DOCUMENT RESUME ED 440 373 CS 013 956 TITLE Review and Oversight of the 1998 Reading Results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)--The Nation's Report Card. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. United States House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixth Congress, First Session. INSTITUTION Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Education and the Workforce. REPORT NO House-Hrg-106-44 ISBN ISBN-0-16-058755-7 PUB DATE 1999-05-27 NOTE 130p. AVAILABLE FROM U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402. PUB TYPE Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials (090) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC06 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Disabilities; Elementary Secondary Education; Hearings; Competency Tests; *Pc,iitics ok Education; -Re:_alng Achievement; Test Results; Test Use; Test Validity IDENTIFIERS Congress 106th; *National Assessment of Educational Progress ABSTRACT This document presents the transcript (and written statements) of a congressional hearing on the poteltial politicization of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the trustworthiness of the scores that the states received during the 1998 reading assessment. It addresses whether Vice President Al Gore's "release" of the results violated the apolitical nature of the NAEP, and whether or not including students with disabilities affected the results of the assessment. The document presents the opening statements of Subcommittee chairman Pete Hoekstra, and an opening statement of ranking Subcommittee member Tim Roemer. It then presents the statements hearing transcripts of Pascal D. Forgione, Jr., Commissioner of Educational Statistics, and Mark D. Musick, Chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board. Appendixes contain the opening statement of Pete Hoekstra, the written statements of Pascal Forgione, Jr. and Mark Musick; a policy statement on reporting and dissemination of NAEP results; and correspondence between committee members and those testifying. (RS) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. REVIEW AND OVERSIGHT OF THE 1998 READING tc; RESULTS OF THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS (NAEP)THE NA- TION'S REPORT CARD HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED SIXTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION HEARING"HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, MAY 27, .1999 Serial No. 106-44 Printed for the use of the Committee on Education and the Workforce U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION °Inc° of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 58-131 WASHINGTON : 1999 For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402 ISBN 0-16-058755-7 2 COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE WILLIAM F. GOODLING, Pennsylvania. Chairman THOMAS E."PTRI, Wisconsin WILLIAM (BILL) CLAY, Missouri MARGE ROUKEMA, New Jersey GEORGE MILLER, California CASS BALLENGEFt, North Carolina DALE E. KILDEE, Michigan BILL E. BARRETT, Nebraska MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ, California JOHN A. BOEHNER, Ohio MAJOR R. OWENS, New York PETER HOEKSTRA, Michigan DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey HOWARD P. "BUCK" McKEON, California PATSY MINK, Hawaii MICHAEL N. CASTLE, Delaware ROBERT E. ANDREWS, New Jersey SAM JOHNSON, Texas TIM ROEMER, Indiana JAMES M. TALENT, Missouri ROBERT C. "BOBBY" SCOTT, Virginia JAMES C \GREENWOOD, Pennsylvania LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California LINDSEY 0. GRAHAM, South Carolina CARLOS A. ROMERO-BARCELO, Puerto-Rico MARK E. SOUDER, Indiana CHAKA FATTAH, Pennsylvania DAVID M. McINTOSH, Indiana RUBEN HINOJOSA, Texas CHARLIE W. NORWOOD, JR., Georgia CAROLYN McCARTHY, New York RON PAUL, Texas JOHN F. TIERNEY, Massachusetts BOB SCHAFFER, Colorado RON KIND, Wisconsin FRED UPTON, Michigan LORETTA SANCHEZ, California NATHAN DEAL, Georgia HAROLD E. FORD, JR., Tennessee VAN HILLEARY, Tennessee DENNIS KUCINICH, Ohio VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan DAVID WU, Oregon MATT SALMON, Arizona RUSH D. HOLT, New Jersey THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado ERNIE FLETCHER, Kentucky JIM DeMINT, South Carolina JOHNNY 1SAKSON, Georgia Kevin Talley, Staff Director Gail E. Weiss, Minority Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS PETER HOEKSTRA, Michigan, Chairman CHARLIE W. NORWOOD, JR., Georgia TIM ROEMER, Indiana VAN HILLEARY, Tennessee ROBERT C. SCOTT, Virginia BOB SCHAFFER, Colorado RON KIND, Wisconsin THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado HAROLD E. FORD, JR., Tennessee ERNIE FLETCHER, Kentucky 3 Table of Contents OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN PETE HOEKSTRA, SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE 2 OPENING STATEMENT OF RANKING