A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

President Clinton today announced that U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley appointed
Michigan Gov. John Engler to the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB).

Gov. Engler, who has been appointed to fill the Republican governor's slot on the board, has been hailed as a leader in education and testing initiatives. He has fought for higher standards, better assessments, local control, interdistrict school choice and a charter schools law.

The 25-member bi-partisan board formulates policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students should know and be able to do in various subjects.

NAGB also is responsible for overseeing the development of the proposed national tests in fourth grade reading and eighth grade math.

The board is involved in number of activities, including:

• selecting the subjects to be tested;
• identifying assessment objectives for each age and grade tested;
• ensuring that all items selected for use in the assessment are free from racial, cultural, gender or regional bias; and,
• identifying appropriate achievement goals.

The secretary appoints members from nominees in categories prescribed by law. The board must include governors or former governors, state legislators, educators, testing experts and curriculum specialists, as well as business and industry representatives, parents and persons representing the general public.

This page last modified -- February 25, 1998 (bsf)