PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6093-6095)
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Oct 4, 2011
Growth to Excellence Act of 2011 - Amends part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow states to measure student progress toward academic achievement standards using adaptive assessments that are computerized, aligned with grade-level academic content standards, and measure student growth above and below grade level.
Allows states, upon the Secretary of Education's approval, to adopt an alternative accountability model requiring their local educational agencies (LEAs) and public elementary and secondary schools to achieve adequate student growth toward college and career readiness standards.
Requires such states to: (1) adopt college and career ready academic content standards; (2) adopt college and career ready assessments that measure annual student growth in mathematics and reading or the language arts; (3) measure secondary school graduation rates; (4) assess at least two additional indicators of students' college or career readiness; and (5) require schools that do not meet adequate student growth targets to be categorized, provided with appropriate support, and subject to consequences that include intervention measures.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Requires an alternative accountability model to establish annual progress targets for each school that aim to reduce by half, in less than six years, the difference between the percentage of students (overall and in specified student subgroups) at the top performing schools who meet the college and career readiness standards or make adequate student growth, and the percentage of such students at each school that is not a top performing school.
Requires annual progress targets for secondary schools to aim to reduce by half, in less than six years, the difference between the percentage of students who graduate and 90%.
Describes what shall be considered adequate student growth toward college and career readiness standards.
People & committees
Sen. Udall, Mark [D-CO] · D–CO
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6093-6095)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6093)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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