As Congress considers reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, it should recognize the need for fundamental reform of federal K-12 education policy, which since 1965 has followed a path of greater federal control of education, the proliferation of bureaucracy, higher administrative costs, and new federal programs. Under the proposed Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success (A-PLUS) Act, states could opt out of NCLB and instead decide for themselves how to use federal funds to improve local education. States would maintain state-level standards, assessments, and public reporting to preserve transparency in public education. By restoring greater state control of education, the A-PLUS Act would allow states to end inefficient and ineffective federal programs, reallocate funds toward state-directed initiatives to improve student learning, and reduce spending on administrative costs and bureaucracy. Returning greater authority to the states would empower parents, local school leaders, state policymakers, and governors to take responsibility for local schools and implement reforms to strengthen public education. (Contains 14 footnotes.)