The Governing Board CCSSO Policy Task Force
Task Force Members
History of Partnership with CCSSO
Policy Topics Addressed to Date
The Task Force and the Board
The Task Force and Outreach
The Governing Board CCSSO Policy Task Force
As part of the Board's effort to expand involvement and input from state education leaders, the Governing Board partnered with Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to create a Task Force in September 2007. This Board-funded Task Force is charged with providing state feedback and recommendations to the National Assessment Governing Board on policy areas and projects related to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
The Task Force is comprised of 12 high-level state education agency staff members including one chief state school officer, eight members who are either deputy or assistant superintendents, and three public information officers. This wide cross section of perspectives vested in education has shaped careful and extensive deliberations on many NAEP policy areas.
Task Force members are chosen based on expertise and interest in assessment and geographic representation of the nation.
Task Force Members (2008-2009)
Joseph Willhoft
Task Force Chair
Assistant Superintendent
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Timothy Webb
Task Force Vice Chair
Commissioner
Tennessee Department of Education
David Abrams
Assistant Commissioner
New York State Education Department
Gloria Dopf
Deputy Superintendent
Nevada Department of Education
Kris Kaase
Associate Superintendent - Academic Education
Mississippi Department of Education
Elliot Krieger
Executive Assistant for Communications
Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Tim Lockwood
Public Information Officer
Wyoming Department of Education
Susie Morrison
Deputy Superintendent/Chief of Staff
Illinois State Board of Education
Deborah Sigman
Deputy Superintendent
California Department of Education
Theresa Siskind
Deputy Superintendent
South Carolina Department of Education
Julie Johnson Thompson
Director of Communications
Arkansas Department of Education
Leroy Tompkins
Director of Testing
Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Government of the District of Columbia
History of Partnership with CCSSO
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Assessment Governing Board have a long history of working collaboratively on a number of projects including development of NAEP frameworks and providing feedback on various NAEP policy issues. In addition, a number of chief state school officers and state testing directors have served as members of the Governing Board over the years.
CCSSO is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states and several jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. For more information, visit http://www.ccsso.org.
Policy Topics Addressed to Date
During the first year of the Task Force, six topics were discussed in depth on an iterative basis. Several of these topics will continue to be addressed in 2008-2009.
Discussion Topics:
- NAEP Reporting Process
- NAEP Inclusion and Accommodations
- NAEP Assessment Schedule
- Grade 12 NAEP
- NAEP Reading Trend Line
- NAEP Race/Ethnicity Reporting
The Task Force and the Board
The Governing Board's Executive Committee receives an update on the Task Force's work at each quarterly Board meeting. In addition, presentations to the full Board by Task Force members occur periodically.
At the May 2009 Board meeting in Seattle, 2008-2009 Task Force Chair Joseph Willhoft, Assistant Superintendent in Washington State, will present on behalf of the Task Force. At the August 2008 quarterly meeting of the Governing Board, 2007-2008 Task Force Chair Billy Cannaday, Jr., then chief state school officer for Virginia, addressed the Board with the key recommendations discussed by the Task Force.
The Task Force and Outreach
Task Force members also seek additional input by sharing Task Force recommendations and gathering feedback from their peer groups. For example, members have made presentations to state testing directors and chief state school officers representing states across the nation.
The Task Force provides an important vehicle for state perspectives to be incorporated into Governing Board policy deliberations and projects. For more information about the Task Force, see http://communities.ccsso.org/web/NAGB_Policy.
