This document discusses the Assessment Policy Committee established to design and supervise the conduct of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and describes the legislation supporting the Committee. It proposes that the governance of NAEP be the responsibility of a board composed largely of educational policy makers, and those…

This paper evaluates the procedures and results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in science. A brief description of the 1981-82 assessment, funded by the National Science Foundation, precedes a discussion of strengths and weaknesses of the current science assessment program, conducted by Educational Testing Service. Major…

Recognizing the lack of public confidence in the schools, public officials and educators should discuss the proper use and limitations of competency testing and the implementation of national tests. Competency tests should be used for diagnosis, for certifying that students possess basic skills, and for public awareness. They should not be the…