Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 108 Part 1.djvu/171

 PUBLIC LAW 103-227—MAR. 31, 1994 108 STAT. 145 with the criteria developed by the Council for the certification of such standards. (5) APPROVAL.— The Council shall forward the voluntary national opportunity-to-leam standards the Council certifies to the Groals Panel for review, except that the Goals Panel shall have the option of disapproving such standards by a two-thirds majority vote of the full membership of the Goals Panel not later than 90 days aher receipt of such standards. (d) STATE OPPORTUNITY-TO-LEARN STANDARDS. —The Council may certify State opportunity-to-leam standards submitted voluntarily by a State, using the criteria developed under subsection (c)(3)(B), if such standards are comparable or higher in rigor and quality to the voluntary national opportunity-to-leam standards. (e) GENERAL PROVISION REGARDING VOLUNTARY NATIONAL STANDARDS.— The Council may certify voluntary national content standards, voluntary national student performance standards, and voluntary national opportunity-to-leam standards if such standards are sufficiently general to be used by any State without restricting State and local control of curriculum and prerogatives regarding instructional methods to be employed. (f) STATE ASSESSMENTS. — (1) IN GENERAL. —(A) The Council may certify for a period not to exceed 5 years. State assessments that are submitted voluntarily by a State, using the criteria developed under paragraph (2)(A), if such assessments are aligned with the State's content standards certified by the Council. (B) State assessments shall be certified by the Council for the purposes of— (i) informing students, parents, teachers, and related services personnel about the progress of all students toward the standards; (ii) improving classroom instruction and improving the learning outcomes for all students; (iii) exemplifying for students, parents, and teachers the kinds and levels of achievement that should be expected of all students, including the identification of State student performance standards; (iv) measuring and motivating individual students, schools, districts. States, and the Nation to improve educational performance; and (v) assisting education policymakers in making decisions about education programs. (C) The Council shall certify State assessments only if— (i) a State can demonstrate to the Council that all students have been prepared in the content for which such students are being assessed; (ii) such assessments will not be used to make decisions regarding graduation, grade promotion, or retention of students for a period of 5 years from the date of enactment of this Act; and (iii) the State has submitted to the Council— (I) a description of the purposes for which the State assessments have been designed; (II) the methodologies and process used to develop, select, validate, and use such State assessments; (III) a copy of the test instrument, as appropriate;

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