College Board Enters National-Test Arena With New Project

Taking up President Bush's call for a new assessment system, the College Board has joined the list of organizations seeking to develop a national test of student achievement.

Under an effort launched last month, the New York-based association of colleges and secondary schools is developing a series of "capstone" high-school courses and performance-based assessments to measure students' achievement in such courses. Board officials expect to pilot the first examination, in mathematics, next year.

The project, known as "Pacesetters," is modeled after the board's Advanced Placement program, which enables high-school students to earn college credit by performing well on an examination, said Donald M. Stewart, president...