Luis A. Ramos, a member of the independent board that sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, died in a car accident Jan. 1 in his home state of Pennsylvania. He was 57.
Mr. Ramos, of Shickshinny, Pa., had served on the National Assessment Governing Board, known as NAGB, since 2004. He also was a former member of the Pennsylvania state board of education.
Born in Puerto Rico, Mr. Ramos took a strong interest in the achievement of Latino students and in business development among minority groups. Since 2004, he had worked as a community-relations manager for the PPL Corp., a power company in Allentown, Pa.
Mr. Ramos “provided valuable and extraordinary service” to NAGB, Charles Smith, the governing board’s executive director, said in a statement. He described Mr. Ramos as someone “who always [chose] to shine the spotlight on others.”
The board vacancy will be filled through the existing nomination process later this year, NAGB officials said. U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings is scheduled to appoint six panelists for four-year terms beginning Oct. 1.
