Senate Panel Begins Examination of NCLB

Washington

Members of the Senate education committee started their hearings on renewing the No Child Left Behind Act by asking what may be the most pressing question raised by the law: What has to happen to turn schools rife with low academic performance into communities where students are achieving at proficiency?

“The federal role in assisting these schools may be our greatest challenge, and it’s our top priority for this reauthorization,” Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, said at the Feb. 8 hearing.

“We know what makes a good school,” said Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., the ranking Republican on the committee. “What we don’t know is how to make a low-performing school...