Honorable Don Siegelman
            Governor of Alabama
            State Capitol
            600 Dexter Avenue
            Montgomery, Alabama 36130-2751

Dear Governor Siegelman:

I am writing to bring you up to date on the U.S. Department              of Education's National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).              NAEP is now entering its ninth State cycle marking the first biennial              NAEP reading and mathematics assessments in grades 4 and 8 under the              No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Under this Act, States applying              for Title I funds must include in their applications an assurance              that they will comply with all requirements of the Act, including              participation in NAEP. By submitting a consolidated State application              for ESEA formula grant funds, a State has agreed to participate in              the biennial reading and mathematics assessments, to ensure that districts              selected for the NAEP samples participate in all phases of the assessments,              and to have the State results published.

Since 1990, NAEP has collected data at the State level              on fourth and eighth grade achievement in reading, mathematics, science,              and writing. The assessment provides valuable information to help              citizens, educators, and policymakers monitor the condition of education              in the Nation. NAEP assessments provide benchmarks on what our students              know and can do, as well as help to compare an individual State's              educational progress to that of other states and the Nation as a whole.              I know that many governors have found NAEP results to be important              resources as they formulated education policy, and I am confident              that this round of NAEP testing will once again provide important              and useful feedback.

In 2003 the assessment will be administered from January              27 through March 7. The results from the reading and mathematics assessments              are scheduled for release within six months and are scheduled for              September 2003. We will keep you informed about our activities through              the NAEP State Coordinator. You and your State Testing Director will              receive an embargoed copy of the results a few days before the release.

I look forward to your State's participation in 2003.              As a policymaker, you are well aware that good data about educational              progress are essential to making sure our children receive the best              education possible. We have already contacted your Chief State School              Officer regarding the upcoming assessment and have asked to be kept              informed of any questions or concerns that arise during the assessments.

A general NAEP information brochure with specific information on State            participation in NAEP is enclosed. However, if you have any questions            or would like more information, please contact Peggy Carr, Associate            Commissioner Assessment Division, National Center for Education Statistics,            at (202) 502-7321. More information is also available through the NAEP            web site at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard.

Sincerely,

/s/

Rod Paige

Enclosure

|cc: | Majority Leaders
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|    | Minority Leaders

|Last Modified: 09/15/2004
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