Tennessee State Representative Mark White (Memphis) has been appointed Chair of the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), which oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as “The Nation’s Report Card.” This announcement was made by U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.

“The whole point of the NAEP exam is to track student achievement over time,” according to JC Bowman, executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee. He adds: “It does provide nationally comparable, representative data on what students know and can do. However, it does include the ability to track individual students, explain the why behind performance trends, or serve as a tool for classroom-level instruction or individual student evaluation.” 

Rep. White will lead the board as the Trump administration cuts staff and eliminates over a dozen scheduled tests for “cost efficiencies.”

Bowman feels like Rep. White will do a good job in this role. White stated: “Education has been the cornerstone of my professional life.  I’m honored to ensure NAEP remains a reliable benchmark for measuring student progress.”

With experience as a science teacher and principal, Rep. White has represented Memphis in the Tennessee House since 2010, advocating for school choice and teacher support, leading to increased access to charter schools and efforts to close achievement gaps.

For more information about Rep. Mark White, visit tn.gov or contact his office at (615) 741-4410.