MEMBER TIM ROEMER, SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE 5 STATEMENT OF PASCAL D. FORGIONE, JR, Ph.D., US COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION. STATISTICS, NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS, OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT, US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, WASHINGTON, DC 9 STATEMENT OF MARK D. MUSICK, CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL ASSESSMENT GOVERNING BOARD, WASHINGTON, DC 10 APPENDIX A - OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN PETE HOEKSTRA, SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE 55 APPENDIX B - WRITTEN STATEMENT OF PASCAL D. FORGIONE, JR, Ph.D., US COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION STATISTICS, NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS, OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT, US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, WASHINGTON, DC... 61 APPENDIX C - WRITTEN STATEMENT OF MARK D. MUSICK, CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL ASSESSMENT GOVERNING BOARD, WASHINGTON, DC 81 APPENDIX D - SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD, POLICY STATEMENT ON REPORTING AND DISSEMINATION OF NATIONAL ASSESSMENT RESULTS, NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS, NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS, ATLANTA, GA, NOVEMBER 17, 1990 89 APPENDIX E - SUBMITTED' FOR THE RECORD, LETTER FROM MARK D. MUSICK, CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL ASSESSMENT GOVERNING BOARD, WASHINGTON, DC TO DR. PASCAL D. FORGIONE, JR, COMISSIONER OF EDUCATION STATISTICS, WASHINGTON, DC, FEBRUARY 18, 1999 97 APPENDIX F - SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD, LETTER FROM RICHARD A. BOYD, CHAIRMAN TO MR. EMERSON J. ELLIOTT, ACTING COMMISSIONER, NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS, WASHINGTON, DC, JUNE 3, 1992 103 IV APPENDIX G - SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD, LETTERS FROMCHARIMAN PETE HOEKSTRA, SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT ANDNVESTIGATIONS, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE TO DR. PASCAL D. FORGIONE, JR, COMMISSIONER, NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS, WASHINGTON, DC AND MR. MARK D. MUSICK, CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL ASSESSMENT GOVERNING BOARD, WASHINGTON, DC, JUNE2, 1999 WITH RESPONSES FROM EACH RESPECTIVELY DATED JUNE14, 1999 AND JUNE 9, 1999 107 Table of Indexes 134 "REVIEW AND OVERSIGHT OF THE 1998 READING RESULTS OF THE-NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS (NAEP) - THE NATION'SREPORT CARD Thursday, May 27, 1999 -House,of Representatives Subcommittee on-Oversight and Investigations Committee on Education-and the Workforce Washington, DC The Subcommittee met pursuant to. call at 9:30 a.m. in Room 2175 Rayburn HouseGffice Building, Hon. Pete Hoekstra, Chairman of the Subcommittee, presiding. Present: Representatives Hoekstra, Schaffer, Tancredo, Fletcher, Castle, Goodling,-Roemer, Scott, Kind and Ford. Staff Present: Robert Borden, Professional Staff Member; Becky Campoverde, -Communications Director; Victor Klatt, Education Policy Coordinator; Patrick Lyden, Legislative Assistant; Michael Reynard, Media Assistant; Deborah Samantar, Office Manager; Rich Strombres, Professional Staff Member; Kent Talbert, Professional Staff Member; Christie Wolfe, Professional Staff Member; Cheryl Johnson, Minority legislative Associate;Gail Weiss, Minority Staff Director; Mark Zuckerman, Minority General Counsel; Alex Nock, Minority Legislative Associate; Cedric Hendricks, Minority Deputy Counsel; and Roxana Folescu,Minority Staff Assistant, Education. (1) 2 Chairman Hoekstra. The Subcommittee will come to order. Pursuant to normal Subcommittee operations, opening statements will be limited to the Chairman and the Ranking Member. All other statements will be submitted for the record without objection. We are doing pretty well. The last Hearing started early. This one started about three minutes late. So, on average, that is about two in a row. Let me give you my opening statement. OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN PETE HOEKSTRA, SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE We are here today to address the potential politicization of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the trustworthiness of the scores that the states received during the last reading assessment. As the nation's report card, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, is an ongoing, congressionally authorized program that collects data through surveys of the educational performance of students in America's elementary and secondary schools. The national assessment is carried out by the Commissioner of Education Statistics under the policy guidance of the National