To Administration's Dismay, House Passes Test Bill

By David J. Hoff

Washington

Opponents of national testing last week won the first of what could be several battles in the new session of Congress over the future of what was once President Clinton's top education priority.

The House voted, 242-174, to approve a bill sponsored by Rep. Bill Goodling, R-Pa., the leader of the testing opposition, that would require Congress to "specifically and explicitly" authorize any test development beyond the current fiscal year.

The bill is needed, Mr. Goodling argued, because Mr. Clinton and the Department of Education are acting as if test development will continue when the current fiscal year ends Sept. 30. One example, the Pennsylvania Republican said, was Mr. Clinton saying in his State of the Union Address last month that there would "soon" be voluntary new national tests in 4th grade reading and 8th grade mathematics, as he...