Cornelia Smith Orr, a top education official in Florida, has been named the executive director of the board that sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Ms. Orr will leave her post as assistant deputy commissioner for accountability, research, and measurement at the Florida Department of Education to direct the staff of the National Assessment Governing Board, an independent, 26-member entity created by Congress. The board identifies subjects to be tested on NAEP, determines test content and achievement levels, and approves test questions, among other functions.
At the governing board, Ms. Orr will replace Charles E. Smith, who left the post last July to become a vice president in the Washington office of ACT Inc.
One of the 26 seats on the board will be filled by Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, who was appointed by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan last month. The governor, a Republican, will serve a four-year term.
