Senate Passes Education Bill, But Tough Talks Lie Ahead With House

Both chambers back sweeping changes to Bush-era’s ‘No Child Left Behind,’ though versions differ

WASHINGTON—For the first time in 14 years, both chambers of Congress have backed sweeping changes to federal education law, but stark differences between the House and Senate bills portend difficult negotiations to produce final legislation replacing the Bush-era “No Child Left Behind.”

The Senate on Thursday voted 81-17 to pass a bill rewriting the 2001 education law that made statewide standardized tests the benchmark of adequate progress in reading and math and set up a framework under which a multitude of schools have...