Washington, DC, August 14, 2008 – The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced the appointment of 16 members to a National Technical Advisory Council (NTAC). The NTAC was created to advise ED on complex and technical issues as they relate to the continued implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. The chosen members come from a range of backgrounds in the assessment and accountability field, including past-and-present state education agency officials.

CCSSO supports the creation of the NTAC so long as it does not attempt to codify one-size-fits-all approaches, but rather assists states in carrying out their complex and difficult educational judgments. It must remain sensitive to state authority and the need to permit latitude for states to develop their own innovative approaches to standards, assessments, and accountability systems. These issues are highly technical, but they are not academic; they must be addressed and implemented in the real world.

“CCSSO is particularly pleased with the appointment of John Poggio, Professor, Department of Educational Psychology and Research, University of Kansas,” said CCSSO Executive Director Gene Wilhoit. “John, along with several other experts on the NTAC, has significant experience and knowledge in the practical challenges that states face in implementing assessment and accountability systems.”

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks members’ consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public.