U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. will give remarks, followed by a question-and-answer session, at the National Assessment Governing Board’s quarterly meeting on Friday, Nov. 18, in Arlington, Virginia. King will administer the oath of office to two newly appointed and four re-appointed board members. He also will speak about the role of assessments, and in particular the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)—the “Nation’s Report Card”—in providing trustworthy, relevant information about U.S. student achievement. Such impartial, meaningful assessments are essential to gauging the country’s progress in preparing all students for success in college, careers and life.
In addition, King will call on board members to continue supporting excellence and equity in U.S. education, including highlighting the opportunity and achievement gaps that persist, and helping educators and other leaders to interpret the NAEP findings, close the gaps, and improve outcomes for all students. He also will discuss the Administration’s efforts to support meaningful assessments that support equity and strong results for all students, including activities under President Obama’s Testing Action Plan, and work on provisions under Title I of the Every Student Succeeds Act to ensure states administer high-quality assessments that provide meaningful data about student success, while also encouraging states and districts to innovate.