U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday that standardized testing requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as “No Child Left Behind,” are too rigid. Duncan made the comments during the Department of Education first-ever Twitter Town Hall meeting.
Duncan noted that testing is critical to measure reading levels and annual improvements, but he also stated that “the law is too punitive” and schools need to be granted “more flexibility and autonomy.” A number of states have expressed opposition to the law, claiming that it has unrealistic requirements and is causing more harm than good to school systems.