CSSO Policy Task Force
CSSO Policy Task Force
As part of the Board's effort to expand involvement and input from state education leaders, the Governing Board partnered with Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to create a Task Force in September 2007. This Board-funded Task Force is charged with providing state feedback and recommendations to the National Assessment Governing Board on policy areas and projects related to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
The Task Force is comprised of 12 high-level state education agency staff members including one chief state school officer, eight members who are either deputy or assistant superintendents, and three public information officers. This wide cross section of perspectives vested in education has shaped careful and extensive deliberations on many NAEP policy areas.
Task Force members are chosen based on expertise and interest in assessment and geographic representation of the nation.
Kim Benton
Chief Academic Officer,
Deputy State Superintendent
Mississippi Department of Education
Venessa Keesler
Deputy Superintendent
Michigan Department of Education
Paul Leather
Deputy Commissioner
New Hampshire Department of Education
Shelley Loving-Ryder (Chair)
Assistant Superintendent, Student Assessment and School Improvement
Virginia Department of Education
Nate Olson (Vice Chair)
Communications Manager
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Michael Sibley
Director of Communications
Alabama Department of Education
Scott Smith
Director of Career Standards and Assessments
Kansas State Department of Education
Michael Thompson
Deputy State Superintendent
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Michele Walker
Director of Assessment
Indiana Department of Education
Joyce Zurkowski
Director of Student Assessment
Colorado Department of Education
Bill Bushaw
Executive Director
Mary Crovo
Deputy Executive Director
Michelle Blair
Senior Research Associate
Chris Minnich
Executive Director
Scott Norton
Strategic Initiative Director
Clayton Hollingshead
Program Director
Colleen Jeno
Program Associate
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Assessment Governing Board have a long history of working collaboratively on a number of projects including development of NAEP frameworks and providing feedback on various NAEP policy issues. In addition, a number of chief state school officers and state testing directors have served as members of the Governing Board over the years.
CCSSO is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states and several jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. For more information, visit http://www.ccsso.org.
Topics have been discussed in depth on an iterative basis. Several of these topics will continue to be addressed. Additional topics are also raised based on new issues.
Discussion Topics:
- NAEP Reporting Process
- NAEP Inclusion and Accommodations
- NAEP Schedule of Assessments
- Grade 12 NAEP
- NAEP Reading Trend Line
- NAEP Contextual Questions
- Common Core State Standards and Assessments
- Misuse and Misinterpretation of NAEP Data
- International Benchmarking
- Board Initiatives on Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps
- Future of NAEP Initiatives
- Assessment Literacy Initiative
- NAEP Digital-Based Assessment Transition
- Strategic Planning Initiative
- NAEP Testing Time
- Research with NAEP Data
The Governing Board receives updates on the Task Force's work. In addition, Task Force members attend Board meetings as observers and also present to the Board periodically.
Task Force members also seek additional input by sharing Task Force recommendations and gathering feedback from their peer groups. For example, members have made presentations to state testing directors and chief state school officers representing states across the nation.
The Task Force provides an important vehicle for state perspectives to be incorporated into Governing Board policy deliberations and projects.