Former North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue Appointed Chair of the National Assessment Governing Board
WASHINGTON—Former North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue has been appointed to serve as chair of the National Assessment Governing Board, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced today. Perdue will be the first female chair in the 30-year history of the board, which she joined as a member in October 2017. During her time on the board, she has served on the committee on standards, design and methodology.
Perdue, who served as North Carolina's first female governor from 2009 to 2013, will lead the 26-member nonpartisan, independent governing board that sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Known as "the Nation's Report Card," NAEP provides the public and national, state and local education policymakers with objective data on student performance in nearly a dozen subjects. The relevant information that NAEP provides about U.S. student achievement helps education stakeholders evaluate the progress of American education. The board determines the subjects and content of NAEP tests, sets the achievement levels for reporting and publicly releases the results.
"I am delighted to welcome former North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue as the chair of the National Assessment Governing Board," Secretary DeVos said. "Her years of experience and time spent in the classroom as a public school teacher will be vital to the work of the board as it continues its efforts to strengthen and advance education opportunities for students across our country."
During her early career, Perdue was a public school teacher. Her political career began in 1986 when she was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives for two terms. During 25 years of public service, she also represented North Carolina as a state senator, lieutenant governor and governor. While in the State Senate, she led the Education and Appropriations Committee.
Since she left office, Perdue has continued to support teachers and has initiated many education efforts, including founding and chairing digiLEARN, a non-profit institution designed to accelerate personal learning options for students and instructional opportunities for teachers. digiLEARN focuses on using technology to create data-based learning and assessments for students, along with professional development opportunities for teachers that allow them to lead from their classrooms.
Perdue also has served as a Resident Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics and a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. She also consults on a number of national and state education issues.
"I am honored to be chosen for this position, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the board to close our nation's achievement gap and ensure that all students, regardless of geography or circumstance, have access to a great education that prepares them for the jobs of tomorrow," Perdue said.
NAEP is a congressionally authorized project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. The National Center for Education Statistics, within the Institute of Education Sciences, administers NAEP. The commissioner of education statistics is responsible by law for carrying out the NAEP project.