Education Secretary Cardona Appoints Members to National Assessment Governing Board

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona today announced the appointment of six prominent education leaders—two 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 time for the nation, states, and large urban districts.

Secretary Cardona appointed new members Danielle Gonzales and Jared Solomon for terms that begin Oct. 1.

Danielle Gonzales, a senior fellow at the One Generation Fund, joins the Governing Board as the local school board member. Gonzales is the school board president for Albuquerque Public Schools, a district that receives district-specific NAEP results as part of the Trial Urban District (TUDA) program. Gonzales previously served as a leader with New Mexico First, the Aspen Institute, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and, among other roles, was a 4th grade teacher.

Jared Solomon, delegate for the 18th district in the Maryland House of Delegates, joins the Governing Board in a state legislator role. The Board has two seats designated for state legislators, one for Democrats and one for Republicans. Solomon serves as the deputy speaker pro tem and chair of the Oversight Committee on Personnel in the Maryland House of Delegates. He works as a senior policy advisor at the Bose Public Affairs Group and has previously worked in the U.S. Senate, in the Chancellor’s Office of the DC Public Schools, and, among other roles, was a high school social studies teacher in Baltimore, Maryland.

Secretary Cardona also reappointed four current Governing Board members:

• Suzanne Lane, Professor Emeritus, University of Pittsburgh’s School of Education (Testing and Measurement Expert)
• Julia Rafal-Baer, Managing Partner, ILO Group (General Public Representative)
• Ron Reynolds, Executive Director Emeritus, California Association of Private School Organizations (Non-Public School Administrator)
• Mark White, State Representative for District 83, Tennessee (State Legislator—Republican)

“As the Department continues its work to Raise the Bar for academic excellence—and when so much is at stake in our fight to defend public education—the Nation’s Report Card and the National Assessment Governing Board are critical in our efforts to promote evidence-based strategies in student learning,” said Secretary Cardona. “The talented appointees announced today represent the breadth of skills and lived experience—as community leaders and educators with hands-on experience in the classroom and in districts—to make grounded decisions around assessment and student achievement.”

Expected to be released in early 2025, the 2024 Nation’s Report Card will provide critical information about how education systems are helping students make up lost ground since 2022 and meet the standards and expectations necessary to succeed in school and beyond.

“Danielle Gonzales’ experience as a school board president and Rep. Jared Solomon’s legislative work on behalf of students and teachers at the state level make them well prepared to serve on the Governing Board,” said Lesley Muldoon, Executive Director of the National Assessment Governing Board. “Their experience will be an ideal complement to the insight and leadership Suzanne, Julia, Ron, and Mark have shown these last several years as the Governing Board works to ensure NAEP data informs policies and practices that benefit the country’s students. In a few months, we’ll release the 2024 Nation’s Report Card in math and reading, and having this team at the table will help ensure Americans get the information they need.”

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 sets the NAEP achievement levels. It works with the National Center for Education Statistics, which administers NAEP, to release and disseminate results.

New and reappointed members will be sworn in at the Governing Board’s quarterly meeting in November.

The National Assessment Governing Board (Governing Board) sets policy for the Nation’s Report Card, also called the National Assessment of Educational Progress or NAEP. Created by Congress in 1988, the Governing Board is an independent, nonpartisan board whose 26 members include governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, educators, business representatives and members of the general public. For more information about the Governing Board, visit www.nagb.gov.