Baltimore City Public Schools Chief Andrés Alonso Appointed to National Assessment Governing Board

Superintendent is One of Seven Members Named by
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan

WASHINGTON (September 6, 2011) – Baltimore City Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Andrés Alonso has been appointed to serve a four-year term on the National Assessment Governing Board, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced today. Six other Board members—four of them also new appointees—were announced as well. Their terms begin October 1, 2011.

Alonso, who has led Maryland's largest school district since 2007, will serve in the category of "local school superintendent" on the Governing Board, which sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as The Nation's Report Card. NAEP is the country's only nationally representative assessment of student achievement in various subjects, including mathematics, reading, writing and science.

"We are delighted to have Andrés join the Board," said Governing Board Chairman David Driscoll. "His experience as an educator and administrator in two large urban cities will be a major asset in efforts to oversee The Nation's Report Card—the most valuable benchmark we have for monitoring student progress in the U.S. and large urban districts."

Alonso has led key reforms and initiatives in Baltimore City schools, such as enlarging the role of family and communities in school operations, closing low-performing schools, and giving more autonomy to school principals. Under his leadership, Baltimore City schools have seen improving student performance with a narrowing of achievement gaps among some subgroups. Alonso previously served as deputy chancellor for the New York City Department of Education, where he was involved with developing school accountability. Alonso also worked as an English as a Second Language teacher and an attorney, graduating from Harvard University's law school and graduate school of education.

Alonso joins the Board as it is overseeing several major developments. They include a new computer-based Technology and Engineering Literacy assessment that will be administered in 2014, research studies to be released in 2012 on 12th-grade preparedness for higher education and job training, and a new ad hoc committee on engaging parents with the goal of increasing student performance and closing achievement gaps.

Congress established the 26-member Governing Board in 1988 to oversee NAEP, which makes objective information on student performance available to policymakers and the public at the national, state and local levels, and has served an important role in evaluating the condition and progress of American education since 1969. Among many other duties, the Governing Board determines subjects to be tested and the content and achievement levels for each test, and works to inform the public about NAEP results.

Alonso joins a group of governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, educators and researchers, business representatives and members of the general public who make up the Board. In addition to Alonso, others appointed by Secretary Duncan today are listed below along with their hometown, category of appointment, and official title. The term for each member is slated to extend to September 30, 2015.

• Lou Fabrizio, Raleigh, N.C., testing and measurement expert: Data, Research and Federal Policy Director for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; Board member since 2007
• Terry Holliday, Lexington, Ky., chief state school officer: Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Education
• Dale Nowlin, Columbus, Ind., 12th-grade teacher: Teacher at Columbus North High School
• Susan Pimentel, Hanover, N.H., curriculum specialist: Educational Consultant; Board member since 2007
• B. Fielding Rolston, Kingsport, Tenn., state school board member: Chairman of the Tennessee State Board of Education
• Cary Sneider, Portland, Ore., curriculum specialist: Associate Research Professor at Portland State University

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The National Assessment of Educational Progress is the only nationally representative, continuing evaluation of the condition of education in the United States. It has served as a national yardstick of student achievement since 1969. Through the Nation's Report Card, NAEP informs the public about what American students know and can do in various subject areas and compares achievement between states, large urban districts, and various student demographic groups.
The National Assessment Governing Board is an independent, bipartisan board whose members include governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, educators, business representatives and members of the general public. Congress created the 26-member Governing Board in 1988 to oversee and set policy for NAEP.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a congressionally authorized project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. The National Center for Education Statistics, within the Institute of Education Sciences, administers NAEP. The Commissioner of Education Statistics is responsible by law for carrying out the NAEP project.