The National Governors Association, Council of Chief State School Officers, and the National Association of State Boards of Education jointly devised recommendations in 11 areas in order to achieve America's education goals for every student since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. These recommendations included giving states and schools the flexibility to use "growth models" to gain credit for increasing student achievement; creating rewards and differentiating consequences; supporting meaningful, long-term school reform; and ensuring fair testing of special populations. Recommendations also ask that the reauthorization include a renewed state-federal partnership that will provide states the flexibility to ensure the law works effectively in each state. The recommendations are made in an effort to improve the academic achievement of all students to ensure they are prepared for postsecondary education, work, and lifelong learning in the 21st century. These recommendations represent the major issues Congress will face in reauthorizing NCLB. The Governors (National Governors Association), chief state school officers (Council of Chief State School Officers), and state boards of education members (National Association of State Boards of Education) also recommend additional amendments to the law as outlined in their respective NCLB and Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) policies.