U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona today announced the appointment of 11 prominent education leaders – seven new members and four reappointed members – to the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the Nation’s Report Card.

The Nation’s Report Card, also known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, is the only nationally representative assessment of student achievement. Over the past year, NAEP provided critical insights into student learning gaps across subjects and grades worsened by the pandemic. In addition, accompanying survey data revealed important trends related to chronic absenteeism, literacy, and teacher confidence in getting students back on track.

The nonpartisan 26-member governing board was established by Congress to set policy for the Nation’s Report Card. The board decides what grades and subjects to assess, content to include, and achievement levels. It works with the National Center for Education Statistics, which administers NAEP, to release and disseminate results.

“As we work to Raise the Bar for academic excellence and promote the benefits of evidence-based strategies to support learning recovery in our schools, the Nation’s Report Card shines a much-needed light on students’ progress,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “I’m confident the appointees announced today will draw on their diverse experiences – including as school leaders, educators, and parents – to guide decision-making around how we assess student achievement in our country. At this critical moment in our students’ continued recovery from the disruption of the pandemic, I’m especially grateful for these leaders and their willingness to serve on the National Assessment Governing Board.”

The following education leaders were appointed for a term that began October 1:

• Lisa Ashe, Secondary Mathematics Consultant, Department of Public Instruction, North Carolina (Curriculum Specialist)
• Shari Camhi, Superintendent of Schools, Baldwin Union Free School District, Baldwin, New York (Local School Superintendent)
• Michelle Cantú-Wilson, Trustee, San Jacinto College, Houston, Texas (General Public Representative)
• Angélica Infante-Green, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary education, Rhode Island (Chief State School Officer)
• Guillermo Solano-Flores, Professor of Education, Stanford University (Testing and Measurement Expert)
• Darein Spann, Principal, Starkville High School, Starkville, Mississippi (Secondary Principal)
• Jane Swift, former governor, Massachusetts (Governor)

The secretary also reappointed several current Governing Board members:

• Christine Cunningham, Senior Vice President of STEM Learning, Museum of Science, Boston (Curriculum Specialist)
• Patrick Kelly, AP Government and U.S. History Teacher, Blythewood, South Carolina (Twelfth-Grade Teacher)
• Reginald McGregor, Vice-President, Government Relations, Rolls-Royce Corporation (Business Representative)
• Martin West, Professor of Education and Academic Dean, Harvard University (State School Board Member from Massachusetts)

Chair Beverly Perdue, the former governor of North Carolina, was also reappointed as chair of the governing board.

“I’m grateful to these new appointees for their willingness to serve and to those who preceded them on the governing board. We have vital work ahead of us to strengthen the NAEP program and innovate so that the Nation’s Report Card continues to provide essential information about the progress of our students and their experience in school,” said Executive Director of the National Assessment Governing Board Lesley Muldoon. “Congress has charged the Secretary and Board to ensure that its membership reflects the full diversity of our nation. This new class of members is the most diverse ever, strengthening our ability to represent the array of backgrounds and experiences of our nation’s students and teachers.”

New and reappointed members will be sworn in at the governing board’s quarterly meeting in November. See the full governing board members list here.

The National Assessment Governing Board is an independent, nonpartisan board whose members include governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, educators, business representatives and members of the general public. Congress created the governing board in 1988 to set policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress. For more information about the governing board, visit www.nagb.gov.