NATIONAL STUDENT TESTING FAILS -- FOR NOW

A surprise dustup over the issue of nationally standardized student testing became one of the interesting controversies that marked the congressional session now grinding to a close. President Bill Clinton strongly favored the notion, even pledging to veto any measure that didn't contain his cherished national testing scheme. Principled critics arose, among which notably included the Missouri State Teachers Association, a commonsense, mainstream organization of educators.

These opponents found their leader in Missouri U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft, who mounted a heroic effort to stop this, the latest federal intrusion into what is properly the state and local concern of educating our children. The first Senate vote on national testing saw only 13 senators vote against the notion. Then the redoubtable Ashcroft went to work, marshalling his arguments and recruiting his colleagues into the opposition. Soon he had 37 senators pledged to opposition.

Throughout this fight, the president stoutly insisted he must be able to pilot the test in certain districts in the coming fiscal year. Joined by his growing list of senatorial allies, Ashcroft promised a filibuster against this. The result was that the president caved, and Missouri's John Ashcroft saved the day, for another year at least. The budget signed by the president this week contains prohibitory language barring any such field testing for the new fiscal year. Expect another fight in the coming year, and the year after.

Meanwhile, the folks at the U.S. Department of Education, which should be abolished anyway, will continue with their planning for a test whose administration is flatly barred. This is the one fig leaf the president managed to retrieve.

The good folks at MSTA properly point out that with a federal scheme of testing will inevitably come a federal curriculum. This we most certainly don't need. Moreover, the states are doing enough testing as it is now. Liberals who want to nationalize everything in sight will be back, but so, armed with facts and strong arguments, will opponents. Good for John Ashcroft.