MEDIA STATEMENT
For immediate release: Thur., March 24, 2022
Contact: Stephaan Harris, (202) 357-7504, Stephaan.Harris@ed.gov                                                               

On March 24, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released a series of recommendations for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as The Nation’s Report Card.

The following statement responds to the report and is from Gov. Beverly Perdue, chair of the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets policy for NAEP:

“As the country’s gold standard of student assessment for more than five decades, it is essential the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) provide results that advance opportunities for all of our nation’s students. So the Governing Board welcomes the expert panel recommendations from the National Academies on ways to maintain NAEP’s role as a leader in education.

The Governing Board has been collaborating with the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)—which administers NAEP— on ways to modernize NAEP so that it is more nimble and efficient, reduces costs without sacrificing its quality and rigor, and produces more actionable information for policymakers and the public. The report includes many important suggestions for NAEP, including some that Board members have previously discussed. In many ways, the report affirms—and adds urgency to—the direction we are taking to meet the needs of our nation’s students and families.

As a steward of NAEP, the Board is committed to transparency and accountability so that taxpayer dollars go toward achieving the best possible value at the best possible cost. We will also ensure the Board and NCES are best positioned to make data-driven decisions about program priorities and resources moving forward.

The Governing Board will thoughtfully review the NASEM recommendations and discuss whether and how to implement them. Any actions we take will include feedback from our important partners in states and school districts.

The Nation’s Report Card is an important barometer of our nation’s educational progress. Results from recent NAEP assessments show that we still have much work to do to provide a world-class education for every child. While we work to modernize the assessments, NAEP data must continue to support education leaders committed to help our students and teachers recover from the massive disruptions of the COVID pandemic.”  

Download the PDF version of the release here.

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The National Assessment Governing Board is an independent, nonpartisan 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 set policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress. For more information, visit www.nagb.gov.