Michael Nettles Appointed to Texas Joint Advisory Board

Michael Nettles Appointed to Texas Joint Advisory Board Contact: Tom Ewing (609) 683-2899 mediacontacts@ets.org Princeton, N.J. (October 2, 2008) — Michael Nettles, Senior Vice President of ETS’s Center for Policy Evaluation and Research, has been selected to become a member of the Joint Advisory Board governing Texas’ Education Research Centers (ERCs). In 2006, the 79th Texas Legislature, Third Called Session, authorized the creation of three ERCs to conduct research that benefits education in Texas. The ERCs were established at Texas A&M University at College Station, The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas at Dallas. The ERC Joint Advisory Board will adopt policies for governing the operations of these ERCs, as well as reviewing and approving any research conducted by them. The board will be chaired jointly by Robert Scott, Commissioner of Education, and Raymund A. Paredes, Commissioner of Higher Education. In his invitation to Nettles, Scott wrote, “Your participation could have a significant and profound impact on the future of education in Texas and we would be honored to have you join this important Board.” “I am honored to be selected to serve on the Joint Advisory Board,” Nettles says. “As the world’s leading educational measurement organization, it is part of ETS’s mission to utilize research to advance learning and opportunity. We have long been committed to improving learning and professional development in each state and around the globe. As one of the largest states in the nation and larger than many countries throughout the world, Texas has been a leading innovator in education policy. Texas is a place where we have learned many lessons about educational improvement that can be applied in establishing policies in other places. Establishing the education research centers through legislative action is yet another innovation that I believe other states will come to see as necessary components of education improvement. This appointment will allow me to expand our effort to seek opportunities for research to be used in advancing learning and opportunity.” ABOUT ETS ETS is a nonprofit institution with the mission to advance quality and equity in education by providing fair and valid assessments, research and related services for all people worldwide. In serving individuals, educational institutions and government agencies around the world, ETS customizes solutions to meet the need for teacher professional development products and services, classroom and end-of-course assessments, and research-based teaching and learning tools. Founded in 1947, ETS today develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide.