News Article - Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

For Immediate Release
Friday, August 4, 2006
Contact:	Heidi Perlman 781-338-3106

Commissioner Driscoll Named to National Assessment Governing Board

MCLEAN, VA - Massachusetts Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll was sworn in as a member of the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) on Friday by United States Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. Spellings swore Driscoll in at NAGB’s quarterly meeting in Virginia. The last member the Secretary swore in was Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who was appointed to the Board last year. NAGB, established by Congress in 1988, sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The NAEP exam, known as “the Nation’s Report Card” is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America’s students know and can do in various academic subjects. “David Driscoll’s leadership and commitment has been instrumental to raising the standard of education excellence in his home state of Massachusetts,” Spellings said. “I know that he will bring that same dedication to NAGB as we work towards our goal of getting every child to grade level in reading and math by 2014.” Driscoll said he was honored to be selected for the national board. “The work of this Board is at the very center of the Education Reform efforts nationwide, and is crucial in guiding our ability to compete on a global basis,” he said. “Since my earliest days as a superintendent I have been a supporter of NAEP testing, and hope to draw from my experience as an educator in my new role.” The independent, bipartisan, 26-member NAGB Board is composed of state, local and federal officials, educators, business leaders and members of the general public. Other members include Scholastic Education Vice President Francie Alexander, Iowa Gov. Thomas Vilsack and Sacramento Superintendent David Gordon. NAEP assesses representative samples of students in grades 4, 8 and 12 in core academic subjects. Students from 52 states and jurisdictions participated in the 2005 NAEP assessment. In each state NAEP selects about 2,500-3,000 students per grade and subject area tested, from about 100-200 different schools per state. About 60 randomly-selected students are tested per school. NAEP does not provide scores for individual students or schools; instead it offers only statewide results. The Commonwealth's fourth and eighth graders ranked first in reading and tied for first in math in 2005. In science the state’s fourth graders tied for first and eighth graders tied for second.

Last Updated: August 4, 2006