NAGB Header Image

Honorable Sonny Perdue

Image

 

Former Gov. Sonny Perdue
Reappointed to National Assessment Governing Board

Georgia Leader and Consultant Is One of Six Members Named by
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan

WASHINGTON (August 21, 2012) — Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue has been appointed to serve a second four-year term on the National Assessment Governing Board, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced yesterday. Five other Board members—one other also a reappointed incumbent—were announced as well. Their terms begin October 1, 2012.

The Republican lawmaker, who stepped down from office in 2011 after serving two terms as governor, will serve in the category of "Republican governor" on the Governing Board. The policy of the Governing Board allows appointed governors to continue to serve even after they leave office. The Board 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 Sonny continue with the Board," said Governing Board Chairman David Driscoll. "His experience as a governor who was a major force behind education reforms will be a major asset in efforts to oversee The Nation’s Report Card—the most valuable benchmark we have for monitoring student progress nationally and for states and large urban school districts."

Perdue led Georgia from January 2003 until January 2011. During his term, Perdue invested in long-term school reforms by creating new accountability measures and working to increase the high school graduation rate and students' preparedness for college and careers. A former state senator, the former governor also pushed for the development of a comprehensive longitudinal data system and supported measures to enhance the comparability of student achievement at national and international levels. Perdue serves as founding partner of Perdue Partners, LLC, an Atlanta-based global trading company that facilitates U.S. commerce through trading, partnerships, consulting services and strategic acquisitions.

Perdue continues his work with the Board as it is overseeing several important initiatives, including research on how NAEP can be used as an indicator of 12th-grade academic preparedness for college and job training; NAEP parent engagement, with a focus on conveying the urgency of closing achievement gaps and improving student performance; innovative computer-based NAEP assessments; and studies linking NAEP with the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

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. NAEP has served an important role in evaluating the condition and progress of U.S. educational achievement since 1969. Among many other duties, the Governing Board determines subjects to be tested, the test content and achievement levels for each test, and works to inform the public about NAEP results.

Perdue 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 the governor, others appointed by Secretary Duncan yesterday 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, 2016.

  • Honorable Anitere Flores, Miami – Republican state legislator:
    Florida state senator; Board member since 2008
  • Rebecca Gagnon, Minneapolis – local school board member:
    Director of the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education
  • Andrew Ho, Cambridge, Mass. – testing and measurement expert:
    Assistant professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education
  • Terry Mazany, Chicago – general public representative:
    President and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust
  • Joseph O’Keefe, Chestnut Hill, Mass. – non-public school administrator or policymaker:
    Professor at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education

Download the PDF version

Stephaan Harris

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.