No Child Left Inside Legislation

Companion bills, proposed reauthorization of No Child Left Behind Act and other proposed legislation could garner federal support for environmental education

Senator Reed Introduces "No Child Left Inside" Act

On August 3rd, Senator Jack Reed introduced a Senate version of the "No Child Left Inside Act" as a companion bill to the House version that was introduced by Representative John P. Sarbanes in July. The introduction of this Senate Bill is a positive indication, since it would allow both bills to be considered simultaneously by the House and Senate.

This legislation is supported by a coalition of groups, including the Sierra Club, the National Wildlife Federation, Audubon and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Updates and more information can be found on the No Child Left Inside Coalition Web site.

For updates on Congressional Action...
H.R. 3036 currently has 17 co-sponsors, but the companion bill, S.1981 currently has none. For updates on the bills and a list of the co-sponsors, go to the H.R.3036 and S.1981 Summary pages on the U.S. Congressional Library THOMAS site.

Draft of Reauthorized No Child Left Behind Act includes Environmental Education Provisions

Another promising development is the possible inclusion of environmental education in the reauthorized federal No Child Left Behind Act. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 is the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Authorization Act of 1965. It is the principal United States education law and sets strict accountability standards. It also mandates that all students be taught by a "Highly Qualified" teacher. However, many in the formal and non-formal education and environmental education fields believe that NCLB has reduced environmental education and outdoor opportunities for students. NCLB is currently up for reauthorization, and the current discussion draft includes several provisions from H.R. 3036 (the No Child Left Inside Act). More information, as well as the draft, is available on the US House Committee on Education and Labor Web site. The environmental education provisions are on pages 121-134 of the draft http://edlabor.house.gov/bills/MillerMcKeonNCLBDiscussionDraftIII.pdf

There are also other bills and budget items that could affect or impact environmental education, including NOAA's Environmental Literacy Grants and the EPA Office of Environmental Education. You can find out more on the Campaign for Environmental Literacy Web site.