Is participation in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) voluntary?
Every federal education law is conditioned on a state’s decision to accept federal program funds. Despite the occasional use of the term “mandate” when discussing federal program obligations, there is no federal “mandate” to do anything in local schools. All obligations incurred by state and local education agencies are conditions placed on the receipt of federal funds. Any state that does not want to abide by these requirements need not accept the federal grant money. The Legislation No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), as federal education law, is in accordance with this “condition,” which obliges states that accept Title I funding to participate in NAEP. The exact wording of the NCLB, the legislation reauthorizing ESEA, can be found in Public Law 107-110 Title I Part A, sec. 1111 and Public Law 107-110 Title VI, Part A. http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html Title I Final Regulations–from the U.S. Department of Education SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: These regulations implem
