U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has announced the appointment of Tennessee Representative Mark White as the new Chair of the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB). In addition to naming White as chair, Secretary McMahon appointed early literacy expert Kymyona Burk and elementary school principal Michael Sidebotham to the board. Scott Marion, an educational assessment specialist, was reappointed for a second term. The terms for all three members will begin on October 1.
The NAGB is responsible for overseeing the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as The Nation’s Report Card. This board determines achievement levels and selects which grades and subjects are assessed in NAEP tests.
Recent results from the 2024 NAEP Report Cards showed stagnation and decline in student performance across reading, math, and science, with outcomes worsening since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The 2024 NAEP results confirmed a devastating trend – American students are falling behind at alarming rates and achievement gaps are wider than ever before,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “I am proud to appoint these education professionals who have deep expertise in testing best practices, education reform, and early learning development. Not only will their expertise help shape future assessments, but they will deliver meaningful data to policymakers across the nation to support urgently needed improvements in K-12 classrooms.”
Mark White has represented Tennessee’s District 83 since 2010 and chairs the state’s House Education Administration Committee. He began his career as a science teacher and later became a K-8 principal before entering business. White co-founded the Global Children’s Educational Foundation to assist children in Panama and has received multiple awards for his legislative work.
Kymyona Burk serves as a senior policy fellow of early literacy at ExcelinEd and is also a visiting senior fellow at SUNY New Paltz Science of Reading Center. She has over 25 years of experience in education at various levels, including roles as Mississippi’s state literacy director and literacy coordinator at Jackson State University.
Michael Sidebotham is principal at Grafton Village Elementary in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He was recognized this year by the Virginia Department of Education as Principal of Distinction and previously served as both teacher and assistant principal in Stafford County.
Scott Marion continues his service on NAGB as an expert in testing and measurement. He works with states and districts on assessment design through his role at the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment.
