WASHINGTON—Home schoolers were told this was not the year to ask Congress to ban national testing, but with the help of an outspoken senator and a determined congressman, they did it anyway.

     Despite the dubious odds, home schoolers from across the country and their parents rallied to the cause and bills that would ban national testing have passed both Houses of Congress. The two key legislators, Representative William Goodling (R-PA) and Senator John Ashcroft (R-MO), were recognized last week with the Home School Freedom Award, presented by the Home School Legal Defense Association.

     “The defeat of national testing was our top priority in this session of Congress,” said Michael Farris, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). “Rep. Goodling and Sen. Ashcroft each made a heroic effort to pass the necessary legislation.”

     Goodling is chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. He is also a former school superintendent. “President Clinton is determined to federalize elementary and secondary school education, and I am determined that he’s not going to do that,” Goodling told the home schooling families who gathered on Capitol Hill for the presentation.

     National testing would be disastrous for the country, Ashcroft said. “I truly believe that this one-size-fits none, dumbed-down approach that would follow national testing is against the interests of America. The Senate could not have done this without the efforts of Bill Goodling in the House.”

     H.R. 2646, which would ban national testing as proposed by President Clinton in his 1997 State of the Union address, was sponsored by Goodling and passed the House earlier this year. Ashcroft’s amendment, which contains language identical to Goodling’s bill, was attached to the A+ Accounts bill sponsored by Senator Paul Coverdell (R-GA). Coverdell’s bill was approved by the Senate April 23, 56-43. Since the Ashcroft language is identical to the Goodling House bill, those provisions are not subject to change in the upcoming conference committee.

     “Home schoolers are one of the most effective lobbying groups in the country,” Goodling said. “You people take your freedom and responsibility seriously. I wish more people would.” Goodling added: “Civilizations fall from within, and I’m not sure where we are on the pendulum swing. We haven’t won the war, but we’ve won an important battle.”

     Ashcroft accepted the award, but declined to take credit for the passage of his amendment. “This is a team sport. This award belongs to home schoolers. Their voice is swelling in our culture,” Ashcroft said. “It was not my intensity on this issue that made us successful, it was yours. Instead of Washington imposing its values on you, you imposed your values on Washington.”

     According to Michael Farris, “Educational choices for curriculum and testing must be made by the parents and educators at the local level. Teachers would be pressured to teach the material covered by the test. That’s how national testing would lead to a national curriculum. The content of this national curriculum would be defined by Washington bureaucrats.”

     The awards presentation was part of a day on Capitol Hill sponsored by HSLDA for its Congressional Action Program (CAP). CAP is composed of concerned home school families who are willing to visit congressional offices to educate members on how the members can do their part to protect home school freedoms.

Additional Background on National Testing

• It will create a federally mandated curriculum University of Kansas professor John Poggio stated, “What gets tested is what will get taught.” The greatest danger of a national test is the federally approved curriculum it will inevitably require.

• It will not lead to higher academic performance More tests do not add up to more learning. In Britain a national test started a decline in performance by forcing teachers to narrow the curriculum, teach to the test and in some instances, unethically report elevated test scores.

• It will penalize poor school districts and minorities Many minorities and their advocates are actively opposing a federal national test, including minority groups like the NAACP, the African-American group Project 21 and the National Women’s Law Center. All but one of the members of the congressional black caucus opposes national testing.

• It is a waste of taxpayer money A national test would duplicate the role of private standardized tests already in existence. Such duplication would be a needless additional burden on tax payers. The initial cost to implement this national test would be over 90 million dollars. Duplication would also frustrate and undermine the use of existing private standardized test results.

• A national test would be unconstitutional According to the Tenth Amendment, the only powers given to the federal government are enumerated powers. The federal government only has the authority to pursue the objects listed and explained in the Constitution and its amendments. All other powers are left to the states and to the people. The authority to impose a national test is not enumerated, and so it would violate the constitutional principle of enumerated powers.