National Research Council

Under the provisions of the Education Sciences Reform Act (P.L. 107-279), the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) is required to provide for continuing review of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The law identifies the issues to be addressed in the reviews, one of which includes the requirement to evaluate whether the NAEP achievement levels, established by the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), are "reasonable, valid, reliable and informative to t

In 2003, Congress mandated that the Institute of Education Sciences contract with the National Research Council to conduct a study of teacher preparation programs in the United States. The study requirements included a synthesis of data and research on traditional undergraduate and graduate education programs as well as alternative certification programs. In addition, the study was to assess the consistency of the program content and requirements with converging scientific evidence in reading

In 2003, Congress mandated that the Institute of Education Sciences contract with the National Research Council to evaluate the impact of Board certification, including an assessment of whether the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification model is a cost-effective method of improving teacher quality and the extent to which certification makes a difference in student academic achievement.