Two pieces of legislation that could reform the controversial No Child Left Behind law are going to a conference committee.
The Senate version of the bill allows states to determine how to use federally mandated tests for accountability purposes and lets states decide if they will allow parents to ask to opt out of standardized tests. The House version would just give parents that right. Wyoming Representative Cynthia Lummis hopes that stays in the bill.
"We hear time and again that we are over testing and under teaching. So this allows parents more skin in the game, working with the schools, to provide the appropriate amount of testing."
Senator Mike Enzi says the federal government will still play a role in education, but under both bills states will get more control. He notes that the Senate bill also keeps states from being forced to adopt any specific type of standards.
