make adequate yearly progress <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.21"></a><var>1.21</var>toward the goal of 100 percent student proficiency on tests in mathematics, reading and language <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.22"></a><var>1.22</var>arts, and science by the end of the 2013-2014 school year; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.1"></a><var>2.1</var>WHEREAS, NCLB significantly increases the federal government's role in elementary and <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.2"></a><var>2.2</var>secondary education; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.3"></a><var>2.3</var>WHEREAS, NCLB has resulted in overreliance on standardized testing to the exclusion of <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.4"></a><var>2.4</var>other recognized indicators of student achievement; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.5"></a><var>2.5</var>WHEREAS, the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act is an opportunity to <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.6"></a><var>2.6</var>refine the admirable goals of the act based on five years of experience in implementing the <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.7"></a><var>2.7</var>2002 initiative; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.8"></a><var>2.8</var>WHEREAS, NCLB sets expectations for all students to be 100 percent proficient by <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.9"></a><var>2.9</var>2013-2014, and the expectations are unreasonable for students with disabilities, making it <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.10"></a><var>2.10</var>impossible for Minnesota schools to comply with the law; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.11"></a><var>2.11</var>WHEREAS, NCLB only assumes accountability for schools receiving Title I funds; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.12"></a><var>2.12</var>WHEREAS, schools need flexibility in a whole range of areas. Special education <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.13"></a><var>2.13</var>implementation, teacher subject area competency, school benchmarks, and student cohort <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.14"></a><var>2.14</var>definitions must not be imposed from Washington, D.C. Local educators and state legislatures <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.15"></a><var>2.15</var>must be allowed to refine these aspects of NCLB to reflect local conditions and needs. Flexibility <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.16"></a><var>2.16</var>and more sophisticated measurements will keep the focus on educating children and not meeting <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.17"></a><var>2.17</var>unrealistic and rigid standards; NOW, THEREFORE, <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.18"></a><var>2.18</var>BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges the Congress <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.19"></a><var>2.19</var>of the United States to repeal the No Child Left Behind Act if the aforementioned concerns <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.20"></a><var>2.20</var>go unaddressed.<br />
         		<a id="pl.2.21"></a><var>2.21</var>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges the <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.22"></a><var>2.22</var>Congress of the United States, if it reauthorizes the No Child Left Behind Act, to amend it from <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.23"></a><var>2.23</var>its current form so that states such as Minnesota be allowed to continue to work toward the goal <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.24"></a><var>2.24</var>of closing the achievement gap without the coercion of losing federal funds.<br />
         		<a id="pl.2.25"></a><var>2.25</var>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.26"></a><var>2.26</var>the Congress of the United States, if it reauthorizes the No Child Left Behind Act, to do so in <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.27"></a><var>2.27</var>a timely fashion so that the State of Minnesota can proceed with the noble goal of closing the <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.28"></a><var>2.28</var>achievement gap as it best sees fit for the students of the state. <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.29"></a><var>2.29</var>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota is <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.30"></a><var>2.30</var>directed to prepare copies of this memorial and transmit them to the President and the Secretary of <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.31"></a><var>2.31</var>the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, <br />
         		<a id="pl.3.1"></a><var>3.1</var>and Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in Congress so that they may be apprised of the <br />
         		<a id="pl.3.2"></a><var>3.2</var>sense of the Minnesota Legislature in this matter.<br />
         		
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