How the Board Works

The National Assessment Governing Board conducts its work and carries out its responsibilities through five standing committees. The full Board and its committees meet quarterly. Additional business is conducted through teleconferences and other in-person meetings, as necessary. Committees monitor external contracts; prepare and recommend procedures for reporting and disseminating results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP); review and recommend test content for NAEP; and recommend policies to the full Board to guide other NAEP activities.

Responsibilities
What We Do
Committee Structure
Staff Organizational Chart (PDF)
Nomination Process

Responsibilities

As specified in Public Law 107–279, the Board's responsibilities include:

• Selecting subject areas to be assessed
• Developing appropriate student achievement levels
• Developing assessment objectives and test specifications that produce an assessment that is valid and reliable, and are based on relevant widely accepted professional standards
• Designing the methodology of the assessment
• Developing guidelines for reporting and disseminating results
• Developing standards and procedures for regional and national comparisons
• Approving all cognitive and noncognitive NAEP items
• Taking appropriate actions needed to improve the form, content, use, and reporting of results
• Planning and executing the initial public release of National Assessment of Educational Progress reports

    

What We Do

The National Assessment Governing Board meets quarterly to make decisions on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), including the subjects NAEP measures and the frameworks of assessments that students eventually take. This site contains recent and current actions, along with more details of this independent and bipartisan Governing Board.

    

National Assessment Governing Board Committee Structure (2009–2010)

    

Nomination Process

The Governing Board conducts an extensive and thorough process to nominate Board members, who are appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Education.

First, the Governing Board conducts a broad-based search for nominees nationwide, in the Board categories prescribed by law. The search includes posting the call for nominations on the Board's Web site—usually in August—and mailing letters to more than 1,400 groups and individuals. In any given year, there are usually four to six openings on the Board, in specific categories such as elementary school principal, business representative, or local school board member.

Then the Governing Board's Nominations Committee receives the nominations and conducts independent ratings of candidate resumes. Based on the independent ratings, the Nominations Committee recommends a slate of six finalists to the full Board for action. The finalists' resumes are submitted to the Secretary for each open category. Finally, the Secretary's office conducts a thorough review of the submitted candidates and usually announces Board appointments in the fall, for terms beginning October 1 of that year. Board appointments are usually for a 4-year term.

A Board incumbent who wishes to seek a second term, and who still qualifies in an open category, can request that his/her name be included in the final slate of candidates sent to the Secretary for consideration. Incumbents may be selected by the Secretary for reappointment to a second term. Board members serve a maximum of two 4-year terms.