Oct. 1, Lisa Ashe, a UNC School of Education student in the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, was one of eleven education leaders appointed by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the Nation’s Report Card.
The Nation’s Report Card, also known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), is the only nationally representative assessment of student achievement. It has been administered continuously since 1969. Most recently, NAEP provided critical insights into student learning gaps across subjects and grades worsened by the pandemic. In addition, accompanying survey data revealed important trends related to chronic absenteeism, literacy, and teacher confidence in getting students back on track.
“My experiences in different demographic settings, along with a lens of policy implementation, can bring a unique perspective to the selection of content and reporting considerations for NAEP mathematics,” Ashe said. “I look forward to the opportunity to serve.”
Ashe serves as a secondary mathematics consultant in the Division of Academic Standards within the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). She also serves as president of the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics, a national organization focused on bringing together leaders in state, territorial, and provincial agencies to enhance quality mathematics education.
Prior to her role at NCDPI, Ashe held roles that included high school mathematics teacher, school-based math instructional facilitator, and PK-12 district curriculum specialist within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Cabarrus County school systems. Her work at the school, district, state, and national levels has focused on developing mathematics instructional leaders and building leadership capacity for mathematics teaching and learning.
In her doctoral studies at the School, Ashe’s research interest centers on the development of partnerships that advance mathematical teaching and learning, specifically looking at how state-level departments of education participate in university partnerships, as brokers and conveners, to conduct relevant research in aid of that teaching and learning.
“Lisa exemplifies our program’s vision of a scholar-practitioner: someone who can not only do the hard work of advancing the values of equity and excellence within large educational systems, but can also communicate those values to researchers, educators, and policymakers.” said Eric Houck, Ph.D., program coordinator for the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program and Ashe’s advisor.
“I have been fortunate enough to continue this service journey at the state and national level, which has kept me close to roles that maximize opportunities to collaborate with educational leaders in support of policies and practices geared toward improving academic outcomes for students,” Ashe said. “Whether working in schools and districts or within standards alignment work, I am committed to serving students and educators alike. This appointment is an honor and a privilege.”
The nonpartisan 26-member Governing Board was established by Congress to set policy for the Nation’s Report Card. The board decides what grades and subjects to assess, content to include, and achievement levels. It works with the National Center for Education Statistics, which administers NAEP, to release and disseminate results.
Ashe, along with new and reappointed members, will be sworn in at the Governing Board’s quarterly meeting in November.