<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 Congress to offer greater flexibility to states and fully fund the No <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.3"></a><var>1.3</var>Child Left Behind Act as part of its reauthorization.<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, NCLB is scheduled to be reauthorized in 2007; and  <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.8"></a><var>1.8</var>WHEREAS, NCLB may violate the Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.9"></a><var>1.9</var>which restricts the power of the federal government to those so delegated by the United States <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.10"></a><var>1.10</var>Constitution and reserves powers not delegated to the federal government, such as education, to <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.11"></a><var>1.11</var>the states and the people; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.12"></a><var>1.12</var>WHEREAS, NCLB represents a federal intrusion into state and local control of education, <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.13"></a><var>1.13</var>which violates time-honored American principles of balanced federalism and respect for state <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.14"></a><var>1.14</var>and local prerogatives; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.15"></a><var>1.15</var>WHEREAS, NCLB is an unfunded mandate causing states and school districts to spend <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.16"></a><var>1.16</var>more money to implement NCLB than what Congress appropriates; and<br />
         		<a id="pl.1.17"></a><var>1.17</var>WHEREAS, Congress is considering performance bonuses for schools that are closing <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.18"></a><var>1.18</var>the achievement gap; and <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.19"></a><var>1.19</var>WHEREAS, NCLB will, according to the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor, <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.20"></a><var>1.20</var>cause between 80 percent and 100 percent of Minnesota elementary schools to fail to meet <br />
         		<a id="pl.1.21"></a><var>1.21</var>adequate yearly progress requirements by 2014, states should be given flexibility to determine <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.1"></a><var>2.1</var>which schools failed to make adequate yearly progress and which schools are in need of <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.2"></a><var>2.2</var>improvement; NOW, THEREFORE,<br />
         		<a id="pl.2.3"></a><var>2.3</var>BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota  that it urges Congress to <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.4"></a><var>2.4</var>amend the No Child Left Behind Act before reauthorizing it in its current form, and that states <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.5"></a><var>2.5</var>such as Minnesota be allowed to continue to work toward the goal of closing the achievement gap <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.6"></a><var>2.6</var>without the coercion of losing federal funds. <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.7"></a><var>2.7</var>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.8"></a><var>2.8</var>Congress to reconsider its expectations placed on states to reach 100 percent proficiency as <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.9"></a><var>2.9</var>measured by adequate yearly progress.<br />
         		<a id="pl.2.10"></a><var>2.10</var>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the  State of Minnesota is <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.11"></a><var>2.11</var>directed to prepare copies of this memorial and transmit them to the President and the Secretary of <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.12"></a><var>2.12</var>the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.13"></a><var>2.13</var>and Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in Congress so that they may be apprised of the <br />
         		<a id="pl.2.14"></a><var>2.14</var>sense of the Minnesota Legislature in this matter.<br />
         		
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