__ More Information __  • Find out how the Governing Board guides the assessment.  • See Governing Board policies to implement the No Child Left Behind Act.  • View FAQs about NAEP.

About the National Assessment Governing Board

• Introduction
• News and Publications on the Governing Board Website
• How the National Assessment Governing Board Works
• The Governing Board's Responsibilities

Introduction

The National Assessment Governing Board was created by Congress in 1988 to oversee and set policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The 26-member Governing Board is an independent, bipartisan group whose members include governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, educators, business representatives, and members of the general public. Members are appointed by the Secretary of Education but remain independent of the Department. The current membership is available on the Governing Board's website.

The Governing Board sets policy for NAEP and is responsible for developing the framework and test specifications that serve as the blueprint for the assessments. This page provides more information about Board policies, Board members, and the Board's role in areas such as NAEP assessment frameworks and the assessment schedule.

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News and Publications on the Governing Board Website

The Governing Board website home page has news of recent events, information about recent releases, and the latest publications. For all Governing Board publications, including achievement level reports, frameworks, conference proceedings, and research papers, follow the link to Publications on the left hand navigation bar.

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How the National Assessment Governing Board Works

The Board conducts its work and carries out its responsibilities through five standing committees. Committees monitor external contracts, prepare and recommend procedures for reporting and disseminating NAEP results, review and recommend test and questionnaire questions, and recommend policies to the full Board to guide other NAEP activities. The Governing Board and its committees meet quarterly. Upcoming meetings are listed on the Governing Board's website.

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The Governing Board's Responsibilities

The Board oversees and establishes policy for NAEP.

As specified in P.L. 107-110, the Board's responsibilities include

• selecting subject areas to be assessed;
• setting appropriate student achievement levels;
• developing assessment objectives and test specifications;
• developing a process for the review of the assessment;
• designing the assessment methodology;
• developing guidelines for reporting and disseminating NAEP results;
• developing standards and procedures for interstate, regional and national comparisons;
• determining the appropriateness of all assessment items and ensuring the assessment items are free from bias and are secular, neutral, and non-ideological;
• taking actions to improve the form, content, use, and reporting of results of the National Assessment; and
• planning and executing the initial public release of NAEP reports.

See an overview of NAEP for more general information about the structure and development of the assessments, or find out more about how the Governing Board guides the assessment.

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Last updated 05 October 2007 (AA)